title: Federal Judge Orders Lower Yakima Valley Dairies to Test Wells and Provide Safe Drinking Water to Area Residents at Risk From Nitrate-Contaminated Wells

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced that today, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice granted the United States’s motion for preliminary injunction and ordered three large dairies located north of Granger, Washington, in the Lower Yakima Valley to provide well testing and bottled water or water treatment systems to nearby community members at risk from nitrate-contaminated wells. This action, brought under the Safe Drinking Water Act, seeks to ensure access to safe and clean drinking water and is part of the lawsuit , filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in June of 2024 , that alleges that dairies in the Lower Yakima Valley have contributed nitrate to the area’s groundwater and contaminated drinking water wells. Nitrate is an acute contaminant. A single exposure can pose serious health risks, including a condition in infants known as methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome,” that can result in death. In the court’s order granting the United States’ motion for preliminary injunction, the court ordered the dairies to test drinking water wells in an area up to 3.5 miles downgradient of the dairies and to provide and maintain reverse-osmosis water treatment systems or bottled water to homes where this testing finds nitrate levels above 10 milligrams per liter. The court also ordered the dairies to immediately conduct groundwater monitoring and test a lined lagoon for leaks. This ruling is part of an ongoing legal action against the dairies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DOJ also seek to address the risk to nearby residents from the dairies’ ongoing contamination of groundwater and to resolve the dairies’ failure to comply with outstanding requirements of their 2013 agreement with EPA. “Everyone deserves access to clean, safe drinking water,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “My office is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Washington residents. Strong and fair enforcement of public health and environmental laws protect our families and make our region safer and stronger.” Dan Opalski, Deputy Regional Administrator for EPA’s Region 10 office in Seattle said, “EPA is committed to continuing its work with public health agencies, community groups, and the agriculture industry to address the complex public health challenges of legacy and ongoing nitrate contamination in the Lower Yakima Valley.” The EPA is urging nearby residents to visit EPA’s Lower Yakima Valley Groundwater webpage to learn whether their well is in the area affected by the ruling and to accept upcoming offers for well testing. To comply with the court’s order, the dairies must submit a plan for testing residential wells within 30 days and complete the testing within 60 days of EPA’s approval of a plan. People can also call the EPA’s dedicated hotline at 509-204-1941 or 888-508-6344 for more information. For residences located outside of the area impacted by today’s ruling, free well testing and alternative water is available from the Lower Yakima Valley Groundwater Management Area Safe Drinking Water Initiative or by calling 866-886-7117.


title: Crane Company Manitowoc to Pay $42.6M for Clean Air Act Violations for Sale of Noncompliant Diesel Engines in Heavy Duty Cranes

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement agreement today with Manitowoc Company Inc. and two of its subsidiaries, Grove U.S. L.L.C., and Manitowoc Crane Group Germany GMBH (collectively, Manitowoc), for violations of the Clean Air Act’s mobile source emission standards regulations. The settlement agreement requires Manitowoc to pay a civil penalty of $42.6 million and resolves allegations that the company imported and sold heavy nonroad cranes with diesel engines that were not certified to meet applicable Clean Air Act emission standards, and violated related Clean Air Act regulatory requirements which resulted in the release of excess carcinogenic diesel exhaust containing nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter. “Manitowoc’s sale and importation of cranes with uncertified engines violated Clean Air Act requirements designed to protect public health from harmful diesel emissions,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This settlement highlights our commitment to holding violators of the Clean Air Act accountable and will result in a tangible reduction in emissions in the Sparrows Point and Port of Baltimore area.” “For years, Manitowoc imported and sold diesel engines that do not meet Clean Air Act emission standards, even after EPA made clear that such brazen conduct would not be tolerated,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Diesel exhaust is one of the dirtiest forms of air pollution and is linked to serious health conditions, including asthma and respiratory illness. This settlement requires Manitowoc to complete a project near the Port of Baltimore to improve air quality and once again makes clear that EPA will hold companies accountable when they sell illegal diesel engines.” As part of the agreement, Manitowoc will undertake a project to mitigate harm from the alleged unlawful emissions by retrofitting a short-line locomotive currently in service in the Sparrows Point, Maryland, area. This area is near the Port of Baltimore where Manitowoc had imported cranes with the illegal engines. The pathway of the 70 miles of track includes areas with underserved and overburdened communities. Reducing NOx and particulate matter emissions around the track will improve surrounding air quality. Retrofitting of the locomotive includes removing, destroying and replacing the locomotive’s old engine, which was manufactured before locomotive emission standards were in place, with a new engine equipped with present-day emission controls. The complaint alleges that, between 2014 and 2018, Manitowoc imported or introduced into U.S. commerce and sold nonroad cranes with at least 1,032 diesel engines that were not covered by EPA-issued certificates of conformity. Many of the engines also did not qualify for a limited exemption. Manitowoc also failed to comply with Clean Air Act labeling, bonding and reporting requirements. More information is available on the Manitowoc Clean Air Act Settlement Summary web page . The proposed consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. Information on submitting comments and to access the settlement agreement is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees . EPA investigated the case. Attorneys with ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.


title: Missouri Man Convicted of Production of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – Jurors in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday found a man from Carter County, Missouri guilty of a felony count of production of child pornography. Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Clinton Rongey, 52, used the victim, who was three and four years old at the time, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child sexual abuse material. Rongey took more than 100 images of the victim between February and November of 2023. Rongey is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2025. The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years. The case was investigated by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Hunter and Nathan Chapman are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Missouri Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights and Arson Charges for Setting Fire to Mormon Church

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Missouri man pleaded guilty to federal civil rights offenses for setting fire to a house of worship. According to court documents, Christopher Scott Pritchard, 48, pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with arson for setting fire to the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on April 28, 2021. Pritchard admitted that he intentionally set fire to the church and that the fire he set caused a complete structural loss and obstructed the church’s congregants in the free exercise of their religious beliefs, as the city had to relocate and rent space from the city to hold its religious services. “This defendant is being held accountable for viciously setting fire to and burning down the Church of Latter-Day Saints, a house of worship that served as a meeting place for LDS community members in Cape Girardeau,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Before this tragic fire, the church opened its doors to all, helped to feed the hungry, and support the needy. Attacks on houses of worship in our country undermine the fundamental right to practice one’s religion free from fear or violence. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously enforce federal laws that protect all houses of worship from violent, hate-fueled attacks.” “An attack on a church is devastating, for the community and even more so for the members of that church,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri. “Christopher Pritchard’s guilty plea today is the first step toward bringing justice for this crime.” “No one should live in fear because of their religious beliefs,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough. “Today’s guilty plea serves as a reminder that justice will prevail when acts of hate threaten our communities. The FBI will vigorously pursue anyone who attempts to infringe upon the ability of congregants to exercise their constitutional right to religious freedom.” “We are grateful no one was physically hurt when the church was destroyed by arson,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Heeb of the FBI St. Louis Field Office. “The FBI will relentlessly pursue those who try to deny congregants of any house of worship from exercising their rights to religious freedom.” “ATF will always provide expertise and resources to investigate arsons, and no case is that expertise more critical than a fire such as this,” said Special Agent in Charge Bernard G. Hansen of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division. “When a house of worship is intentionally destroyed by fire, it is not only that congregation that suffers, but the entire community. Religious centers, churches and mosques are often at the center of our neighborhoods, offering sanctuaries of peace and caring to those in need. Today’s guilty plea is a direct result of local, state, and federal law enforcement working together to ensure justice in this unthinkable act.” Pritchard will be sentenced on Feb. 18, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison for arson of a building affecting foreign or interstate commerce. Pritchard also faces a fine of up to $250,000 with respect to each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI St. Louis Field Office, ATF, Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.


