component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: WASHINGTON – GCI Communications Corp. (GCI), located in Anchorage, Alaska, has agreed to pay $40,242,546 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly inflating its prices and violating Federal Communications Commission (FCC) competitive bidding regulations in connection with GCI’s participation in the FCC’s Rural Health Care Program. The program provides more than $570 million each year to assist rural health care providers with their telecommunications needs. Under the Rural Health Care Program, the FCC pays a subsidy equal to the difference between the more expensive cost for a telecommunication service in a rural area and the less expensive cost for the same service in an urban area in the same state. FCC regulations also require contracts for these subsidized services be awarded through a competitive bidding process. The United States alleged that, between 2013 and 2020, GCI failed to comply with FCC regulations that governed how telecommunications companies must calculate their prices for purposes of claiming subsidy payments, and as a result GCI received greater subsidy payments than it was entitled to. The United States further alleged that GCI caused Eastern Aleutian Tribes Inc., a rural health care provider in Alaska, to agree to inflated prices after the relevant contract was competitively bid. As a result, GCI knowingly received higher payments under the program, from 2015 through 2018, in connection with its contract with Eastern Aleutian Tribes, Inc. “Telecommunications providers that seek to participate in important FCC programs like the Rural Health Care Program must comply with applicable rules, including those governing how they competitively bid on contracts and set their prices,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to preventing the misuse of taxpayer funds.” “Providing health care services in rural areas, especially to Indigenous people in remote areas of Alaska, is vital and must be protected,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown for the Western District of Washington. “This $40 million settlement should deter other companies from attempting to improperly enrich themselves by overcharging the government for important healthcare-related telecommunications services.” “Compliance with the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program rules is a critical component in making sure that medical providers have access to the types of communications equipment and services needed to enhance medical options and care in rural communities,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan Egal. “This global settlement reflects our strong partnership with the Department of Justice in protecting the USF, and we thank them for their efforts in this particular case.” Contemporaneous with the civil settlement, GCI has agreed to enter into a corporate compliance agreement with the FCC. GCI will also resolve an FCC administrative investigation and an FCC proceeding arising from GCI’s participation in the Rural Health Care Program. The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Robert Taylor, GCI’s former Director of Business Administration. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Taylor v. GCI Liberty, et al. , Case No. 19-cv-2029 (W.D. Wash.). The whistleblower will receive $6.4 million as his share of the recovery. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, with assistance from the FCC’s Office of the Inspector General and the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau. The matter was handled by Trial Attorney David M. Sobotkin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kayla Stahman for the Western District of Washington. gci_settlement_agreement_-_fully_executed_0.pdf The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: An Oklahoma Narcotic Treatment Service Pays $50,000 to Settle Civil Penalty Claims Stemming from Allegations of Recordkeeping Violations

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Southern Oklahoma Treatment Services, Inc., (“SOTS”), paid $50,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from allegations that they violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 and its regulations, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. SOTS is a for profit company incorporated in the State of Oklahoma. It owns and operates Narcotic Treatment Programs in Lawton, Ardmore and Mead, Oklahoma. The United States alleges that from March 9, 2022, to June 9, 2022, SOTS failed to have appropriate destruction procedures and records for the wasting of Methadone, failed to maintain DEA 222 forms at each separate SOTS location related to purchases of Methadone, and failed to have a DEA 222 form for the transfer of Methadone from the SOTS clinic in Ardmore to the clinic in Lawton. It is also alleged that the SOTS clinic in Ardmore did not have a current Power of Attorney on file for the Program Sponsor. To resolve these allegations, SOTS agreed to pay $50,000 to the United States. In reaching this settlement, SOTS did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald R. Gallegos and Amanda R. Johnson prosecuted the case.


title: South Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms

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

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A Bainbridge, Georgia, resident with a criminal history pleaded guilty to illegally possessing multiple firearms after he was arrested on gun charges during an on-going death investigation. Derius Raoule Green, 32, of Bainbridge, Georgia, pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon today before U.S. District Judge Leslie A. Gardner. Green faces a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is expected to occur within 90 days. There is no parole in the federal system. “The safety of our citizens is at risk when violent, repeat offenders pick up a gun,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “In collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to use every resource available to make our communities more secure." “Convicted felons cannot possess guns and will face serious consequences for having them,” said Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “Today’s guilty plea ensures that Derius Green is removed from the community for a long time, where he will not be able to harm others.” According to court documents, Decatur County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) deputies found a deceased male with two gunshot wounds on Aug. 30. 2021, and that the victim may have been in a recent feud with Green. Green was wanted on three outstanding warrants. Deputies executed a search warrant at Green’s Bainbridge property, finding a shotgun, a .22 caliber rifle and ammunition. On Sept. 2, 2021, Green was located and taken into custody in Port Saint Joe, Florida. Green told officers that the gun-shot victim owed him money for an AR-15 rifle. Green is not facing criminal charges in that local investigation. Green has prior felony convictions to include interference with government property and reckless conduct and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute in Decatur County, Georgia, Superior Court. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. The case was investigated by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the case for the government.


title: Owners & Operators Of Mid-State Restaurants Plead Guilty In Scheme To Harbor Undocumented Workers

