title: Former Head of New Mission School Pleads Guilty to Misusing Nearly $40,000 in School Funds

body_text: BOSTON – The former Head of School for New Mission School in Hyde Park, an autonomous pilot school within the Boston Public Schools system, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a scheme to defraud Boston Public Schools of approximately $38,806 by misusing school funds for her own personal use. Naia Wilson, 60, of Mattapan, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Jan. 9, 2024. Wilson was charged on Aug. 1, 2023. Wilson was employed as Head of School for New Mission School from 2006 until about June of 2019. Pilot schools like New Mission are granted maximum autonomy over their budget and spending. New Mission School receives a lump sum per pupil budget from Boston Public Schools and school administrators decide how to spend that money based on the needs of the school. Pilot school budgets are managed by an external fiscal agent that contracts with Boston Public Schools. The school funds managed by the external fiscal agent were held in a bank account. In order to spend school funds managed by the external fiscal agent, Wilson, in her role as Head of School for New Mission School, would be required to make a formal check request to the external fiscal agent for a check to be issued from the bank account holding the school’s funds. Beginning in or about September of 2016 and continuing until at least May of 2019, Wilson requested checks from the external fiscal agent school account to be issued in the name of other individuals, fraudulently endorsed those checks to herself and then deposited them into her own bank account without the nominee ever knowing or authorizing her to do so. Additionally, Wilson requested checks from the external fiscal agent that were used to pay for two all-inclusive personal vacations to Barbados for herself and her friends in 2016 and 2018. For both the 2016 and 2018 Barbados trips, Wilson requested that the external fiscal agent issue checks payable to other people who went on the trips and then converted that money to pay for the all-inclusive hotel and airfare. Wilson also fraudulently endorsed the checks used to pay for the 2018 trip. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Boston Public Schools were cooperative in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Indiana Woman Admits to Victimizing 96-Year-Old Rhode Island Widower Through an Online Romance Scam

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – An Indiana woman today admitted to a federal Judge in Rhode Island that she perpetrated an online romance scam that defrauded a 96-year-old Coventry widower of nearly $80,000, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Brittany Rakia Shawnai Lasley, 33, of Anderson, IN, admitted that she created a social media account containing fake profile information on the dating site “Plenty of Fish,” and promptly began a campaign to persuade the victim to provide her with money, credit cards, gift cards, and his personal identifying information. Lasley admitted that she led the victim to believe that providing her with these items would facilitate meetings between the two and foster a romantic relationship. During the scheme, Lasley fraudulently obtained access to the victim’s checking account and credit card and made numerous unauthorized purchases. An investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service determined that Lasley had approximately eighty-nine communications with the victim during which she made fraudulent representations concerning her alleged needs for funds for, among other things, medical expenses, home repairs, and travel to Rhode Island. Lasley admitted to the court that she defrauded the 96-year-old widower of approximately $80,000. Lasley pleaded guilty today to a charge of wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on November 7, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Peter I Roklan. The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Coventry, RI, Police Department; Anderson, IN, Police Department; Indiana State Police; United States Marshals Service; and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General for their assistance in the investigation of this matter. ###


title: Brothers Sentenced to a Combined 15 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Heroin Trafficking

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Desmond Breedlove, 34, and DaJaun Breedlove, 23, of Indianapolis, Indiana, have both been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. DaJuan Breedlove was sentenced on September 1, 2023, to over 6 years in federal prison. Desmond Breedlove was sentenced in August to a total of 7 years in federal prison for the current heroin trafficking and firearms charges and an additional 2 years for violating the terms of his federal supervised release. At the time he committed the current crimes, Desmond Breedlove was serving 3 years of federal supervised release. Desmond Breedlove was released from federal prison on April 23, 2019, after serving 30 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, on May 29, 2021, IMPD officers were patrolling the area of E. 38th Street near the Conoco gas station on the east side of Indianapolis when two individuals, later identified as Desmond Breedlove and DaJaun Breedlove, were seen conducting a drug deal. Officers also saw handguns protruding out of each man’s pants pockets. After the deal concluded, IMPD officers stopped the men after observing their vehicle commit a traffic violation. Desmond Breedlove was the driver, and admitted to officers that he did not have a valid driver’s license. DaJuan Breedlove was in the front passenger seat. During a lawful search of the vehicle, officers located two 9-millimeter handguns in the glovebox, three additional magazines loaded with 9-millimeter ammunition, a .380 caliber magazine and a 30-round extended magazine, as well as two small baggies containing 21.27 grams of heroin and a digital scale. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myerys, Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Columbus Field Division, and Randal Taylor, Chief of Police for IMPD made the announcement. “Our families continue to suffer far too many tragedies stemming from substance abuse and gun violence. Everyone deserves a neighborhood that is safe and free from armed drug dealers like these defendants,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “I commend the IMPD, ATF, and our federal prosecutors for their work to make us safer with these prosecutions. The serious federal prison sentences imposed here show that those who deal deadly drugs armed with deadly weapons will be held accountable for the damage they do to our communities.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by Chief United States District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Chief Judge Pratt also ordered that both men be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following their release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy C. Fugate and Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Picayune Man Sentenced to Over 18 Years in Prison  for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Picayune man was sentenced to 222 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Joshua Smith, 39, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court records, in 2015, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization located largely in Picayune, MS (Pearl River County). In 2018, Joshua Smith and another co-defendant were identified as being part of the conspiracy. Federal agents used a confidential source to begin making purchases of methamphetamine. On November 2, 2018, a DEA confidential source purchased 27.4g of actual methamphetamine at 99% purity from Joshua Smith in Picayune, Mississippi. Smith was indicted on September 7, 2022, and pled guilty on April 5, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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: New Assistant United States Attorney Appointed to Address Violent Crime, Complex White Collar Enforcement, and Other Critical Cases