title: Boston Man Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-Relief Funds

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston after being convicted of fraudulently obtaining pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Robert Platt Jr., 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to time served (one day), to be followed by two years of supervised release. Platt was also ordered to pay $20,833 in restitution and forfeiture. In September 2024, Platt pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements. Platt arrested in February 2024 along with over 40 Heath Street Gang members/associates, who were charged with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms charges, and financial frauds, including COVID-related fraud. Among other relief programs, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act created the PPP, a temporary loan program directed at small businesses. PPP loans were processed and funded by participating lenders and guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If the small business used the loan funds for permissible expenses, the loan could be forgiven. In April 2021, Platt submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of his purported construction business. The application contained multiple false statements, including false representations regarding the fictitious business’s income in 2019 and the purpose of the loan. Platt also submitted false tax records in support of his loan application. Based on the fraudulent application, Platt received approximately $20,833, which he then spent on non-business-related expenses, including transactions at Encore Boston Harbor Casino. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Lucy Sun of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Fruit Juice Manufacturing Company and its Former President Plead Guilty to Food Safety Crimes

body_text: The former president and primary owner of the now-closed fruit juice manufacturer Valley Processing Inc. (VPI) in Sunnyside, Washington, pleaded guilty this week to two misdemeanor charges related to the manufacture and sale of tainted fruit juice products in violation of federal food safety laws. Mary Ann Bliesner, 83, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts under the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FDCA), including failing to register a food facility with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bliesner also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor FDCA violation in connection with failing to prevent and correct VPI’s introduction of adulterated grape juice concentrate into interstate commerce, including grape juice concentrate that was delivered to a customer for use in the National School Lunch Program. VPI pleaded guilty to conspiracy to introduce adulterated and misbranded fruit juice into interstate commerce, including selling tainted fruit juice to customers. Bliesner and VPI agreed to pay a criminal forfeiture amount of $742,139 as proceeds of their criminal conduct. In pleading guilty, VPI admitted that it conspired to distribute tainted and potentially unsafe apple and grape juice to customers in the United States and abroad between October 2012 and June 2019. VPI admitted that it misrepresented to customers the age and quality of VPI’s products. VPI admitted that it blended grape juice concentrate, which was stored outside the VPI facility for years and exposed to the elements, with newer grape juice concentrate, and sold the resulting blended grape juice product to unsuspecting customers as if it were new product. VPI sold at least some of this contaminated product to customers who provided grape juice for the National School Lunch Program, which provides free or reduced-cost lunches to children. Bliesner and VPI admitted that they failed to register a food facility, known as the “Grape Road Facility,” with the FDA. Bliesner and VPI used the Grape Road Facility to store earlier seasons’ unsold grape juice concentrate, sometimes for years, in large concrete vats that were not properly covered or cooled. Bliesner and VPI admitted that product stored at the Grape Road Facility was adulterated, unsafe and unfit for consumption. According to VPI’s plea agreement, during a May 2018 FDA inspection, employees placed caution tape over the entrance to the room at the Grape Road Facility with the concrete storage vats. VPI employees then told FDA investigators that the facility was unsafe to enter and that it contained no juice or juice products. According to the VPI plea agreement, FDA investigators later learned about the vats and, after entering the room, observed grape juice concentrate that testing later confirmed was contaminated with bird and rodent feces, fur, insects, decaying remains of animals, mold, yeast and other contaminants. FDA inspectors also observed and photographed a live rat walking across the hardened crust that had formed on top of the grape juice concentrate. In November 2020, the United States filed a civil complaint in federal court seeking to enjoin Bliesner and VPI from producing, storing or selling juice or juice products. In January 2021, Bliesner and VPI agreed to a consent injunction barring Bliesner and VPI from processing, manufacturing, preparing, packing, holding or distributing any type of food without first notifying and receiving approval from the FDA. VPI subsequently closed. Bliesner and the company no longer manufacture or sell juice products. In September 2022, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Bliesner and VPI with 12 counts of fraud and food safety crimes. “Protecting the safety of American’s food supply is essential,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will take action whenever appropriate to ensure the individuals and companies that produce our food maintain safe facilities and tell the truth to their customers and the FDA.” “Bliesner and her company, Valley Processing, produced juice in filthy and unsafe conditions, mis-labeled that product, and then sold it to the National School Lunch Program that serves low-income school children,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington. “School children deserve safe and nutritious food. Nothing is more important that the health and safety of our children. I commend the excellent work by investigators with the Food and Drug Administration and prosecutors in my office who uncovered and stopped this conduct and are protecting our public health.” “Companies that mislead consumers and the FDA by selling adulterated products manufactured and stored under insanitary conditions place the public health at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “In this case, the company’s actions put at risk the health of consumers, including schoolchildren, who consumed the fruit juice. FDA will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who attempt to subvert our regulatory processes at the expense of consumer safety.” Bliesner and VPI will face a sentencing hearing on March 26, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Trial Attorney James Hennelly and Senior Trial Attorney David Gunn of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Devin Curda for the Eastern District of Washington are prosecuting the case. For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch, visit their website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch .


title: Raleigh Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison in Connection with March 2023 Shooting

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man was sentenced to 108 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon that he used to shoot a person on March 21, 2023. On September 4, 2024, Robert Terrance Green, III pled guilty to the charges. “Robert Terrance Green III is a dangerous felon who has demonstrated a reckless disregard for the lives and property of others. I am grateful that justice has been served to prevent him from further harming our community. The residents of Raleigh can sleep peacefully knowing that the Raleigh Police Department and our federal partners are committed to ridding our community of violent actors, such as Mr. Green. The sentencing of Green, III highlights our strong collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Raleigh Police Department takes pride in working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who threaten our community,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson. According to the indictment and information presented to the court, Robert Terrance Green, III, 43, possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon when he shot another man at an apartment complex in Raleigh on March 21, 2023. The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) quickly responded to the scene of shooting, where officers spoke with multiple witnesses. RPD learned that Green drove his vehicle through the entrance of the apartment complex and confronted the victim in a verbal altercation. Green shot numerous rounds of ammunition at the victim and struck the victim two times in the left leg. After shooting the victim, Green fled the scene. The victim was transported to WakeMed Hospital. On March 27, 2023, RPD officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle drive Green. A search of the vehicle produced the firearm used in the shooting at the apartment complex at the time of his arrest. Following his arrest, Green admitted to shooting the victim. Green has previously been convicted of felony offenses, including assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon or instrument, unlawful possession of a handgun, and threats of violence. This conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, and interagency coordination and intelligence-led policing. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing concluded. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided over the sentencing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaren E. Kelly prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-78-BO.