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – Five persons charged last year in an undocumented worker harboring scheme connected to eight mid-state restaurants, have pleaded guilty, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski. In plea hearings concluded this week, Zhongzhi “Tommy” Zhuo, 46, Jianping “Alan” Zhuo, 37, both of Hendersonville, Tenn., and Jianhua “Jason” Zhuo, 35, of Gallatin, Tenn., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to harbor aliens; conspiracy to commit money laundering; and conspiracy to defraud the United States by failure to collect and pay employment taxes to the IRS. Zhongzhi Zhuo also pleaded guilty to two counts of harboring aliens, and failure to pay employment taxes. Lili Wu, 32, of Gallatin, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by failure to collect and pay employment taxes to the IRS. Xiaofen “Joyce” Zhuo, 38, of Hendersonville, pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to defraud the United States by failure to collect and pay employment taxes to the IRS. “These defendants profited by exploiting and concealing the existence of vulnerable people,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jaworski. “I commend our law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts to bring them to justice and to remove individuals from circumstances in which they were exploited.” According to records filed with the Court, the defendants participated in a scheme to harbor persons who were in the United States illegally, by providing a means of financial support through employment at the restaurants and providing them with housing and transportation. The scheme also involved paying undocumented workers in cash to avoid paying employment taxes and to conceal the ongoing fraud. The restaurants identified in the indictment include the Fuji Japanese Steakhouse, with locations in Hendersonville, Goodlettsville, and Whitehouse, Tenn.; Bonfire Mongolian Grill, with locations in Hendersonville, Clarksville, Mount Juliet, and Spring Hill, Tenn.; and the Koi Japanese Steakhouse in Gallatin, Tenn. Some of the restaurants are under new ownership. These guilty pleas follow a nine-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in July 2022, after which all defendants were arrested by federal agents. The defendants also agreed to forfeit residences that were used to facilitate violations of these crimes and funds derived from the commission of these crimes. As a result, defendants agreed to forfeit nine bank accounts totaling approximately $412,209.14; U.S. currency totaling $434,400.24; and the properties at 138 Huntington Place, Hendersonville, Tenn.; 1119 Peninsula, Gallatin, Tenn.; 232 Trey Court, Clarksville, Tenn.; and 1050 Bradford Park Road, Mount Juliet, Tenn. The United States also alleged that this scheme caused a tax loss to the IRS of $1,259,348 and will be seeking restitution. “These employers exploited a vulnerable population and defrauded the government for their own profit. The guilty pleas are a prime example of the successful outcome when local, state, and federal partners collaborate to protect workers and American businesses,” said Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, HSI Nashville. “Through its investigations into exploitative employers, HSI protects the U.S. labor market, workplace conditions, and the dignity of individual workers, who are often taken advantage of through dangerous work conditions, underpayment, and using those noncitizens as a business model to maximize profits.” “Unscrupulous businesses who willfully skirt their tax and legal workforce obligations must be held to account,” said IRS CI Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins. “Employers who deliberately deflect these obligations undermine what is owed to the U.S. government in payroll taxes and other fees, in addition to creating an unfair economic advantage over law-abiding business owners who play by the rules.” The defendants face between five and 20 years in prison when they are sentenced later this year. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigation; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; and the Hendersonville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Levine is prosecuting the case. # # # # #


title: Congressman George Santos Charged with Fraud, Money Laundering, Theft of Public Funds, and False Statements

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – A 13-count indictment was unsealed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging George Anthony Devolder Santos, better known as “George Santos,” a United States Congressman representing the Third District of New York, with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds, and two counts of making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. The indictment was returned yesterday under seal by a federal grand jury sitting in Central Islip, New York. Santos was arrested this morning and will be arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Anne T. Donnelly, District Attorney, Nassau County, announced the charges. “This indictment seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Taken together, the allegations in the indictment charge Santos with relying on repeated dishonesty and deception to ascend to the halls of Congress and enrich himself. He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives. My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively root out corruption and self-dealing from our community’s public institutions and hold public officials accountable to the constituents who elected them.” “The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is committed to rooting out fraud and corruption, especially when committed by our elected officials,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As alleged, Santos engaged in criminal conduct intended to deceive and defraud the American public. As this indictment reflects, the Department of Justice will hold accountable anyone who engages in such criminality.” “As today's enforcement action demonstrates, the FBI remains committed to holding all equally accountable under the law. As we allege, Congressman Santos committed federal crimes, and he will now be forced to face the consequences of his actions. I would like to commend the diligent efforts of the investigative and prosecutorial teams in this matter,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “At the height of the pandemic in 2020, George Santos allegedly applied for and received unemployment benefits while he was employed and running for Congress,” stated District Attorney Donnelly. “As charged in the indictment, the defendant’s alleged behavior continued during his second run for Congress when he pocketed campaign contributions and used that money to pay down personal debts and buy designer clothing. This indictment is the result of a lengthy collaboration between law enforcement agencies, and I thank our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their dedication to rooting out public corruption.” Mr. Peace also thanked the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL), and the Queens County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance. As alleged in the indictment, Santos, who was elected to Congress last November and sworn in as the U.S. Representative for New York’s Third Congressional District on January 7, 2023, engaged in multiple fraudulent schemes. Fraudulent Political Contribution Solicitation Scheme Beginning in September 2022, during his successful campaign for Congress, Santos operated a limited liability company (Company #1) through which he allegedly defrauded prospective political supporters. Santos enlisted a Queens-based political consultant (Person #1) to communicate with prospective donors on Santos’s behalf. Santos allegedly directed Person #1 to falsely tell donors that, among other things, their money would be used to help elect Santos to the House, including by purchasing television advertisements. In reliance on these false statements, two donors (Contributor #1 and Contributor #2) each transferred $25,000 to Company #1’s bank account, which Santos controlled. As alleged in the indictment, shortly after the funds were received into Company #1’s bank account, the money was transferred into Santos’s personal bank accounts—in one instance laundered through two of Santos’s personal accounts. Santos allegedly then used much of that money for personal expenses. Among other things, Santos allegedly used the funds to make personal purchases (including of designer clothing), to withdraw cash, to discharge personal debts, and to transfer money to his associates. Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme Beginning in approximately February 2020, Santos was employed as a Regional Director of a Florida-based investment firm (Investment Firm #1), where he earned an annual salary of approximately $120,000. By late-March 2020, in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States, new legislation was signed into law that provided additional federal funding to assist out-of-work Americans during the pandemic. In mid-June 2020, although he was employed and was not eligible for unemployment benefits, Santos applied for government assistance through the New York State Department of Labor, allegedly claiming falsely to have been unemployed since March 2020. From that point until April 2021—when Santos was working and receiving a salary on a near-continuous basis and during his unsuccessful run for Congress—he falsely affirmed each week that he was eligible for unemployment benefits when he was not. As a result, Santos allegedly fraudulently received more than $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits. False Statements to the House of Representatives Finally, the indictment describes Santos’s alleged efforts to mislead the House of Representatives and the public about his financial condition in connection with each of his two Congressional campaigns. Santos, like all candidates for the House, had a legal duty to file with the Clerk of the House of Representatives a Financial Disclosure Statement (House Disclosures) before each election. In each of his House Disclosures, Santos was personally required to give a full and complete accounting of his assets, income, and liabilities, among other things. He certified that his House Disclosures were true, complete, and correct. In May 2020, in connection with his first campaign for election to the House, Santos filed two House Disclosures in which he allegedly falsely certified that, during the reporting period, his only earned income consisted of salary, commission, and bonuses totaling $55,000 from another company (Company #2), and that the only compensation exceeding $5,000 he received from a single source was an unspecified commission bonus from Company #2. In actuality, Santos allegedly overstated the income he received from Company #2 and altogether failed to disclose the salary he received from Investment Firm #1. In September 2022, in connection with his second campaign for election to the House, Santos filed another House Disclosure, in which he allegedly overstated his income and assets. In this House Disclosure, he falsely certified that during the reporting period: He had earned $750,000 in salary from the Devolder Organization LLC, a Florida‑based entity of which Santos was the sole beneficial owner; He had received between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000 in dividends from the Devolder Organization LLC; He had a checking account with deposits of between $100,001 and $250,000; and He had a savings account with deposits of between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000. As alleged in the indictment, these assertions were false: Santos had not received from the Devolder Organization LLC the reported amounts of salary or dividends and did not maintain checking or savings accounts with deposits in the reported amounts. Further, Santos allegedly failed to disclose that, in 2021, he received approximately $28,000 in income from Investment Firm #1 and more than $20,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the NYS DOL. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, Santos faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the top counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Integrity Section, the Long Island Criminal Division, and the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan Harris, Anthony Bagnuola, and Laura Zuckerwise, along with Trial Attorneys Jolee Porter and Jacob Steiner, are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Rachel Friedman. Senior Litigation Counsel Victor R. Salgado of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section provided substantial contributions to the prosecution. The Defendant : GEORGE ANTHONY DEVOLDER SANTOS Age: 34 Washington, District of Columbia E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-197