body_text: PROVIDENCE – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha today announced the appointment and swearing-in of Julie M. White as Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island. Ms. White will serve in the Office’s Criminal Division, focusing on violent crime as well as white collar matters. Prior to joining the District of Rhode Island, Ms. White served for three years as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of West Virginia, where she handled a broad array of criminal matters, frequently involving vulnerable victims, as well as taking a leading role in developing and conducting training for prosecutors and law enforcement on various aspects of federal criminal practice. Before joining the Justice Department, Ms. White had a distinguished career as a state prosecutor in Maryland, with responsibility for a docket of complex violent crime and other cases. She is a graduate of Hood College and the University of Maryland School of Law, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable C. Clarke Raley of the Circuit Court for Saint Mary’s County, Maryland, before beginning her career as a prosecutor. “Julie White is an exceptionally skilled attorney, and I am delighted that she has joined our team here in the District of Rhode Island,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. “Hiring talented, thoughtful, and principled prosecutors is at the heart of our efforts to uphold public safety and pursue justice for every Rhode Islander, and I have no doubt that Ms. White will serve in the best traditions of this Office.” ###


title: Concord Men Sentenced for Firearm Offenses After the Pair of Convicted Felons Possessed Guns in Music Video Posted on Social Media

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: WINSTON SALEM, N.C. - A judge in federal district court sentenced AJENEE SEMUELL FORTE to 100 months in prison today for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina. According to court documents, in June 2021, detectives with the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office discovered a social media account belonging to AHMAD JALON THOMAS, 24, also known as “Cap Shotta,” that contained a link to a music video wherein THOMAS and his co-defendant, AJENEE SEMUELL FORTE, 31, were shown waving and pointing handguns. At the time the music video entitled, “Life on the Run,” was posted on YouTube and Instagram, both THOMAS and FORTE had outstanding orders for arrest. FORTE was also on federal supervised release resulting from a prior conviction for the same offense. On June 23, 2021, members of the United States Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force went to an address in Concord, North Carolina, in an attempt to arrest FORTE on the outstanding warrant. He was apprehended, and a search was conducted of the same apartment unit where the music video was filmed. There, officers found firearms, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and 235.4 grams of marijuana. At the time of the firearm possession, FORTE had previously been convicted of a felony firearm possession offense and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. United States District Judge Loretta C. Biggs sentenced FORTE to a 100-month term of imprisonment and a 3-year term of federal supervised release. FORTE pled guilty at arraignment to an Information containing one count of felon in possession of a firearm on November 10, 2022, in case number 1:22CR361-1. His codefendant THOMAS was sentenced for the same crime to 36 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release on June 22, 2023, in case number 1:22CR83-2. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the United States Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig M. Principe. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Former Marblehead Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Conversion of Government Money

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston in connection with two schemes to convert USPS funds. Zeon Johnson, 28, of Saugus, pleaded guilty to one count of conversion of government money. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Dec. 1, 2023. In May 2022, Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury. Beginning in approximately August 2018, Johnson worked as a Sales and Service Distribution Associate for USPS at the Marblehead Post Office. As part of his job, Johnson sold stamps and processed money order transactions for USPS customers. From approximately July 2019 through June 2020, Johnson converted over $18,000 in USPS funds for personal use by stealing cash funds paid by customers for stamps and issuing USPS money orders payable to himself. The charge of conversion of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elysa Wan of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Connecticut Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DAVID ETIENNE, 49, a Norwich tax return preparer, pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to a tax fraud offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, Etienne operated as a tax return preparer through several businesses, including Los Maestros Inc, Los Maestros Group, Tax Experts USA, and Tax Experts USA Inc. For the 2012 through 2021 tax years, Etienne prepared numerous federal tax returns for clients that included false expenses and losses in connection with sole proprietorship businesses when he knew the taxpayers had not operated sole proprietorship businesses, false unreimbursed employee expenses, and, in certain instances, false medical, dental or education-related expenses. Etienne’s criminal conduct involved tax loss, affecting both the IRS and the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services, of approximately $600,000. Etienne pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false income tax return, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer on November 29. Etienne is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Laraia and Lauren C. Clark.


title: Chicago Gang Member Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Retaliating Against Witnesses in Criminal Investigation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A member of a Chicago street gang has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for retaliating against two witnesses who were cooperating with the government in a criminal investigation into the gang’s activities. JAVION BUSH, 23, pleaded guilty earlier this year to an obstruction of justice charge. Bush admitted in a plea agreement that in 2021 he posted an image on Facebook that named the two cooperating individuals and contained a note stating, “All rats must di (sic).” Bush tagged the Facebook accounts of the cooperators in his posting. Bush also threatened one of the cooperators in a direct communication to him on Facebook Messenger, stating, “All rats must die.” The two cooperators had previously testified before a federal grand jury that was investigating a Chicago street gang faction known as the Goonie Boss/Goonie Gang, of which Bush was a member. Bush learned the identities of the cooperators after viewing a law enforcement report that had been provided to another Goonie member who was being prosecuted by the State of Illinois for murder. The federal investigation of the Goonie gang spanned several years and resulted in the convictions of numerous members and associates, including three Goonie leaders who were convicted this summer of racketeering conspiracy. The jury in that trial found that members of the gang were liable for six murders while terrorizing the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey sentenced Bush on Aug. 30, 2023, after a hearing in federal court in Chicago. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. “Without witnesses, the truth about an incident will never be found,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert Berry III argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Witnesses should be protected at all costs and threatening them should be sanctioned swiftly and severely.”


