title: Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information Databases

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – WASHINGTON – The Justice Department is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information, which improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, such as the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). “To improve public safety in Indian country, we must break down the barriers to criminal justice information that Tribal communities have faced for years,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why the Justice Department is expanding Tribal communities’ access to national crime databases that enhance law enforcement efforts and coordination through the Tribal Access Program.” “The Tribal Access Program has strengthened Tribal criminal justice agencies,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “By using TAP, participating Tribes have shared information about missing persons, apprehended fugitives, registered sex offenders, enforced protection orders, and have made hundreds of entries into the FBI’s NICS Indices database to prevent prohibited persons from illegally obtaining access to firearms. The efficient and effective sharing of criminal justice information has improved public safety in Indian country and beyond.” “The Justice Department is committed to supporting Tribal law enforcement and protecting Tribal communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “TAP empowers participating Tribes to take advantage of information from across the country to better investigate and prosecute crime, carry out background checks for potential foster parents, and keep their communities safe and secure from domestic violence and child abuse.” The program provides training as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. There are currently 123 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 3 to Sept. 1. Tribes selected to participate will be notified later in September. “The TAP program has allowed the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department to have cost-effective access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system,” said Chief Chris Rutherford of the Poarch Creek Tribal Police. “Now our officers have full NCIC access from their patrol vehicles, desk, or through our Emergency Tribal Dispatch Center. The value of this program to our reservation far exceeds the minimal effort required to be a participating partner in the TAP program.” For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times, and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap . Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children. “We cannot say enough about the efforts that have been made to get the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (KTTT) ready for this program,” said Director Cristina Collett-Jensen of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Legal Department. “Through these efforts, KTTT will have access to information that will substantially improve the KTTT Police Department’s operations, and thereby allow us to better protect and serve the KTTT community.” The Department offers TAP services through one of the following two methods: TAP-LIGHT: Provides application that enables full access (both query and entry capabilities) to national crime information databases including the NCIC, the Interstate Identification Index, and the International Justice and Public Safety Network for criminal justice purposes. TAP-FULL: In addition to the basic access capabilities of TAP-LIGHT, provides a kiosk workstation that enables the ability to submit and query fingerprint-based transactions via FBI’s Next Generation Identification system for both criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes. Because of the program’s funding sources, eligible Tribes must have — and agree to use TAP for — at least one of the following: A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers, A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect. TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.


title: Navajo Woman Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Mariah Chapo pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Chapo, 26, an enrolled member of Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending sentencing According to court records, on the night of February 11, 2022, Chapo was driving her vehicle at a high rate of speed while intoxicated with her eight-month-old son unsecured in the backseat. Chapo failed to assess a lazy turn and rolled the vehicle she was driving up a dirt embankment. Her son was ejected from the vehicle through an open window and died at the scene. Chapo’s blood alcohol content registered at .12 and .11 and first responders found an empty 375-milliliter bottle of Importers Vodka in the vehicle. At sentencing, Chapo faces up to eight years in prison. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-140


title: St. Louis County Man Convicted of Armed Robbery of Restaurant

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Riverview, Missouri was convicted by a federal jury Wednesday of the armed robbery of the Steak ‘N Shake where he once worked. Jonathan Davis, 24, was found guilty of two felonies at the end of the third day of his trial in U.S. District Court in St. Louis: robbery and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On Jan. 23, 2021, at about 12:30 a.m., a man walked directly to the back office of the Steak ‘N Shake restaurant at 9550 Natural Bridge Road in Berkeley and demanded cash from the owner at gunpoint. The owner identified Davis as the robber, according to court testimony. Davis had worked at the restaurant until about two months before the robbery. Evidence and testimony showed that Davis had been evicted from his home and was living in an extended-stay hotel at the time of the robbery. Later on the day of the robbery, Davis began a five-day spending spree, paying his rent, buying an iPhone, buying a diamond ring for his girlfriend, paying her cell phone bill and giving her cash, according to testimony. He also lost $1,000 to a scammer while trying to buy a car online. Davis will be sentenced later this year. The Berkeley Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Szczucinski and Michael Hayes are prosecuting the case.


title: Owasso Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A man who was caught downloading and viewing child pornography was sentenced in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Gregory Allen Kirk, 63, of Owasso was sentenced to 66 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for Receipt of Child Pornography. He was further ordered to pay $21,500 in restitution to several victims and $10,100 in fines and penalties. “My office is committed to the prosecution of those who possess, distribute, or produce child pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “I am thankful for the thorough work of our law enforcement partners for bringing these cases out of the shadows and into federal court.” According to the plea agreement, Kirk admitted that from about May 2018 through January 2020, he received at least 600 images of child pornography on his computer, which consisted of visual depictions of minor children, under 12 years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cymetra Williams and Vani Singhal prosecuted the case. The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Political Consultant Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Role in Murder for Hire Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey-based political consultant was sentenced today to 288 months in prison for hiring two men to kill a longtime associate who had worked for him on various political campaigns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Sean Caddle, 45, of Hamburg, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit murder for hire. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. “Sean Caddle unleashed two violent hitmen to stab Michael Galdieri to death and set fire to his apartment,” U.S. Attorney Sellinger said. “Despite being lifelong friends, Caddle paid to have Galdieri murdered because he thought that his own business interests were at risk. Today’s sentence is a just punishment for a heinous crime and provides some measure of justice for the victim and his family. I want to credit the dedicated agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the members of my Office who doggedly pursued this cold case murder investigation for years and have now brought to justice all three individuals responsible for the death of Michael Galdieri.” “Regardless of any dispute or argument a person has with someone, hiring hitmen to solve it is not only cold-hearted and despicable, but also against the law,” FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Caddle now faces justice for paying to having his former colleague and friend murdered. He will spend years in federal prison contemplating his actions, a small price to pay when another man lost his life.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In April of 2014, Caddle solicited George Bratsenis of Monroe, Connecticut, to commit a murder on Caddle’s behalf in exchange for thousands of dollars. Bratsenis recruited Bomani Africa a longtime accomplice from Philadelphia, to join the plot. After Bratsenis confirmed his and Africa’s interest in the job, Caddle told Bratsenis that the target was a longtime associate who had worked for Caddle on various political campaigns. On May 22, 2014, Bratsenis and Africa traveled from out of state to the victim’s apartment in Jersey City. After entering the apartment, Bratsenis and Africa stabbed the victim to death and then set fire to the victim’s apartment. After Caddle learned that the victim had been murdered, he met Bratsenis in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Caddle paid Bratsenis thousands of dollars in exchange for the murder, and Bratsenis shared a portion of those proceeds with Africa. In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Caddle to five years of supervised release. Bratsenis was sentenced on March 29, 2023, to 16 years in prison; Africa was sentenced on Feb. 23, 2023, to 20 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their assistance. The government is represented by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee M. Cortes Jr., Sean Farrell, Chief, New York Office, Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.


