title: Canadian Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jonathan Woodworth, age 45, of Riverside-Albert, New Brunswick, Canada, was sentenced yesterday to 144 months in prison for attempting to entice and coerce a 10-year-old child into sexual activity. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Woodworth admitted that between June 23 and September 28, 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit messages with someone he believed was the mother of a 10-year-old girl, in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him. On September 28, 2022, Woodworth traveled by plane and train from New Brunswick to Rensselaer County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the minor. Woodworth was arrested after exiting the Rensselaer train station. United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 15-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release. Woodworth will be required to register as a sex offender, and faces deportation/removal from the United States, upon his release from prison. This case was investigated by the FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department and the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Wentworth-Ping and Ashlyn Miranda prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Columbia Man Involved in Gun and Drug Trafficking Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Justin Washington, 24, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Stolen Firearms and Possession of a Firearm in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense. Evidence presented to the court showed that on Oct. 22, 2022, deputies of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department executed a search warrant at Washington’s residence based on his involvement in multiple car break-ins throughout Richland County. During the search warrant, deputies recovered four firearms, 9mm and 300 blackout ammunition, multiple gun magazines, over $4,300 dollars in cash, more than 220 grams of marijuana, a window punch, and several tools related to breaking into motor vehicles. After receiving his Miranda rights, Washington admitted to his possession of the items recovered by law enforcement and stated to law enforcement that he stole the firearms in his possession. He also told law enforcement that he would often sell the firearms he stole from motor vehicles. During this incident, Washington was on parole for Breaking into a Motor Vehicle, a felony which prohibited him from possessing firearms and ammunition. United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Washington to 90 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was 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. This case was investigated by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Columbia Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lamar J. Fyall, Elle Klein, and Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Meth Trafficker Sentenced to Life in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: An Amarillo drug trafficker was sentenced yesterday to life in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. In September 2023, after five days of trial, a federal jury convicted Mandis Charles Barrow, 45, of one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk. According to evidence presented at trial, on February 18, 2021 a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle Mr. Barrow was driving. The officer conducting the traffic stop suspected there may be narcotics inside the vehicle and requested a canine officer. The canine alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers located $15,000 and a baggie of methamphetamine inside the glove box and a shoebox in the trunk that contained approximately 8.8 pounds of methamphetamine. Mr. Barrow was arrested following the search. While in custody, Mr. Barrows made phone calls to a family member requesting evidence be removed from Barrow's residence. In October 2022, a search of a residence in Amarillo was conducted and approximately 108 grams of fentanyl, 853 grams of cocaine, and 2,944 grams of methamphetamine were located in the kitchen area. Mr. Barrow later admitted to dropping off the narcotics at that residence. According to evidence presented at trial, during an interview Mr. Barrow admitted to being involved in the distribution of large amounts of controlled substances, including, methamphetamine, cocaine, and pills containing fentanyl. During sentencing, these facts were discussed at length and Judge Kacsmaryk stated that the life sentence for Mr. Barrow was based on the defendant’s long and violent criminal history starting when the defendant was 18. The defendant’s first violent conviction, Aggravated Robbery, where the defendant robbed a man at gunpoint and forced the man into the man’s residence where Mandis took by force all of the man’s money (around $46). The defendant also had a prior conviction for assaulting a man by pulling him from a vehicle and beating him, even when unconscious. The defendant has two prior drug distribution convictions, one of those federal. Significantly, the Court stated that Mr. Barrow engaged in drug trafficking and violence his “whole adult life.” The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell prosecuted the case.


title: Five Defendants Arrested For $7 Million Embezzlement Scheme Targeting IT Services Company