title: Stoughton Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud Scheme Related to COVID-19 Pandemic Assistance

body_text: BOSTON – A Stoughton man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19-related small business loans from several financial institutions. Yves Montima, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to three years of supervised release, with the first 10 months to be served in home confinement. Montima was also ordered to pay $239,595 in restitution. In November 2021, Montima pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Montima participated in a scheme that obtained over $220,000 in proceeds through fraudulent PPP loan applications submitted between April 2020 and April 2021. Montima and his co-conspirator submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications, both in their own names and in the names of others, at several financial institutions. Montima and his co-conspirator also received kickback payments from individuals on whose behalf they submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary loan program directed at small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Independent contractors were eligible to apply for PPP loans, which were processed by private financial institutions and fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If an independent contractor used the loan funds for approved purposes, such as payroll, the loan could be forgiven by the financial institution and paid for by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Massachusetts State Police and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Prolific Human Smuggler Extradited from Mexico to the United States

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities culminated in the extradition of a human smuggler, who allegedly operated in Mexicali on the U.S.-Mexico border for several years as part of an international human smuggling conspiracy. In March, Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 61, was arrested in Mexico pursuant to a U.S. request for her extradition and surrendered by Mexico to U.S. authorities on Sept. 5 to face charges previously filed in the District of Arizona and unsealed in March. She is scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court later today in Phoenix, Arizona. “This extradition is the result of continued coordination between the Justice Department and our Mexican law enforcement partners to bring to justice human smugglers who exploit migrants’ desperation and undermine the rule of law,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It is another example of the impactful work Joint Task Force Alpha is doing to disrupt dangerous criminal operations and dismantle transnational criminal organizations by pursuing their leadership — wherever they operate.” According to court documents, Hernandez-Salas allegedly conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants into the United States from and through Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Hernandez-Salas and co-conspirator Raul Saucedo-Huipio, 48, allegedly charged the migrants as much as tens of thousands of dollars to make the journey and directed the migrants where to unlawfully cross the border into the United States, including by providing them with a ladder to climb over the border fence. Hernandez-Salas and co-conspirators also allegedly robbed the migrants of money and personal belongings while armed with guns and knives. In June, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed corresponding sanctions on the Hernandez Salas transnational criminal organization. Saucedo-Huipio remains in custody in Mexico. The indictments against Hernandez-Salas and Raul Saucedo-Huipio , and their subsequent arrests, were coordinated through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created in June 2021 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. “When international criminal organizations endanger economic migrants seeking a better life in America, an international response is required,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “JTFA’s partnership with Mexico holds managers and organizers accountable for the criminal activities of cross-border smugglers.” “This extradition is another testament to our global commitment to investigating, combating and dismantling human smuggling networks,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI is dedicated to its law enforcement partnerships and mission, notably those accomplished through JTFA efforts, that seek to eradicate these crimes and bring those who propagate them to justice.” HSI Yuma is investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, FBI, and U.S. Marshals Service, working in concert with HSI Tijuana, INTERPOL, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI also received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center/Counter Network Division and OFAC. JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn and Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Jennis for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Mexico. The Justice Department thanks its Mexican law enforcement partners, who were instrumental in arresting Hernandez-Salas, and the Mexican Attorney General’s Office and the Mexican Foreign Ministry for making the extradition possible. Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other U.S. law enforcement agencies, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant human smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and the Organized Crime and Gang Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. This investigation is also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks or raise grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities. The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Convicted Felon Arrested for Attempting to Trade Fentanyl for Four Firearms

body_text: BOSTON – A Quincy man was arrested yesterday for allegedly distributing fentanyl to obtain four firearms while a convicted felon. Caesar Ross, 39, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Ross was arrested yesterday and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston this afternoon, was detained pending a hearing set for Sept. 8, 2023 at 2 p.m. “This case allegedly involves the deadly cocktail of fentanyl and firearms. Our office is committed to do everything in our power to reduce the number of illegal guns on the streets and the amount of fentanyl that is sold in our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This case illustrates the collaborative efforts by ATF, DEA and QPD to stop firearm trafficking and combat flow of fentanyl into our communities. This alleged illegal activity will not be tolerated and ATF will continue to aggressively partner with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to target traffickers,” said James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division. According to court documents, in 2022, an investigation began into Ross, and others, for allegedly engaging in firearms trafficking and other violations of federal firearms and drug laws. It is alleged that Ross met with a cooperating witness yesterday in Quincy to whom he allegedly provided 60 grams of fentanyl in exchange for four firearms, each of which has no visible serial number: a Beretta 92F, 9 parabellum, pistol; a Beretta 96 Brigadier elite IA, .40S&W pistol; a Glock 22, .40S&W pistol; and a FN Herstal 5.7, 5.7x28 pistol. Ross was immediately taken into custody. Ross is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a prior felony conviction. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and ATF SAC Ferguson made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division and the Quincy Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Hearing Aid Dealer Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Health Care Fraud

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DENNIS DELLAGHELFA, 54, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for health care fraud. According to court documents and statements made in court, Dellaghelfa is a licensed hearing instrument specialist and the owner of General Hearing, a Waterbury-based hearing aid dealer. Since approximately 2013, General Hearing has been a participating provider enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CTMAP), Connecticut Department of Social Services-administered program that provides medical assistance to low income persons. CTMAP’s benefit packages, referred to as “HUSKY” or “Connecticut Medicaid,” are jointly funded by the State of Connecticut and the federal government. From approximately June 2016 to April 2022, Dellaghelfa submitted, or caused to be submitted, false and fraudulent claims for payment for services and equipment that were not provided or were medically unnecessary. For example, in November 2018, Dellaghelfa submitted claims to Connecticut Medicaid for services provided to six patients during a period of time that Dellaghelfa was traveling outside the U.S. In 2019 and 2020, some of the fraudulent claims involved services that were purportedly provided by his three employees. However, Dellaghelfa knew that the employees performed hearing tests without having the required professional permit, and submitted paperwork for hearing tests and services that did not occur or were not medically necessary. In addition, in violation of the CTMAP provider agreement, Dellaghelfa paid third-party “patient recruiters” for each Medicaid patient they brought to General Hearing for a hearing test, and that then failed the hearing test and received hearing aids. He also submitted false claims to Connecticut Medicaid for testing and hearing aids for five of the patient recruiters who did not need hearing aids. Judge Thompson ordered Dellaghelfa to pay restitution of $6,141,857 to the Connecticut Medicaid program. As part of his restitution obligation, Dellaghelfa agreed to forfeit $332,675 held in personal and business bank accounts. On February 9, 2023, Dellaghelfa pleaded guilty to health care fraud. Dellaghelfa, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on October 10. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), with the assistance of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather L. Cherry and Elena L. Coronado. People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.


