title: St. Louis Man Admits Involvement in Armed Carjackings, Jail Escape and Fatal Shooting of De Smet High School Football Coach

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri pleaded guilty Wednesday to four counts of carjacking, two counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of carjacking, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of carjacking resulting in death and one count of escape. Kurt Wallace, 30, appeared today before U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White, who set Wallace’s sentencing for Dec. 12, 2023. According to the plea agreement, on Sept. 16, 2017, Wallace carjacked the driver of a 2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the 300 block of Walsh in the St. Louis. During the carjacking, Wallace shot the driver in the shoulder. On Oct. 15, 2017, Wallace carjacked a Cadillac CTS in the 5800 block of Kennerly in St. Louis. During the carjacking, Wallace shot the driver in the leg. The next day, Wallace was involved in the armed carjacking of a Jeep Grand Cherokee being driven by Jaz Granderson, a football coach at De Smet Jesuit High School. Wallace fatally shot Granderson during the carjacking. Wallace was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2017 and detained in jail pending trial. While in custody, Wallace escaped from a jail on July 15, 2019. After escaping, Wallace and fellow inmate James Flannel carjacked a vehicle and led police on a multi-jurisdiction pursuit until Wallace crashed and flipped the vehicle. As part of the plea, both sides have agreed to recommend a sentence of 60 years in federal prison. Wednesday’s guilty pleas conclude a joint investigation by the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into a series of violent crimes committed by Wallace and others during the fall of 2017. Wallace is the seventh individual convicted in connection with that investigation; the others include Floyd Barber, 28, Jherrica Dixon, 30, James Flannel, 43, Jerell Henderson, 33, Larenta Jones, 30, and Stephan Jones, 33. Flannel was sentenced in November 2021 to life in prison for the fatal carjacking of Boris Iouioukine, a Laclede Cab Company driver on June 25, 2018. He awaits sentencing on the escape and carjacking. Dixon pleaded guilty May 22, 2019 to eight felonies: four counts of carjacking, three counts of discharge and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. She admitted setting up a series of meetings with men so that they could be carjacked by her then-boyfriend Wallace and others. On Aug. 14, 2017, Wallace and others carjacked a 2017 Dodge Charger in the 800 block of Gustav Avenue in St. Louis. Dixon also admitted setting up the Sept. 16 and Oct. 15 carjackings and the carjacking of Granderson. Barber pleaded guilty June 4, 2019 to two counts of carjacking, one count of discharge and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. He admitted the Sept. 9, 2017 carjacking of a Kia Optima in St. Louis and admitted participating in the carjacking of Granderson and the fatal drug robbery of Ladareace Pool, 26, in the 4700 block of Goodfellow Avenue on Oct. 3, 2017. The sentencing hearings for Dixon and Barber are pending. Dixon faces a mandatory minimum of 27 years in prison for just three of the charges. Both sides have agreed to recommend 30 years in prison for Barber. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey sentenced Henderson on Aug. 23, 2022 to 42 ½ years in prison for Pool’s robbery and murder. Larenta Jones was sentenced to 30 years in prison and Stephan Jones, the driver the day of Pool’s murder, was sentenced to five years in prison on a drug charge. “ATF has no higher priority than working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and ultimately, bring to justice those who inflict violence on our communities and in our neighborhoods,” said Bernard Hansen, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kansas City Field Division. “As this case so clearly demonstrates, we will continue to use our investigative expertise, and strong partnership with the men and women of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department to ensure that St. Louis is a safer place to live and work.” The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating this case with assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, the Troy Police Department, the Saint Ann Police Department and the Saint Louis County Police Department.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution and Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – On September 5, 2023, an Omaha man was sentenced to 132 months in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person. According to public court documents, in March 2023, Russell Paul Sorbello, 59, was found in possession of methamphetamine and cocaine during a traffic stop. In a subsequent search of Sorbello’s hotel room, law enforcement located additional drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Officers also located a firearm in Sorbello’s possession. Upon release from prison, Sorbello will serve a 5-year total term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated 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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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: Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to Six and a Half Years in Federal Prison for Dealing Drugs and Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for dealing crack cocaine and illegally possessing a loaded handgun. In 2020 and 2021, LARRY DENNIS conducted a drug-dealing operation from his residence in Markham, Ill. When a customer arrived outside of the home, Dennis would typically approach the customer or their vehicle to deliver baggies of narcotics in exchange for cash. In December 2020, Dennis pointed a gun at a man during a drug-debt dispute in the driveway of Dennis’s home. Law enforcement in January 2021 conducted a court-authorized search of Dennis’s residence and discovered cocaine, marijuana, drug packaging materials, and a loaded handgun. Dennis had previously been convicted of multiple state felonies, including firearm offenses, and was not lawfully allowed to possess the gun. Dennis, 39, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal drug charge. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman imposed the sentence Monday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Daniel Delaney, Chief of the Midlothian, Ill., Police Department. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Markham Police Department, Dolton, Ill., Police Department, and Orland Park, Ill., Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee.


title: Washington Man Sentenced for Bringing Box of Molotov Cocktails to Protest March in Summer 2020

body_text: A Washington man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison for his role in a plot to burn the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) building in downtown Seattle in September 2020. According to court documents, Justin Christopher Moore, 35, of Renton, made and carried a box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a protest march to the Seattle Police Officers Guild building on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2020. Ultimately, the marchers were moved away from the building in downtown Seattle. Police smelled gasoline and grew concerned about the intentions of protestors. The box containing the 12 gasoline devices was found in the parking lot next to the SPOG building. Using video from that day and from other protests, as well as information from the electronic devices of other co-conspirators, Moore was confirmed as the person seen carrying the box of destructive devices. In June 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Moore’s residence. They seized clothing that is consistent with the images of what Moore was wearing when he carried the Molotov cocktails. From the basement storage area, they also recovered numerous items that are consistent with manufacturing explosive devices. Law enforcement recovered a notebook in which Moore had made entries related to the manufacturing of destructive devices and the ingredients necessary. In asking for a 41-month sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington noted that carrying and leaving the box of explosive bottles was inherently dangerous. “Moore’s offense was extremely dangerous and created a substantial risk of injury to numerous bystanders…. Moore carried the box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a crowd of over 1,000 people who were participating in the protest march. All of them were in harm’s way if one of the devices had exploded.” The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Seattle Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


title: Shreveport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Machine Gun