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Stuart M. Goldberg, the Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); Thomas M. Fattorusso, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”); and Jonathan Mellone, the Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”), announced the arrests today of five defendants on fraud charges: MARK ANGAROLA, ALLISON ANGAROLA, JOSE GARCIA, MICHELLE COX, and LISA MINCAK. The five defendants are charged with perpetrating a yearslong embezzlement scheme that involved both no-show jobs and disguising personal expenses as purported business expenses. In addition, three of the defendants — MARK ANGAROLA, GARCIA, and COX — are charged with tax fraud for their failures to report income to the IRS, including income derived from the embezzlement scheme. MARK ANGAROLA and ALLISON ANGAROLA were arrested earlier this week in Point Lookout, New York, and were presented in Manhattan federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker; JOSE GARCIA and MICHELLE COX surrendered today and will be presented in Manhattan federal court before Magistrate Judge Parker; and LISA MINCAK surrendered yesterday and was presented in the Eastern District of Texas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly C. Priest Johnson. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the five defendants engaged in a brazen, lengthy embezzlement scheme that involved no-show jobs, false timesheets, fraudulent billings, and disguising personal expenses as purported business expenses. In total, they allegedly bilked a corporate victim out of more than $7 million. As part of the alleged scheme, the defendants charged an array of personal expenses to a corporate victim, including a cruise, hotels, private car service, gentlemen’s clubs, and more. Several defendants also allegedly sought to conceal the fraud by failing to report, or pay taxes on, the income they received from the scheme. Today’s arrests are yet another example of this Office’s commitment to holding accountable those who commit financial fraud.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “When an individual puts in an honest day’s work, they deserve to be compensated fairly. The defendants in this case allegedly sought to do the opposite, scheming to create a dishonest plan involving no-show jobs and reporting personal spending as business. Through their alleged scam, they received significant benefits including payment, travel, and entertainment. The FBI will ensure that anyone attempting to benefit from deceit is instead held accountable in the justice system.” IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso said: “The five defendants allegedly created a web of lies, resulting in a scheme to embezzle millions, while three are additionally charged with evading taxes on their illicit gains. Though it’s purported they ‘lived the good life’ through this deception, today’s arrests ensure that their very near future won’t be so comfortable.” According to the allegations in the Indictment: [1] From at least in or about May 2010 through at least in or about February 2019, the five defendants and others (the “Conspirators”) executed a fraudulent scheme to unlawfully enrich themselves by submitting and causing to be submitted fraudulent invoices and expenses to an information technology (“IT”) services company (the “Contractor”), at which MARK ANGAROLA was employed in a senior position. Specifically, MARK ANGAROLA was a Global Account General Manager at the Contractor, working out of the Contractor’s office in New York, New York. MARK ANGAROLA was responsible for managing the Contractor’s relationship with a particular client, which was a subsidiary of a global financial institution (the “Client”). The Contractor had a service contract with the Client, pursuant to which the Contractor would provide IT support services to the Client at locations across the United States. The Contractor subcontracted certain of its work under the Service Contract to a technology solutions company (the “Subcontractor”) based in New Jersey. Pursuant to the agreement between the Contractor and the Subcontractor (the “Subcontract”), the Subcontractor provided certain IT support services directly to the Client in the place of the Contractor. MARK ANGAROLA was responsible for oversight of the Subcontractor’s performance under the Subcontract, which included approving payment to the Subcontractor on invoices submitted for work purportedly performed and expenses purportedly incurred in the Subcontractor’s performance on the Subcontract. MARK ANGAROLA used his position at the Contractor — and in particular his oversight of the Contractor’s relationship with the Client and the Subcontractor — to fraudulently enrich himself, his family, and his friends. For example, MARK ANGAROLA arranged for the Subcontractor to hire certain of his family members, friends, and subordinates, despite the fact that these individuals — which included a schoolteacher, a homemaker, a police sergeant, and a manager in the construction industry — lacked apparent qualifications to perform deskside IT work. MARK ANGAROLA arranged for the Subcontractor to hire, among others, ALLISON ANGAROLA, JOSE GARCIA, MICHELLE COX, and LISA MINCAK, the defendants. Thereafter, ALLISON ANGAROLA, GARCIA, COX, MINCAK, and others who MARK ANGAROLA caused to be hired by the Subcontractor, repeatedly falsely reported to the Subcontractor that they had performed work under the Subcontract and incurred business expenses. GARCIA also used nominee corporate and limited liability entities to further disguise his receipt of funds for purported work performed under the Subcontract, including for alleged “Management Fees” due. The Subcontractor submitted invoices to the Contractor for the hours purportedly worked by several of the Conspirators, for purported management fees allegedly due and for the purported business expenses incurred by several of the Conspirators in connection with that work, which hours, fees, and expenses were falsely reported to the Subcontractor by the Conspirators. MARK ANGAROLA, in turn, caused the Contractor to pay the Subcontractor on these fraudulent invoices. The purported business expenses incurred by several of the Conspirators and ultimately paid for by the Contractor at the direction of MARK ANGAROLA included, among other things, restaurant meals, hotel stays, transportation fees, a cruise, and gentlemen’s clubs. In fact, the expenses were personal expenses and were not reimbursable. In addition, to circumvent the Contractor’s expense policies, MARK ANGAROLA charged certain of his own personal expenses — including a private car service that he used for personal travel to restaurants, cigar bars, and gentlemen’s clubs, and to transport his children to visit family regularly and his friends to parties at his residence — to credit cards in the name of co-conspirators, including LISA MINCAK. MARK ANGAROLA, with the assistance of MINCAK and others, who falsely represented to the Subcontractor that the expenses were incurred in connection with work for the Subcontractor, fraudulently caused the Contractor to pay for such personal expenses of MARK ANGAROLA. As a result of the scheme, MARK ANGAROLA, ALLISON ANGAROLA, JOSE GARCIA, MICHELLE COX, and LISA MINCAK, and entities controlled by certain Conspirators, received personal benefits, including travel, meals, and entertainment, and were paid substantial sums. For example, despite the fact that most Conspirators provided few, if any services, to the Client, the Conspirators fraudulently obtained at least the following approximate amounts through this scheme: $1,468,215 to MARK ANGAROLA; $751,641 to ALLISON ANGAROLA; $4,554,950 to JOSE GARCIA and entities he controlled; $335,500 to MICHELLE COX; $88,793 to LISA MINCAK; and $90,521 to Anthony Lisi, a previously charged co-conspirator who pled guilty for his involvement in the embezzlement scheme on September 13, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer. Several participants in this fraud scheme also committed related tax fraud by concealing from the IRS substantial income that they had obtained through the scheme. For several years, MARK ANGAROLA and JOSE GARCIA committed tax evasion, and MICHELLE COX failed to file individual income tax returns. * * * MARK ANGAROLA, 50, of Point Lookout, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and three counts of tax evasion, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. ALLISON ANGAROLA, 53, of Point Lookout, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. JOSE GARCIA, 52, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and three counts of tax evasion, which each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison. MICHELLE COX, 52, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and two counts of failure to file an individual income tax return, which each carry a maximum sentence of one year in prison. LISA MINCAK, 46, of Plano, Texas, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI, IRS-CI, and DOL-OIG. Mr. Williams also noted that the investigation is ongoing. This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Neff, Timothy V. Capozzi, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jorge Almonte of the Tax Division are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects Nearly Seven Million Dollars  in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI - U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced today that the District of Rhode Island collected $6,952,328.06 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $3,275,794.48 was collected in criminal actions and $3,676,533.58 was collected in civil actions . Additionally, the United States Attorney’s Office in Rhode Island worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $652,429. in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $2,429,19 was collected in criminal actions and $$650,000 was collected in civil actions. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Rhode Island, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $1,572,686 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. ###


title: Montgomery Woman Sentenced for COVID-19 Era  Paycheck Protection Program Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – On January 16, 2024, a federal judge sentenced Zsa Zsa Bouvier Couch, 55, from Montgomery, Alabama, to 45 months in prison following her convictions for offenses related to fraudulent loans she received through the Paycheck Protection Program, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. In addition, the judge ordered that Couch serve three years of supervised release following her prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole. Previously, on September 27, 2023, a jury found Couch guilty on multiple counts of bank fraud, making false statements to a federally insured bank, and money laundering. Ultimately, Couch received a total of $609,687.47 of Paycheck Protection Program funds. Couch then distributed the money among herself, her husband, and other family members. Some of the money she used to purchase luxury vehicles. The Paycheck Protection Program was authorized by the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . “Ms. Couch, like far too many others, took for her own benefit money intended to support individuals and businesses suffering the devastating effects of the pandemic,” stated Acting United States Attorney Ross. “My office is committed to identifying and prosecuting those who did or continue to do likewise.” “The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act was devised to assist people struggling through difficult financial times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ms. Couch took advantage of the program to purchase lavish gifts for herself and family members,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown over the Mobile, Alabama Division. “The 45 months imprisonment should send a clear message to anyone thinking of committing similar acts of fraud.” “This sentencing is the outcome of the commitment IRS Criminal Investigation, and our law enforcement partners have in continuing to pursue and hold accountable those who committed fraud on a program created to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. The FBI, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Patrick Lamb and Joel Feil are prosecuting the case. 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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont Collects $3,106,754.45 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2023