title: Boston Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Bank Robbery

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for robbing a TD Bank branch in Boston. Coleman Nee, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 63 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In November 2022, Nee pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. At approximately 4:15 pm on the afternoon of April 26, 2021 – one day after being released from Suffolk County House of Correction in an unrelated matter – Nee entered a TD Bank branch in Boston, showed a teller what appeared to be a firearm and threatened to kill a teller and a bank customer before robbing the bank of $990. Within 21 minutes of the robbery, Nee was apprehended by law enforcement inside a department store in Downtown Crossing. All but $10 of the stolen money was recovered from the defendant when he was apprehended. During booking, items were recovered from the defendant including a MBTA Charlie Card with a date/time stamp of April 26, 2021, at 4:23pm that reflected $10.00 in cash was used to purchase the Charlie Card. According to court records, Nee’s prior criminal conduct includes a prior federal conviction for bank robbery, as well as state court convictions for, among other crimes, Armed Robbery, Assault Dangerous Weapon Possession of Firearm with no FID card, Possession of Ammunition with no FID card, Possession of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony and Knowingly Receiving Stolen Property. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police Chief Kenneth Green made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Black River Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Months for Failing to Register as Sex Offender

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jonathan Julian, 37, Black River Falls, Wisconsin was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 15 month in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, for failing to register as a sex offender. Julian pleaded guilty to this charge on June 2, 2023. Julian was originally convicted in 2008 in the Western District of New York for possession of child pornography. As a result of this federal conviction, Julian was required to register as a sex offender. Julian completed sex offender registration forms in New York in 2015 and 2016. Julian then changed his address from Seneca, New York to Buffalo, New York. After that, Julian stopped registering as a sex offender. In January 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service received an anonymous tip that Julian moved from New York to Wisconsin. Through their investigation, deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service determined that from October 2018 through March 2023, Julian lived and worked in the area of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Julian did not report his Wisconsin employment or residence as required, which led to the federal charge that resulted in today’s sentencing. In sentencing Julian, Judge Conley expressed concern that Julian made no attempt to comply with his requirement to register as a sex offender when he moved to Wisconsin. The charge against Julian was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison

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

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Kevin T. Leshore, 30 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Leshore was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Fort Wayne Police observed Leshore at a gas station with a handgun sticking out of his pocket. Officers were able to determine that Leshore was a convicted felon and had an active arrest warrant. When they attempted to apprehend Leshore, he got into his vehicle and led officers on a high-speed chase through a residential area before stopping and fleeing on foot. When officers apprehended Leshore, they located a handgun near him with a round in the chamber in addition to a loaded firearm magazine that Leshore had discarded as he fled. At the time of his apprehension, Leshore was also in possession of a bag containing a large amount of U.S. Currency and narcotics. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Fort Myers Man Pleads Guilty To Murder-For-Hire

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Marvin Harris, Jr. (25, Fort Myers), aka “Mesh,” today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death and interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death. Harris, Jr. faces a minimum mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in 2019, Harris, Jr. hired two individuals, co-defendant Latrel Jackson, aka “Kobe,” and unindicted co-conspirator D.S. (deceased), to travel from the Chicago-area to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000. Harris, Jr.’s motive was to retaliate against individuals who he believed had previously robbed a residence in Fort Myers from which he and others associated with him sold drugs. The individuals Harris, Jr. suspected of committing the robbery and shooting belonged to a Fort Myers gang known to law enforcement as “Bucktown.” With the agreement to retaliate against the Bucktown gang in place, Jackson and D.S. traveled to Fort Myers from Chicago aboard a commercial airline on October 28, 2019. Upon arrival, Harris, Jr. picked Jackson and D.S. up from the Southwest Florida International Airport and provided them with partial payment for the planned murder, as well as firearms to accomplish their task. Initially, Jackson and D.S. stayed at Harris, Jr.’s “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs) in Fort Myers, but later moved to a local motel on Palm Beach Boulevard. During that time, Jackson, D.S., and others attempted to find members of Bucktown to murder in the retaliatory scheme. On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the residence near the curb of the street. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and returned, and at close range opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the home with a gunshot wound to the head. After the shooting, Harris, Jr. paid Jackson and D.S. the remaining sum of money owed for completing the murder-for-hire scheme. Jackson and D.S. were also left in possession of the firearms used to commit the murder. Jackson and D.S. then returned to the Chicago area on a commercial bus on November 3, 2019. During a search of Jackson’s Chicago-area home on November 21, 2019, law enforcement recovered two firearms from an attic space in Jackson’s room. Forensic analyses of the firearms by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed that both matched shell casings recovered from the murder scene and the murder vehicle, and that one of the firearms had fired the bullet which had been recovered from K.U.’s head during his autopsy. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with assistance from the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Jacksonville Sexual Predator Sentenced To 30 Years For Attempting To Entice A 14-Year-Old Child To Produce Sexual Abuse Videos