title: U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton to Leave Justice Department

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Leigha Simonton will resign from the Department of Justice effective Jan. 19, the office announced today. “I began my career in this office as a summer intern after my first year of law school,” said Ms. Simonton. “It was love at first sight. Every day after that internship, I was figuring out how to become an Assistant U.S. Attorney here. I got that chance when I was nine months pregnant with my first child—a baby who is now 20 years old. I am so proud to have served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for almost eighteen years and then to have been chosen to lead this district—comprised of 100 counties and over 8 million people—as the United States Attorney. I cannot put into words what this experience has meant to me, and I leave with two decades of incredible memories. There is nothing more important than the work of our outstanding women and men in this office and in North Texas law enforcement, and I will be forever grateful to have been a part of it.” Nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on Nov. 14, 2022 and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Dec. 6, 2022, Ms. Simonton was sworn in as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas on Dec. 10, 2022. (Download a high-res version of her headshot here .) Under her leadership, the district has fought relentlessly for justice, trying its highest number of cases in over a decade. Ms. Simonton actively supervised several high-profile jury trials, from Dr. Raynaldo Ortiz, the anesthesiologist convicted of injecting heart-stopping drugs into patient IV bags, to Christopher Kirchner, the Slync founder found guilty of defrauding investors out of more than $25 million, to Holly Elkins, the woman convicted of helping her fiancé cyberstalk and ultimately murder his former girlfriend and mother of his child. She also oversaw the charging of a Russian national for using the BitPaymer ransomware variant to attack numerous victims throughout the United States and the sentencing of a Ukrainian national for demanding over $700 million in ransom payments using the REvil ransomware variant. Other notable cases included charges against 14 individuals in the largest case investigated by the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Fraud Task Force to date for allegedly bilking the Paycheck Protection Program and numerous financial institutions out of more than $53 million, charges against a Texas Christian University divinity professor for possessing child pornography, the sentencing of a retired Cook Children’s Hospital Chaplain for producing child pornography, the sentencing of a would-be bomber who idolized the Columbine High school shooters, and the sentencing of another man who set off a bomb in his backyard and plotted to blow up a high school. During her tenure, Ms. Simonton also oversaw the prosecution of 11 drug traffickers charged in the wake of the juvenile fentanyl overdose scandal , which claimed the lives of four Carrollton-area middle and high schoolers and injured 10 more. In the wake of these tragedies, Ms. Simonton launched the “ Protect Our Children Project ,” aimed at bringing federal resources to bear on issues affecting schools, including fentanyl use. She hosted a series of webinars for hundreds of North Texas school administrators that covered the dangers of fentanyl, how to respond to an overdose, and how to discourage teens from using the drug. She also visited several area colleges to share the dangers of fentanyl with young adults. And, last summer, along with the other Texas U.S. Attorneys, she met in Austin with the heads of all Texas regional education service centers to provide important information and resources on fentanyl that they could use in Texas public schools. Ms. Simonton also focused on curbing violent crime in North Texas, and the violent crime rate fell in major North Texas cities during that time. She prioritized prosecution of violent recidivists and launched Operation Take Aim in the summer of 2023 to further target such offenders. And she partnered with the other Texas U.S. Attorneys and the ATF in the summer of 2024 to launch “ Operation Texas Kill Switch ,” a statewide initiative to combat the illegal use of machine gun conversion devices, also known as "switches.” The operation, which included a partnership with CrimeStoppers, raised public awareness of the dangers of switches, generated multiple tips, and resulted in numerous ongoing prosecutions. The Civil and Appellate Divisions also thrived under Ms. Simonton’s stewardship. Ms. Simonton oversaw the creation and implementation of the district’s new Voluntary Self-Disclosure policy , incentivizing companies to quickly detect, disclose, and remediate suspected misconduct, and negotiated settlements in several self-disclosure cases. For instance, the Civil Division negotiated a $14.2 million settlement with Horizon Medical Center of Denton for potential violations of Medicare regulations and the physician self-referral law and an $18.4 million settlement with Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC (CNS) after CNS self-disclosed that it submitted false claims for payment to the National Nuclear Security Administration related to the Pantex Plant—the nation’s primary facility for the assembly, disassembly, and retrofitting of nuclear weapons. Further, the Civil Division negotiated a $4.5 million settlement with a 3D printing company that allegedly transmitted technical data to China in violation of export control laws and obtained $1.2 million in judgments against two doctors who prescribed hydrocodone to drug-seekers without legitimate medical purpose. Meanwhile, under her leadership, the Appellate Division persuaded the Fifth Circuit to affirm the life sentence of a Michigan man who stalked , transported, and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl, convinced the Fifth Circuit that a retrial in the Ruel Hamilton real estate bribery case would not violate double jeopardy, and successfully defended against 19 issues on appeal arising from the Forest Park Medical Center kickback case . The Appellate Division also successfully defended the conviction of four UDF executives who misled investors and the SEC about their investment fund’s performance; the Fifth Circuit upheld the conviction, citing the government’s “avalanche of evidence” proving its case, and the Supreme Court later denied cert , allowing the Fifth Circuit decision to stand. Ms. Simonton also oversaw the progress of the U.S. v. Rahimi case—charged in the Northern District of Texas—through the Fifth Circuit to the U.S. Supreme Court. She supported the Solicitor General’s efforts seeking certiorari of the Fifth Circuit’s decision invalidating Rahimi’s conviction for using a firearm while under a domestic violence protection order. After the Supreme Court granted cert, she attended the oral argument as a guest of the Solicitor General, and the Supreme Court later decided 8-1 that Rahimi’s statute of conviction was constitutional under the Second Amendment. The Rahimi case originated from the Northern District of Texas’s Domestic Violence Initiative , which targets domestic abusers for federal prosecution and resulted, during Ms. Simonton’s tenure, in cases such as the sentencing of a San Diego man to life in prison for traveling to Texas and killing his boyfriend, and the sentencing of a felon domestic abuser to 10 years in prison for violating his supervised release by attacking his partner. As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Simonton has been an outspoken advocate for domestic violence awareness, partnering with regional and national domestic violence organizations, holding press conferences with the other Texas U.S. Attorneys to honor Texas domestic violence victims, and sharing resources with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices so they can create their own domestic abuser prosecution programs. Throughout her time in office, Ms. Simonton and her staff actively supported other especially vulnerable communities, including religious communities. She held hate-crime seminars for Jewish and Muslim community leaders and oversaw hate-crimes prosecutions that resulted in the sentencing of a Dallas man to 37 years after he shot five individuals, killing one, at a tire shop because it was a Muslim-owned business, and the sentencing of an Amarillo man for threatening to execute three Jewish rabbis. Ms. Simonton further attempted to stem the tide of defendants who make their way into the federal system, revitalizing and expanding the district’s Project Safe Neighborhood Re-Entry Night program, which educates individuals on state parole and probation about avoiding behaviors, like drug trafficking and gun possession, that could end up in federal prosecution, and connects them with community resources—like therapy, addiction, and job placement programs—to live productive lives. During her tenure, thousands of such individuals across the district attended these programs, and the vast majority have not reoffended. Further, Ms. Simonton and her staff created events to foster positive relationships between residents of high-crime communities and the law enforcement officers who serve them, such as adopting neighborhood schools, holding book fairs staffed by U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel and law enforcement officers, and having officers read books to preschoolers via the office’s “Pre-K Reading Program.” After a brief hiatus, Ms. Simonton anticipates likely reentering private practice, and she plans to continue to advocate for domestic-violence victims and to protect children and young adults from the harms of fentanyl and other threats to their health and safety. An Acting U.S. Attorney will be announced at a later date.