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – Tydarrien T. Porter , 21, of Shreveport, has been sentenced for possession of a machine gun, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Porter to 84 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to evidence presented to the court, on April 13, 2022, an officer with the Shreveport Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by Porter. The officer observed Porter leaning down as if to place or reach for something under the driver’s seat. Another officer made contact with the other occupants of the vehicle on the passenger side and observed a firearm in the back seat between the legs of a male passenger in the back seat of the vehicle. Two females were also in the vehicle. The officer ordered the occupants to exit the vehicle and a search was conducted. Officers located a second firearm in front of where one of the female occupants was sitting. In addition, officers seized 23 grams of marijuana found under the driver’s seat. In all, three firearms were found and seized, a Joe Bob Outfitters AR pistol, a Draco pistol, and a Glock pistol. The Joe Bob Outfitters AR pistol was found to have a drop-in auto sear inserted inside, a device which converted the pistol into a machine gun. Porter admitted to officers that the AR pistol and marijuana found inside the car belonged to him. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with possession of a machine gun and Porter pleaded guilty to the charge on April 3, 2023. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana recently notified the public through a Public Service Announcement (PSA) that there is a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to persons found with Glock switches, auto sears, or firearms containing either. This PSA can be viewed on the district’s YouTube page at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAICRba4034 . # # #


title: Former CEO of Financial Services Firm Pleads Guilty to $150M Investment Fraud Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Florida man pleaded guilty today to defrauding clients of his financial services firm. According to court documents, in 2005, Roberto Gustavo Cortes Ripalda, 56, of Key Biscayne, founded financial services company Biscayne Capital. Between approximately 2013 and 2018, Cortes and others orchestrated a scheme to defraud Biscayne Capital clients through a series of lies regarding how the firm would use client funds. For example, Cortes and his co-conspirators told clients that their investments would finance the development of real estate projects, when in fact, Cortes and his co-conspirators used the money to pay other Biscayne Capital clients, cover Biscayne Capital expenses, and pay themselves millions of dollars. Cortes and his co-conspirators also invested clients’ money without their knowledge, and then attempted to cover their tracks by providing investors with fraudulent account statements. According to the indictment, by September 2018, the scheme collapsed, and Biscayne Capital went into liquidation, causing more than $155 million in losses to Biscayne Capital clients. Cortes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his plea, Cortes agreed to a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $3.4 million. Cortes is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York, Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington made the announcement. The IRS-CI Global Illicit Financial Team and HSI are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Randall Warden of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorney Chad Davis of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew Rolle and Benjamin Weintraub for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. Trial Attorneys John (Fritz) Scanlon and Brandon Burkart of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section assisted with the investigation of the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in the case.


title: Boston Doctor Indicted for Exposing Himself to Minor Sitting Next to Him on Flight

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Boston for allegedly masturbating and exposing himself within the view of a 14-year-old female seated next to him onboard a flight from Honolulu to Boston in May 2022. Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was indicted on one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Mohanty was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Aug. 10, 2023 and was released on conditions. According to the charging documents, at the time of his arrest Mohanty was an internal medicine and primary care doctor with a practice in Boston. It is alleged that, on May 27, 2022, Mohanty was a passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Flight enroute from Honolulu to Boston with a female companion. Mohanty was allegedly seated next to a 14-year-old minor travelling with her grandparents, who were seated nearby. About half-way through the flight, the minor allegedly observed that Mohanty had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that Mohanty’s leg was bouncing up and down. Shortly thereafter, the minor observed that the blanket was on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating. The minor moved herself to an empty seat in a different row for the remainder of the flight. After arriving in Boston, the minor informed members of her family about the incident and law enforcement was notified. The charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States provides for a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Bayport Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting a Mail Carrier

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Bayport man has been sentenced to 68 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a mail carrier, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on October 26, 2018, a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier was delivering mail in St. Paul. As the mail carrier was crossing the street, Kevin Demetri Blocker, 27, driving a Nissan Altima, approached the intersection at speed and had to brake quickly to allow the mail carrier to continue crossing the street. The mail carrier shouted to Blocker that he was required to yield. Blocker parked his vehicle and confronted the mail carrier. Blocker forcibly assaulted the mail carrier by striking him in the face. The mail carrier fell to the ground and hit his head on the concrete. The mail carrier was taken to the hospital and required 12 stitches to close a wound on the back of his head. Blocker attempted to hide his involvement in the offense by reporting the Nissan Altima stolen and selling it to another individual. On May 15, 2023, Blocker pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a federal employee. He was sentenced on September 11, 2023, by Senior Judge Donovan W. Frank. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Polachek prosecuted the case.


title: California man sentenced to prison after receiving child pornography while living in Missoula

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — Bobby Manuel Argo, 23 of California, was sentenced today after receiving child pornography of a minor girl he befriended while living in Missoula, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy sentenced the defendant to 6 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography in May 2023. “Protecting minors from predators like Bobby Argo is of paramount importance. We are committed to continue working with our law enforcement partners at the federal and local level to prevent Montana’s children from being victimized and to hold accountable those who seek to prey on them. I want to thank the agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Missoula Police Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Hargrove, for investigating this case and bringing Argo to justice.” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. In court documents, the government alleged that between 2021 and early 2022, Argo was living in Missoula and befriended Jane Doe 1, a girl who was under the age of 18. Jane Doe 1 confided in Argo that someone online was coercing her to send sexually explicit images of herself. Argo offered to help Jane Doe 1 and asked her to get him in touch with her extortioner. Instead of helping, Argo messaged the perpetrator separately and offered to assist him in further extorting Jane Doe 1 for explicit images of herself and others. In January 2022, law enforcement identified the perpetrator and, during a search of his social media account, learned he had been communicating with Argo about Jane Doe 1 and sharing explicit images of her with Argo. Law enforcement executed search warrants of Argo’s social media account, his residence in California and his cell phone and found child pornography in his possession, including a video of Jane Doe 1 engaged in sexually explicit content that he had received through the internet while he was still in Missoula. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove prosecuted the case, which was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Missoula Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Strawberry Point Man Charged With Possession Of A Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Scott Wesley Timmerman, age 56, from Strawberry Point, Iowa, has been charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a short-barreled shotgun in violation of federal law. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed on September 12, 2023, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. The Indictment alleges that, on or about May 31, 2023, Timmerman was found in possession of a short-barreled Winchester shotgun and the firearm was not registered to him in the federal registry. The indictment also alleges Timmerman had two prior felony convictions from Arizona. If convicted on all charges, Timmerman faces a possible maximum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. Timmerman appeared on September 12, 2023, in federal court in Cedar Rapids and was held pending a detention hearing scheduled for September 15, 2023. Timmerman’s trial is set for November 13, 2023. As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Reinert and was investigated by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-02054. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Federal jury convicts Minnesota man of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in Havre and Billings