title: Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Carfentanil, Heroin, and Cocaine

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – An armed drug trafficker selling a fentanyl analogue advertised as “heroin” was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Branden Smith, 38, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Victoria A. Roberts after he pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs and for possessing carfentanil. According to court records, Smith was identified by federal agents as a multi-state distributor of illegal drugs, including heroin. Following several months of investigation, undercover law enforcement agents purchased what Smith had advertised as “heroin,” but was in fact carfentanil, a dangerous fentanyl analogue. Investigators ultimately executed a search warrant at a residence associated with Smith. They found distribution quantities of multiple controlled substances (including carfentanil), multiple electronic scales, vacuum sealers, face masks, and rubber gloves. Smith was arrested on the scene, and investigators recovered a Glock 23 pistol in his waistband, as well as an AK-47 extended pistol in the driver’s side door of the vehicle he was observed exiting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020 alone, more than 56,000 deaths involved synthetic opioids in the United States, which accounted for over 82% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2020. Carfentanil is one of the most potent fentanyl analogues and is estimated to be 10,000 times more potent than morphine. “Deadly drugs like carfentanil are lethal by themselves, but even more dangerous when they are marketed as another drug. Adding guns to that mix increases the harm and risk to the community exponentially,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “That’s why federal law provides for sever penalties for armed drug trafficking, and we will not hesitate to insist on those penalties when necessary to keep this community safe.” “Today’s sentencing underscores the commitment of the men and women of the DEA, the USAO EDMI and the Warren Police Department, to hold accountable, anyone who chooses to distribute deadly drugs like Carfentanil in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Greene. “Mr. Smith intentionally misrepresented the fact he was selling a fentanyl analogue, 100 times more potent than fentanyl and which is normally used to tranquilize elephants and other large mammals. Mr. Smith’s possession of firearms further compounded the danger he posed to the community and today he was held to account for his actions.” The case was investigated by federal agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, alongside task force officers from the Warren Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin Casey and Robert White prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: Brentwood Couple Sentenced For Conspiracy To Produce And Production Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Matthew Lee Pelton and Heather Electa Halwig Gharibian were sentenced to 360 and 264 months in prison, respectively, for producing and conspiring to produce child pornography, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentences were handed down by the Hon. Jefferey S. White, U.S. District Judge. Pelton, 50, of Brentwood, pleaded guilty to the charges on February 14, 2023. Gharibian, 53, of Brentwood, pleaded guilty to the charges on February 21, 2023. According to the plea agreements, both Pelton and Gharibian admitted that from March 29, 2021, to at least June 14, 2021, they conspired with each other to produce and film visual depictions of two minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The defendants communicated via WhatsApp messenger that Pelton used to request that Gharibian perform sexual acts on a then 10-year-old child in her care. Pelton described his arousal, gave instructions on how to perform sexual acts on the victim, and requested that Gharibian make a video of the molestation of the child. In response to Pelton’s request, Gharibian performed requested sexual acts on the victim, filmed it, and sent it to Pelton. Further, both minor victims described how ring cameras were placed throughout their house, including their bedrooms and bathrooms, allowing Gharibian and Pelton to view them at will. In papers submitted in connection with sentencing, the government argued Gharibian sexually exploited the minor victims in her care for the sexual gratification of her then-boyfriend, Pelton, who the government described as a “pedophile with a seeming predilection for preteens and teenagers.” At sentencing, Judge White stated that the defendants stole the victims’ childhood. On November 17, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted the defendants charging both with conspiracy to produce child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251 (a) and (e); production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2251 (a) and (e). In addition, Gharibian was charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2), (b) and (e); and Pelton was charged with two counts of receipt of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2), (b) and (e). Both defendants pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and production charges. In accordance with the plea agreements, Judge White dismissed the remaining charges at sentencing. In addition to the prison term, Judge White ordered Pelton and Gharibian to serve 180 months of supervised release, which will begin after their respective prison terms. Restitution will be decided at a later hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Chambers and Kelly Volkar are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Jasmine Sanders and Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Investigation Office, and the Brentwood Police Department.


title: Houstonian sent to prison for supporting terrorism

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 23-year-old U.S. citizen from Houston has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to provide material support to Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani and Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen. Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya attempted to join and support ISIS from August 2017 until his arrest in December 2017. He pleaded guilty July 8, 2019. U.S. District Judge U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen ordered him to serve 165 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by a lifetime of supervised release. “Damlarkaya wanted to kill in the name of ISIS,” said Hamdani. “He slept with a machete by his bed, ready to use on law enforcement, provided instructions on how to make a bomb to ISIS supporters, and prepared to travel overseas and become a martyr for our enemies. Today’s sentence insures that Damlarkaya will spend many many years away from machetes and explosives, making everyone in the Southern District of Texas a lot safer.” In addition to wanting to join ISIS, Damlarkaya also provided information to ISIS supporters about the use of machetes, homemade construction of an automatic weapon and how to build and use explosive materials. “Preventing a terrorist attack remains the FBI’s number one priority, but the threat of terrorism has morphed significantly from the sophisticated, externally directed plot to the individual, inspired attack,” said Special Agent in Charge James Smith of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Fortunately, for us and the public, Damlarkaya was stopped before he was able to carry out his terrorism plan. He dreamed of being a martyr. The reality is that he’s now a federal prisoner and will be one for years to come. Our Joint Terrorism Task Force will continue to gather and share information 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to protect our communities.” As part of his plans to join ISIS overseas, starting in approximately early August 2017, Damlarkaya had numerous conversations online with many individuals he believed to be fellow ISIS supporters. During these discussions, he described his intentions to travel overseas to fight for ISIS in Syria or Afghanistan. Damlarkaya added that if he was unsuccessful in joining ISIS overseas, he would conduct an on attack on non-Muslims in the United States and that it was his “dream” to be a martyr. Damalarkaya also provided information to other ISIS supporters, on at least two separate occasions, about ways to manufacture a bomb. Specifically, he described how to make explosives formula using triacetone triperoxide and cautioned the others to “take safety seriously while you make this” to be “useful until you can strike.” Damlarkaya further illustrated to ISIS supporters ways to construct an automatic weapon. He claimed he could buy a “GIANT machete for $15” and stated “a lot of us are poor… or we don't have experience. So not all of us can get a gun or make explosives, but we can afford to buy a $15 knife.” He claimed he slept with a machete under his pillow ready to use if law enforcement raided his house. When agents arrested Damlarkaya, they executed a search warrant at his residence and found a machete by his bed. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Jones is prosecuting the case along with DOJ Trial Attorneys Kevin Nunnally and Gregory Gonzalez of National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