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest announced today that the District of Vermont collected $3,106,754.45 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $2,072,930.23 was collected in criminal actions and $1,033,824.22 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $76,859,362.34 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount $22,239.05 was collected in criminal actions and $76,837,123.29 was collected in civil actions. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s federal prosecutors and Civil Division attorneys work tirelessly to protect our citizens, to recover financial losses sustained as a result of criminal conduct, and to safeguard taxpayer resources,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest. “These efforts enabled this office to achieve justice for victims and recoup a significant amount of taxpayer dollars in Fiscal Year 2023.” The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $529,959.00 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.


title: Orange County Felon Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Firearm And Ammunition

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert Lee Pringle (35, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Pringle faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court records, on May 3, 2022, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a stolen vehicle Pringle was driving. Rather than stopping, Pringle fled at a high rate of speed and later crashed into another vehicle. During a search of the stolen vehicle, officers located two firearms on the front passenger floorboard as well as a pistol magazine on the driver’s side floorboard. Also on the front passenger floorboard was a backpack containing paperwork with Pringle’s name, prescription bottles with Pringle’s name, suspected narcotics, digital scales, baggies, and 9mm bullets. At the time, Pringle had multiple prior felony convictions, including carrying a concealed firearm, robbery, burglary of a conveyance, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, grand theft third degree, and fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer at high speed or with wanton disregard. As a multi-convicted felon, Pringle is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. 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: Federally Licensed Firearms Dealer Pleads Guilty To Falsifying Sale Paperwork

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Angel Ruben Hernandez, Jr. (75, Altamonte Springs) has pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to record required information about firearms purchases. Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, Hernandez was an owner and responsible party for Arms Hill LLC, a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL or Federal Firearms Licensee) from 2019 through 2023. In 2022, the FBI obtained information that Hernandez was supplying firearms to an individual who was unlawfully selling them to drug dealers and convicted felons and that Hernandez was falsifying paperwork in connection with supplying those firearms. FFL dealers who operate within the law require purchasers to complete specific forms (ATF Form 4473) and answer numerous questions about the buyer’s background and eligibility to purchase firearms. Firearms that are sold without a Form 4473 indicating the true purchaser are more valuable on the black market because they provide an avenue for otherwise prohibited persons to acquire firearms. Beginning in April 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), through a cooperating source, conducted a series of undercover purchases from Hernandez. On April 20 and 24, 2023, and again on May 1, 2023, Hernandez sold nine firearms to the ATF’s source. Hernandez charged above-market prices for the firearms while also creating false ATF Form 4473 forms documenting fake sales to Hernandez’s relatives. On May 19, 2023, during the execution of a search warrant, ATF agents found pre-filled ATF 4473 forms with information from Hernandez’s relatives that had been pre-populated and prepared for future fake sales. Hernandez’s FFL records indicate that nearly a quarter of his sales as an FFL from 2019-2023, including more than 260 firearms, were recorded as though they were sold to his relatives. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Apopka Police Department, and the Altamonte Springs Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dana E. Hill and Noah Dorman. 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: United States Settles Suit Against Lead Generator for Assisting and Facilitating Illegal Robocalls

component: Civil Division

body_text: Response Tree LLC and its president and managing member Derek Thomas Doherty have agreed to a court order resolving allegations that they violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) by assisting and facilitating illegal telemarketing campaigns by operating as an unlawful lead generator and consent farm. Lead generators collect, aggregate and sell consumer information — or “leads” — for profit. Consent farms sell those leads coupled with consumers’ purported consent to receive certain types of telephone calls. The stipulated order, which was entered today by the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, prohibits Response Tree and Doherty from violating the TSR and from collecting or selling covered information — including consumers’ names, addresses, contact information, gender and age — in connection with lead generation. The order also imposes a $7 million civil penalty judgment, which is suspended based on the defendants’ inability to pay. According to the complaint filed on Jan. 2, Response Tree and Doherty obtained consumer information and purported consent to receive certain telephone calls, including telephone calls that deliver a prerecorded message (otherwise known as robocalls) and calls made to telephone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry. The defendants allegedly did so by operating over 50 websites that deceptively induced consumers to disclose personal information by, for example, purporting to provide mortgage refinancing services. According to the complaint, the defendants then sold the consumer data to sellers of goods and services who then inundated American consumers with illegal robocalls based on the consumers’ invalid consent. Those robocalls delivered prerecorded marketing messages, and many of them were delivered to numbers listed on the National Do Not Call Registry. “Today’s order is a victory in the Justice Department's efforts to protect American consumers from illegal robocalls and to stop others, including those who operate unlawful consent farms, from enabling those calls,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the Federal Trade Commission to enforce the Telemarketing Sales Rule.” “Response Tree fueled millions of illegal telemarketing calls by tricking consumers into turning over their personal information and selling that information to telemarketers,” said Director Samuel Levine of the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC will continue to target every corner of the illegal telemarketing ecosystem to protect consumers and hold wrongdoers accountable.” The case was handled by attorneys in the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, including Trial Attorney Rowan Reid and Assistant Director Rachael Doud, in conjunction with staff in the FTC’s Division of Marketing Practices. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov .


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Joins “SOAP Up” in Hattiesburg  to Raise Awareness for Human Trafficking Prevention

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Hattiesburg, Miss. – During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and his staff continue to bring awareness to the fight against human trafficking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to bringing traffickers to justice, assisting trafficked victims, and enhancing public awareness through community outreach. U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff, Human Trafficking Coordinator for the office, will participate in “SOAP Up Hattiesburg: Outreach Event to End Human Trafficking” on Saturday, January 20. The event will be hosted by members of the Coalition Against Trafficking student group and the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Center for Human Trafficking Research and Training (CHRT). The program will offer participants training on the signs of human trafficking and the opportunity to assist with a community impact project. Additional information about this event and The Soap Project can be found here: https://www.usm.edu/news/2024/release/soap-up-hattiesburg.php . U.S. Attorney Todd Gee’s announcement on Human Trafficking Prevention Month: https://youtu.be/fhk2DetoaGE?si=Qckg5CxYy_wBkFLy Anyone who has information about a potential human trafficking situation or a person who may be experiencing human trafficking should contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.