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A federal jury today convicted a Minnesota man of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl in Havre and Billings in 2021, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. After a 2 ½ day trial that began on September 11, the jury found Rembrandt Carlos Kemp, 32, of Fridley, Minnesota, guilty of conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, as charged in an indictment. Kemp faces 5 to 40 years in prison, a $5,000,000 fine and at least 4 years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for January 31, 2024. Kemp was detained pending further proceedings. “As Kemp’s conduct demonstrates, the tentacles of drug trafficking reach every corner of Montana, from our biggest city to our smaller communities on the Hi-Line. I’m grateful for the diligent investigative efforts of the Tri-Agency Task Force, the Havre Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration and to Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Lowney and Benjamin Hargrove for bringing Kemp to justice. We remain committed to working with all our law enforcement partners to combat illegal drug distribution across the state,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. The government presented evidence at trial showing that on January 11, 2021, an investigation was initiated regarding a female and male distributing fentanyl in Havre, Montana. Based on information provided by a confidential source and after reviewing public Facebook profiles, law enforcement determined that the female was Chantel Azure and the male was Rembrandt Kemp. On January 13, 2021, the source successfully conducted a controlled buy of fentanyl pills from Azure. During the sale, law enforcement observed Azure arrive in a vehicle with two male passengers inside. Agents saw Azure get out of her car, get into the source’s vehicle where the sale occurred, and return to her vehicle with the two men still inside. After continued surveillance, law enforcement initiated a traffic stop with Azure and her two occupants inside the vehicle. Kemp was located in the front passenger seat and his co-defendant, Martaveon Scott, was in the back seat. Azure and Kemp were arrested on warrants and Scott was arrested for providing a false name. Kemp was found with 4.32 grams of actual methamphetamine and a digital scale. Scott was found with 28.43 grams of actual methamphetamine and 100 pills of fentanyl, which weighed approximately 9.6 grams. An additional 2.9 grams of actual meth was found in the trunk of the vehicle along with a .22 caliber AR-15 style rifle. Additionally, $1,378 was found with Kemp and Scott in the car, including the $800 cash used by the source for the controlled buy. Martaveon Makei Scott previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 29, 2023 in front of Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris. Chantel Marie Azure previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. She was sentenced in December 2022 to 28 months in prison followed by 4 years supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Lowney and Benjamin Hargrove are prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Tri-Agency Task Force, Havre Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. 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: Coercion of a Minor to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity Leads to 10 Year Federal Prison Sentence for New Orleans Man

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the sentencing of Kentrell Knighten , 39, of New Orleans, for coercion of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced Knighten to 121 months (10 years, 1 month) in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release. On September 13, 2022, the friend of a 15-year-old female high school student (“minor victim”) observed Knighten texting the minor victim. Knighten was the boyfriend of the minor victim’s mother. According to the friend, in those text messages the defendant discussed the fact that he was inquiring how much he would have to pay her to have sex with one or more of his friends from another city in Louisiana. The minor victim’s friend told the school counselor what she had observed, and law enforcement was contacted. Law enforcement agents were able to seize and search the minor victim’s cell phone pursuant to a search warrant and interviewed the minor victim. Specific text messages were found in the phone in which Knighten asked the minor victim how much she would charge to have sex with his friends in graphic terms. These messages occurred in September 2022. In the text messages, the minor victim expressed fear of being alone with other adults. The defendant assured her that he would be in the room and that she would get paid between $75-100. Knighten admitted to law enforcement agents that he texted with the victim and that he discussed the minor victim engaging in sexual acts with other adult men for money. "We urge parents to be keenly aware of who they allow around their children and into their homes,” stated U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “Child exploitation touches every corner of our community. This office will be vigilant in protecting our youth and prosecute all who try to disrupt the American family through criminal activity. We look forward to this defendant serving a lengthy prison sentence and an even longer period of court supervision once released.” The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Luke Walker. # # #


title: Puerto Rico Woman Admits Trafficking Cocaine on Flight to Connecticut

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HECMARIELIZ CRUZ-ACEVEDO, 24, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to a cocaine trafficking offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 9, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors at San Juan International Airport that Cruz-Acevedo had boarded a flight to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, with a final destination of Bradley International Airport, and had checked a piece of luggage that contained five rectangular-shaped objects consistent with narcotics packages. After the flight landed at Bradley Airport, a Connecticut State Police canine detected the presence of narcotics in the checked bag. Investigators stopped Cruz-Acevedo when she retrieved the bag at baggage claim. She was arrested after a search of the bag revealed five individual parcels, each containing slightly more than one kilogram of cocaine, located between articles of clothing. Cruz-Acevedo pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Cruz-Acevedo is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled. This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.


title: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crimes

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Joshua Azale Mitchell, 21, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to stealing firearms from two Kanawha County businesses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 9, 2022, Mitchell broke into a Dunbar business and stole a Diamondback Firearms DB15 5.56 caliber rifle and a Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 .22-caliber rifle. On November 10, 2022, Mitchell broke into a Charleston business and stole a Custom Arms & Accessories LD-15 5.56 caliber rifle and a DPMS Panther Arms A-15 5.56 caliber rifle. Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the thefts. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Co-defendant Keara Kilpatrick, 21, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee and aiding and abetting the thefts on July 12, 2023. Kilpatrick drove Mitchell to and from the two businesses for each break-in and theft. On November 11, 2022, Kilpatrick was driving on Washington Street in Charleston when law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop of her vehicle. Kilpatrick fled before crashing her vehicle in a hotel parking lot. Officers recovered three of the four stolen firearms from Kilpatrick's vehicle. Kilpatrick awaits sentencing. United States Attorney Will Thompson made today’s announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office and the Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Brian Parsons are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-28. ###


title: Houston Woman Pleads Guilty to   Cares Act Fraud and Theft of Government Funds