title: 13 Defendants Charged in Federal Drug Trafficking Probe Targeting Fentanyl-Laced Heroin and Cocaine Sales in Chicago

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal drug trafficking investigation has resulted in charges against 13 individuals for allegedly trafficking fentanyl-laced heroin and cocaine on the West Side of Chicago. The multi-year investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Chicago Police Department, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, utilized covert surveillance operations, undercover narcotics purchases, and wiretapped communications to shut down an open-air drug market in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Many of the defendants, including the group’s suspected leader, are allegedly members of the Traveling Vice Lords street gang. In addition to federal drug charges, three of the defendants are charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking activities. One of the defendants was recently arrested while illegally possessing a loaded handgun on the Chicago Transit Authority’s Green Line train. Law enforcement on Wednesday executed court-authorized searches of multiple locations in Chicago and the suburbs. Law enforcement seized approximately ten firearms, two 50-round drum ammunition magazines, several extended ammunition magazines, more than a kilogram of cocaine, more than 250 grams of heroin containing fentanyl, and approximately nine vehicles that allegedly were used in furtherance of narcotics trafficking. Charged with federal drug conspiracy are TERRANCE SANDERS, 40, of Aurora, Ill., SHAVELLE SIMS, 32, of Glendale Heights, Ill., TYRON PAULK, 36, of Bellwood, Ill., SAMUEL LOPEZ, 33, of Chicago, DEMECCO TARTT, 30, of Chicago, TARANCE BANKS, 30, of Calumet City, Ill., DEANDRE MADDOX, 34, of Chicago, DELAWRENCE ISON, 38, of Chicago, LAVELL GRIFFIN, 33, of Chicago, BRIAN WILLIAMS, 20, of Chicago, and RAHEEM SMITH, 30, of Bolingbrook, Ill. Sanders, Paulk, and Smith are also each charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. Charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver are PARTGANAN BURCH, 36, of Chicago, and DEMORRIS HILL, 41, of South Holland, Ill. According to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday in federal court, Sanders led a drug trafficking organization that operated the open-air market in the 3400 block of West Chicago Avenue in Chicago. Sanders and others utilized a “stash house” in the 1600 block of North Karlov Avenue in Chicago to store narcotics and prepare them for delivery to the open-air market, where they were then sold to customers, the complaint states. Sims supervised the collection of narcotics proceeds and met with Sanders to re-supply the drug spot as needed, the complaint states. Most of the 13 federal defendants were arrested Wednesday and have begun making initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Chicago. In addition to the federal charges, 19 other individuals were charged in state court as a result of this investigation. The federal charges were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of HSI in Chicago; Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of CPD; and Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS-CI in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program ( HIDTA ). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Mott and Chester Choi represent the government. The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Sanders et al complaint


title: Round Rock Pastor Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charge