title: Bowling Green Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, returned an indictment on March 15, 2023, charging a Bowling Green felon with illegally possessing a firearm. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Michael Delaney of the Bowling Green Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment, on February 5, 2023, Kaylin Maxie, 28, possessed a Sig Sauer P365 Nitron, nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, after having been convicted of the following offenses. On April 12, 2021, in Warren Circuit Court, Maxie was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On August 27, 2019, in Warren Circuit Court, Maxie was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree. Maxie had a detention hearing before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of Kentucky this week and he was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Maxie faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Bowling Green Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: South Bend Man Convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

body_text: SOUTH BEND –Late yesterday, Leontis Cornelius, 43 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty after a 2-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGuilio, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. The jury returned a verdict of guilty against Cornelius on two counts of the Superseding Indictment for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. This trial was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome W. McKeever and Katelan McKenzie Doyle. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Dangerous pursuit and crash results in smuggling charges

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 22-year-old man has been arrested for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Authorities took Luis Ruiz-Valadez into federal custody today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Juan F. Alanis at 9 a.m. The criminal complaint alleges on April 18, authorities observed several subjects breach the border wall near Hidalgo and run to a nearby parking lot. There, Ruiz-Valadez was allegedly waiting in a red Ford F-150 pick-up truck. According to the charges, Ruiz-Valadez fled the scene at a high rate of speed and failed to yield when law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop for speeding. Throughout the high-speed pursuit, they observed three subjects laying in the bed of the truck, according to the complaint. Ruiz-Valadez allegedly crashed into a cement barricade on Expressway 83 and was taken into custody. If convicted, Ruiz-Valadez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Larrabee Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Charges

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty on May 9, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City. Carl Thompson, 52, from Larrabee, Iowa, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Thompson admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than three pounds of methamphetamine from December 2019 through May 2022. Thompson admitted assisting at least six others in obtaining the methamphetamine from sources in California and Nevada and transporting it back to Cherokee, Iowa, for further distribution. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Thompson was taken into custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Thompson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, United States Postal Inspectors, Homeland Security Investigations, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and Cherokee Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4066. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Union County Man Charged with Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was arrested and charged with distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Sean Lynch, 21, of Summit, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of distribution of child pornography. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond, with home detention and electronic monitoring. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From Nov. 9, 2022, through Nov. 14, 2022, Lynch allegedly used an instant messaging mobile application to distribute to other individuals 72 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jose J. Riera, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Montclair State University Police Department, under the direction of Interim Chief Kieran Barrett, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Fell of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. lynch.complaint.pdf


title: Essex County Man Convicted of Being Member of Newark Drug Trafficking Organization Responsible for the Distribution of Over One Kilogram of Heroin

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey man was convicted today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Selling announced. Furad Loyal, 41, of Newark, was convicted at trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court on three counts of the indictment against him: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was acquitted on one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: Loyal was a heroin supplier and a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in and around Hayes Street and 14th Avenue in the area of the New Community Corporation community development (NCC) in Newark. In addition to selling narcotics in and around NCC, the members shared narcotics supply, narcotics proceeds, and customers. On Nov. 21, 2017, Loyal was found inside the apartment of an NCC resident where he was stashing his heroin, his firearm, and over $11,000 in cash. From March to August 2018, Loyal and 27 other members of the DTO were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine base; Loyal also was charged with firearms offenses. The other 27 defendants have all since pleaded guilty to crimes in connection with their roles in the DTO. The heroin trafficking conspiracy count on which Loyal was convicted carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. The drug distribution and possession with intent to distribute count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $1 million fine. The firearm count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Loyal’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 26, 2023. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, and members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Fritz Fragé, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty verdict. He also thanked the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, the New Jersey Department of Corrections, New Jersey State Parole, and the U.S. Marshals for their assistance. Loyal and the NCC drug trafficking organization were part of the original Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around the Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is comprised of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA’s New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine K. Lou and Christopher D. Amore of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.


title: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Speak at Alternative Treatment Court Inaugural Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, May 11, 2023

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will be a featured speaker at the Southern District of West Virginia’s Alternative Treatment Court inaugural graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 11 a.m. The Alternative Treatment Court (ATC) is a collaborative partnership between the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Probation Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Public Defender’s Office, and various community-based treatment providers and organizations. The ATC is a pre-plea, pre-sentence alternative to conviction or imprisonment for certain individuals charged with federal crimes. ATC provides a blend of treatment that focuses on drug and mental health treatment, and alternative sanctions to effectively address offender behavior, rehabilitation, and education and jobs skills training. Media cameras will be allowed in the courtroom during the ceremony. All media must present government-issued photo identification (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials. Media must have cameras set by 10:45 a.m. WHAT: Alternative Treatment Court (ATC) Graduation WHEN: Thursday, May 11, 2023, at 11 a.m. WHERE: Ceremonial Courtroom, 7th Floor, Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. ###