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TEMIKA SANTEMORE, age 43, a resident of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to a two-count bill of information charging her with making false statements and theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1%. PPP loan proceeds must be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spends the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and uses at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. In addition, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program was a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) program that provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. The CARES Act provided funding for EIDL loans for business affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast to the PPP, EIDL loan amounts were determined based on the recipient businesses’ historical revenue and disbursed directly to the recipient by the SBA. According to the charging documents, SANTEMORE made false statements to the SBA for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related relief loans funded by the federal government, including PPP funds, which she received in the amount of approximately $13,540. SANTEMORE also applied for an EIDL from the SBA in July of 2020 and illegally received $5,000 for a dormant business that she owned. Sentencing is set for December 12, 2023. SANTEMORE faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the false statements count. She faces up to ten years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the theft count. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count due after conviction. For more information on the Department of Justice’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 . U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General – Criminal Investigations, the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Joshua Adam Schulte Convicted After Trial Of Multiple Child Pornography Crimes

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the conviction of JOSHUA ADAM SCHULTE of three counts — receiving, possessing, and transporting child pornography — in connection with an encrypted cache of more than 3,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children found on the defendant’s home desktop computer. The defendant was found guilty following a three-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman. The defendant, a former programmer at the Central Intelligence Agency (“CIA”), was previously found guilty of four counts of espionage, four counts of computer hacking, contempt of Court, and making false statements to the FBI at previous trials conducted in 2020 and 2022 in connection with the defendant’s commission of the largest theft of classified information in the history of the CIA, which information was disseminated by the website WikiLeaks under the names Vault 7 and Vault 8. Sentencing on all counts of conviction is scheduled for January 10, 2024, before Judge Furman. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Joshua Schulte has already been held accountable for endangering our nation’s security, and today’s verdict holds him accountable for endangering our nation’s children as well. The outstanding investigative work of the FBI throughout this investigation revealed Schulte as not only a traitor, but as one who participated in the exploitation and victimization of young children as well. The career prosecutors in this Office are dedicated to securing justice for the most vulnerable victims of sexual abuse and exploitation.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: "The FBI maintains investigating crimes of violence and sexual abuse against children as a top priority. The jury's conviction of Joshua Schulte of having knowingly received, possessed, and transported thousands of files of child sexual abuse material will hopefully provide some measure of comfort to Schulte's victims. Schulte used his expert computer programming skills and training to victimize the most vulnerable members of our society, and the FBI will always vigorously pursue anyone who commits such crimes." According to court documents and evidence at trial: While living in Virginia in 2016, SCHULTE built a custom desktop computer, which he used to download and collect more than 15,000 images of child pornography and child erotica. SCHULTE stored his cache of child pornography in various encrypted locations on the computer. In or about November 2016, SCHULTE relocated to New York, New York, and transported his child pornography computer with him. While living in New York, New York, SCHULTE continued to stockpile child pornography from the dark web and Russian websites. In March 2017, after executing a search warrant for SCHULTE’s apartment in connection with the investigation of his theft of classified information, the FBI recovered and searched SCHULTE’s computer pursuant to another court-issued warrant. Using passwords identified from SCHULTE’s cellphone that SCHULTE used for a variety of personal accounts, including credit cards, online shopping, and email, FBI computer scientists were able to decrypt SCHULTE’s hidden collection of child pornography. The FBI determined that SCHULTE had collected and viewed videos and images depicting the sexual abuse by adults of children as young as two years old, including materials depicting sadomasochism and bestiality inflicted on children. * * * SCHULTE, 34, of New York, New York, was convicted today of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography, which each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. SCHULTE was previously convicted of one count of gathering national defense information with the intent to harm the United States, two counts of transmitting unlawfully possessed national defense information, one count of attempting to transmit unlawfully possessed national defense information, one count of unauthorized access to a computer to obtain national defense information, one count of unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information belonging to an agency of the United States, two counts of causing transmission of a harmful computer command, one count of making false statements to the FBI, and one count of contempt of Court, which collectively carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. The potential mandatory minimum and maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by Judge Furman. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the Counterintelligence Division and the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force of the FBI’s New York Field Office, as well as the extraordinary assistance of FBI computer scientists from the Cyber Action Team. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton Jr., Michael D. Lockard, and Nicholas S. Bradley are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kayla A. Collins.


title: United States Attorney Will Thompson Celebrates Funding Awarded to West Virginia for Community Responses to Gender-Based Violence

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In commemoration of the 29th anniversary of the original enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Justice Department announced today nearly $193 million in formula and discretionary grant awards to support crucial services and justice responses for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including $1,325,997 for West Virginia. For nearly three decades, VAWA has provided the tools and resources to protect and serve survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. To commemorate the 29th anniversary of VAWA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia is proud to announce that the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) awarded $1,325,997 to Justice and Community Services, part of the West Virginia Department of Homeland Security. “This office remains steadfast in its commitment to target these crimes and support survivors,” Thompson said. “Because Justice and Community Services acts as the State Administering Agency (SAA) for the grant program, this vital funding will benefit effective programs and services throughout West Virginia.” VAWA’s signature program is the STOP (Services - Training - Officers - Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants Program , which awards funds to every U.S. state and territory to promotes a coordinated community response among law enforcement, prosecution, courts, victim services organizations, and other community services to ensure the safety of survivors. OVW is awarding $1,325,997 under the STOP Program to West Virginia to enhance the capacity for communities across the country to develop programs to end gender-based violence and hold offenders accountable. “Prior to the enactment of VAWA, survivors were primarily left to fend for themselves, often cycling in and out of dangerous environments with little help from legal systems or service providers,” OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo said. “VAWA has changed this landscape by supporting a coordinated community response to address domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in a more comprehensive manner. It emphasizes survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and community-based approaches and ensures that services are available across every state and territory.” OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through implementing VAWA and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities nationwide that are developing programs, policies, and practices to end domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. ###