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – A Georgetown man pleaded guilty in a federal court in Austin Tuesday to an enhanced charge of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, David Lloyd Walther, 57, knowingly searched for, downloaded, distributed and possessed child sexual abuse material, including child pornography—some of which depicted prepubescent minors—using BitTorrent, a peer-to-peer file sharing network. During a search of Walther’s home and vehicle in November 2022, two large computer hard drives were located and found to contain more than 100,000 images and more than 5,000 videos of child sexual abuse material. At the time of his arrest, Walther was the pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Round Rock. Walther faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. 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 and Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich, Jr. for the FBI San Antonio Division made the announcement. The FBI San Antonio Division's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with invaluable assistance from the Round Rock Police Department, is investigating the case. The FBI also appreciates the assistance received by the Williamson County Sheriff's Office and the Williamson County Children's Advocacy Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Devlin is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Texas Man Sentenced to Over 13 Years for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: A Houston man was sentenced today to 165 months, the equivalent of 13 years and nine months, in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. According to court documents, Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, 23, attempted to join and support ISIS from August 2017 until his arrest in December 2017. He pleaded guilty July 8, 2019. In addition to wanting to join ISIS, Damlarkaya also provided information to ISIS supporters about the use of machetes, homemade construction of an automatic weapon and how to build and use explosive materials. As part of his plans to join ISIS overseas, starting in approximately early August 2017, Damlarkaya had numerous conversations online with many individuals he believed to be fellow ISIS supporters. During these discussions, he described his intentions to travel overseas to fight for ISIS in Syria or Afghanistan. Damlarkaya added that if he was unsuccessful in joining ISIS overseas, he would conduct an on attack on non-Muslims in the United States and that it was his “dream” to be a martyr. Damalarkaya also provided information to other ISIS supporters, on at least two separate occasions, about ways to manufacture a bomb. Specifically, he described how to make explosives formula using triacetone triperoxide and cautioned the others to “take safety seriously while you make this” to be “useful until you can strike.” Damlarkaya further illustrated to ISIS supporters ways to construct an automatic weapon. He claimed he could buy a “GIANT machete for $15” and stated “a lot of us are poor… or we don't have experience. So not all of us can get a gun or make explosives, but we can afford to buy a $15 knife.” He claimed he slept with a machete under his pillow ready to use if law enforcement raided his house. When agents arrested Damlarkaya, they executed a search warrant at his residence and found a machete by his bed. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas and Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division made the announcement. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Jones for the Southern District of Texas is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: Washington : The Justice Department is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information, which improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, such as the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). “To improve public safety in Indian country, we must break down the barriers to criminal justice information that Tribal communities have faced for years,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why the Justice Department is expanding Tribal communities’ access to national crime databases that enhance law enforcement efforts and coordination through the Tribal Access Program.” “The Tribal Access Program has strengthened Tribal criminal justice agencies,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “By using TAP, participating Tribes have shared information about missing persons, apprehended fugitives, registered sex offenders, enforced protection orders, and have made hundreds of entries into the FBI’s NICS Indices database to prevent prohibited persons from illegally obtaining access to firearms. The efficient and effective sharing of criminal justice information has improved public safety in Indian country and beyond.” “Information is power, and TAP is a way to put information in the hands of tribes and their law enforcement partners to keep people safe,” United States Attorney, District of North Dakota, Mac Schneider said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with our tribal partners to increase public safety in Indian Country.” “The Justice Department is committed to supporting Tribal law enforcement and protecting Tribal communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “TAP empowers participating Tribes to take advantage of information from across the country to better investigate and prosecute crime, carry out background checks for potential foster parents, and keep their communities safe and secure from domestic violence and child abuse.” The program provides training as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. There are currently 123 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 3 to Sept. 1. Tribes selected to participate will be notified later in September. “The TAP program has allowed the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department to have cost-effective access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system,” said Chief Chris Rutherford of the Poarch Creek Tribal Police. “Now our officers have full NCIC access from their patrol vehicles, desk, or through our Emergency Tribal Dispatch Center. The value of this program to our reservation far exceeds the minimal effort required to be a participating partner in the TAP program.” For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times, and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap . Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children. “We cannot say enough about the efforts that have been made to get the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (KTTT) ready for this program,” said Director Cristina Collett-Jensen of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Legal Department. “Through these efforts, KTTT will have access to information that will substantially improve the KTTT Police Department’s operations, and thereby allow us to better protect and serve the KTTT community.” The Department offers TAP services through one of the following two methods: TAP-LIGHT: Provides application that enables full access (both query and entry capabilities) to national crime information databases including the NCIC, the Interstate Identification Index, and the International Justice and Public Safety Network for criminal justice purposes. TAP-FULL: In addition to the basic access capabilities of TAP-LIGHT, provides a kiosk workstation that enables the ability to submit and query fingerprint-based transactions via FBI’s Next Generation Identification system for both criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes. Because of the program’s funding sources, eligible Tribes must have — and agree to use TAP for — at least one of the following: A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers, A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect. TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi Launches United Against Hate Program

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, Miss. - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi launched United Against Hate, an outreach program focusing on preventing, identifying, and reporting hate crimes and incidents, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca. United Against Hate connects community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes, build trust between law enforcement and communities, and create and strengthen alliances between law enforcement and other government partners and community groups to combat unlawful acts of hate. In May of 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced steps towards the Department of Justice’s enhanced efforts to combat and confront hate crimes. He stated, “Hate crimes and other bias-related incidents instill fear across entire communities and undermine the principles upon which our democracy stands. All people in this country should be able to live without fear of being attacked or harassed because of where they are from, what they look like, whom they love, or how they worship.” On June 29, 2023, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Dease Paige, Glenda Haynes, Tabitha Kingma and Angela Givens Williams, along with colleagues in their office and law enforcement partners who investigate hate crimes, hosted a presentation called “United Against Hate: Identifying, Reporting and Preventing Acts of Hate” at Pearl A.M.E. Church, 2519 Robinson Street in Jackson, Mississippi. This event gave the U.S. Attorney’s Office an opportunity to connect with faith-based leaders to help effect positive change within our community. Faith-based leaders are usually the first person of contact when individuals or families face these types of hateful behavior. Often hate crimes and incidents go underreported, allowing offenders to continue to spread their hate, fear, and intimidation. This event assisted faith-based leaders in the Jackson area to identify hate crimes, understand the importance of reporting these crimes and most importantly, to discuss strategies to prevent acts of hate. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s online complaint form is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/civil-division webpage. The form can be emailed USAMSS.CivilRights@usdoj.gov , or concerns can be shared by leaving a voice mail for our Civil Rights Division at (601) 973-2825.


title: Wyoming man admits traveling to Bozeman with intent to engage in sex with minor

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Wyoming man today admitted to a crime accusing him of traveling to Montana with the intent to engage in sex with a minor, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Jeremy George Lusk, 38, of Crowley, Wyoming, pleaded guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Lusk faces a maximum of 30 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and a minimum of five years to life of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for Oct. 30 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Lusk was released pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in January, a Bozeman Police Department officer was working undercover and observed an ad on a social media application asking if anyone wanted to engage in sexual relations with a 38-year-old from Bridger, Montana. The ad stated the individual was looking for someone between the ages of 18 and 68. The undercover responded that she was 14 years old and lived in Bozeman. Lusk told the undercover to contact him when she turned 18, and the undercover responded telling Lusk to contact her if he changed his mind. Luck re-initiated contact the same day, and the conversation turned sexual. The communications led to Lusk sending a nude photo of himself. On Feb. 22 and through the morning of Feb. 23, Lusk wrote messages indicating his intent to travel to Bozeman and that he was on his way. Law enforcement determined Lusk lived and worked in Wyoming. After being directed to a specific location by the undercover, officers arrested Lusk when he arrived. Lusk admitted to having online sexually explicit discussions with a 14-year-old and had come to Bozeman with the intent to meet her for a sexual encounter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case. The Bozeman Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. XXX


title: Central Coast County Organized Health System, Three Health Care Providers Agree to Pay $68M for Alleged False Claims to Medi-Cal