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Paul Edward Lee, Jr. (44, Jacksonville) to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 14-year-old child to produce and send him videos and images depicting the victim’s sexual abuse. Lee was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. In 2011, Lee was convicted of lascivious molestation and lascivious exhibition involving a 10-year-old child in Jacksonville and was at that time designated as a sexual predator. Lee has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case on May 2, 2018. A federal jury had found Lee guilty in this case on March 23, 2023. According to evidence and testimony introduced at trial, in April 2018, an FBI agent in Illinois discovered that a 14-year-old child was having online contact with an adult male in Florida through a smart phone gaming application (app) designed for use by children. The messages sent to the child by the adult male were increasingly graphic and sexually explicit. The FBI intervened and identified this individual as Lee, a registered sexual predator living in a Jacksonville residence, along with eight other registered sex offenders. On April 25, 2018, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, posing as the 14-year-old child, began text messaging with Lee. During these communications, Lee told the “child” in graphic terms how he wanted to have sex with the “child,” and sent several images and videos of his own genitalia to the “child.” On April 27, 2018, Lee repeatedly texted and solicited the “child” to produce and send him graphic images and videos of “her” genitalia. When FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at his residence on May 2, 2018, Lee tried to damage his cellphone to destroy evidence of his criminal activity and was arrested. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Hard Rock Casino Carjacker Pleads Guilty

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rodney Devon Jones (28, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking offense, and a minimum mandatory term of 7 years, up to life, imprisonment on the firearm offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on September 28, 2021, Jones and two others committed a carjacking in the parking garage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. Jones and the two other men jumped out of a stolen Toyota, pointed guns at the victim, and stole his wallet and jewelry. They demanded that the victim identify his car. The victim pointed out an Alfa Romeo. One of the men then used the victim’s car keys to drive off in the Alfa Romeo and the others followed in the Toyota. Two days later, officers from the Orlando Police Department arrested Jones after they found him in the stolen Toyota. The officers recovered a firearm with Jones’s DNA on it near the Toyota. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole Police Department, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the Middle District of Florida’s Safe Trails Task Force. The Safe Trails Task Force is a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Seminole Police Department, and other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement that work to combat the growth of crime in Indian Country. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Oldsmar Felon Pleads Guilty To Firearms And Narcotics Offenses

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Sean Peter Brewer (32, Oldsmar) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Brewer faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which must be imposed consecutive to any other sentence. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, on November 11, 2022, officers from the Clearwater Police Department (CPD) responded to a gas station after receiving a report that a man was unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked at a gas pump. CPD and the Clearwater Fire Department personnel discovered Brewer unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle. After Brewer was assessed by the emergency services responders, CPD officers administered a field sobriety test, which Brewer failed. Officers arrested Brewer for driving under the influence and conducted a search incident to the arrest. That search revealed a backpack containing a scale with clear plastic baggies that are consistent with narcotics distribution, marijuana, multiple types of pills, 61 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Shield pistol (SN RJX7660), and a “Cash App” debit card. Brewer possessed the methamphetamine found in the backpack with the intent to distribute it. At the time, Brewer had a prior felony conviction and therefore he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and David P. Sullivan. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Guilty Pleas in Separate Armed Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearms Cases

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. – Two men pleaded guilty to federal charges in separate Project Safe Neighborhoods cases in the Columbus region this week, one involving armed methamphetamine trafficking and the other illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Jason Selph, 42, of Georgetown, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine on Sept. 5. Selph faces a minimum of five years up to a maximum of 40 years in prison to be followed by at least four years of supervised release and a $5,000,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2024. Corneilous Hixson, 27, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Sept. 5. Hixon faces a maximum of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19. U.S. District Judge Clay Land is presiding over these cases. The defendants are not eligible for parole. “These cases exemplify the ongoing collaborative effort in the Columbus region to remove guns from the hands of criminals and convicted felons and hold them accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I applaud the determined efforts by law enforcement to make our communities safer.” According to court documents in the Selph case, DEA, FBI and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint investigation into the armed distribution of methamphetamine in West Georgia. A confidential source made multiple purchases of methamphetamine from Selph beginning in Dec. 2021 until March 2022 at locations in Quitman County, Georgia, including at the defendant’s home in Georgetown, Georgia. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Selph’s home on March 23, 2022, recovering two bags containing approximately 166 grams of methamphetamine, a revolver and a rifle. According to court documents in the Hixson case, the defendant was pulled over for a traffic violation on Aug. 25, 2022, and officers smelled burnt marijuana, prompting a search of his car. Officers found a firearm under Hixson’s front passenger seat and a straw with cocaine residue. Hixson ran away from the scene but was apprehended after a brief pursuit and arrested. Hixson has separate felony convictions in Muscogee County, Georgia, Superior Court for 1 st degree burglary, influencing a witness, 2 nd degree criminal damage to property and felon in possession of a firearm. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. These cases are being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The Selph case was investigated by DEA, FBI and the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. The Hixson case was investigated by ATF and Columbus Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting these cases for the Government.


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Virginia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Todd Tyler Snead, 57, of Waynesboro, Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, admitting to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in October 2022, Snead transported 1 pound per month from West Virginia to Virginia as part of the conspiracy. On March 14, 2023, Snead traveled from Virginia to St. Albans to obtain 4 pounds of methamphetamine from a co-defendant. Law enforcement officers followed Snead back to a hotel in Cross Lanes, where they searched the trunk of his vehicle, found the methamphetamine and arrested him. Snead has a criminal history that includes a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on December 13, 2006. Snead is among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash. Nineteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31. ###


title: Man Charged with Downtown St. Louis Carjacking

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man has been indicted for a downtown St. Louis carjacking in July. Bradley C. McKinney, 34, appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to four felonies: carjacking, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, being a felon in possession of a firearm as an armed career criminal and possession of a machine gun. The indictment alleges that McKinney carjacked a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze on July 29 while armed and possessed a machine gun the next day. A motion seeking to have McKinney held in jail until trial says he and another man brandished handguns with large-capacity magazines and stole the Cruze, two wallets from the driver and passenger and a cell phone. A white GMC Terrain then drove up and both it and the Cruze drove into Illinois. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped the GMC the next day. McKinney was driving and officers found a Glock handgun with a large-capacity magazine, the motion says. The Glock had been illegally modified to become fully automatic with a “switch,” or auto sear, the motion says. The carjacking charge carries a potential penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a penalty of seven years in prison, consecutive to any other charge. The felon in possession as an armed career criminal charge carries a potential prison sentence of at least 15 years, and the machine gun charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone is prosecuting the case.