title: Wayland Woman Sentenced for Role in Physical Therapy Clinic Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Wayland woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for her role in a scheme to defraud multiple insurance providers for physical therapy services that were not provided to patients. Anna Barenboym, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year of probation with one month of home confinement. Barenboym was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $648,852. In March 2022, Barenboym pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Barenboym was indicted in February 2021 along with co-defendants Gyulnara Bayryshova, Slava Pride and Raya Bagardi. Barenboym was a licensed physical therapist employed at Brighton Physical Therapy (BPT), a physical therapy clinic owned by Bayryshova. Pride and Bagardi were also employed at BPT as licensed physical therapist assistants. From October 2018 through June 2020, Barenboym and her co-defendants conspired to cause an insurance company to reimburse them for physical therapy services that were not actually provided and/or were not medically necessary and, in some cases, were provided by individuals not licensed to provide the services. Specifically, Barenboym and her co-defendants falsely billed for services purportedly rendered to patients injured in automobile accidents when the services were not actually provided. BPT paid patients for referrals, referred patients to attorneys to assist with patients’ insurance settlements and accepted kickbacks from those attorneys in return. On July 12, 2023, Pride was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of over $2.3 million. On July 19, 2023 , Bagardi was sentenced to two years of supervised release, with the first year to be spent in home confinement and was also ordered to pay restitution of over $2.3 million. On July 26, 2023 , Bayryshova was sentenced to three years in prison and two years of supervised release. Bayryshova was also ordered to pay restitution of $7,383,756 and forfeiture of $7,834. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Anthony DiPaolo, Chief of Investigations of the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts 19 Central Illinois United States Postal Service Workers for Wire Fraud Related to COVID Relief Funds

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A federal grand jury has returned indictments against 19 United States Postal Service employees and former employees, charging them with fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The PPP provided federally backed funds to small businesses that were directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs, rent, utilities, and mortgage interest. The program was implemented by the SBA and administered by third-party lenders. The PPP was enacted via the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, an economic bill that passed in March 2020 in response to the economic fallout caused by the pandemic. The indicted individuals, all current or former United States Postal Service employees, are: Dominique Alexander, 31, of Downers Grove, Illinois, formally of Springfield, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Tenneil Baskin, 42, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Breanea Brown, 28, of Savoy, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with one count of wire fraud. Rachaundra Donaldson, 33, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Maya Egbejima, 25, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Larry Eubanks, 35, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Angela Gillespie, 35, of Champaign, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with one count of wire fraud. Patrice Green, 47, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in August 2023 with four counts of wire fraud. Charles Hughes, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, formally of Springfield, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Marcus Jones, 39, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Sarah Jones, 43, of Danville, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with one count of wire fraud. Jasmine Morris, 30, of Champaign, Illinois, was charged in February 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Shakeena Mosley, 35, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with four counts of wire fraud. Ainmere Sangster, 32, of Champaign, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with one count of wire fraud. Diamond Vinson, 29, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in August 2023 with four counts of wire fraud. Uniqua Whitaker, 27, of Urbana, Illinois, was charged in March 2023 with one count of wire fraud. Ta Sheena White, 32, of Urbana, Illinois, was charged in March 2023 with one count of wire fraud. Rikkia Williams, 33, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in September 2023 with two counts of wire fraud. Shawntelle Lynn, 31, of Springfield, Illinois, was charged in October 2022 with two counts of wire fraud. Each of the individuals have either already been arraigned or have been issued a summons to appear in federal court in Springfield or Urbana for arraignment. If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for the alleged crimes charged are a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment, a maximum five-year term of supervised release, and restitution. Agencies participating in the investigation include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; United States Secret Service; United States Postal Inspection Service; the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General; the Internal Revenue Service Office of Inspector General; the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General; and the Illinois Department of Revenue. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Bertrand and Sierra Senor-Moore are representing the government in the prosecutions. COVID-19 disaster relief and enhanced unemployment benefits are intended to help people and businesses suffering as a result of the pandemic. If members of the public suspect anyone fraudulently obtained or misused benefits, they should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NDCF) Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or submit the NCDF Web Complaint Form. The NCDF is a national coordinating agency within the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division dedicated to improving the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of criminal conduct related to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19). Hotline staff will obtain information regarding complaints, which will then be reviewed by law enforcement officials. More information is available at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment is merely an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SHAWN MAJOR, JR. , age 22, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on September 5, 2023 to a two-count superseding bill of information charging him with possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine base (“crack”), and a quantity of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at a residence in New Orleans after confirming drug activity at that location. Inside the residence, agents located MAJOR, JR. between a washing machine and a bathroom toilet. On top of the washing machine was Glock Model 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. In and around the toilet, agents located and seized approximately 17 grams of methamphetamine, 2 grams of crack, and 83 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. For the drug count, MAJOR, JR. faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 per count. For the firearm count, MAJOR, JR. faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. 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. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Lame Deer assaults send Forsyth man to prison for 10 years

body_text: BILLINGS — Edward Leroy Widner III, 29 of Forsyth, was sentenced today for assaulting two men with a gun in one assault and assaulting a woman with a metal bar in a separate assault, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Both assaults were committed in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. U.S. District Court Judge Susan P. Watters sentenced Widner to 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. The defendant pleaded guilty on May 11, 2023, to five charges in a superseding information charging him with two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. The government alleged that on May 22, 2022 at Lame Deer, Widner assaulted two victims, John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, with a firearm. Widner went to John Doe 1’s residence and first assaulted Doe 2 in the living room by hitting him in the head with a pistol. Widner dragged Doe 2 into a bedroom occupied by Doe 1 and told Doe 1 to get up or Doe 2 was going to die. Widner then hit Doe 1 repeatedly in the face. At some point, the gun discharged, and a round went through the bed, a wall and into the ground outside of the residence. Doe 1 suffered serious injuries. The government further alleged that in March 2020 at Lame Deer, Widner assaulted Jane Doe 1, who sought medical attention for serious injuries. At the time, Doe 1 declined to name her assailant citing increased danger if she were to speak to law enforcement. Doe 1 reported that Widner assaulted her with multiple objects, including a metal pipe. In a recent interview with the FBI, Doe 1 identified Widner as her assailant. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley prosecuted the case which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Northern Cheyenne Investigative Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs.