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A county organized health system (COHS) that arranges services for Medi-Cal enrollees in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties and three Central Coast health care providers have agreed to pay a total of $68 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and the California False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of false claims to Medi-Cal related to Medicaid Adult Expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). The four entities that entered into settlement agreements with the United States and the State of California are the Santa Barbara San Luis Obispo Regional Health Authority, doing business as CenCal Health , a COHS that contracts to arrange for the provision of health care services under Medi-Cal, which is California’s Medicaid program; Cottage Health System , a not-for-profit hospital network operating in Santa Barbara County; Sansum Clinic , a non-profit outpatient clinic operating in Santa Barbara County; and Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHC), a non-profit community health center operating in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. The settlement agreements were executed earlier this month, and late Wednesday a federal judge unsealed the “whistleblower” case naming the entities. Pursuant to the ACA, beginning in January 2014, Medi-Cal was expanded to cover the previously uninsured “Adult Expansion” population – adults between the ages of 19 and 64 without dependent children with annual incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level. The federal government fully funded the expansion coverage for the first three years of the program. Under contracts with California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), if CenCal did not spend at least 85% of the funds it received for the Adult Expansion population on “allowed medical expenses,” CenCal was required to pay back to the state the difference between 85% and what it actually spent. California, in turn, was required to return that amount to the federal government. The four settlements resolve allegations that CenCal, Cottage, Sansum, and CHC knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims to Medi-Cal for “Enhanced Services” that were purportedly provided to Adult Expansion Medi-Cal members: by Cottage between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2016; by Sansum and CHC between January 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016; and by certain other healthcare providers between January 1, 2014 and June 30, 2016. The United States and California alleged that the payments were not “allowed medical expenses” permissible under the contract between DHCS and CenCal; were pre-determined amounts that did not reflect the fair market value of any Enhanced Services provided; and/or the Enhanced Services were duplicative of services already required to be rendered. The United States and California further alleged that the payments were unlawful gifts of public funds in violation of the California Constitution. As a result of the settlements, CenCal will pay $49.5 million, Cottage will pay $9 million, Sansum will pay $4.5 million, and CHC will pay $3.15 million to the United States. In addition, California will receive payments totaling $1.85 million. “These historic settlements demonstrate our steadfast efforts to eradicate fraud involving Medicaid Adult Expansion,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Health care systems and providers are on notice that the False Claims Act provides us with a powerful tool to ensure that taxpayer-funded health care programs are used for patient care, and not for furtive financial gain.” “Medicaid expansion funds must be used for their intended purpose of providing health care services to low-income individuals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When health care systems and providers knowingly misuse Medicaid funds, they will be held accountable.” “Federal health care programs are an important resource for millions of Americans to receive medical care,” said Timothy B. DeFrancesca, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to ensure that federal health care funds are used as intended and protected from fraud, waste, and abuse.” “Medi-Cal is a lifeline that provides access to free or affordable healthcare services for millions of Californians and their families,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta. “When any healthcare provider or agency defrauds the program, they break the public’s trust and put their own bottom line before the patients who count on them for honest, quality care and services. I am grateful to the Justice Department for its extensive efforts throughout the course of this investigation. The California Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable those who defraud the Medi-Cal program, and protect those it serves.” The civil settlements include the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Julio Bordas, CenCal’s former medical director. Under the act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. Dr. Bordas will receive approximately $12.56 million as his share of the federal recovery. The United States previously settled similar allegations against Dignity Health (which operates Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, and Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria) and Twin Cities Community Hospital and Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, two subsidiaries of Tenet Healthcare Corporation, relating to payments they received from CenCal under the Adult Expansion program. The partial resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office; the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; and the California Department of Justice, with assistance from HHS-OIG and DHCS. This case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jack D. Ross of the Civil Fraud Section, and Trial Attorneys Mary Beth Hickox-Howard and Tiffany L. Ho of the Commercial Litigation Branch. The investigation of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Stratford Man Charged with Distributing Methamphetamine and Oxycodone

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Stratford Police Department Chief Joseph McNeil today announced that EDWARD JOHNSON, 31, of Stratford, has been charged by indictment with unlawfully distributing methamphetamine and oxycodone. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in April 2022, the Stratford Police Department’s Narcotics, Vice and Intelligence Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Johnson and others for distributing controlled substances in the Stratford and Bridgeport area. Johnson was arrested on state charges on August 2, 2022. On that date, investigators conducted a court authorized search of Johnson’s residence on Thompson Street in Stratford and seized approximately 967 grams of methamphetamine in both pill form and powder form, approximately 13 grams of oxycodone pills; other prescription pills, more than six pounds of marijuana, and $32,151 in cash. On June 20, 2023, a grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Johnson with one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of oxycodone, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. Johnson, who has been detained since his arrest, appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Stratford Police Department’s Narcotics, Vice and Intelligence Unit and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.


title: Man admits making harassing calls to African American woman employed at Billings church

body_text: BILLINGS — A man accused of making harassing telephone calls to African American woman who works at a Billings church and provided him assistance admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Joshua Leon Hiestand, 41, a transient, pleaded guilty to harassing telephone calls, a felony. Hiestand faces a maximum of two years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 26. Hiestand was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on Nov. 12, 2020, a white male, who identified himself as Leon Hiestand, went to a church in Billings looking for assistance. Jane Doe, an African American who works at the church, provided him with a gift card. Several days later, the church received a voicemail from a caller, who, using a derogatory term, stated that he would give more money to the church if it did not employ an African American. In Dec. 4, 2020, the church’s caller ID identified Hiestand as using the same number as in the voicemail. Jane Doe answered the phone, and the caller referenced his white friends and that he would have given more money if the church did not employ a black pastor. Hiestand left another voicemail that stated, “Nobody wants you here.” In January 2021, Hiestand left a voicemail and referenced the African American receptionist at the church. Jane Doe contacted the Billings Police Department. An officer contacted the number dialed to the church in January, and the caller identified himself as Hiestand. Hiestand then changed his name later in the conversation. Hiestand admitted to leaving the voicemails and apologized for his behavior. The officer advised Hiestand not to have further contact with the church. Hiestand then left another voicemail in which he appeared upset and apologized for the previous calls. However, over the next 19 months, Hiestand called and left a series of voicemails at the church that, at times, were threatening and racially hostile. The investigation determined that Hiestand placed the calls from outside of Montana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Phoenix Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Alien Smuggling and Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – John Edward Crenshaw, 40, of Phoenix, Arizona was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 40 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On January 19, 2023, Crenshaw pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit and Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. On March 3, 2022, Crenshaw was encountered at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint, which he approached while erratically driving a Ford Fusion. After he stopped, Border Patrol agents discovered that he was transporting five passengers, who were determined to be undocumented noncitizens that Crenshaw was smuggling further into the country. Four of the passengers were in the rear of the vehicle, which did not have seats or seat belts. Crenshaw was in possession of a knife and a loaded .380-caliber pistol. He was later determined to be a convicted felon who could not legally possess a firearm. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 22-CR-00595-TUC-RM (JR) RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-102_Crenshaw # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for  Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDDIE HARRIS , age 39, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 28, 2023 by U.S. District Judge Jane T. Milazzo to 92 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, along with a mandatory $200 special assessment fee, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, HARRIS admitted to possessing a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic weapon after being previously convicted of several state felony offenses, including possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm. HARRIS also admitted to possessing 25 baggies of cocaine with the intent to distribute them. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crimes Unit handled the prosecution.