title: January 2024 Federal Grand Jury B Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the January 2024 Federal Grand Jury B Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Miguel Acuna-Segura. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Acuna-Segura, 40, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in May 2011, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-020 Kenneth Alejandro Cruz-Bustillo. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Cruz-Bustillo, 27, a Honduras national, is charged with knowing he was an illegal alien and unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition in Aug. 2023. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-019 Miguel Angel Del Rio-De La Torre. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rio-De La Torre, 29, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Nov. 2018, at or near El Paso, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot P. Anderson is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-018 Roque Gaytan-Gonzalez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Gaytan-Gonzalez, 54, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Aug. 2023, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-013 Jesus Alberto Monges Sanchez; Cassidy Stone . Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Monges Sanchez, 32, a Mexican national, is charged with conspiring to distribute and possession of methamphetamine from Oct. 2023 through Jan. 2024. Monges Sanchez, and Stone, 29, of Tulsa, are both charged with maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing methamphetamine from Oct. 2023 through Jan. 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-024 Manuel Manrrique Oviedo-Ucles. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Oviedo-Ucles, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Aug. 2014, at or near Houston, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot P. Anderson is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-014 Rolando Palacios-Castorena. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Palacios-Castorena, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Jul. 2017, at or near Del Rio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-015 Timothy Danel Ray Smeltzer. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. Smeltzer, 35, of Nowata and member of Cherokee Nation Tribe, is charged with assaulting a former dating partner by strangling in Dec. 2023. Smeltzer is further charged with assault that resulted in serious bodily injury. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Weems is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-016 Megan Elizabeth Statum. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Statum, 32, of Tulsa, possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute in Dec. 2023. She is further charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Sand Springs Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam C. Bailey is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-017 Aaron Michael Thomas; Darren Doil Means. Introduction of a Misbranded Drug into Interstate Commerce (Counts 1 through 3); Drug Conspiracy (Count 4); Possession of Pregabalin with Intent to Distribute (Count 5); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Count 6); Smuggling Goods into the United States (Count 7) (superseding). Thomas, 41, and Means, 58, of Tulsa, are charged with the introduction of the misbranded drugs, gabapentin, xylazine and pregabalin into interstate commerce. The indictment charges that from 2021 through 2023, Thomas and Means conspired to distribute pregabalin, a Schedule V controlled substance, and maintained a residence for the purpose of distribution. Further the indictment alleges that in Oct. 2023, they knowingly possessed pregabalin with intent to distribute. They are both further charged with willfully importing pregabalin into the United States with false labeling in Aug. 2021. The Food & Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Aaron M. Jolly are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-333


title: Assistant United States Attorney Nicole DuPré Honored as 2023 AUSA of the Year by Homeland Security Investigations

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Nicole DuPré of the Middle District of North Carolina has been honored as the 2023 Assistant United States Attorney of the Year for the state of North Carolina by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. Each year, the HSI Charlotte regional office recognizes the outstanding work and partnerships of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors from North Carolina and South Carolina. AUSA DuPré received the award in recognition of her work on the investigation and prosecution of Chester Fletcher Wallace. On July 14, 2023, after a four-day trial, Wallace was convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, and five counts of using force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion to cause five victims to engage in commercial sex acts. Wallace was sentenced in November 2023 to six concurrent life terms of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $914,401.07. “AUSA DuPré, co-counsel Tanner Kroeger (currently a trial attorney with the National Security Division of the Department of Justice), and the agents investigating this case worked tirelessly to ensure that the victims received justice,” said U. S. Attorney Hairston. “This award is extremely well-deserved and recognizes AUSA DuPré’s commitment to fighting human trafficking. This heinous crime targets the most vulnerable in our society, and our office will continue to fight against individuals who exploit others for profit.” Each year, the Department of Justice recognizes National Human Trafficking Awareness month in January, to better educate the public about the signs of human trafficking and bring awareness to the victims. For more information about the signs of human trafficking or to get help for you or someone you know who may be a victim of human trafficking, visit https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/about-blue-campaign . ###


title: Franklin Resident Sentenced to More Than Three Years of Imprisonment for Firearms Violations

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - On January 18, 2024, a resident of Franklin, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 40 months in prison on his conviction of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Phillip John Dechant, 40, of Franklin. According to information presented to the court, on or about April 22, 2020, Dechant possessed numerous firearms while being a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Dechant. 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: Georgian Pleads Guilty to Making Death Threats Against Public Officials

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Middle Georgia resident with a criminal history of arson and sending death threats pleaded guilty to mailing threatening communications in federal court today. Travis Leroy Ball, 56, of Barnesville, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of mailing threatening communications before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Jan. 19. Ball faces a maximum of five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing will be determined by the Court. Ball is not eligible for parole. “Death threats against public officials are taken extremely seriously by our office and will result in prison time,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Keeping people safe is the highest priority of our office and our law enforcement partners; these types of threats cannot and will not be tolerated.” “Threats against public servants are not only illegal, but also a threat against our democratic process,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “While Mr. Ball’s continued criminal conduct clearly illustrates his lack of concern and compassion for others, it also illustrates his unwillingness to be rehabilitated. Hopefully, this additional sentence will finally send the message that the FBI will not tolerate his hate fueled hoaxes and will continue to hold him accountable.” According to court documents, the FBI obtained a letter on March 10, 2023, addressed to U.S. District Court Judge Marc T. Treadwell in which the writer was purporting to be a U.S. Secret Service agent who investigated one of the defendant’s prior cases. In the letter—later determined to be written by the Ball—the writer demanded that the charge in Ball’s most recent federal case be dismissed, and he be let out of federal custody. Ball—using the name of a former cell mate—also wrote letters to the U.S. District Court in Valdosta, Georgia, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., in March and May 2023 respectively, threatening to kill employees and their families, as well as burn down property. In addition, Ball wrote a letter to the Upson County Sheriff’s Office in July 2023, purporting to be an FBI agent working on a top-secret case and demanded that Ball’s photos and personal information be removed and deleted from jail records. The FBI compared the letters, handwriting, letterhead, postage stamps, verbiage and the “INMATE MAIL” stamp on each letter and determined that Ball wrote the letters while in custody. The defendant’s DNA was compared against the letters sent to the U.S. Courthouse in Valdosta and the letter impersonating a U.S. Secret Service Agent sent to U.S. District Chief Judge Treadwell. The results confirmed Ball’s DNA on both letters. Officers found the writing material and stamps in Ball’s cell. For more information about Ball’s prior convictions for threats, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/georgia-man-sentenced-federal-prison-threats-against-president . The case was investigated by FBI with assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Services, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Upson County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: CEO of Crypto Investment Platform Charged in Multi-Million Dollar International Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: This morning, Horst Jicha, a German national, will be arraigned at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on an indictment charging him with securities fraud and conspiracies to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for his role in a cryptocurrency scheme called USI Tech. Jicha was arrested, and the charges against him were unsealed when he entered the United States on December 23, 2023 attempting to vacation in Miami, Florida. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges. “As alleged, in the early days of crypto, the defendant deployed a multilevel marketing scheme to defraud U.S. investors excited about the crypto market,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Although the defendant did not return to the United States for half a decade, my Office and the FBI worked to ensure that when he did, he would be brought to justice. Our Office is committed to prosecuting any criminal actor defrauding U.S. investors for their own gain, regardless of where in the world they may come from.” “Too often honest investors fall victim to schemes surrounding emerging financial opportunities. Horst Jicha allegedly advertised a platform that made cryptocurrency investing simple and more accessible to investors, with guaranteed returns. In reality the platform was just a facade, and when questions arose, Jicha stole millions of his investors’ money and fled the country. No matter how long it takes, the FBI will continue to bring to justice criminal financial fraudsters,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. As alleged in the indictment, USI Tech was an online platform that began in Europe and purported to make cryptocurrency investments easy and accessible to the average retail investor. In reality, it was a multilevel marketing scheme that relied on investors recruiting other investors below them to buy various purported cryptocurrency investments. Jicha was one of USI Tech’s founders and its Chief Executive Officer. In 2017, Jicha brought USI Tech to the United States and aggressively marketed it to U.S. retailers on social media and through in-person presentations in which he falsely guaranteed high returns on investments and made false claims about the legality of the platform’s investment offerings. In early 2018, after USI Tech faced regulatory scrutiny in the United States, it ceased all U.S. operations overnight, leaving investors with no ability to access their money and resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Much of the missing money – Ether and Bitcoin valued at approximately $150 million as of the date of his arrest – was sent to cryptocurrency deposit addresses controlled by Jicha after USI Tech ceased operations. Jicha had not returned to the United States for over five years, until the date of his arrest. If you believe that you have been a victim of this crime, please contact USITechFraud@fbi.gov . The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud and General Crimes Sections. Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin Farrell, Genny Ngai, and Daniel Marcus are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett. Defendant: HORST JICHA Age: 64 Germany E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-342 (OEM)