title: Ohio Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and Heroin, and to Possessing Fentanyl and Heroin with the Intent to Distribute

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – Jackie Bell pled guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and to possessing fentanyl and heroin with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Bell, age 31, of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on January 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000 for each count of conviction. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction in this case. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: 70-Year-Old Human Smuggler Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Ortiz, 70, of Tucson, Arizona was sentenced by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins on August 29, 2023, to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ortiz pleaded guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. Ortiz also was sentenced to 12 months of consecutive imprisonment for violating conditions of his federal supervised release, which was imposed for the defendant’s 2018 alien smuggling conviction. On July 21, 2022, Ortiz was encountered by United States Border Patrol agents while transporting four individuals who were illegally in the United States. Ortiz failed to yield to agents, traveled at speeds of 90 miles-per-hour, and evaded law enforcement for approximately 30 minutes. He was apprehended after his vehicle became stuck near a wash on a dirt road. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR 22-01803-TUC-RCC CR 18-00360-TUC-RCC CR 13-01304-TUC-RCC RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-131_Ortiz # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: West Virginia woman sentenced for federal drug charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Angela Nicole Chapman, age 35, of Shinnston, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Chapman and her boyfriend, Larry Gregory, distributed methamphetamine from their residence in Shinnston, West Virginia, for several months in the summer and fall of 2020. Law enforcement executed search warrants at their residence on two occasions. During the first search, agents recovered almost two pounds of methamphetamine, two firearms, and $17,205. In the second incident, the U.S Postal Inspector found a suspicious package mailed from Los Angeles, California, to Chapman’s home. Agents then conducted a controlled delivery of the package. Chapman retrieved the package from her front porch and took it into the home. Agents searched the residence and recovered the package, which contained an additional pound of methamphetamine and $1,300. Co-defendant Gregory was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Shinnston Police Department investigated. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: West Virginia doctor indicted on assault charges

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Tracey H. Reilly, age 53, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, has been charged with abusive sexual contact and simple assault. According to court documents, Reilly, a physician employed with Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, allegedly touched another employee’s breasts and buttocks with the intent of harassing and/or humiliating the victim. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Veterans Affairs Police and the VA Office of Inspector General investigated. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Caught with Stolen IDs in Missouri Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced an Indiana man caught with dozens of fake and stolen IDs in Warren County, Missouri to four years in prison and ordered him to pay $9,825 in restitution to victims. The prison sentence will run consecutive to any sentence Kevin Sparks, 41, of Indiana, receives for pending state charges in Texas and Indiana. Sparks was in a 2012 GMC Acadia on Nov. 25, 2021 when the driver, Debra Blake, was pulled over by sheriff’s deputies in Warren County, Missouri. Sparks gave deputies a counterfeit driver’s license and a stolen Social Security card. Deputies then found 11 other counterfeit driver’s license with Sparks’ picture and other people’s names. They also found more than 43 genuine driver’s licenses, passports, Social Security cards and credit or debit cards that had been stolen from fitness centers and other locations in Colorado and Arizona, as well as notebooks listing personal identifying information belonging to other people. Sparks and Blake used the stolen IDs and personal information to open new credit and debit accounts or take over existing accounts to get cash or buy merchandise. Sparks used one of the stolen IDs to buy the GMC in Arizona. Police also found surveying equipment that had been stolen from a storage unit in Arizona and electronic equipment that had been used to produce the counterfeit driver’s licenses. In a letter to Judge Autrey, one victim said his life was upended when Sparks took over his cell phone, bank accounts, email, and investment accounts and tried to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars. Another, a disabled U.S. Army veteran, someone spent years opening credit accounts after a home burglary. “This sentence is a great example of what can be accomplished when federal and local law enforcement agencies collaborate,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho for HSI Kansas City. “Coming together in these types of joint operations to arrest and disrupt illegal activities are for the betterment and safety of us all. I couldn’t be prouder of the strong relationships we have built with our law enforcement partners and applaud all of those involved for their efforts.” Sparks pleaded guilty on May 31 to three felonies: interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, interstate transportation of stolen property and possession of five or more identification documents. Blake, 36, pleaded guilty July 19 to possession of five or more identification documents and interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle. She is scheduled to be sentenced October 18. Homeland Security Investigations and the Warren County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry prosecuted the case.


title: West Virginia man charged with failing to register

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Scott David Bixler, age 42, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has been charged with failure to update his sex offender registration. According to court documents, Bixler, a registered sex offender, and his wife traveled from their home in Morgantown to Mexico, crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. Bixler didn’t inform the West Virginia State Police, as required, of his international travel plans. The Bixlers were arrested in Mexico for possession of methamphetamine after authorities there learned that Bixler was attempting to purchase a 7-year-old girl for $5,000. At the time of the arrest, Bixler and his wife had two tranquilizer air guns and a cellphone signal jammer in their possession. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wagner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the West Virginia State Police investigated. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Ohio Landlord