title: Former Santa Fe Priest Indicted on Sexual Exploitation Offense

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Daniel Balizan was arrested on criminal charges of coercion and enticement of a minor, related to his alleged persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of a child under the age of 18 years of age to engage in sexual activity. According to court documents, Balizan, 61, of Springer, a former priest at Santa Maria de la Paz Catholic Church in Santa Fe, New Mexico and St. Patrick’s-St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Raton, New Mexico, allegedly used text messages to coerce and entice a minor victim, identified as John Doe in court documents, to engage in sexual activity with him. “Abusing children under the veil of religious authority is an attack on the faith itself,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “I am humbled by the bravery of John Doe. With our partners, we will vigorously pursue justice for him and all of our children.” “We have and will continue to do everything we possibly can to protect our children from predators who seek to do them harm by abusing their inherent positions of trust.” said Raul Bujanda, FBI Special Agent in Charge. If convicted, Balizan faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case. Balizan is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. Starting today, information about the federal prosecution of Balizan, including the indictment, will be available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nm/priest-prosecution. Also starting today, individuals may provide any information related to Balizan’s contact with minors by calling the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Below is a timeline of Balizan’s assignments from 1989 to 2022: FBI An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### 23-141


title: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Misuse of a Social Security Number and Aggravated Identity Theft in an Attempt to Steal the Identity of a Syracuse University Graduate

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Gregory William Hill, age 38, of Georgia, whose many aliases include Gregory Allen Davis, Gregory William Davis, Gregory Davis Dutton, and John Martin Hill, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to misuse of a social security number and aggravated identity theft. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Hill admitted that in 2018 he impersonated a graduate of Syracuse University and fraudulently attempted to obtain copies of the victim’s final transcript and diploma from Syracuse University. In furtherance of his scheme, Hill sent the university a copy of a Virginia driver’s license displaying Hill’s picture and the victim’s name. Hill also fraudulently presented his own social security card as the victim’s and attempted to convince Syracuse University officials that the university needed to update its files with respect to the victim’s social security number. Hill also admitted that he applied for a job with a non-profit health care company based in Virginia while posing as the victim and falsely claiming to be a Syracuse University graduate. Hill never attended Syracuse University, and he is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Georgia for a serial romance fraud scheme that led some news outlets to describe him as the “Sweetheart Swindler.” The felony charges to which Hill pled guilty carry a maximum sentence of up to 7 years in prison, including up to 5 years for the social security fraud count, followed by a mandatory consecutive two-year term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count. Hill also faces a fine of up to $500,000 and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The defendant will be sentenced on November 2, 2023, by United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, who presides over the case. This case is being investigated by the FBI, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.


title: Albany Sex Offender Arrested For Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Stephen Brisee, a/k/a Sage Brisee, age 29, of Albany, was arrested today for distributing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement. The charge filed against Brisee carries a prison term of at least 15 years and up to 40 years; a fine of up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel ordered Brisee detained pending a detention hearing scheduled to take place next week. The complaint charges Brisee with distributing videos of adults subjecting girls between the ages of six months and 10 years to sexual penetration. At the time of the offense, Brisee was a registered sex offender on post-release supervision following a New York State conviction for promoting a sexual performance by a child. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting the 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: Movement Mortgage to Pay $23.7 Million to Resolve Allegations it Caused the Submission of False Claims to Government Mortgage Programs

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Movement Mortgage, LLC, has agreed to pay the United States $23.75 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to comply with material program requirements when it originated and underwrote mortgages insured by the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Federal Housing Administration (FHA) or guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman announced today. Movement Mortgage is headquartered in Indian Land, South Carolina, with loans underwritten across the United States, including in upstate New York. “Lenders participating in mortgage programs backed by taxpayers must follow rules designed to protect both program integrity and homeowners,” said United States Attorney Freedman. “Today’s settlement holds Movement Mortgage accountable for its past violations, while acknowledging that it has taken steps to strengthen its internal controls to ensure future compliance with FHA and VA requirements.” Participants in FHA insurance and VA guarantee programs, like Movement Mortgage, have the authority to originate and underwrite mortgages without first having the government review the loans for compliance with the agency’s underwriting and origination requirements. If an FHA insured or VA guaranteed loan defaults, the holder of the loan may submit a claim to the United States for certain losses. Lenders are therefore required to follow FHA and VA rules designed to ensure that only mortgages that meet key credit and underwriting criteria are insured or guaranteed by the government. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Movement Mortgage failed to comply with material program rules that require lenders to maintain quality control programs to prevent and correct underwriting deficiencies, self-report any materially deficient loans that they identify, and ensure that the underwriting process is free from conflicts of interest. As part of the settlement, Movement Mortgage admitted that it certified for FHA mortgage insurance and VA home loan guarantees a material percentage of loans that did not meet applicable requirements and, therefore, were not eligible under those programs, despite inaccurately representing to HUD and the VA that such loans complied with applicable program requirements. Movement Mortgage also acknowledged that HUD and the VA would not have insured or guaranteed the loans but for its submission of false certifications. Movement Mortgage further admitted that it failed to adhere to HUD and the VA’s applicable self-reporting requirements. The covered conduct stretched back as far as July 2008, including a period of rapid expansion by the company. As Movement Mortgage took significant measures to stop the practices, both before and after being notified of the United States’ investigation, it received credit for doing so in connection with the settlement. “HUD is committed to protecting public funds by ensuring that lenders follow the rules for origination of FHA-insured mortgages,” said Damon Smith, General Counsel for HUD. “Through this settlement, Movement Mortgage is accepting responsibility for its past actions by fully repaying the FHA insurance fund for its losses on defaulted loans that should not have been issued.” “The integrity of the FHA loan program is essential to helping hard working citizens realize the American dream of homeownership,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark T. Kaminsky with HUD OIG Office of Investigation. “This case demonstrates HUD OIG’s enduring commitment to working with the Northern District of New York USAO to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to jeopardize this program and the health and stability of our nation’s housing market.” “VA’s Home Loan Guaranty program provides valuable assistance to our nation’s veterans when purchasing or repairing their homes, and vendors must adhere to critical quality standards in order to maintain the integrity of the program,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG appreciates the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners throughout this important investigation.” This investigation was triggered by a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private persons, known as “relators,” to file civil actions on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The relators in this case, two former employees of Movement Mortgage, will receive a total of $4,037,566 of the settlement proceeds. The case is docketed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York under number 18-cv-848. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, HUD-OIG, HUD, and VA OIG. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Hoggan, with significant assistance from Adam E. Cearley, Deputy Assistant General Counsel in HUD’s Office of Program Enforcement.