title: Atlanta drug trafficking organization has been successfully dismantled

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Esteban Niere has been sentenced for conspiring to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. Niere was a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in southwest Atlanta that was successfully disrupted following a federal, state, and local law enforcement investigation. “This group of drug traffickers targeted vulnerable communities in our district for distributing illegal narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Through the diligent efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we dismantled the organization’s distribution chain and prosecuted the suppliers. This case demonstrates our commitment to removing dangerous drugs from our streets as well as the dealers who peddle them.” “The DEA is committed to deploying resources to combat and interrupt the dangerous drug trafficking organizations that have set up business in the Atlanta area,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “We will continue to work aggressively to hold accountable those who are trafficking dangerous drugs.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2019, DEA special agents identified a prolific drug trafficker, Kevin Clark, who coordinated multiple narcotics transactions in and around his residence in southwest Atlanta. Through an investigation that followed, law enforcement was able to disrupt and eventually dismantle a drug trafficking organization comprising Clark’s sources-of-supply, including Esteban Niere, Alejandro Elias-Miranda, and Eduardo Gutierrez, and mid-level traffickers, including Christopher Jones, Christopher Allen, and Tierre Freeman. Law enforcement also seized multiple vehicles, firearms, cash, and jewelry, which were used in the commission, or purchased with the proceeds, of the offenses. Each of the following defendants in the case pleaded guilty to the charge of drug trafficking conspiracy and received the following sentences imposed by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown: Kevin Clark, 46, of Atlanta, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of seven years, three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Esteban Niere, a/k/a “Perfecto Neri-Diaz,” 50, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Eduardo Gutierrez, a/k/a “Santos Campos-Rios,” 43, of Morelia, Mexico, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of sentence of six years, eight months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Christopher Jones, 42, of Norcross, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of 15 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Tierre Freeman, a/k/a “Tierre Ford,” 46, of Stockbridge, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Christopher Allen, 48, of Austell, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of two years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Lamon Brown, 50, of Jonesboro, Georgia, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of two years, seven months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Alejandro Elias-Miranda, 37, of Toluca, Mexico, entered a guilty plea to the drug trafficking conspiracy and received a sentence of six years, eight months in prison, to be followed by eight years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol, Atlanta Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, Henry County Police Department, Douglasville Police Department, Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office, Cartersville Police Department, Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, Covington Police Department, Troup County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: New York Woman Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New York woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking five kilograms of fentanyl from New York City. Shanese DeJesus, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In September 2022, DeJesus pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more fentanyl. In October 2021, DeJesus drove from the New York City area to a hotel parking lot in Andover to deliver approximately five kilograms of fentanyl to a cooperating source. Upon arriving in the parking lot, DeJesus retrieved a shopping bag from her trunk and entered the source’s vehicle. Inside the shopping bag were two UPS boxes that were addressed to DeJesus’ home in Brooklyn, N.Y. and contained a total of five kilograms of fentanyl. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Colonel Nathan Noyes, Director of the New Hampshire State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.


title: New Bedford Man Sentenced for Evading More Than $400,000 in Federal Income Taxes

body_text: BOSTON – A New Bedford man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for evading more than $431,000 in federal income taxes over the course of seven years. Victor M. Cruz, 43, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to time served (10 months in prison) followed by one year of supervised release. Cruz was also ordered to pay $431,835 in restitution to IRS. On Feb. 12, 2023, Cruz pleaded guilty to three counts of tax evasion. From 2015 through 2017, while earning between $183,000 and $212,000 in annual wages as a crewmember for various fishing vessels, Cruz failed to file federal tax returns on his income for any of the years. In addition, Cruz had previously failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2010 through 2014 while receiving an annual income of at least $150,000. Despite receiving at least two notices from the Internal Revenue Service directing him to file returns and pay delinquent taxes, Cruz failed to file any federal tax returns and took other measures to prevent authorities from tracing his income or determining his tax liabilities. In total, Cruz evaded paying more than $431,000 in federal taxes, not including delinquency penalties and interest. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Providence Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Providence man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl across Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Yeury Francisco Garcia-Rodriguez, 32, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Aug. 8, 2023. Garcia-Rodriguez was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022. According to court documents, Garcia-Rodriguez was a member of a drug trafficking organization operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island before he was arrested. Specifically, on four occasions between March 2021 and May 2021, Garcia-Rodriguez delivered fentanyl to a federal co-operating source – with quantities ranging between approximately 49 grams to 127 grams of fentanyl. During a search of Garcia-Rodriguez’s residence on July 19, 2022, approximately 35 grams of fentanyl was recovered. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Bloomington Man Found Guilty After Federal Trial for Downloading and Possessing Videos and Images Depicting Child Sexual Abuse

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has found James Lee Willis, 40, of Bloomington, Indiana, guilty of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, in January 2018, law enforcement officers first became aware of Willis’s online activity when an IP address that later traced to his house showed downloads of videos and images that depicted minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Some files depicted very graphic material of minors under 10 years old being sexually abused and raped by adult men. In February 2018, law enforcement officers searched Willis’s Bloomington residence and found electronic devices containing evidence that Willis had searched for and downloaded child sexual abuse material over the internet. The digital forensic evidence from the devices again demonstrated Willis’s interest in videos and images of minors as young as 10 years old being sexually abused, including evidence of when Willis downloaded the material and evidence of when he watched it on the devices. In all, the evidence showed that on dates in January and February 2018, Willis downloaded and watched dozens of files from the internet that contained videos and images of child sexual exploitation. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a partnership of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies led by the Indiana State Police. The Task Force is dedicated to investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children and the trafficking of child sexual abuse material. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina M. Korobov and Adam Eakman, who prosecuted this case. U.S. District Court Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson presided over the trial and will sentence Willis at a later date. Willis faces a prison sentence of a minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years, for each of the 5 charges related to his downloading activity, and from 0 to 20 years for the charge relating to his possession of the material. Willis also faces a period of supervision of 5 years, up to life, following his release from prison, and he must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school. Actual sentences are determined by a federal district court judge and are typically less than the maximum penalties. If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood 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. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc ###