title: Boston Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today for sex trafficking and cocaine charges. The defendant operated out of a tent systematically preying on women dating back to at least 2019, in the Boston area and Cape Cod, some of whom he transported from Massachusetts to other states, including New York, for commercial sex. The defendant referred to himself as “Ason the Pimp,” has a tattoo across his chest that states “Pimp or Die,” and wrote music in which he glorified his work as a pimp and the objectification of women. Jonathan Vaughan, a/k/a “Ason,” 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In September 2024, Vaughan pleaded guilty to three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, two counts of transportation of an individual for purposes of prostitution and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In March 2022, Vaughan was indicted by a federal grand jury. “Jonathan Vaughan will now pay a very heavy price for exploiting his victims’ vulnerabilities and using forcing them to sell their bodies for his financial gain,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This office and our federal, state and local partners are putting substantial resources into combatting the dehumanizing sex trafficking industry and this lengthy sentence is a message to everyone involved in preying on women that there are very serious consequences to this conduct.” “Vaughn used physical violence and coercion to leverage his victims’ vulnerabilities as a form of control. Today’s sentence holds Vaughn accountable for these heinous crimes against these victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “We hope that this severe sentence will bring some peace to those he victimized as they continue to heal.” From at least June 2019 through October 2021, Vaughan recruited and trafficked three female victims to engage in commercial sex acts and transported two of the victims for purposes of prostitution to another state. At the time of his arrest on state charges, on Oct. 13, 2021, Vaughan possessed 15 bags of cocaine intended for distribution to drug users. From at least late spring or early summer of 2021 until his arrest on state charges, Vaughan maintained a tent at Mass and Cass which he used for distributing drugs and recruiting and trafficking women. Vaughan permitted his sex trafficking victims to stay in and bring “dates” back to his tent so long as he received the proceeds of the commercial sex acts that the women engaged in at his direction. He recruited victims in and around Mass and Cass and Downtown Crossing as well as on the internet, including over Facebook. Vaughan also brought his victims to hotels in Boston, Chelsea, Saugus, Cape Cod, as well as Queens and Manhattan, N.Y. Vaughan forced at least two of his victims to solicit themselves outdoors, by walking “the track” in areas such as Mass and Cass, Broadway in Chelsea and in and around Times Square in Manhattan, N.Y. Dating back to at least 2019, Vaughan engaged in both physical and sexual violence against his victims to manipulate them and to assert power and control over them. Members of the public who believe they may be a victim of this crime should contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . U.S. Attorney Levy and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Barnstable and Boston Police Departments; and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: California Political Operative Arrested on Complaint Alleging He Acted as Illegal Agent of People’s Republic of China

body_text: Note : View the criminal complaint here . A criminal complaint filed Dec. 17 and unsealed this morning charges Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, for allegedly acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while serving as the campaign manager for a political candidate who was elected in 2022 to the city council of a California city. Sun was arrested today is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in the Central District of California. Sun is also charged with conspiring with another man, Chen Jun, who was sentenced to prison last month for bribery and acting as an illegal agent of the PRC government. According to the complaint, Sun served as the campaign manager and close personal confidante for a Southern California politician (referred to in the complaint as Individual 1) who ran for local elected office in 2022. During the campaign, Sun communicated with Chen regarding his efforts to get Individual 1 elected. Chen allegedly discussed with Chinese government officials how the PRC could “influence” local politicians in the United States, particularly on the issue of Taiwan. In November 2022, shortly after Individual 1 was elected to office, Chen instructed Sun to prepare a report on the election that was sent to Chinese government officials, who responded positively and expressed thanks, according to the complaint. About a month after Individual 1’s election, Chen arranged a lunch at a Rowland Heights restaurant with Sun and others, a gathering that Chen described to a PRC official as a “core member lunch,” the complaint alleges. Chen subsequently described the lunch as “successful” as participants agreed to establish a “US-China Friendship Promotional Association.” While Individual 1 did not attend the meeting, Chen identified Individual 1 as being part of “the basic team dedicated for us,” in a communication to a Chinese government official. In early 2023, Chen instructed Sun to write another report for Chinese officials describing “[Sun] and [Chen] cultivating and assisting [Individual 1’s] success,” according to the complaint. In February 2023, as the second report to PRC officials was being finalized, Sun forwarded to Chen a proposal to combat “anti-China forces” by participating in a U.S. Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C, according to the complaint. Sun proposed that the PRC government provide an $80,000 budget to support his and Chen’s efforts in the United States. After Chen and Sun discussed a planned trip to China to meet with “leadership,” and after Chen directed Sun to schedule a meeting with the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, Sun and Individual 1 traveled to China in August 2023. If convicted, Sun faces a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Sun also faces a statutory maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Ryan and Amanda Elbogen for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Slidell Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 18, 2024, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL SOMMERS (“SOMMERS”) , age 42, of Slidell, La., was sentenced for Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced SOMMERS to ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by a fifteen (15) year term of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The defendant’s sentence was subject to a sentencing enhancement of a ten-year mandatory minimum because of a conviction on December 13, 2011, in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, for Receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2). According to court documents, the case against SOMMERS developed from an undercover online investigation by the Apache Junction Police Department in Arizona into those individuals who were sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material (“CSAM”). As a result, on April 3, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) special agents, along with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, executed a federal search warrant at SOMMERS’s residence in Slidell. During the execution of the search warrant, SOMMERS was found in possession of a Samsung 256 gigabyte USB thumb drive containing 950 images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of minors. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the St Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office; The Apache Junction Police Department; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Connecticut Woman Sentenced for Role in Organized Burglary Ring that Targeted Residences and Businesses Owned by Individuals of Asian Decent