title: Columbus Woman Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. –A Columbus, Georgia, resident admitted to possessing photos and videos of children being sexual abused in federal court today, resulting from a joint FBI and GBI investigation into the production and distribution of child pornography online. Townes Ward Borum, 38, of Columbus, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Clay Land. Borum faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, she is facing up to a lifetime of supervised release and will have to register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29. “There is an evil online world of adults—hiding behind their screens—who will do and pay anything for the sexual abuse of young children, and there are child predators who will provide this horrific content. It is a sickening reality and one that every level of law enforcement will never stop fighting,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I want to commend the many law enforcement agencies and community groups involved in this case for their unyielding dedication to protecting children and bringing child predators to justice.” “People like Borum, who sexually exploit children for monetary gain, do serious lasting harm and facilitate in the continued manufacturing and trading of child sexual abuse material,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta “The FBI is committed to working with our partners to find such predators, and lock them up so they can do no further harm.” “This case shows how low predators will go to profit from innocent lives. Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the GBI’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit remains committed to diligently investigating individuals who exploit our children,” said GBI Director Michael Register. According to facts presented at court, GBI was contacted by law enforcement in New Jersey on May 20, 2022, with information that an adult female in the Middle District of Georgia was distributing nude photos of a young child to a man in their jurisdiction. The initial Cybertip leading to the New Jersey man came from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and a subsequent investigation found digital files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the man’s cell phone. The man told authorities that Borum was providing him with the CSAM material, and that they had been communicating on the Whisper app and by text message. The man said he paid Borum’s rent and other expenses in exchange for sexually explicit photos and videos of young children. A search warrant was executed by GBI at Borum’s Columbus home on May 21, 2022. Borum’s cell phone was seized; it contained hundreds of images and videos of CSAM, including images of CSAM depicting young children. Her phone also contained numerous messages between Borum and others discussing the exchange of child sexual abuse material for money. Agents also found online advertisements she created and posted to sell child sexual abuse material. Borum admitted to the facts in court. The plea agreement in this case is sealed at the request of the Government for protection of minor victims. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by GBI, FBI-Atlanta, FBI-Dallas and FBI-Los Angeles, with special assistance from the Bergen County, New Jersey, District Attorney’s Office and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: West Richland Resident Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining $337,267 in COVID-19 Relief Funds

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Jimia Rae Cain, age 52, of West Richland, Washington, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining $337,267 in COVID-19 relief funds. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke announced the sentence, the most recent obtained by the COVID-19 Relief Fraud Strike Force Strike Force. On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided government-backed funding to small businesses which could be forgiven so long as the proceeds were used for payroll and other eligible expenses. Another program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic. The PPP and EIDL programs have provided billions of dollars in aid, the vast majority of which have not been paid back, including hundreds of millions of dollars disbursed within Eastern Washington. “COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and because of the number of people and businesses that requested funding, deserving small businesses were not able to obtain desperately needed funding,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the Eastern Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force because combatting pandemic-related fraud and holding those accountable who abused these programs is critical to the strength and safety of our community in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force works to ensure that limited resources are used to protect our local small businesses and the critical jobs and services that they provide for the community.” In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the USAO, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, and others. According to court documents and information disclosed during court proceedings, Cain fraudulently obtained $337,267 in CARES Act funding – a $71,900 EIDL and a $265,267 PPP – in July and August of 2020 in the name of her purported business Americore Construction. According to court documents, Cain used false statements and fictitious tax and payroll documentation in order to obtain the funds. In truth, Americore was not an active business during the relevant time period, did not have any employees, and was not eligible for any federal funding. In addition to the 15-month prison sentence, Cain was sentenced to 3 years of federal supervision following her release, and is required to repay full restitution of $337,267. “This sentence demonstrates that falsifying information to gain access to taxpayer dollars will not be overlooked and wrongdoers will be brought to justice,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Keven Standley. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and pursuit of justice. “I commend the stellar investigative work on these cases performed by the Strike Force and especially in this case by SBA OIG and TIGTA” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 relief funding, and to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.” This case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by the SBA OIG and TIGTA. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler Tornabene prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. Case No. 4:22-CR-6042-MKD


title: Elmer City Man Sentenced to 60 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking Linked to Overdose on the Colville Indian Reservation