title: Kansas Owner of Construction Firms Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Employment Tax Scheme

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Kansas woman was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes to the IRS in connection with three construction firms that she controlled. According to court documents and statements made in court, Sheryl Clanton, of Bucyrus, owned and operated McCorkendale Construction Inc. (McCorkendale), a business specializing in setting up and maintaining underground infrastructure. As the president of McCorkendale from 2006 through 2011, Clanton was responsible for filing quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying to the IRS federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from employees’ wages. For the first quarter of 2010 through the last quarter of 2011, however, Clanton did not pay to the IRS approximately $980,536 in employee withholdings. In 2011, Clanton abandoned McCorkendale due to its outstanding tax debts and a bank mortgage foreclosure and started McClan Construction LLC (McClan). From the second quarter of 2012 through the fourth quarter of 2017, Clanton did not pay approximately $1.1 million of employment taxes or file on behalf of McClan quarterly payroll tax returns as required by law. Clanton also operated a third underground construction business, NJ Trenching LLC, organized in late 2011. Between 2012 and 2015, Clanton again was responsible for not reporting or paying to the IRS nearly $100,000 of employment taxes relating to NJ Trenching. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree for the District of Kansas ordered Clanton to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $2,223,174.41 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Robert Kemins and Dominick Giovanniello of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Colorado Tax Return Preparer Filing False and Fraudulent Tax Returns for Customers

body_text: The United States filed a civil complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado against Denver-area tax return preparer Daniel Mattison. The complaint seeks to enjoin Mattison from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The complaint alleges that Mattison prepared thousands of federal income tax returns for paying customers between 2018 and 2023 through his business, DCM Financial Inc. Mattison allegedly advertises his business as the “one-stop solution” for people’s tax needs, promising to help his customers and future customers get their taxes done “right.” But the complaint alleges that Mattison fails on this promise by filing tax returns for customers that are riddled with errors, fabrications and fraudulent entries. Mattison allegedly claims false tax credits, fabricates business schedules, creates bogus income and changes tax return information without the customer’s consent or knowledge to reduce taxable income and inflate refunds improperly and illegally. As the complaint states, Mattison continued to prepare and file improper and fraudulent tax returns despite repeated warnings from the IRS about Mattison’s unlawful conduct, the assessment of civil penalties against him and the temporary suspension of his Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) for failing to comply with filing and payment requirements. By repeatedly understating his customers’ tax liabilities, the complaint alleges that the United States has been harmed by Mattison’s conduct resulting in the significant loss in tax revenue of an estimated $1.99 million in 2018 and 2019 alone. Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details. mattison_complaint_ecf.pdf


title: Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Over Nine Years in Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A prohibited person who possessed a firearm was sentenced on January 18, 2024, to 110 months in federal prison. Ethan Porter, age 33, of Cedar Rapids, received the sentence after a July 11, 2023, guilty plea to one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. At the plea hearing, Porter admitted that, in June 2022, he possessed a Taurus pistol while being an unlawful drug user and after having been convicted of three felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Porter was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Porter was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is 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. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the High Risk Unit of the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 23-6. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Hilcorp San Juan resolves False Claims Act claims for oil and natural gas royalty underpayments to the United States