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Connecticut woman who previously admitted to a federal judge that she conspired with others to target and rob residences belonging primarily to individuals of Asian descent in at least eight states has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Basneyareth Rebollar-Martinez, 28, of Stamford, CT, was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to 24 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Additionally, Rebollar-Martinez was ordered to pay$722,420 in restitution to the victims of her criminal activity. A Mexican national, Rebollar-Martinez faces deportation once she completes her term of incarceration. In pleading guilty on September 12, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, Rebollar-Martinez admitted to a federal judge that, from July 2022 to January 2023, she and others worked collaboratively to burglarize and attempt to burglarize at least ten residences in eight states, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Residences were targeted based on a belief that they would contain large sums of cash, valuable jewelry, heirlooms. and other items. According to information presented to the court, forensic audits of the defendant’s and others cell phones revealed photographs and communications illustrating that members of the conspiracy conducted surveillance on the victims they were targeting, including at their place of work, which included Chinese restaurants and nail salons. GPS trackers were placed on victims’ vehicles to monitor their movement and to determine when and whether they were at home. The conspirators also used drones for surveillance purposes. Once a residence was targeted, some members of the conspiracy would act as lookouts at a nearby locations; others would serve as drivers dropping off and picking up co-conspirators at designated locations; while other members of the conspiracy would force entry into the residences. After the burglaries, the stolen goods were transported elsewhere and sold for profit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ly T. Chin and Julianne Klein. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Warwick and Smithfield, RI Police Departments; Shrewsbury and Framingham, MA Police Departments; Gorham, NH Police Department; Stamford, Wallingford, and Westport, CT Police Departments; West Allis, WI Police Department; New Castle County, DE Police Department; Manalapan, NJ Police Department; New York City Police Department; Jacksonville and Flagler County Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; Pennsylvania State Police; and the United States Postal Inspection Service. ###


title: Father And Son Admit Role In International Market Manipulation Scheme Related To New Jersey Deli

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A father and son today admitted to orchestrating a large-scale market manipulation scheme related to two publicly traded companies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Peter Coker, Sr., 82, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Peter Coker, Jr., 56, formerly of Hong Kong, China, both pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. James Patten, 65, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina previously pleaded guilty to the same charges. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2014 through September 2022, Peter Coker Sr., Peter Coker Jr., and Patten conspired to enrich themselves through a scheme to manipulate securities prices via a pattern of coordinated trading, which injected inaccurate information into the marketplace, creating false impressions of supply and demand for these securities. As part of the securities fraud scheme, the defendants targeted two publicly traded companies—Hometown International Inc. and E-Waste Corp.—which were both traded on the OTC Link Alternative Trading System, also known as the OTC Marketplace. The OTC Marketplace is an alternative trading system that contains three tiers of markets, which are largely based on the quality and quantity of the listed companies’ information and disclosures. Coker Sr., Coker Jr., and Patten took steps to gain control of both entities’ management and stock with the ultimate intention of entering reverse mergers, a transaction through which an existing public company merges with a private operating company. A successful reverse merger would allow the defendants to sell shares of each entity at a significant profit. In or around 2014, two New Jersey residents began the process of opening a local deli in Paulsboro, New Jersey. One of the individuals discussed his interest in opening the deli with Patten, a long-time friend, who suggested the creation of Hometown International, an umbrella corporation, under which the deli would operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. Unbeknownst to the deli owners, after Hometown International was formed, Patten and his associates began positioning Hometown International as a vehicle for a reverse merger that would yield substantial profit to them. Around October 2019, Hometown International began selling shares on the OTC Marketplace. Shortly thereafter, Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. undertook a calculated scheme to gain control of Hometown International’s management and its shares from the deli owners. Coker Sr., Coker Jr., and Patten took similar actions to gain control of E-Waste Corporation’s stock and management. Once the defendants gained control of Hometown International and E-Waste’s shares, they arranged for the transfer of millions of shares of stock to a number of nominee entities, including entities controlled by Coker Jr., in an effort to mask their control of the shares. In addition, the defendants transferred shares to family members, friends, and associates and gained control over their trading accounts by obtaining their log-in information in order to conceal the defendants’ involvement. The defendants then used those accounts to commit a number of coordinated trading events, often referred to as match and wash trades, to trade in Hometown International and E-Waste Corp.’s stock on both sides of the transaction. These tactics artificially inflated the price of Hometown International and E-Waste’s stock by giving the false impression that there was a genuine market interest in the stock. Their scheme had the ultimate impact of artificially inflating Hometown International’s stock by approximately 939 percent and E-Waste’s stock by approximately 19,900 percent. The securities fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The conspiracy to commit securities fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense whichever is greatest. Judge O’Hearn scheduled Coker, Jr.’s sentencing for April 2, 2025 and Coker Sr.’s sentencing for May 13, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked special agents from FBI Charlotte, FBI Los Angeles, FBI San Francisco, FBI Denver, and FBI Knoxville, for their assistance. The government is represented by Lauren E. Repole, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit. pattencokeretal.indictment.pdf


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terrence Jay Mason, 31, of Charleston, was sentenced today to seven years and four months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2023, Mason sold a total of approximately 74 grams of methamphetamine over the course of three transactions, each time to a confidential informant in Charleston. Mason admitted to the April 6, 2023, transaction, during which he sold approximately 26 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On May 2, 2023, law enforcement officers obtained an arrest warrant for Mason and a search warrant for his person, and entered a Frame Street residence in Charleston to execute the warrants. Officers found Mason in a bathroom attempting to flush a large sum of U.S. currency and methamphetamine. Officers also saw a tactical shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle, and large quantities of controlled substances in plain view in the residence. Officers obtained and executed a search warrant for the residence and seized approximately 140 grams of methamphetamine, 44 grams of fentanyl, five loaded firearms including the shotgun and semi-automatic rifle, and $8,724. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department-Street Crimes Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel D. Marsh and Francesca C. Rollo prosecuted the case. 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. 2:24-cr-34. ###