title: Missouri Man Admits Unemployment Insurance, Home Depot Frauds

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Ste. Genevieve County pleaded guilty to federal charges Tuesday and admitted schemes to defraud both Home Depot and Missouri’s unemployment insurance program. Arthur Grass, 36, also admitted being a felon caught with a firearm. Grass pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of conspiracy to steal money from the United States (unemployment benefits) and one count of wire fraud. Grass admitted filing false unemployment claims for about 10 people beginning in May of 2020. Grass falsely claimed that they had been laid off from his construction company, AJE Construction. Grass cashed out the unemployment benefits, which had been placed on debit cards, and kicked some money back to the “workers,” who had voluntarily provided him their personal information to use in the scheme. In all, the scheme reaped $142,423, including supplemental COVID-19 pandemic unemployment benefits. Grass also admitted defrauding Home Depot on multiple occasions by filling a cart with boxes of vinyl flooring and then adding an inexpensive item on top. He would pay for the inexpensive item and claim that he’d paid for the flooring online, showing a fraudulent receipt. Charging documents say he stole about 468 boxes of flooring that way from Home Depot stores in St. Louis and St. Louis County from Jan. 5, 2023 through Feb. 6, 2023. Each box was priced at about $75 or more. He then sold them on Facebook. Finally, on March 31, 2022, St. Charles County police who were investigating catalytic converter thefts found Grass’ Jeep in a storage lot, with Grass inside. He was arrested and police later found a stolen Glock 9mm pistol in a toolbox in the Jeep. Grass is a convicted felon and barred from possessing a firearm. “Arthur Grass engaged in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme targeting the Missouri Department of Labor, Division of Employment Security. Grass conspired to submit fraudulent UI claims in the names of other individuals, diverting vital taxpayer resources away from those in dire need of unemployment benefits. Today’s guilty plea affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to pursuing UI fraud. We are grateful for our partnerships with the Missouri Department of Labor and our many law enforcement partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent in Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Grass faces up to 10 years in prison for the gun charge, up to 20 years for the wire fraud charge and up to five years for the stealing charge, as well as the possibility of a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge. He will also be ordered to repay the money. The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Charles County Police Department, the Missouri Department of Labor, the Arnold Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and Home Depot Retail Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware is prosecuting the case.


title: Leader Of Newburgh Street Gang Admits To 2016 Murder

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ARDAE HINES, a/k/a “Young Money,” a/k/a “YM,” pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering and distribution of narcotics in connection with his involvement in the August 1, 2016, murder of Deandric Little in Newburgh, New York. As part of his guilty plea, HINES admitted that he knowingly and intentionally agreed to kill Little and that Little died as a result. HINES pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On August 1, 2016, Ardae Hines, a leader of the violent Southside street gang in Newburgh, directed a juvenile gang member to murder Deandric Little in what is considered to be Southside’s territory. Today’s guilty plea, which comes nearly six years after Hines was initially arrested on federal racketeering charges shows that we will continue to vigorously pursue justice for as long as it takes and hold accountable those who commit acts of violence in our communities. I commend the tenacity of our law enforcement partners, who worked tirelessly to investigate Deandric Little’s murder.” According to the allegations in the Superseding Information and other documents filed in federal court as well as statements made in public court proceedings: From at least 2014 through June 2017, HINES was a member of the Southside Gang, a criminal enterprise centered in and around the intersection of South Street and Chambers Street in an area of Newburgh known as the “Southside.” In order to enrich the members of the enterprise; preserve and protect the power, territory, and profits of the enterprise; and to keep victims and potential victims in fear of the enterprise, Southside members and associates committed, conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts involving murder, assault, robbery, and other acts of violence; possessed and used firearms; distributed controlled substances, including crack cocaine and heroin; and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter and punish potential witnesses to their crimes. On or about August 1, 2016, as part of his membership in Southside, ARDAE HINES orchestrated the murder of Deandric Little in Newburgh. During the course of an argument with Little on South Street, the heart of Southside territory, HINES instructed a juvenile member of Southside to murder Little. The juvenile shot Little, and Little died of his injuries soon thereafter. * * * ARDAE HINES, 34, of Newburgh, New York, pled guilty to narcotics trafficking, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. HINES will be sentenced before Judge Seibel later this year. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force and the City of Newburgh Police Department. Mr. Williams thanked the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for its invaluable ongoing assistance in the case. Mr. Williams also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the New York State Police, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Town of New Windsor Police Department, and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for their assistance in the case. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Keenan, Jacqueline Kelly, and Samuel Raymond are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Brockton Man Arrested for Passport Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A Brockton man has been arrested in connection for allegedly lying that his United States passport had been lost in order to secure a replacement to enter the country, when actually it had been confiscated by prosecuting courts in Cabo Verde following his arrest for murder. Johnny Barros Brandao, 40, was charged with one count of passport fraud. Following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson, Brandao was detained pending a hearing set for May 12, 2023. According to the charging documents, on March 27, 2014, in Cabo Verde, Brandao shot an individual in the head using a .45 caliber revolver, took one million and five hundred thousand Cape Verdean Escudo and then dumped the victim’s body on the side of a road. It is further alleged that on July 26, 2021, Brandao shot and killed another individual using a 9mm caliber firearm and threw the victim’s body over a cliff. Brandao was arrested in Cabo Verde on these charges. On Dec. 12, 2022, after a period of pretrial detention, Brandao was released subject to supervision. The Cabo Verde court also ordered that Brandao not depart Cabo Verde – confiscating his Cabo Verdean national ID card as well as his United States and Cabo Verde passports. According to the charging documents, on Dec. 28, 2022, Brandao applied for a replacement United States passport at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. In the section of the form that directs the applicant to explain how his prior passport was lost or stolen, it is alleged that Brandao reported he had lost his passport while out to dinner on Dec. 25, 2022. The charge of passport fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of Rollins’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Chelsea Man Indicted for Fentanyl Trafficking and Unlawful Reentry into the United States

body_text: BOSTON – A Chelsea man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with selling five kilograms of fentanyl to an undercover agent after unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Luis Alberto German-Peguero, a/k/a “Alberto Chirry,” 32, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien. Peguero was previously charged by complaint and arrested by federal authorities on April 14, 2023. He has been in federal custody since his arrest and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, German-Peguero is a citizen of the Dominican Republic and, in November 2020, was removed from the United States following a state drug trafficking conviction out of Plymouth Superior Court, for which he served more than one year in prison. It is alleged that, sometime after his removal, German-Peguero unlawfully reentered the United States. On March 22, 2023, German-Peguero allegedly sold five kilograms of fentanyl to an undercover agent in Peabody. German-Peguero was subsequently arrested in Newton on April 14, 2023 and determined to be unlawfully present in the United States. The charges of conspiracy and distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl after committing a prior serious drug felony provide for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of Rollins’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Indianapolis Man Sentenced to Twelve years in Federal Prison After Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fleeing Police