title: Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nathan L. Rogers, 39, of East Aurora, NY, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny to attempted receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Bonanno, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2019, at Darien Lake Park in Genesee County, NY, Rogers, a church youth pastor, set up iPhones in his camper to surreptitiously record, for the purposes of his own sexual gratification, nude images of a minor victim. Shortly after setting up the phones, Rogers invited the minor victim to change out of her bathing suit in his camper. She agreed and, as she changed, the iPhones recorded nude images. After changing, the minor victim noticed the phones recording her. She seized the iPhones, attempted to delete the videos, and then reported the incident to authorities. Responding law enforcement officers detained and questioned Rogers. Subsequently, nude images of the minor victim were located on the phones. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of William A. Sheron, Jr. Sentencing is scheduled for December 13, 2023, before Judge Skretny. # # # #


title: Delaware County Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michael Murray, age 71, of Sidney, New York, pled guilty today to multiple counts of possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office; and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli made the announcement. Murray admitted that in October 2021, he possessed images and videos of child pornography on two cell phones and possessed images and videos of child pornography in two email accounts he controlled. Murray had a previous conviction in New York related to the production, possession and distribution of child pornography at the time of these federal offenses. Sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2024, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Albany. The parties have jointly recommended to Chief Judge Sannes that Murray receive a term of 144 months in prison. Murray also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Murray will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. This case was investigated by HSI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Warren County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Peter Bratis, age 43, of Chestertown, New York, pled guilty today to possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. Bratis admitted to using a Google Drive account to store images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct between February 24, 2021 and August 4, 2022. Bratis, who has a prior conviction for rape in the second degree, for which he is a registered sex offender, faces at least 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, when Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes sentences him on January 12, 2024. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Bratis would also have to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. HSI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmet O’Hanlon and Joseph Hartunian prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Syracuse Man Sentenced to 68 Months for Distributing Fentanyl and Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Prince Smith, age 22, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to serve 68 months in prison following his conviction for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of his drug distribution, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). As part of his prior guilty plea, Smith admitted that he distributed or intended to distribute approximately 19 grams of fentanyl. He also drove to a drug sale on February 18, 2021, with fentanyl inside the center console of his car sitting on top of a loaded 9mm handgun. United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also sentenced Smith to a three-year term of supervised release to begin after he serves his term of imprisonment. This case was investigated by ATF and the Syracuse Police Department-Criminal Intelligence Section. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.


title: Indictment Charges Maryland Pair in Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: WASHINGTON – An arraignment was held today for Edward Steven Monge, 22, of Beltsville, Maryland, on charges connected to his alleged role in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy. Monge and his co-conspirator, Jennifer Echeverria Flores, 26, of Silver Spring, Maryland, are named in an indictment charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Echeverria Flores is further charged with unlawful distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to the charging documents, on five different occasions between February 17, 2023 and July 19, 2023, Echeverria Flores — who allegedly used Monge as her source of supply — sold a total of approximately 4,500 pills containing fentanyl to undercover agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) in Washington, D.C. and Maryland. The pills are blue, marked “M” on one side, and “30” on the other side. DEA laboratory testing has confirmed that the pills contain fentanyl. Echeverria Flores was arrested on July 31, 2023, and has been ordered held without bond pending trial. On August 3, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Monge in Hyattsville, MD, pursuant to an outstanding arrest warrant for him from Fairfax County, VA. Upon a search of Monge, officers found approximately 1,102 pills on his person, which field tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. Monge was arrested on a federal arrest warrant on September 11, 2023. The conspiracy charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison. The distribution charge carries a statutory minimum sentence of five years in prison with a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The minimum and maximum statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being investigated by the DEA’s Washington Field Division and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE–Gerardo Nino Romero, 41 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Uriangato, Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Nino Romero was sentenced to 97 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Romero was operating a drug premises at his Fort Wayne residence where he was storing and trafficking large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana State Police, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department; and the DEA North Central Regional Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 220 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Joshua R. Letner, 42 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Letner was sentenced to 220 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, between March 2020 and October 2021, Letner distributed and possessed with intent to distribute controlled substances in Fort Wayne, including over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Letner, a convicted felon, who could not legally possess the firearm in this case, also possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith. 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: Fourth man sentenced for delivery of meth

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 32-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Brownsville has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute approximately a kilogram of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Raul Perez pleaded guilty Oct. 1, 2019. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Perez to serve 125 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed his involvement with others in the distribution of meth and other drugs in the Brownsville area. Perez was the fourth of the conspirators convicted and sentenced for the delivery. Others included Eduardo Guerrero, 33, Rodolfo Garza, 31, and Jacob Trujillo, 24, all of Brownsville who received 90, 144 and 120 months in prison, respectively. The final man - Jetzrael Saldana aka Jetz, 25, also of Brownsville will be sentenced Oct. 18. In September 2018, law enforcement learned of certain individuals who were interested in selling meth. The undercover investigation led to Guerrero and Garza who later sold 380 grams of meth and one kilogram of meth on two occasions. They met the buyers at a local business parking lot in Brownsville. Guerrero had displayed a handgun and said it was loaded but that he could be trusted. A black truck then arrived, and the driver – Trujillo - provided a cereal box containing the drugs to Guerrero. Authorities later learned Perez had provided the drugs and loaned his black truck knowing it would be used for the delivery of the drugs. Saldana was present to provide counter-surveillance to ensure a successful delivery. Perez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.


title: Okmulgee County Resident Pleads Guilty To Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation Material

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Vince Harjo, age 35, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of Material Involving Sexual Exploitation of a Child. During the plea hearing, Harjo admitted to knowingly possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Harjo was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Special Assistant United States Attorney Genevieve A. Ozark represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab ‘Resources.’


title: Pontotoc County Resident Pleads Guilty To Failing To Register As A Sex Offender