title: Charlotte Businessman Is Sentenced To Prison For Tax Offense

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Peter Anthony Thomas, 63, formerly of Charlotte and now a resident of Miami, Florida, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for a tax offense, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Thomas was also ordered to pay $2,526,131.99 as restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). On July 2, 2024, Thomas pleaded guilty to failing to account for and pay over to the trust fund taxes due and owing on behalf of the employees of PT Media, LLC for the quarter ending June 30, 2021. Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS, Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI) joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Thomas was the owner of Club One CLT, LLC, Sports ONE, Inc., Sports ONE CLT LLC, and PT Media, LLC, (collectively “the Charlotte businesses”) which operated as sports-themed bar/restaurant/lounges in Charlotte. Thomas also owned several other bars, restaurants, and lounges in Florida and Maryland, including Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC. Thomas exercised control over the Charlotte businesses’ financial and business affairs and was responsible for collecting trust fund taxes and accounting for employment taxes by filing Forms 941 with the IRS and paying over to the IRS the employment taxes for the Charlotte businesses’ employees. Between 2017 and 2022, Thomas caused the Charlotte businesses to collect more than $640,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees, but Thomas did not pay over these taxes to the IRS. In addition, between 2021 and 2023, Thomas caused Bar One Miami Beach LLC and Bar One Baltimore LLC to collect more than $1.1 million in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees, but Thomas did not pay over these taxes to the IRS. In total, between 2017 and 2023, Thomas caused the Charlotte businesses, Bar One Miami Beach LLC, and Bar One Baltimore LLC to fail to pay over more than $2.5 million in employment taxes, including more than $1,740,000 in trust fund taxes from the wages of their employees. Court documents show that instead of paying the trust fund taxes that were due on behalf of the Charlotte businesses, Thomas used the trust fund taxes for other purposes, including more than $2.5 million in cash withdrawals, $370,000 for travel, real estate purchases, and more than $250,000 in retail purchases, including on high-end purchases at Neiman Marcus, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy. Thomas also caused more than $2.9 million to be transferred between the Charlotte businesses, Bar One Miami Beach, LLC, and Bar One Baltimore, LLC. Thomas will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Chicago Attorney Indicted on Immigration Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago attorney has been indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly providing false and fraudulent information to U.S. authorities to obtain immigration benefits for his foreign national clients. GERARDO DEAN owned a law office in Chicago and represented a company that operated skilled-nursing facilities. An indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago alleges that Dean conspired with a company employee, FELICITAS CORDERO, to provide false and fraudulent information to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on behalf of individuals in the Philippines who were seeking U.S. visas. Specifically, Dean and Cordero filed and caused to be filed fraudulent H-1B and EB-2 visa petitions representing that the foreign nationals had managerial, supervisory, or higher-level jobs waiting for them at the company, when in actuality Dean and Cordero knew that the foreign nationals would work for the company as staff or registered nurses at lower rates of pay than what was stated in the visa petitions, the indictment states. Dean and Cordero also allegedly instructed the foreign nationals to provide false information about the purported managerial, supervisory, or higher-level jobs during their overseas consular interviews. Dean and Cordero did so knowing that U.S. immigration officials had a higher likelihood of approving H-1B or EB-2 visa petitions that stated the employer would hire a foreign national in a managerial, supervisory, or other higher level position, the indictment states. The charges allege that Dean and Cordero collected money from foreign nationals whom they helped fraudulently obtain the visas to work at the company, and that Dean also collected money from the company for his fraudulent conduct. The indictment charges Dean, 58, of Park Ridge, Ill., and Cordero, 76, of Buffalo Grove, Ill., with one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and three individual counts of immigration fraud. Dean and Cordero were arraigned Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, Mark Woods-Hawkins, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service’s Chicago Field Office, and James Mead, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Prashant Kolluri. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 0001_-_0000_-_indictment_as_to_gerardo_dean_1_counts_1-4_felicitas.pdf


title: Catawba Man Is Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Trafficking Fentanyl And Methamphetamine

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Antoine Durel Reid, 39, of Catawba, N.C., was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release today for trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Sheriff Donald G. Brown, II, of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement were investigating Reid’s drug trafficking activities in Catawba County. On February 22, 2022, law enforcement conducting surveillance on Reid observed the defendant enter a vehicle with an expired license plate and proceeded to conduct a traffic stop. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found a black backpack that belonged to Reid. Inside the backpack, there was a Smith and Wesson SD9 VE 9mm silver and black pistol with 16 rounds of ammunition, almost half a kilogram of methamphetamine and over 260 grams of fentanyl packaged in Ziploc bags, and three digital scales. Reid also had $1,590 in his pockets. According to court documents, on July 21, 2023, at about 11:15 p.m., officers responded to as service call at a gas station in Hickory in relation to an assault. Officers investigating the incident were informed that an assault had occurred where an individual had brandished a pistol. The officers reviewed video footage collected from the gas station. The officers recognized the assailant as Reid and obtained a warrant for his arrest. The following day, law enforcement went to Reid’s last known address to effectuate the arrest. When they arrived at the residence, they found Reid standing outside an SUV at the passenger door with another individual. Officers observed suspected drug paraphernalia and subsequently searched the vehicle. During the search, the officers located narcotics and a black Taurus G2C 9mm handgun, consistent with the firearm Reid was seen carrying on the gas station security footage. On August 8, 2024, Reid pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Reid is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hickory Police Department for their investigation of the case. Assistant United States Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing of Zuni Man for Violent Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was sentenced to 21 months in federal court for a violent assault that left a fellow tribal member with severe injuries. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on January 25, 2023, Zuni Police Department (ZPD) officers responded to a report of an assault near a road within the Zuni Pueblo. They found the victim, John Doe, lying in the road, bleeding heavily from the head and facial area. Witnesses reported that the assailants had fled the scene in a pick-up truck. John Doe suffered severe injuries that required hospitalization for several days. The investigation revealed that the incident began when Christopher Hannaweeke Sr. , 49, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, hit the victim's dog with his vehicle. When John Doe confronted Hannaweeke , an altercation ensued. Hannaweeke admitted to striking and kicking John Doe, stating he was "overcome with emotion" due to an ongoing neighborhood feud. During a subsequent interview, Hannaweeke acknowledged to FBI agents on February 3, 2023, that his conduct "went too far." Upon his release from prison, Hannaweeke will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Former Bank Teller Arrested for Stealing More Than $180,000 from Customer Accounts

body_text: BOSTON – A Saugus man has been arrested and charged for allegedly embezzling bank funds while working as a teller at TD Bank. Derek Aut, 28, has been charged by criminal complaint with embezzlement by a bank employee. Aut was arrested yesterday and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston. According to the charging documents, Aut allegedly stole from the bank accounts of two TD Bank customers. When one of the victims noticed money missing from her account, Aut allegedly attempted to cover up his theft by taking money from the other victim’s account and depositing it into the first victim’s account. In total, Aut is alleged to have taken more than $180,000 from the victims’ accounts. The charge of embezzlement by a bank employee provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law


title: Meth trafficker imprisoned for importing 50 kilograms of meth into the United States

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 42-year-old Illinois resident has been sentenced for importing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Cruz Vargas, Jr. pleaded guilty on March 4, 2023. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Vargas to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. On July 24, 2022, Vargas tried to enter the United States from Mexico through the Rio Grande Port of Entry with large containers loaded in his vehicle. Law enforcement referred him for a secondary inspection after he claimed the containers held vitamins. A narcotics detection K-9 alerted to the vehicle, leading authorities to test the containers, which confirmed the presence of meth. At the time of his plea, Vargas admitted to transporting drugs. The meth weighed over 50 kilograms. Vargas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case.


title: Two New Castle Residents Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Puerto Rico-to-Western Pennsylvania Cocaine Trafficking Operation