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Jackie Dale Smith, 47, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on May 19, 2021, Drug Enforcement Administration agents watched Jackie Dale Smith supply 219 grams of methamphetamine to an individual for $2,500 out of his vehicle. Shortly afterwards, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Smith in the area of East Washington Street and Sherman Drive. Smith failed to stop and fled from law enforcement. During the pursuit, officers watched Smith throw approximately 40 grams of pure methamphetamine out of his car window, which was later recovered scattered on the street, the entrance of a gas station, and on the sidewalk. Ten minutes after the pursuit was called off for safety reasons, agents found Smith’s vehicle parked at a nearby residence. A search of the vehicle found methamphetamine scattered throughout the front and passenger sides, along with a broken plastic baggie that had drug residue in it. Drug lab tests found that the total amount of methamphetamine in the car was approximately 26 grams. Just fifteen minutes after locating the vehicle, IMPD officers found and arrested Smith. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Randal Taylor, Chief of IMPD made the announcement. “Methamphetamine and other controlled substances are killing far too many Hoosiers and have devastating impacts on users, their loved ones, and our communities,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “I commend the efforts of the DEA and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department to make our communities safer by getting meth and meth dealers off our streets.” The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with valuable assistance provided by IMPD. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Judge Barker also ordered that Dale Smith be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 6 years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jayson McGrath, who prosecuted this case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Rosebud Man Sentenced for Assault

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on May 8, 2023. Daymon Oliver, 41, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Oliver was indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury in September of 2022. He pleaded guilty on February 6, 2023. On the evening of July 19, 2022, Oliver and the victim were consuming alcohol at their residence in Mission, South Dakota. Also present in the home were their two children. The victim fell asleep in their daughter’s room but awoke in the early morning hours to use the restroom. Oliver was also awake, and an argument ensued. The altercation became physical, and Oliver struck the victim in the face at least four times. The assault ended when their daughter intervened. The victim suffered a broken jaw that required surgical repair. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case. Oliver was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Pine Ridge Man Sentenced for Drug Distribution

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance to an Individual Under 21 Years of Age, was sentenced on May 1, 2023, by Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court. Charles Richards, Jr., age 53, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Richards was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury, and pleaded guilty in February of 2023. The conviction stems from Richards distributing controlled substances to children under 21 years of age between June and July of 2019. The case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Heather Sazama prosecuted the case. Richards was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Kansas Man Sentenced for Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lawrence, Kansas, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on May 8, 2023. Preston Yankton, 36, was sentenced to time served of approximately 15 months in custody, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Yankton was indicted for Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer by a federal grand jury in December of 2021. He pleaded guilty on February 6, 2023. In the early morning hours of November 7, 2021, Yankton was booked into the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Corrections Facility and engaged in destructive, unsanitary behavior while in a cell. Corrections staff determined Yankton should be placed in a restraint chair. Yankton was non-compliant with initial commands that were given through the door and corrections staff entered Yankton’s cell. Yankton remained non-compliant with the commands and became combative. During the struggle, Yankton swung a closed fist and struck one of the corrections officers in the nose. Yankton swung again and struck another corrections officer in the jaw area. Neither corrections officer sustained serious injuries from the assault. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case. Yankton was released to begin his term of supervised release in Kansas.


title: A Mexican Citizen Previously Convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct   Arrested for Being in the United States Unlawfully

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A citizen of Mexico, who had been convicted of Criminal Sexual Conduct and was previously removed from the United States, was recently arrested on a criminal complaint by U.S. Border Patrol Agents for unlawfully being in the United States, announced United State Attorney Dawn N. Ison. This case is the latest example of 26 individuals prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office this year who were illegally in the United States, most of whom had previously been convicted of serious criminal offenses. Ison was joined in the announcement by Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley, United States Border Patrol, Detroit Sector. Arrested was Pedro Zarate-Banos, age 49. Zarate appeared in federal court in Detroit yesterday and has a detention hearing scheduled for May 10. According to court records, Border Patrol agents from the Detroit station received information that Zarate-Banos was illegally present in the United States. After further investigation, they discovered that Zarate-Banos was previously removed from the United States as an aggravated felon. Agents located Banos and conducted a vehicle stop in Macomb, Michigan. After a brief interview, Zarate-Banos admitted to being illegally present in the United States. Zarate-Banos was convicted on December 2, 2002, in 22nd Circuit Court in Ann Arbor, of 3rd Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, and was formally removed from the United States on September 20, 2005. “Our office is dedicated to enforcing our immigration laws prohibiting deported non-citizens, particularly those who commit serious felony offenses, from re-entering the United States without first seeking prior authority and approval,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. ““I’m proud of our agents’ hard work and investigative skills that led to this arrest. Their actions have made our community safer,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley, U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector. Since January 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has prosecuted 26 individuals unlawfully in the United States, most of whom have prior criminal convictions for violent crimes, drug trafficking, weapons offenses, drunk driving, or theft/larceny offenses. Most of these defendants have previously been removed from the United States by immigration authorities multiple times. Some of these cases include: United States v. Bullard Alfred Bullard, age 40, a citizen of the Bahamas, was convicted in February 2023 of being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm. Bullard had been arrested by Detroit police officers after federal agents conducting surveillance observed him firing a gun into the air. Bullard admitted to firing the gun in order to frighten away unknown cars traveling in his neighborhood. Bullard has pleaded guilty in federal court and is awaiting sentencing. United States v. Pena-Moreno Nolbed Y. Pena-Moreno, age 25, a citizen of Honduras, was arrested by Detroit police officers in March 2023 after he fired a .40 caliber pistol in a Detroit neighborhood. Pena-Moreno was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2023 for being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm. This case is set for trial on May 23, 2023. United States v. Al-Hakiem Vires Al-Hakiem, age 43, is a native of Iraq and citizen the Netherlands, who was unlawfully in the United States. In June 2021, he sent a text message containing a video to his then spouse threatening her with a gun. A subsequent search of Al-Hakiem’s bedroom found six firearms and over 2,600 rounds of ammunition. Al-Hakiem has prior criminal arrests for Assault and Battery, Domestic Violence, Drug Possession, Malicious Destruction of Property, and Larceny. In January 2023, Al-Hakiem pleaded guilty in federal court to being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on May 31, 2023. United States v. Chilel-Lopez Bairon Chilel-Lopez, age 24, is citizen of Guatemala, who was arrested in 2021 by the Detroit police after he shot a female victim in an alley in southwest Detroit, and he pushed her from the vehicle. Chilel-Lopez was charged in state court with Assault with Intent to Do Great Bodily Harm and firearms offenses. Those charges remain pending. Chilel-Lopez was unlawfully in the United States and had been removed on multiple occasions. He also has prior convictions for immigration offenses and driving while intoxicated. Chilel-Lopez was sentenced in federal court on January 5, 2023, to 57 months in prison for illegal re-entry into the United States and for being an unlawful alien in possession of a firearm. United States v. Garcia-Zecena Cesar Augusto Garcia-Zecena, age 32, is a citizen of Guatemala who had illegally entered the United States multiple times and had been removed from the country on three prior occasions. In 2022, Garcia-Zecena was convicted in state court of assault with a dangerous weapon after he attempted to rape an Ann Arbor woman. On May 9, 2023, Garcia-Zecena pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful re-entry after removal, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29, 2023. United States v. Solis-Pena Emilio Solis-Pena, age 47, is a citizen of Mexico, who had six prior removals from the United States and a lengthy criminal record. His prior convictions included a 2007 conviction in Texas for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and for conspiracy to launder money, for which he received a sentence of 87 months. In 2019, Solis-Pena was convicted in Michigan of delivery/manufacture of 1000 grams or more of controlled substances, and he was sentenced to 7 to 40 years. On May 4, 2023, Solis-Pena was indicted in federal court for the crime of unlawful re-entry into the United States. A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.