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Joseph Pedaline, an owner and manager of residential rental properties, in Youngstown, Ohio, for engaging in sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, alleges that Joseph Pedaline sexually harassed female tenants at properties that he owned or managed in Youngstown since at least 2009. According to the complaint, Pedaline subjected tenants to repeated and unwelcome sexual comments, touched them without their consent, entered their homes without permission and offered to overlook late rent payments, waive rent or perform repairs in exchange for sexual contact. The lawsuit also alleges that Pedaline initiated evictions or threatened to evict tenants who refused his sexual advances. “No tenant should have to endure sexual propositions, sexual comments or unwelcome physical contact from their landlord,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Sexual harassment in housing is wrong, immoral and illegal. The Justice Department will continue to hold landlords accountable when they violate federal civil rights laws.” “Too often tenants with limited housing options are preyed upon by landlords, maintenance staff and others who have control over where they live,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “This lawsuit sends a message that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate the exploitation of our vulnerable community members.” The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Joseph Pedaline or YLP LLC, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-833-591-0291, press 1 for English, press 2 for sexual harassment and then press 01 for United States v. Joseph Pedaline to leave a message. Individuals may also send an email to Youngstown.Community@usdoj.gov or submit a report online . Reports also may be made by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online . The Justice Department launched its Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative in October 2017. The department’s initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. The initiative seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 36 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $10.8 million for victims of such harassment. Pedaline Complaint


title: Two men sentenced on federal drug charges

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two men were sentenced today on federal drug distribution charges. William Trice, age 32, of Eastpointe, Michigan, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, Trice was the leader of a Detroit-area drug trafficking organization that was selling heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Morgantown. Another defendant, Dayshawn Burton, age 28, of Hamilton, Ohio, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Burton was one of the distributors for Trice and sold methamphetamine to an informant. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated the Drug Enforcement Administration Clarksburg RO; the FBI Clarksburg RA; the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; WVU Police Department; the DEA Cincinnati District Office; the DEA Detroit Field Division; and the FBI Detroit. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Three Former Toledo City Council Members Sentenced for Accepting Bribery Payments

body_text: TOLEDO – U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko announced that three former Toledo City Council members were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick for their roles in accepting bribery payments during their time in office in return for support and votes on legislative matters. Tyrone Riley, age 67, of Toledo, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment yesterday after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right. Yvonne Harper, age 73, of Toledo, was sentenced to 12 months and a day imprisonment yesterday after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy under color of official right. Larry Sykes, age 74, of Toledo, was sentenced to 4 months imprisonment today after pleading guilty to one count of Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right. “When public officials choose to betray those they were elected to serve by blatantly violating their oaths and the public trust, the entire community suffers immeasurably,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “These sentencings reflect the commitment of the U.S. Attorney's Office to aggressively prosecute individuals engaged in public corruption.” “Finding and investigating public corruption is one of the FBIs highest priorities,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Gregory Nelsen. “Elected officials are entrusted to make virtuous decisions to the betterment of all. Sadly, these three individuals chose a path of criminal conduct and greed over the wellbeing of those they serve. We will continue to work on behalf of the American Public to ensure the conduct by elected officials is right and just.” According to court documents, on multiple occasions from May 2018 through February 2020, Riley, Harper, and Sykes accepted bribery payments in return for their official support and votes on legislative matters as members of the Toledo City Council. Court documents also state that Riley, Harper, and Sykes each accepted cash payments in return for their support and votes on zoning changes and “special use permits” (SUPs) for local businesses. Riley accepted more than $10,000 in payments and meals in return for his support on five separate city council matters. Harper accepted more than $5,000 in return for her support on two matters, and Sykes accepted $1,500 for his support on three matters. This case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the FBI, Toledo Resident Agency. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Michael J. Freeman.


title: Zuni Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Firearm Offenses

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Nicholas Pinto was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Pinto, 24, of Zuni, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious bodily injury and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in Indian Country on July 10, 2023. According to court documents, on Sept. 18, 2022, Pinto and another individual arrived at John Doe’s house. Shortly after, Pinto began arguing with the individual he arrived with, which prompted John Doe to request that Pinto leave the residence. On his way out, Pinto told John Doe that he “would be back.” Pinto kept his promise, and armed with a shotgun, returned an hour later and shot John Doe in the lower body with a slug. While John Doe lied immobilized on the ground, Pinto racked another shell to finish him off, but the gun jammed. Pinto then fled the scene. Upon his release from prison, Pinto will be subject to 5 years of supervised release. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-213


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Gun Crimes

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Andre Dewayne Williamson, also known as “A3,” 36, of Charleston, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, for five counts of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. A federal jury convicted Williamson of the offenses following a three-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that Williamson sold quantities of fentanyl to a confidential informant on five occasions in Charleston between July 5 and July 25, 2022. Williamson possessed a pistol in furtherance of the July 5, 2022, drug transaction. Williamson has a long criminal history with eight prior convictions including voluntary manslaughter on July 30, 2018, unlawful assault with a firearm and wanton endangerment on February 6, 2008, being a felon in possession of a firearm on March 4, 2013, and on August 6, 2013, and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, cocaine, on September 9, 2018, all in Kanawha County Circuit Court. Williamson was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in Kanawha County Magistrate Court on August 6, 2013. Williamson was on parole at the time of his current offense. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Williamson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions when he chose to arm himself with a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking to protect his controlled substances, his proceeds and himself. Williamson’s criminal history also includes violent offenses involving firearms. In separate incidents, Williamson fatally shot one individual, shot and wounded another individual in the leg, and shot at a third individual who was killed during that altercation. “Andre Williamson is a longtime criminal, and has a history of not only violent offenses but also drug-dealing offenses. He was sentenced today for dealing fentanyl, which I think is one of our greatest threats we’re currently dealing with, both in our state and our society,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “This case is the result of excellent investigative work by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT) and the Charleston Police Department, with vital assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory. I also commend Assistant United States Attorneys Julie M. White and Joshua Hanks and our trial team for prosecuting the case and securing guilty verdicts on all six counts against Williamson.” Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. 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. 2:22-cr-154. ###


title: Thurston County man sentenced to 78 months in prison for possessing distribution amounts of fentanyl while armed with a stolen handgun