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Two residents of New Castle, Pennsylvania, were sentenced in federal court on December 18, 2024, for their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and related charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The defendants were among 17 individuals from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, indicted in March 2024 for violating federal narcotics, firearms, and racketeering laws by conspiring to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania and Youngstown (read the Indictment news release here ). Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentences on Luciano Bratini Rivera, 37, and Markus Hobel, 35, sentencing Rivera to 97 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possessing with intent to distribute and distributing a quantity of cocaine on two separate dates, and Hobel to 72 months of prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and using a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to information presented to the Court, Rivera knowingly conspired with the leader of the drug trafficking organization, Daniel Feliciano, to receive kilograms of cocaine from a source of supply in Puerto Rico and distribute smaller quantities of that cocaine to multiple co-conspirators in order to maximize profits. Those co-conspirators, who included Hobel, then distributed the cocaine in New Castle, Ellwood City, and elsewhere in Lawrence County. At least five kilograms of cocaine was attributable to Rivera, who also stored drug proceeds on Feliciano’s behalf— including more than $11,000 seized from Rivera’s residence upon his arrest in March 2024—and drove to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with drug proceeds to exchange for additional kilograms of cocaine on multiple occasions in late 2023 and early 2024, during which Rivera retrieved a total of at least six kilograms of cocaine. At least 100 grams of cocaine was attributable to Hobel, whom Feliciano also described and utilized as his bodyguard to protect his drug product, profits, and person. This included Hobel’s knowing and unlawful carrying and possession of a pistol and rifle during and in relation to and in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy, such as patrolling the premises of and otherwise standing guard with one or more firearms at Feliciano’s residence. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service, as well as the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rivera and Hobel. Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Steven’s County Man Charged with First-Degree Murder for the Death of a Mother and Daughter 27 Years Ago

body_text: Stevens County, Washington – The Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney, Erika George, and U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref, announced today charges against Charles Lloyd Tatom with first degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Marlene Emerson and her 12-year-old daughter, Cassie Emerson. The murders occurred in summer 1997 and involved a decades-long investigation by both state and federal law enforcement. Recent developments in the investigation include new DNA tests that were completed over the summer of 2024. Tatom, who is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law, is charged by way of information in Stevens County Superior Court. Tatom is scheduled to make his first appearance Friday at 11:00am. According to court documents, early in the morning of June 27, 1997, firefighters responded to a mobile home fire in Colville, Washington. By the time crews arrived just after 4:00 am, the roof of the tailer had collapsed, and flames were shooting up to 15 feet above the roofline. After firefighters were able to extinguish the fire, firefighters found the remains of Marlene Emerson inside the home. The doctor that conducted an autopsy on Emerson’s remains concluded the manner of death was homicide. Later examination of Emerson’s remains revealed evidence of knife cuts on her neck. Fire investigators from Stevens County at the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the fire found evidence that gasoline had been poured on the floor before it was ignited. Emerson’s daughter, Cassie, was missing and was presumed to have been abducted. A month later, twelve-year old Cassie’s body was recovered in a wooded area above Orin Rice Road. Forensic examination of Cassie’s remains found evidence of knife marks on her neck. During the decades-long investigation, law enforcement interviewed numerous people who were living in the trailer park at the time of the murder or who were associated in some manner with Emerson. Residents of the trailer park reported hearing a boom just before 4:00 am, followed by the sound of a loud vehicle leaving the area. Shortly after the fire, investigators focused on a Chevy Blazer that allegedly was being driven by Charles Tatom at the time of the fire. The Blazer had a modified exhaust system that amplified the sound of its engine. During a forensic examination of the Chevy Blazer, investigators found a red stain on the interior of the rear passenger window. The stain tested positive for the presence of blood. DNA was recovered from the sample that was consistent with originating from Cassie. Investigators recovered other DNA samples that pointed to both Cassie and Tatom being in the vehicle. A mixed sample of DNA was also recovered from a cigarette butt found in the Blazer that was consistent with both Tatom and Cassie. People who were familiar with Marlene Emerson reported to investigators that Emmerson had been associating with people involved in the outlaw motorcycle club community in the Colville area. One witness reported that Tatom hid a blood-stained knife near the home of a former leader in the outlaw motorcycle club community. According to the witness, Tatom later recovered the knife and claimed that the blood was from gutting an animal. A witness also reported that on the evening before the fire Tatom took some cans of gasoline from a shop on the property where he was living. This same witness reported that when Tatom returned the next morning, his hair appeared singed, and he had a burn on his ankle. Another witness reported that he disposed of the seat covers from the Blazer the morning after the fire. The First-Degree Aggravated murder charges against Tatom carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. “I am grateful for the law enforcement agents and officers, who have dedicated more than two decades of their careers to identifying those responsible for Marlene and Cassie’s murders,” stated Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney, Erika George. “The Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office remains committed to holding violent offenders accountable and seeking justice on behalf of victims and their families.” United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref stated, “One of my top priorities as U.S. Attorney has been to strengthen our relationship with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. When we partner together, we are able to do so much more to keep Eastern Washington communities safe and strong.” The decades-long investigation was conducted by the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, ATF, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney, Erika George. For many years, a parallel federal investigation was carried forward by Assistant United States Attorneys Earl Hicks and Timothy Ohms. In recent months, Timothy Ohms also assisted as a Special Stevens County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. A probable cause statement can be found at the link below: emerson_-_filed_information_pc_stmt.pdf An information is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Virginia Sheriff Convicted in Bribery Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A former sheriff of Culpeper County, Virginia, was convicted by a jury in Charlottesville, Virginia, yesterday for accepting over $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointments as auxiliary deputy sheriffs. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Scott Howard Jenkins, 53, of Culpeper, Virginia, accepted cash bribes and bribes in the form of campaign contributions from co-defendants Rick Rahim, Fredric Gumbinner, and James Metcalf, as well as at least five others, including two FBI undercover agents. In return, Jenkins appointed each of the bribe payors as auxiliary deputy sheriffs, a sworn law-enforcement position, and issued them official Culpeper County Sheriff’s Office badges and credentials. The bribe payors were not trained or vetted and did not render any legitimate services to the Sheriff’s Office. In addition, Jenkins pressured other local officials to approve a petition filed in Culpeper County Circuit Court by Rahim, a convicted felon, to restore his right to possess a firearm and which falsely stated that Rahim resided in Culpeper County. Jenkins was convicted of one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy count, 20 years in prison on each of the honest services fraud counts, and 10 years in prison on each of the bribery counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Rahim, Gumbinner, and Metcalf all previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the bribery scheme and will be sentenced at a later date. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia; and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI Richmond Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Richmond Field Office, Charlottesville Resident Agency is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Celia Choy and Lina Peng of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith for the Western District of Virginia are prosecuting the case, with assistance provided by PIN Paralegal Specialist Lauren Fastenau.


title: Antelope Valley Man Faces New Charge Alleging He Knowingly Sold Fentanyl to Second Victim Who Died