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Hilcorp San Juan L.P., an oil and gas company with offices in Houston as well as Aztec, New Mexico, has agreed to resolve allegations it knowingly underpaid royalties owed on oil and natural gas produced from federal lands. The company has agreed to pay $34.6 million to resolve its False Claims Act and other liability for the conduct. “Oil and gas production is a centerpiece of Houston and Texas’s economies, and for businesses to thrive it’s important that oil and gas companies play by the rules. That’s why my office will vigorously pursue those who deprive the United States of revenue,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “Royalties from oil and gas production on federal lands help support various public programs, and this settlement demonstrates my steadfast commitment to hold accountable those who fail to pay royalties in full accordance with the law.” “U.S. taxpayers deserve a fair share of the revenues received by companies that extract natural resources from public lands” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department remains committed to ensuring that energy companies accurately report and pay to the United States the amount of royalties that are owed for their use of these resources.” “The obligation to properly pay mineral royalties to the American public and other mineral owners is essential to the responsible development of minerals from lands under federal jurisdiction, and along with the Office of Natural Resources Revenue and the Office of the Solicitor, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is committed to working with the Department of Justice to ensure that companies meet their legal responsibilities,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Gonzales for the OIG’s Energy Investigations Unit. Congress allows federal lands to be leased for the production of oil and natural gas in exchange for the payment of royalties on the value of the oil and gas produced. Lessees are required to pay monthly royalties to the federal government for any oil and gas removed or sold from the lease. Although lessees may make estimated royalty payments the month following production, they are required to pay actual royalties at the end of the month following the month in which the estimated payment is made. Lessees are also expected to use a specific transaction code for estimated payments, so that the government can identify circumstances in which a company has temporarily submitted royalties based on estimates. The settlement resolves allegations that, when reporting and paying royalties from August 2017 through December 2018, Hilcorp San Juan knowingly made payments to the federal government based on estimated volumes and prices without indicating that the payments were based on estimates and without subsequently making payments in the following month based on actual volumes and values. This resulted in the underpayment of royalties to the United States. Hilcorp San Juan cooperated with the United States’ investigation by assisting in the determination of losses and received credit under the Department’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, DOI’s Office of the Inspector General-Energy Investigations Unit, DOI’s Office of the Solicitor and DOI’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Shaitelman handled the matter along with Trial Attorney Jonathan Thrope. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Federal Jury Finds Mercer County Couple Guilty of Witness Tampering Conspiracy

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After a one-day trial that ended late yesterday, a federal jury convicted Terry Leon Blankenship, 55, and his wife Laurel Blankenship, 56, both of Bluefield, of conspiracy to commit witness tampering. The jury also convicted Terry Leon Blankenship of attempted witness tampering and interfering with the enforcement of the federal sex trafficking of a minor statute. Evidence at trial proved that from on or about April 4, 2023 through at least July 25, 2023, Terry Leon Blankenship and Laurel Blankenship conspired to influence the testimony of a witness in a federal sex trafficking case against Terry Leon Blankenship. The witness was a 12-year-old girl who had alleged the sex trafficking against Terry Leon Blankenship and later recanted. In multiple recorded audio and video jail calls while Terry Leon Blankenship was incarcerated in the sex trafficking case, he and his wife had multiple conversations about ensuring that the minor witness stuck with her recantation. The recorded conversations included discussions about influencing who had custody of the minor and bribing the minor witness with an iPhone to ensure she stood by her recantation. “This case was not about whether the initial allegations or the recantation were true. The defendants corruptly attempted to influence which way this 12-year-old girl testified,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department for their investigation of this case and Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Andrew D. Isabell and our trial team for securing guilty verdicts on all counts in the superseding indictment.” Terry Leon Blankenship is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2024, and faces up to 25 years in prison for interfering with the enforcement of the federal sex trafficking statute, up to 20 years in prison for the witness tampering and conspiracy convictions, at least 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $750,000 fine. Laurel Blankenship is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2024, and faces up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. At the time of this offense conduct, Terry Leon Blankenship was a registered sex offender and was serving a term of federal supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 5, 2008. He faces up to two years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the jury trial. 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. 1:23-cr-97. ###


title: Hilcorp San Juan Resolves False Claims Act Claims for Oil and Natural Gas Royalty Underpayments to the United States

body_text: Hilcorp San Juan L.P., an oil and gas company with offices in Aztec, New Mexico, and Houston, has agreed to resolve allegations that it knowingly underpaid royalties owed on oil and natural gas produced from federal lands. The company has agreed to pay $34.6 million to resolve its False Claims Act and other liability for the conduct. “U.S. taxpayers deserve a fair share of the revenues received by companies that extract natural resources from public lands” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department remains committed to ensuring that energy companies accurately report and pay to the United States the amount of royalties that are owed for their use of these resources.” “Oil and gas production is a centerpiece of Houston and Texas’s economies, and for businesses to thrive it’s important that oil and gas companies play by the rules. That’s why my office will vigorously pursue those who deprive the United States of revenue,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. “Royalties from oil and gas production on federal lands help support various public programs, and this settlement demonstrates my steadfast commitment to hold accountable those who fail to pay royalties in full accordance with the law.” “The obligation to properly pay mineral royalties to the American public and other mineral owners is essential to the responsible development of minerals from lands under Federal jurisdiction, and along with the Office of Natural Resources Revenue and the Office of the Solicitor, the Office of Inspector General is committed to working with the Justice Department to ensure that companies meet their legal responsibilities,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Gonzales of the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General’s (DOI-OIG) Energy Investigations Unit. Congress allows federal lands to be leased for the production of oil and natural gas in exchange for the payment of royalties on the value of the oil and gas produced. Lessees are required to pay monthly royalties to the federal government for any oil and gas removed or sold from the lease. Although lessees may make estimated royalty payments the month following production, they are required to pay actual royalties at the end of the month following the month in which the estimated payment is made. Lessees are also expected to use a specific transaction code for estimated payments, so that the government can identify circumstances in which a company has temporarily submitted royalties based on estimates. The settlement resolves allegations that, when reporting and paying royalties from August 2017 through December 2018, Hilcorp San Juan knowingly made payments to the federal government based on estimated volumes and prices without indicating that the payments were based on estimates and without subsequently making payments in the following month based on actual volumes and values, resulting in the underpayment of royalties to the United States. Hilcorp San Juan cooperated with the United States’ investigation by assisting in the determination of losses and received credit under the department’s guidelines for taking disclosure, cooperation and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas; and DOI-OIG’s Energy Investigations Unit, Office of the Solicitor, and Office of Natural Resources Revenue. Trial Attorney Jonathan Thrope of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Shaitelman for the Southern District of Texas handled the case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: CEO Of Cryptocurrency Ponzi Scheme “IcomTech” Sentenced To Five-Year Prison Term