title: Honduran citizen latest to admit selling thousands of fraudulent temporary Texas license plates

body_text: HOUSTON – A 41-year-old woman who illegally resided in Houston has admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Leidy Areli Hernandez Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiring with others residing in the Southern District of Texas and elsewhere to buying and selling thousands of fraudulent Texas-issued temporary buyer tags. None of the paper tags issued were for legitimate vehicle purchases and some were for cars outside of Texas. Lopez and co-conspirators used the internet to buy and sell the fraudulent state-issued buyer tags and exchange proceeds from the illegal tag sales. As part of her plea, Lopez acknowledged she and her co-conspirators communicated through email to send and deliver fraudulent buyer tags to purchasers all over the United States, including New York and Washington, D.C. She also admitted her co-conspirators submitted falsified information to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain a fraudulent used car dealer license in order to print and sell state-issued buyer tags and shared the fraud proceeds via electronic payment services such as Cash App and Zelle. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. accepted the plea and will impose sentencing Oct. 2. At that time, Lopez faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Lopez was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. Emmanuel Padilla Reyes aka Christian Hernandez Bonilla or Noel Rivera is still a fugitive. The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone providing information that directly leads to his arrest. Those with information about the fugitive’s location should call 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance of Travis County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and New York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Adam Goldman are prosecuting the case.


title: Meth trafficking sends Missoula man to prison for more than five years

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community after law enforcement seized approximately seven pounds of the drug that were associated with him was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. James Allyn Batterton, 25, pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The government alleged in court documents that in February 2022, law enforcement executed multiple state search warrants in Missoula and Beaverhead counties and seized approximately seven pounds of meth from two U.S. Postal Service boxes bound for addresses associated with Batterton. Officers also seized additional meth and firearms from multiple homes and vehicles belonging to Batterton. The government further alleged that Batterton imported meth into Montana through the U.S. Postal Service and resold it in Western Montana. Batterton is believed to have distributed nearly 30 pounds of the drug. Thirty pounds of meth is the equivalent of 108,720 doses. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Missoula High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. 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. XXX


title: Former U.S. Department Of The Army Employee Indicted For Theft Of Government Property

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO, Nev. – A former U.S. Department of the Army employee made his initial appearance in court Monday for allegedly stealing over $800,000.00 in government property. Tamilo Pale Fe’a, also known as “T,” 60, of Sparks, Nevada, is charged with theft of government property and access device fraud. United States Magistrate Judge Carla Baldwin scheduled a jury trial to begin June 6, 2023, before United States District Judge Anne Traum. According to allegations made in the indictment, from a time unknown but no earlier than November 1, 2021, and continuing through approximately December 31, 2021, Fe’a stole military heavy equipment, including vehicles, semi-trailers, generator trailers, flatbed trailers, refrigerator trailers, armored office trailers, tractors, and box vans from the Hawthorne Army Weapons Depot in Hawthorne, Nevada. The total value of the stolen property was over $800,000.00. From September 2020 to August 2021, Fe’a made about 69 transactions with a fuel fleet credit card for his personal benefit at various gas stations in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. If convicted, Fe’a faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for theft of government property and a maximum of 15 years in prison for access device fraud. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada made the announcement. The U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division; and General Services Administration—Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Randolph J. St. Clair is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Religious Land Use Case Involving Faith-Based Group that Feeds Homeless in Orange County

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – The Justice Department has filed a statement of interest in a federal lawsuit explaining that the act of distributing food and drinks to people who are homeless by Micah’s Way, a faith-based organization in Santa Ana that helps people in need, could be religious exercise under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). The statement of interest was filed Tuesday afternoon in Micah’s Way v. the City of Santa Ana , a lawsuit alleging that the City of Santa Ana imposed a substantial burden on Micah’s Way’s religious exercise. At issue is the city’s denial of an occupancy certificate to Micah’s Way on the grounds that it was providing food and drinks to people who are homeless in violation of the city’s zoning ordinance. According to its complaint, Micah’s Way has a religious duty to help people in need, including by providing food and drink to someone who is hungry. After denying the occupancy certificate, the city informed Micah’s Way that it could not feed people who are homeless at its resource center under any circumstances and that if it continued to do so, Micah’s Way would be subject to fines and potential criminal prosecution. The city filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, arguing, in part, that providing food and drinks to people who are homeless is not religious exercise and that its denial of an occupancy certificate did not substantially burden Micah’s Way’s religious exercise. The Justice Department’s statement of interest argues that feeding people who are homeless may be religious exercise protected by RLUIPA, and that the city’s denial of an occupancy certificate and complete prohibition on feeding people who are homeless may have imposed a substantial burden on Micah’s Way’s religious exercise, in violation of RLUIPA. “The free exercise of religion is a bedrock principle of our nation,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Religious groups should be entitled to exercise their religion by providing charitable services based in their religious beliefs. Our office firmly opposes actions that block religious groups from carrying out their spiritual mission to help others in need.” “Discriminatory barriers and land use restrictions against faith-based organizations is unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Many faith-based organizations across the country are on the front lines serving the needs of people experiencing homelessness. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing federal civil rights laws to ensure that all religious groups can freely exercise their religious beliefs.” Assistant United States Attorney Matthew E. Nickell of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section and attorneys from Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division worked on the statement of interest. RLUIPA is a federal law that protects religious institutions from unduly burdensome or discriminatory land use regulations. In June 2018, the Justice Department announced its Place to Worship Initiative, which focuses on RLUIPA’s provisions that protect the rights of houses of worship and other religious institutions to worship on their land. More information is available at www.justice.gov/crt/placetoworship . Individuals in the seven counties of the Central District of California may file a complaint asserting civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office by completing and submitting this form ( English ) ( Spanish ) by email to USACAC.CV-CivilRights@usdoj.gov .