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Donald Lamond Washington, age 40, of Ada, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. According to U.S. Marshals, Washington, a convicted sex offender, failed to alert authorities to his presence in the Eastern District of Oklahoma as required by law. Washington, who received a felony conviction in the State of Texas in January 2023 for Indecency with a Child, knowingly failed to register in the State of Oklahoma despite traveling from Texas and residing in the state from January 2023 until his arrest on June 22, 2023. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Mapp will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Special Assistant United States Attorney Genevieve A. Ozark represented the United States.


title: Cherokee County Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Devin Nakedhead, age 30, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. According to investigators, on January 27, 2023, law enforcement officers conducting a traffic stop discovered Nakedhead in possession of a .22 caliber Rohm model RG Derringer pistol loaded with two rounds of ammunition. Rohm, a convicted felon, admitted at the plea hearing that he knew at the time of the traffic stop that he was prohibited by law from possessing a firearm or ammunition, but did so anyway. The charges arose from an investigation by the Stilwell Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura represented the United States.


title: Marshall County Resident Pleads Guilty To Making A False Statement During The Acquisition Of A Firearm

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven Kenneth Reilly, age 34, of Kingston, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm. According to investigators, on December 24, 2022, Reilly attempted to redeem a pawned firearm at the EZ Pawn in Durant, Oklahoma. During that visit, Reilly intentionally made a false written statement on the ATF Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 asserting he was not charged with a felony information or indictment at the time of redemption. In reality, Reilly was subject to a two-count felony information in the Marshall County District Court at the time of the visit. The charges arose from an investigation by members of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Satter and Michael Robinson represented the United States.


title: Fayette County Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Armed Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington man, Quincy Marquice Taylor, 37, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. According to evidence at trial, on October 27, 2021, Taylor was involved in a single-vehicle collision on southbound I-75. After exiting his vehicle, Taylor attempted to provide a bystander with a bag containing 45 grams of cocaine and a firearm. After the bystander declined, Taylor hid the bag near brush along the exit ramp. Taylor then left the scene by hitchhiking with a second bystander to Richmond, Ky. Taylor had multiple prior convictions for felony drug trafficking. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Additionally, based on his significant prior criminal history, Taylor qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which enhanced his sentence. Taylor was convicted by a jury of these offenses in May 2023. Under federal law, Taylor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for six years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department; and Chief Rodney Richardson, Richmond Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF and the Lexington Police Department with assistance from the Richmond Police Department. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco Villalobos. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. -END-


title: Second Defendant Sentenced for Setting Fire to Coffee County Auto Sales Business

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced that a federal judge sentenced 33-year-old Dezarae Lashay Wiggins, a resident of Brundidge, Alabama, to 60 months in prison for arson. Federal prisoners are not eligible for parole. According to her plea agreement and other court records, during the early morning hours of January 12, 2021, numerous area fire departments responded to a large fire at an auto sales business in Brundidge. Fire fighters eventually extinguished the fire, but only after the destruction of several buildings and significant damage to additional property, including vehicles, office equipment, and auto parts. Multiple agencies conducted an investigation and determined the cause of the fire to be arson. Surveillance video reviewed by investigators showed that Wiggins, along with former employee of the car lot, Charles Edward Jones, 48, from Clio, Alabama, started the fire. Previously, Wiggins and Jones pleaded guilty to arson in federal court. On June 26, 2023, a judge sentenced Jones to 162 months in prison. Wiggins’ sentencing occurred on September 7, 2023. In the coming months, a federal judge will conduct a hearing to determine restitution for the victim of the fire. “Acts of arson can jeopardize the lives of community members and first responders,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “I am grateful for all of those who worked to extinguish the fire caused by the defendants, as well as the investigators that ensured the arsonists were brought to justice.” “ATF’s Certified Fire Investigators conduct fire scene examinations rendering origin and cause determinations and provide technical analysis of fire scenes to local law enforcement partners and prosecutors," stated Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “ATF will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to hold individuals accountable who commit the violent crime of arson.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Alabama Fire Marshal’s Office, the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pike County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Justin L. Jones is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Return Of Significant Collection Of Antiquities To Cambodia

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the return of 33 Khmer antiquities to the Kingdom of Cambodia, pursuant to an agreement between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the family of the late George Lindemann. The collection includes statues dating to the 10 th and 12 th centuries that were originally looted from religious and archeological sites in Cambodia. The antiquities were turned over to Cambodia on September 11, 2023, and a ceremony celebrating their repatriation will be held in Cambodia at a later date. The Lindemann family has voluntarily agreed to return the antiquities. [1] The antiquities returned to Cambodia include a monumental 10 th century statue of Dhrishtadyumna, stolen from Prasat Chen in Koh Ker, the ancient capital of the Khmer kingdom; statues stolen from Prasat Krachap in Koh Ker, including a 10 th century sculpture depicting Ardhanarishvara (half-male, half-female deity) and a 10 th century Anantashayana Vishnu (reclining Vishnu with Lakshmi); as well as six heads of devas (angels) and asuras (demons) removed from the gates to Angkor Thom in the Angkor Wat complex; and a kneeling figure from Banteay Srei, a 10 th century temple in Angkor Wat (photographs below). Three of the Angkor Thom Heads U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For decades, Cambodia suffered at the hands of unscrupulous art dealers and looters who trafficked cultural treasures to the American art market. This historic agreement sets a framework for the return of cultural patrimony in support of the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Cambodia. We thank the Lindemann family for their cooperation and assistance in the repatriation of the antiquities to Cambodia.” Since 2012, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), has successfully investigated, identified, and repatriated 65 stolen and illegally imported Cambodian antiquities in the possession of individuals and institutions in the United States. In 2019, the art dealer Douglas Latchford was indicted in the Southern District of New York with wire fraud conspiracy and other crimes related to a multi-year scheme to sell looted Cambodian antiquities on the international art market. The Indictment was later dismissed due to Latchford’s death. The history of Koh Ker and the illicit trafficking in Cambodian cultural patrimony is described in prior forfeiture actions filed in the Southern District of New York, including United States v. A Late 12 th Century Khmer Sandstone Sculpture Depicting Standing Prajnaparamita, et al. , 21 Civ. 9217, and United States v. A Late 12 th Century Bayon-Style Sandstone Sculpture Depicting Eight-Armed Avalokiteshvara , 22 Civ. 229. The statue of Dhrishtadyumna was looted from same temple site as the sculpture of Duryodhana, repatriated in 2014, which was the subject of the forfeiture action United States v. A 10 th Century Cambodian Sandstone Sculpture , 12 Civ. 2600. Dhrishtadyumna and Duryodana are figures from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Ardhanarishvara and the Anantashayana Vishnu were looted from the same temple site as the Skanda on a Peacock sculpture, repatriated in 2022, which was the subject of the forfeiture action United States v. A 10 th Century Cambodian Sandstone Sculpture Depicting Skanda on a Peacock , 21 Civ. 6065. Anantashayana Vishnu Dhrishtadyumna from Koh Ker This announcement supports the Memorandum of Understanding, known as the “U.S.-Cambodia Cultural Property Agreement,” first signed between the U.S. and Cambodia in 2003 and renewed on August 30, 2023. * * * Mr. Williams thanked HSI for its outstanding work to facilitate the repatriation and praised its ongoing efforts to find and repatriate stolen and looted cultural property. Mr. Williams also thanked the Kingdom of Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts for its assistance. This matter is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Jessica Feinstein and Shiva Logarajah are in charge of the case. [1] The agreement between the Government and the Lindemanns should not be construed as a legal or factual determination that the members of the Lindemann family have violated any federal law.