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that MARCO RUIZ OCHOA was sentenced principally to five years in prison for his role in promoting a large-scale cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme known as IcomTech. OCHOA was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon. On September 27, 2023, OCHOA pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Ochoa took advantage of the hype around cryptocurrency to con unsuspecting victims into investing in the IcomTech pyramid scheme. This significant sentence sends a message to anyone considering following in his footsteps: that path leads to serious prison time.” According to the Indictment and statements made in court: DAVID CARMONA started IcomTech in 2018, and IcomTech promotional materials put OCHOA forward as IcomTech’s CEO until 2019, when a new CEO replaced him. IcomTech was a purported cryptocurrency mining and trading company that promised to earn its victim-investors (“Victims”) profits in exchange for their purchase of purported cryptocurrency-related investment products. OCHOA and the other promoters of IcomTech, including his co-defendants CARMONA, JUAN ARELLANO, MOSES VALDEZ, and DAVID BREND, falsely promised their respective Victims, among other things, that profits from the company’s cryptocurrency trading and mining would result in guaranteed daily returns on Victims’ investments. In reality, IcomTech did not engage in cryptocurrency trading or mining for its Investors, and OCHOA and IcomTech’s other promoters used Victim funds to pay other Victims to further promote the schemes and to enrich themselves. IcomTech promoters, including OCHOA, traveled throughout the United States and internationally, where they hosted lavish expos and small community presentations aimed at luring Victims to invest in the schemes, including in the Southern District of New York. During larger-scale events, IcomTech promoters presented on purported investment products and the compensation plan, encouraged Victims to invest as a means of achieving financial freedom, and boasted about the amount of money they were earning. IcomTech promoters often showed up at larger-scale events in expensive cars and wearing luxury clothing as a way of exhibiting their purportedly legitimate success from IcomTech. The atmosphere of these events was festive and designed to generate excitement about the schemes. Victims invested in IcomTech by purchasing investment products from promoters using cash, checks, wire transfers, and actual cryptocurrency. Following a Victim’s investment, a Victim would be provided with access to an online portal where the Victim could monitor the purported returns. While Victims saw “profits” accumulate on the online portal, most Victims were unable to withdraw any of these so-called profits and ultimately lost their entire investments. By contrast, IcomTech’s promoters, including OCHOA, siphoned off, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars in Victim funds, which they withdrew as cash, spent on IcomTech promotional expenses, and used for personal expenditures such as luxury goods and real estate. At least as early as August 2018, Victims who attempted to withdraw money from their online portal accounts had difficulty doing so and, when they complained to promoters, they were met with excuses, delays, and hidden fees, if they were able to make any withdrawals at all. Despite these complaints, IcomTech promoters, including OCHOA, continued to promote IcomTech and accept Victims’ investments. As complaints mounted, IcomTech began offering proprietary crypto tokens for sale as a means of injecting liquidity into IcomTech. Promoters of the schemes claimed that these tokens, known as “Icoms,” would eventually be worth a significant amount of money when they were accepted by companies for payment for goods and services. This was false. In reality, “Icoms” were essentially worthless and resulted in further financial loss to Victims. By in or about the end of 2019, IcomTech stopped making payments to Victims and IcomTech collapsed. * * * In addition to the prison term, OCHOA, 35, of Nashua, New Hampshire, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $914,000 in criminal proceeds. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Special Agents from Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for their assistance. If you believe you are a victim of the IcomTech fraud, updated information regarding the case and victims’ rights, as well as contact information for the victim witness coordinator is available here . The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin A. Gianforti, Michael Maimin, Josiah Pertz, and Cecilia E. Vogel are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Saucier Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

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

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Saucier, Mississippi man was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Damion Xavier Giglio, 39, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court documents, on February 11, 2023, Giglio was encountered by Marine Resource Officers on a piece of property located in Saucier, Harrison County, MS. During the contact, Mr. Giglio was arrested for trespassing, not wearing hunter’s orange, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Giglio was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 21, 2023. He pled guilty on October 17, 2023, to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose.


title: Owner of Kansas Business Charged in Employment Tax Scheme

body_text: A Missouri man made his initial appearance yesterday on an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, in December 2023 charging him with willfully failing to pay over employment taxes owed to the IRS. According to the indictment, from 2017 to 2018, Ephantus Mwangi, of Loch Lloyd, owned and operated True Payments Solutions Inc. (TPS), a corporation based in Kansas. Mwangi allegedly withheld federal income and Social Security and Medicare taxes from the wages of TPS employees for six quarters in 2017 and 2018, but did not pay those withholdings to the IRS, as required by law. In total, Mwangi allegedly caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $337,350. If convicted, Mwangi faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of the six employment tax counts. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney J. Parker Gochenour of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Huschka for the District of Kansas are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Arkansas Woman Charged with Tax Evasion and Failing to File Tax Returns

body_text: A federal grand jury in Fort Smith, Arkansas, returned an indictment yesterday charging an Arkansas woman with evading her federal income taxes and failing to file income tax returns. According to the indictment, Kristine J. Collins, of Centerton, did not file individual income tax returns for 2017 through 2022, despite earning sufficient income requiring her to do so. Collins was allegedly employed by a company as a senior manager in asset protection, responsible for protecting the company against internal fraud and theft. The indictment alleges that Collins supplied her employer with employee withholding certificates (Forms W-4) falsely claiming she was exempt from federal income tax withholding each year. In August 2022, when questioned by IRS special agents conducting a criminal investigation into her failure to file tax returns, she allegedly made several false statements. In approximately March 2023, Collins allegedly filed another false Form W-4 claiming exemption from income tax withholding for 2023. During the years covered in the indictment, Collins allegedly earned gross income in excess of $750,000. If convicted, Collins faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each tax evasion count and one year in prison for each tax return count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes for the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Andres Chinchilla and Assistant Chief Greg Tortella of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall for the Western District of Arkansas are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Richmond Heights Hotel Manager Stole $150,000, Indictment Alleges

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A manager of a Richmond Heights, Missouri hotel has been indicted and accused of using her position to steal more than $150,000 from her employer. Angelique Patterson, 39, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday with five counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges that Patterson defrauded a Richmond Heights, Missouri hotel where she was employed as assistant general manager. From March through at least October of 2023, Patterson manipulated the hotel’s reservation system and altered the records of customers who had paid using cash or credit cards, the indictment says. Patterson changed those reservations to falsely show that the customers had used the hotel’s loyalty rewards system “points” to pay for their stay. Patterson then added her own credit or debit card information into the system and had the customers’ payments “refunded” to her. Patterson fraudulently refunded to herself a total of about $ 153,518 during the course of her scheme, the indictment says. On Oct. 4, 2023, although not on duty, Patterson tried to use the hotel's desk computer and a coworker's credentials to fraudulently refund herself an additional $61,998, the indictment says. Each wire fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. 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 FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran is prosecuting the case.