title: Former President of Massachusetts State Police Union and Former Lobbyist Sentenced to Prison for RICO, Fraud, Obstruction and Tax Charges

body_text: UPDATE: On June 2, 2025, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Dana Pullman's three wire fraud convictions and affirmed the other convictions. The case was remanded for resentencing. UPDATE: On June 2, 2025, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Anne Lynch's convictions for three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of tax fraud and affirmed the other convictions. The case was remanded for resentencing. BOSTON – The former President of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) and the union’s former Massachusetts lobbyist were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and tax crimes. Dana A. Pullman, 60, of Worcester, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release and restitution. Anne M. Lynch, 71, of Hull, was sentenced by Judge Woodlock to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and restitution. Lynch was also ordered to pay a fine of $25,000. In November 2022, Pullman and Lynch were convicted by a federal jury of one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of honest services wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Pullman was also convicted of two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. Lynch was convicted of an additional count of obstruction of justice and four counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. “Members of law enforcement have a duty to protect and serve – placing the needs of the community and others first. Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch’s actions violate these very obligations. The racketeering organization that these two individuals ran deprived hard working union members of honest services and defrauded vendors seeking to do business with the Massachusetts State Police. For six years, Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch used the State Police Association of Massachusetts as a criminal enterprise for their own personal financial benefit,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Mr. Pullman was elected to represent the members of his union and put their interests above everything else. He violated that trust when he and Ms. Lynch chose to pursue their own greedy and unlawful financial gain. Today’s sentences illustrate the criminality of both Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch’s conduct. My office will continue to ensure that those who put their own self interest above those they are bound to serve are held accountable. Trusting our law enforcement partners is imperative for public health and safety.” “Former Massachusetts State Police Trooper and union boss Dana Pullman failed his department, his sworn oath, and taxpayers when he and lobbyist Anne Lynch joined forces to line their pockets with thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. Today’s sentences demonstrate that no one is above the law, and highlights the FBI’s ongoing efforts to preserve public confidence in law enforcement,” said Joseph Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Dana Pullman and Anne Lynch conspired to enrich themselves on the backs of the brave law enforcement professionals who placed their trust in them. For nearly a decade, through a series of bribes and kickbacks, these defendants took advantage of their access and completely disregarded their responsibility to serve honestly and fairly. Today’s sentences affirm that this conduct will not be tolerated or go unpunished,” said Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. SPAM is an association consisting of more than 1,500 Troopers and Sergeants from the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). SPAM acts as the exclusive bargaining agent between its members and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the terms and conditions of SPAM members’ employment. Pullman, who was an MSP trooper from 1987 to 2018, was the President of SPAM from 2012 until his resignation on Sept. 28, 2018. Lynch’s lobbying firm represented SPAM during the same time period, in exchange for monthly retainer payments. From at least 2012 until Pullman resigned as the President in September 2018, Pullman and Lynch turned SPAM into a racketeering enterprise, using Pullman’s position and power to defraud SPAM members, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and vendors looking to do business with the MSP. Among other things, Pullman and Lynch defrauded SPAM members and the Commonwealth of their right to honest services from Pullman when Lynch paid Pullman a $20,000 kickback in connection with a settlement agreement between SPAM and the Commonwealth. Pullman and Lynch defrauded two different companies that sought to do business with the MSP by hiding from the vendors the fact that Lynch was paying Pullman to direct vendors to use Lynch’s services. The defendants hid the payments from Lynch and her lobbying firm to Pullman in a manner designed to avoid reporting and paying taxes on that income to the IRS. Pullman and Lynch also attempted to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation of this matter by manipulating subpoenaed records, and Lynch attempted to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation by lying to investigators. Additionally, Pullman embezzled and misused SPAM funds for personal use by using a debit card tied to a SPAM bank account to pay for thousands of dollars of meals and travel for an individual with whom Pullman was having a romantic relationship. U.S. Attorney Rollins, FBI SAC Bonavolonta and IRS SAC Simpson made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican National Admits Illegally Reentering U.S.

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOSE GUADALUPE CASTILLO LARA, also known as Jose Castillo, Jose Latta, Francisco Rodriguez, and Jose Ruiz, 41, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford federal court to illegally reentering the United States after being deported. According to court documents, Castillo previously was deported from the U.S. to Mexico in April 2009 following a felony conviction in Texas for assault. He reentered the U.S. shortly thereafter and was encountered by law enforcement in Texas. On July 13, 2009, he was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for violating the terms of his probation from his assault conviction. He was again removed to Mexico in June 2010. On November 17, 2018, Castillo was arrested by Stamford Police. On March 6, 2019, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging him with reentry of a removed alien. On March 7, 2019, Castillo was convicted in state court of disorderly conduct related to his November 2018 arrest, and he was released from state custody. He remained at large until March 17, 2023, when he was apprehended in Massachusetts. Judge Shea scheduled sentencing for August 3, 2023, at which time Castillo faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Casey.


title: Pawtucket Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Crack Cocaine While on Supervised Release

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

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man, who was previously convicted on federal crack cocaine drug trafficking and firearm charges and incarcerated, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for again trafficking crack cocaine while on federal supervised release, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Estefano J. Lobo, 31, who since 2010 has been convicted of felony crimes on eight separate occasions, admitted to a ninth felony before a federal judge. Lobo admitted that, in March 2022, less than a year after leaving federal prison to begin serving a three-year term of federal supervised release, he sold and delivered crack cocaine to another individual and had been dealing crack cocaine for several months. According to information presented to the court, during an investigation into Lobo’s renewed drug trafficking activity, and while under law enforcement surveillance, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and Pawtucket Police Department detectives witnessed Lobo make a hand-to-hand crack cocaine delivery to another person. At the time of his arrest, Lobo was found to be in possession of 1.35 grams of crack cocaine and $580 in cash. A court-authorized search of Lobo’s residence resulted in the seizure of 98.45 grams of crack cocaine, $7,652 in cash, and, among other items, tools associated with processing cocaine powder into cocaine base. Lobo pleaded guilty to his most recent charges in federal court on October 4, 2022, to possessing cocaine base with intent to distribute and possessing cocaine with intent to distribute; he was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to a term of 60 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah. ###