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A 37-year-old Thurston County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 78 months in prison for drug and gun crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Samuel Wesley Mulkey was arrested in Longview, Washington, on January 21, 2022, while driving back from California with a load of powdered fentanyl and two handguns – one of them reported stolen. At today’s sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo told Mulkey, “It’s clear that fentanyl is something that is wreaking havoc on our community. The amounts you were bringing in from California says something about you – you are not a common street dealer. These are serious amounts...When you couple that with a firearm, that is a bad mixture, and someone is going to get hurt. Sometimes innocent people.” According to records filed in the case, Mulkey came to the attention of law enforcement in Thurston County as a known drug supplier. Homeland Security Investigations were monitoring Mulkey’s travel, aware that he was driving to California to pick up additional fentanyl. Following Mulkey’s arrest in Longview, he was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail. That same day another inmate nearly died of a fentanyl overdose. Security video linked the overdose to fentanyl Mulkey had smuggled into the jail and provided to the inmate. While on bond pending trial, Mulkey used opioids on multiple occasions and was remanded to custody in August for violating conditions of his release. In asking the court for an eight-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Stuart wrote to the court, “The Defendant personally knows the addictive and harmful nature of fentanyl, but chose to supply it to his community. He chose to drive to California and import it to Washington. He chose to supply it in prison, where it caused an inmate to stop breathing and nearly die. Even after his arrest, the Defendant chose to continue to use fentanyl and associate with people who used fentanyl.” Mulkey pleaded guilty in May 2023. Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime adds a five-year mandatory minimum sentence to run consecutive to the underlying sentence for the drug conviction. The total sentence in this case is six and a half years in prison and five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Stuart.


title: Money Launderer Sentenced to Prison for Role in Online Scams

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Edward Kwaku Boakye, 27, of White Plains, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker on August 22, 2023, to 14 months in prison and ordered to pay $532,738 in restitution to 11 victims. Boakye pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Between February 10, 2017, and October 28, 2020, Boakye laundered money for other scammers who lured victims into various online frauds. Some victims believed they were sending money to support an online romantic partner who falsely stated they needed to pay taxes and fees to release an inheritance. Other victims believed they were sending money to ship gold bars in which they had an interest to the United States. The scammers directed the victims’ monies into accounts controlled by Boakye and his co-conspirator. The FBI traced $710,068.91 sent by 40 victims through Boakye’s and his co-conspirator’s accounts. One Arizona victim lost nearly $5 million to the scams, sending Boakye and his co-conspirator almost $500,000 and the remaining money to multiple other individuals. When Boakye and his co-conspirator received the fraudulently-obtained monies, they kept a fee for themselves, and then transferred the funds via trade-based money laundering or other means to Ghana. Trade-based money laundering occurs when criminally-derived funds are used to purchase a commodity (in this case, motor vehicles) in the profit center for the criminal activity (here, in the United States) for shipment to the headquarters of the criminal organization (as to Mr. Boakye, in Ghana). This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Sierra Vista Resident Agency, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00031-001-TUC-JCH RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-132_Boakye # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Beverly Farms Man Pleads Guilty to Multi-Million Dollar Payroll Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Beverly Farms man pleaded guilty today in connection with a payroll scheme involving underreporting of overtime hours for his union employees and failing to collect and pay payroll taxes. Frank Loconte, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of failing to pay taxes. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Nov. 29, 2023. Loconte was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2022. From 2009 to 2022, Loconte was the president of NER Construction Management Corporation, a Wilmington-based construction company that employed union workers. Loconte was also the president of the company’s employment management company, NER Management LLC. Loconte was responsible for collective bargaining with multiple unions, including the Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Local Union No. 3 and various local unions affiliated with the Massachusetts and Northern New England Laborers’ District Council of the Laborers International Union of North America. On behalf of NER, Loconte was bound by collective bargaining agreements with the unions which governed the transfer of worker benefit contributions to employee welfare and pension benefit plans, each of which was subject to ERISA provisions. As a result, NER was required to make periodic contributions to the benefit funds each hour worked by covered employees at rates prescribed and to deduct dues from the pay of each union worker which was also to be forwarded to the benefit funds. From approximately January 2014 and May 2022, Loconte engaged in a scheme to defraud the union benefit funds and the IRS by paying certain of its union workers for overtime hours worked without reporting these hours to the union benefit funds and without making the required payroll tax withholdings and payments. At times, some NER employees were paid entirely in cash for overtime hours worked and, at other times, the employees were paid by check without the required withholdings. Loconte also caused NER to file false and fraudulent remittance reports with the benefit funds and the unions which underreported the overtime hours worked by these employees thereby depriving the benefit funds and unions of contributions owed to their members. Loconte also caused NER to file false and fraudulent IRS payroll taxes that underreported the amount of wages paid. Instead of paying employment taxes, Loconte used NER business accounts to pay for personal expenses, including vehicles, personal property taxes, household improvements, and golf memberships, and failed to report these benefits to the IRS. As a result, Loconte defrauded union workers of more than $l million dollars for overtime work covered by the collective bargaining agreements and defrauded the IRS of more than $3 million by not making the required payroll tax and union dues withholdings and payments. The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of willful failure to collect and pay over taxes provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, two years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Jonathan Russo, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.


title: Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today to submitting false federal loan applications and using a stolen identity to rent an apartment, for which he made no rent payments. Steeve Jean, 36, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and unauthorized use of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Nov. 29, 2023. Jean was arrested and charged in April 2023. From September 2021 through June 2022, Jean rented an apartment in Lynn under an assumed name. Jean paid no rent for the apartment and left when the apartment complex began steps to evict him. In April 2021, Jean submitted two fraudulent federal Paycheck Protection Program loan applications claiming business losses for a business that did not exist. Jean was serving a state prison sentence during the period he claimed to be running a business. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of unauthorized use of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Tolkoff of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.