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Palmdale man already facing one charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death has been charged by federal grand jury indictment with an additional count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death related to the death of a Palmdale man in August, the Justice Department announced today. Christopher Morales, 22, was named in a superseding indictment returned Wednesday by a federal grand jury that adds the new narcotics distribution count. Morales was initially charged in October in relation to the first death of a victim in Palmdale. Morales is expected to be arraigned on the superseding indictment in the coming weeks. Morales previously was charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in a death and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The superseding indictment charges him with an additional count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. “The defendant allegedly chose financial gain over the life of another when he decided to traffic fentanyl,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We cannot tolerate those who treat unnecessary and preventable losses of life as just the cost of doing business. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue our steadfast campaign to help fight this fentanyl crisis and bring lawbreakers to justice.” “Within a five-month period, two victims died of fentanyl poisoning, allegedly after receiving fentanyl from the defendant,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Los Angeles Field Division. “His actions serve as a reminder that drug traffickers are not going to stop distributing their poison just because someone dies. But traffickers should take notice – law enforcement is not stopping either.” According to the indictment, the second victim died of fentanyl poisoning in August 2024 at his family’s home shortly after purchasing the drug from Morales. Morales was arrested in the first case on September 9 on charges related to a victim who died in March 2024 in Palmdale. During the investigation of the first incident, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department conducted a search of Morales’s residence in April 2024, which led to the discovery of 4.3 grams of fentanyl and text messages between Morales and the first victim indicating the purchase of fentanyl. More pills recovered and tested after the September 9 arrest were determined to be about an ounce of fentanyl pills. According to the superseding indictment, the second victim died of fentanyl poisoning in August 2024 at his family’s home shortly after purchasing the drug from Morales. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. Morales has been in federal custody since his arrest on September 9. If convicted, Morales faces a mandatory 20-year prison sentence for each of the two counts of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Those two counts carry a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey A. Stimson of the Violent and Organized Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Ohio Resident Sentenced to More Than 7.5 Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Fluorofentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Youngstown, Ohio, resident was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Teqwan Scott, 29, also ordering Scott to serve four years of supervised release following his prison term. Scott previously pleaded guilty in this case to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that Scott was responsible for trafficking between 40 and 70 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl from May 2021 to October 2022, during which time Scott was on bond with a pending state fentanyl trafficking charge in Venango County, Pennsylvania. Scott had already been convicted in Ohio of committing several crimes since 2014, including domestic violence, aggravated possession of drugs, illegal conveyance of prohibited items onto the grounds of a detention facility, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Scott.


title: Luigi Mangione Charged With The Stalking And Murder Of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson And Use Of A Silencer In A Crime Of Violence

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing today of a Complaint charging LUIGI NICHOLAS MANGIONE in connection with the December 4, 2024, murder of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan. MANGIONE was taken into federal custody today and will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Brian Thompson was gunned down in cold blood as he walked down a street in midtown Manhattan. Thompson was allegedly killed just because he held the position of chief executive officer of a health insurance company. As alleged, Luigi Mangione traveled to New York to stalk and shoot Thompson in broad daylight in front of a Manhattan hotel, all in a grossly misguided attempt to broadcast Mangione’s views across the country. But this wasn’t a debate, it was murder, and Mangione now faces federal charges. This Office and its law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to fight violence in whatever form it takes.” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “Today, the Justice Department has brought federal murder charges against Luigi Mangione. As alleged, Mangione planned his attack for months and stalked his victim for days before murdering him — methodically planning when, where, and how to carry out his crime. I am grateful to our state and local law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to locate and apprehend the defendant and to ensure that he answers for his alleged crime.” FBI Assistant Director James E. Dennehy said: “Luigi Mangione allegedly conducted the carefully premeditated and targeted execution of Brian Thompson to incite national debates. This alleged plot demonstrates a cavalier attitude towards humanity – deeming murder an appropriate recourse to satiate personal grievances. Through continued close partnership with the NYPD, the FBI maintains our steadfast commitment to fervently pursue any individual who promotes a personal agenda through violence.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “NYPD detectives worked relentlessly to identify and widely distribute images of the suspect who allegedly carried out this premeditated, preplanned, targeted murder, and they are committed to assisting prosecutors in seeing this important case through to its rightful conclusion. This senseless incident highlights the critical role of the public in the NYPD’s public safety mission, and I thank everyone who saw something, said something, and did something. It is because of the public’s actions that we now have an alleged killer in custody back in New York City.” As alleged in the Complaint: Over the course of the last several months, MANGIONE meticulously planned the execution of Brian Thompson in an effort to initiate a public discussion about the healthcare industry. MANGIONE targeted the victim, tracked his whereabouts, and traveled from out of state to New York City, where the victim was scheduled to attend the company’s investor conference. After arriving in the City on November 24, 2024, more than one week before the murder, MANGIONE performed reconnaissance in the area around the victim’s hotel and the conference venue where the victim was scheduled to speak. Using a false identification, MANGIONE checked into an Upper West Side hostel. In the early morning hours of December 4, 2024, MANGIONE traveled by bicycle from the Upper West Side to the area around West 54 th Street and Sixth Avenue. At approximately 6:45 a.m., MANGIONE strategically placed himself in between two cars on West 54 th Street, and as the victim passed by, MANGIONE walked up behind the victim and fired several gunshots from a 9mm pistol causing the victim’s death. The pistol was equipped with what appeared to be a firearm sound suppressor or silencer. After the murder, MANGIONE fled on his bicycle northbound through Central Park and ultimately back to the Upper West Side. On December 9, 2024, MANGIONE was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania while he sat in a fast-food restaurant after being recognized by one of the restaurant’s workers. Members of the Altoona Police Department confronted MANGIONE, who provided the same false identification that he used when checking-in to the Upper West Side hostel. MANGIONE was also found in possession of, among other things, a 9mm pistol and a sound suppressor consistent with the weapon used to kill the victim. * * * MANGIONE, 26, of Towson, Maryland, is charged with one count of using a firearm to commit murder, which carries a maximum potential sentence of death or life in prison; one count of interstate stalking resulting in death, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison; one count of stalking through use of interstate facilities resulting in death, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison; and one count of discharging a firearm that was equipped with a silencer in furtherance of a crime of violence, which carries a maximum potential sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years. The maximum and minimum potential 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 the judge. Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force and the NYPD. Mr. Kim also thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which has brought a separate prosecution against MANGIONE, which is currently expected to proceed to trial before the federal case. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic A. Gentile, Jun Xiang, and Alexandra Messiter are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Filing COVID-19 Cares Act Loans and Tax Fraud

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Today, Melvin Thompson Jr., 34, of Chestertown, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return in connection with submitting fraudulent loan applications. Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with SAC Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office. Sentencing is scheduled for March 19, 2025, at 10 a.m. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act gives financial assistance including forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. Established by the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA) — along with the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), helped businesses meet their financial obligations. According to his plea agreement, beginning around March 2020, and continuing until approximately February 22, 2021, Thompson knowingly executed a scheme to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration by obtaining fraudulent EIDLs and loans under the PPP. In addition, as part of his scheme, Thompson filed false corporate tax returns, under penalties of perjury, with the IRS on behalf of four businesses seeking EIDL money. These businesses reported false or fictitious revenue and expense amounts. In support of these applications, Thompson submitted fraudulent, unfiled tax returns. Additionally, on a few occasions, Thompson filed fraudulent tax returns with the IRS in support of his CARES Act loan applications. Thompson primarily used the small business relief loan proceeds to engage in high frequency trading of options contracts and other securities, mainly at TD Ameritrade, where during 2020 alone he purchased and sold more than $12 million in securities. Through this high frequency trading, Mr. Thompson lost the $791,004 that he gained through this scheme, with the exception of money he spent to purchase a 2020 Lincoln Navigator. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Barron commended the IRS-CI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney who is prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md . # # #