title: St. Louis County Man Who Admitted Elder Fraud Admits Disability Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County, Missouri man who last year admitted financially exploiting two elderly women admitted on Thursday that he was committing disability fraud while doing so. Gino Rives, 36, of Edmundson, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to five counts of theft of government funds. He admitted fraudulently applying for payments from the Social Security Administration’s Supplemental Security Income Program in 2010. He claimed to have a mental health disorder and pretended to be incapable of answering basic questions during an interview with a SSA representative on May 14, 2010, and during a psychological evaluation with a SSA psychologist on August 30, 2010. He falsely claimed to have difficulty concentrating, following instructions, completing tasks and with his memory. He claimed he had never been employed, could not drive, was unable to handle his financial affairs and had no assets. Rives admitted concealing his employment in the construction and tree trimming industries, his participation in competitive mixed martial arts, his ownership of houses and vehicles, and his receipt of more than $721,692 since 2021. Rives fraudulently received more than $91,000 via his disability fraud. In October, Rives pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud and one count of fraudulently effecting transactions and admitted exploiting two elderly women for years. He obtained four vehicles and checks totaling at least $500,000 from one woman and moved the other woman out of her home and began renting it to his mother. Rives is scheduled to be sentenced on the disability fraud case on April 17 and the elder fraud case on March 14. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case. Anyone with information about disability fraud is asked to contact the SSA Office of Inspector General fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or submit a report online at oig.ssa.gov /report. Concerns about suspected abuse or neglect of the elderly or disabled should be directed to Missouri’s Adult Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 800-392-0210 or online at health.mo.gov/safety/abuse/ .


title: Cottage Grove Woman Indicted for Posting Violent Threat Online

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: EUGENE, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment Thursday charging a Cottage Grove, Oregon woman with posting a violent threat online, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. Elizabeth Ballesteros West, 56, has been charged with one count of transmitting an interstate threat. According to court documents, in late September 2023, the FBI received an anonymous tip that West was threatening coworkers on Facebook. Later, in November 2023, the FBI learned West had established an account on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she was allegedly using to post and repost memes, videos and statements containing violent messages targeting Black and Jewish people and immigrants. Several of West’s posts included what appeared to be self-produced photos of firearms including several handguns, a shotgun, and an AR-style assault rifle. On January 3, 2024, West admitted to posting and reposting messages on X that contained hateful and violent rhetoric. West also admitted to possessing multiple shotguns and AR-15 assault rifles at her Cottage Grove residence. One week later, on January 9, 2024, the FBI executed federal search warrants on West’s person, vehicle, and residence. They located and seized 12 handguns, 16 rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and firearm accessories, and a journal that appeared to contain writings and drawings that included additional hateful and violent statements. On January 12, 2024, FBI agents arrested West without incident at her workplace in Eugene. West made her first appearance in federal court Thursday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Cottage Grove Police Department, Eugene Police Department, and Lane County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Violent Muncie Felon Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Trafficking of Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- William Henry Cook, 27, of Muncie, Indiana, has been sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, in February of 2023, law enforcement officials became aware of William Henry Cook selling fentanyl out of his residence in Muncie, Indiana. On March 2, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Cook’s residence. Cook was present at the time the search warrant was executed. The search resulted in the discovery of 2,999 counterfeit pills, later analyzed and found to contain a total of 341.01 grams of fentanyl. In addition to the fentanyl, officers also found approximately $13,614 in U.S. currency and five firearms, including a loaded Sig Sauer 9 mm semiautomatic handgun that was previously stolen from an Indiana State Police trooper. In an interview with law enforcement, Cook admitted that he sold counterfeit M-30 fentanyl pills to as many as ten people per day. At the time of the search, Cook was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his 2018 felony conviction of Robbery Resulting in Bodily Injury in Delaware County. “Fentanyl dealers value their profits far more than the lives of our families and neighbors,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “We must fight to save lives by investigating and prosecuting the armed drug traffickers who exploit the epidemic of substance use disorder. Our office, the DEA, and Indiana State Police are committed to holding fentanyl traffickers accountable for pushing deadly poison on our streets.” “The DEA would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana for their diligent work in prosecuting this important case. DEA will continue to partner with local, state, and federal agencies to hold accountable drug dealers who recklessly distribute deadly poisons, like fentanyl,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Gannon. “The Indiana State Police will continue to engage with, and provide the necessary resources to its federal, county, and local law enforcement partners in an effort to not only keep these dangerous and potentially deadly drugs out of our communities, but to also hold those responsible for transporting and trafficking them into those communities,” said Indiana State Police Captain Ron Galaviz. The DEA and Indiana State Police investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Cook be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Barry D. Glickman, who prosecuted this case. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage—a tiny amount that can fit on the tip of a pencil. Seven out of ten illegal fentanyl tablets seized from U.S. streets and analyzed by the DEA have been found to contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug. One Pill Can Kill : Avoid pills bought on the street because One Pill Can Kill . Fentanyl has now become the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. Fentanyl is a highly potent opioid that drug dealers dilute with cutting agents to make counterfeit prescription pills that appear to be Oxycodone, Percocet, Xanax, and other drugs. Fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl are usually shaped and colored to look like pills sold at pharmacies. For example, fake prescription pills known as “M30s” imitate Oxycodone obtained from a pharmacy, but when sold on the street the pills routinely contain fentanyl. These pills are usually round tablets and often light blue in color, though they may be in different shapes and a rainbow of colors. They often have “M” and “30” imprinted on opposite sides of the pill. Do not take these or any other pills bought on the street – they are routinely fake and poisonous, and you won’t know until it’s too late. ###


title: Former Killeen Housing Authority Executive Director Arrested on Federal Embezzlement Charges

body_text: WACO, Texas – An Austin woman was arrested this week on criminal charges related to her alleged embezzlement of federal funds for personal use while serving as the executive director of the Killeen Housing Authority (KHA). According to court documents, DeAdra Johnson, 52, allegedly stole thousands of dollars designated for KHA programs and used them for personal use. A federal indictment alleges that Johnson used the stolen funds to pay for personal vehicle downpayments; vehicle repairs and loan payments; monthly rent; electricity and internet service bills; home furniture purchases; and the purchase of a flight for personal travel. Now defunct, KHA managed more than 50 public housing residential units and administered housing programs enabling low-income families to lease or purchase safe and affordable housing. KHA had an annual contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from which it received several hundred thousand dollars annually in assistance from the federal government. Johnson is charged with nine counts of theft of government property and one count of false statement. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison for each theft of government property charge and up to five years for the false statement charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Bertrand Nelson for the Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) Southcentral Region and Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson for the FBI San Antonio Division made the announcement. HUD OIG and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg Gloff and Siddharth Dadhich are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###