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Andre Pierre Picard, age 67 of Elmer City, Washington, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to Distribution of Heroin and Distribution of Methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of sixty months in federal custody to be followed by five years of supervised release. According to Court documents and information disclosed during the sentencing hearing, on or about April 28, 2020, Piccard sold heroin to a young woman (hereafter “D.S.”) from his home in Elmer City, Washington. The very next day, April 29, 2020, D.S. was found lifeless, and the autopsy results determined the death was caused by a drug overdose. From April 2022 through December 2022, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement engaged in several controlled purchases from Picard, ultimately arresting him and linking him to the sale of drugs that appeared to have contributed to D.S.’s overdose. “I’m grateful for our incredible law enforcement team, who devote their lives to protecting our community,” said United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref, the chief federal law enforcement officer for the Eastern District of Washington. She further stated, “Today’s sentence demonstrates the seriousness of Mr. Picard’s drug trafficking activities. While Mr. Picard described himself as a low-level drug dealer, he was dealing in large quantities of illegal drugs given the relative size of the Elmer City community and the Colville Reservation. Ultimately, Mr. Picard’s distribution had devastating consequences. I commend the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs for their work to remove illegal drugs from our communities. I am also grateful to the law enforcement team from the Colville Tribe, which worked hand-in-hand with our federal partners to seek justice in this case.” “Mr. Picard showed a willful disregard for the members of his own community.” Said Gregory L. Austin, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Despite witnessing the devastating effects of these dangerous narcotics, he continued to distribute them to people he knew. The FBI and our partners will continue to fight the plague of illegal drugs on our state’s reservations.” “The Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement is committed to removing dangerous drug dealers in Indian Country, including those that hide in plain sight and continually profit off the pain and tragic loss of their fellow community members, such as Mr. Picard,” stated Deputy Associate Director, Jerin Falcon. “The Bureau of Indian Affairs Division of Drug Enforcement is devoted to continuing to protect our native communities and is thankful for the partnership with the Colville Tribal Police, FBI, DEA and other local law enforcement agencies. “ This case was investigated by the Colville Tribal Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Drug Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Richard R. Barker and David H. Herzog, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern District of Washington. 2:22-CR-00173-TOR


title: Colorado Man Sentenced to More than Thirteen Years for Drug and Gun Charges.

body_text: United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Daniel M. Gutirez, 43, of Del Norte, Colorado, was sentenced on June 26, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Possession of a Firearm in Connection with Drug Trafficking. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Gutirez to 160 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. He was also ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release after his release from prison. On December 1, 2021, Gutirez and co-defendant Sheri Griego were stopped while driving in the area of 8th and Brown Streets in Omaha after officers observed their vehicle commit several traffic infractions. After speaking with the two, officers became suspicious that they were involved in criminal activity. Gutirez was asked if he had any weapons. He said he had a gun in his waistband. He was detained and the handgun was found. A search of his person revealed a quantity of methamphetamine. A search of the car revealed a rifle and 67 grams of methamphetamine along with drug paraphernalia. Co-defendant Griego is currently scheduled for trial starting August 8, 2023. This case was the result of an investigation by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Papillion Man Sentenced to 132 Months for Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jason Stoolman, 51, of Papillion, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for distributing child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Stoolman to 132 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Stoolman will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Stoolman must also pay $18,000 in restitution. On September 20, 2020, Stoolman distributed child pornography online via Kik . Between February of 2021 and April 2021, Stoolman uploaded child pornography to Kik . On March 23, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Stoolman’s Omaha residence. Officers obtained Stoolman’s iPad and located approximately 1,421 files of child pornography involving prepubescent children on it. Stoolman was knowingly in possession of this child pornography. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Former CFO Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $3 Million from Employer

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – An Arizona man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after embezzling more than $3 million from his employer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, David Efrem Katz, 56, was the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Durand and Associates (“D&A”), a property management company that specialized in servicing homeowner associations (“HOAs”). Between 2012 and 2017, Katz embezzled over $3 million from D&A and its client HOAs. Katz worked for D&A from approximately 1998 to 2017, starting as an accountant and eventually becoming CFO. As CFO, Katz had authorization to open credit cards in D&A’s name and use those credit cards for business expenses. However, Katz was not authorized to charge personal expenses to the cards, take out loans on D&A’s behalf without the owner’s approval, or use funds belonging to D&A or its HOA clients to pay his personal expenses. Beginning in at least 2012 and continuing into 2017, Katz embezzled over $3 million from D&A and its HOA clients. Katz, who as CFO of D&A was responsible for payroll, paid himself significantly more than his agreed upon salary. Between 2011 and 2017, Katz paid himself $6,500 every two weeks as a salary despite his base salary never being more than $47,500 annually. Katz also reimbursed himself for personal expenses and business expenses he never actually incurred. Katz paid himself between approximately $6,000 and $10,000 in reimbursements every two weeks. He labeled these payments as miscellaneous earnings and reimbursements, “recovery loans,” bonuses, and commissions. Katz never loaned or invested money in D&A that he was entitled to “recover.” To the extent he earned bonuses and commissions, they were in amounts significantly less than what he paid himself. And although Katz incurred some legitimate business-related expenses, they were in amounts significantly less than what he reimbursed himself. Katz pleaded guilty on June 26, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M Menendez to one count of wire fraud. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs and Matthew S. Ebert are prosecuting the case.


title: Justice Department Launches Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – The Department of Justice announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. “This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.” “These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.” “These additional resources are a significant step toward strengthening our work with our Tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “One of these new MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSAs) will be placed in Minnesota. This position is in addition to four new AUSAs in our office that will focus on advancing public safety and engagement with our Tribal communities across Minnesota. For the first time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota will have a dedicated section to support the needs of our Tribal communities.” The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People , and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. The national program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices across the country to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan. Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys. “The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred,” said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson. “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters. More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system. Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Tulsa Resident Of Involuntary Manslaughter In Indian Country

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that that Danny Gene Kirby, age 65, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. The jury trial began with testimony on June 26, 2023, and concluded on June 28, 2023, with the guilty verdict. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that the defendant caused the death of his passenger while driving a motorcycle under the combined influence of drugs and alcohol. On July 23, 2022, in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, Kirby and a passenger left a bar on Kirby’s motorcycle. A short distance from the bar, Kirby left the roadway while making a turn. He lost control of the motorcycle attempting to re-enter the roadway, throwing his passenger from the bike. Emergency responders life-flighted the victim to a Tulsa hospital, where the victim was pronounced dead the following morning. At the time of the crash, Kirby was under the combined influence of alcohol, marijuana, tramadol, trazodone, amphetamines, citalopram, and oxycodone, and was unable to complete field sobriety tests administered by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper. The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Indian Country, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. The defendant was allowed to remain on bond pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Howanitz and Joshua Satter represented the United States.