title: Ocala Woman Pleads Guilty To Fraud Relating To COVID-19 Relief Funds

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Passion Lajodia Jackson (30, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and an order of forfeiture for at least $20,132, representing the proceeds obtained from the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. On April 2, 2021, Jackson electronically submitted a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application to the Small Business Administration. Her application included false statements. Jackson also provided a fictitious Internal Revenue Service document in support of her application. Based on the false information she provided, Jackson fraudulently received a PPP loan of $20,132 on April 6, 2021. The loan was electronically wired to her bank account. Within 30 days of receiving the loan, Jackson withdrew the funds in cash. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force (CFETF) 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. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.


title: Cape Coral Men Sentenced For Their Roles In A Multi-Million Dollar Credit Card Fraud Scheme

body_text: Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Carlos Tejeda (62, Cape Coral) to 16 years in federal prison, Juan Tejeda (35, Cape Coral) to 15 years in federal prison, and Pedro Pelaez (59, Cape Coral) to 6 years in federal prison for their roles in a large-scale credit card fraud scheme which operated in Cape Coral between late-2015 and mid-2018. On April 27, 2023, a federal jury had found father-and-son ringleaders Carlos and Juan Tejeda guilty of 44 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit money laundering, production of counterfeit access devices, and possession of device-making equipment. For his role in the fraud, the jury found Pelaez guilty of 11 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to evidence presented during the seven-day trial, Carlos Tejeda recruited several friends and associates, including Pedro Pelaez, to create shell companies, obtain credit card processing terminals for their shell companies, and then permit Carlos Tejeda to swipe counterfeit credit cards fraudulently encoded with stolen credit and debit card numbers using the shell company credit card terminals. Evidence showed that Juan Tejeda’s primary role was to encode the counterfeit cards for his father Carlos Tejeda, but that he personally swiped counterfeit cards on the shell company terminals as well. Each fraudulent transaction was typically between $1,000 and $3,000, but the same stolen card number was often used several times across multiple shell companies before victim cardholders from across the United States realized that their card numbers had been compromised. After the stolen funds were deposited into the shell company bank accounts, the shell company owners would kickback a pre-determined percentage of the fraudulent proceeds to Carlos or Juan and keep the remainder for themselves. In total, nine shell companies were used to perpetrate the fraud, including those personally opened by Carlos and Juan Tejeda. Credit card transaction data presented to the jury showed that during the duration of the fraud, thousands of credit card charges totaling more than $2.6 million were attempted or conducted on the shell company terminals. In total, nine people have now been convicted and sentenced for their roles in this fraud, including the three above-named individuals. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Cape Coral Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.


title: Frederick Medical Practice Pays the United States More Than $850,000 to Resolve Claims that it Inappropriately Billed for Medical Services

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Frederick Oncology and Hematology Associates, P.C., a former medical practice located in Frederick, Maryland, have paid the United States $850,949 to settle allegations that Frederick Oncology and Hematology Associates, P.C. (“FOHA”) submitted inappropriate claims to the United States for evaluation and management services. The settlement agreement was announced today by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek Barron, Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS-OIG”), Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of Defense Criminal Investigative Services (“DCIS”) Mid-Atlantic Field Office, and Conrad Quarles, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General (OPM-OIG). “It is fundamental that a medical provider accurately bill for services that are actually provided,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to recovering monies for the federal healthcare programs and will hold practices and individuals accountable for their actions,” said Barron. “Accurately billing for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries is required of all health care providers,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health, and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigative allegations of fraud in federal health care programs.” “This settlement demonstrates DCIS’ commitment to investigate health care providers who take advantage of TRICARE for personal enrichment,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher W. Dillard, DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “DCIS proudly stands with our investigative law enforcement partners to root out fraud, waste and abuse.” According to the settlement agreement, from January 1, 2013, to November 1, 2017, FOHA improperly submitted claims for evaluation and management using a code modifier that is only appropriate when there is a separate and distinct evaluation and management service on the same day as a procedure or other service being performed on a patient. FOHA submitted and was paid for those improperly billed claims when FOHA did not perform a separate and distinct evaluation and management. Additionally, FOHA improperly submitted claims from January 1, 2013, to November 1, 2017, under the billing number of the patient’s physician rather than the non-physician provider who treated the patient in the physician’s temporary absence. The civil settlement reached by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland arose from an initiative inside the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which involves the use of dedicated resources and personnel to review Medicare billing data. The review of that data has enabled the United States Attorney’s Office to identify areas of concern where it appears that billing irregularities may have taken place. Partnering with the effected agencies, the United States Attorney’s Office has developed the ability to investigate these billing irregularities. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HHS-OIG, DCIS, and OPM-OIG for their work in the investigation. The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Corcoran. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #