title: Leader of Multimillion-Dollar Clinic Scam Resentenced for Health Care and Tax Fraud Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A New York man was resentenced today to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $39 million in restitution for his role in a multimillion-dollar health care kickback and tax avoidance conspiracy, after his previous sentence was vacated. According to court documents, Aleksandr Pikus, 48, of Brooklyn, orchestrated a scheme to refer Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to health care providers at clinics in Brooklyn and Queens in exchange for illegal kickbacks. The health care providers submitted millions of dollars in false and fraudulent claims to the Medicare and Medicaid programs related to these illegally procured beneficiaries. Pikus and his co-conspirators then laundered a substantial portion of the proceeds of these claims through companies they controlled, including by cashing checks at several check-cashing businesses in New York. Pikus failed to report that cash income to the IRS, instead using sham shell companies and fake invoices to conceal the transactions. He used the cash for his personal benefit and to pay kickbacks to patient recruiters who, in turn, paid beneficiaries to receive treatment at the medical clinics. Pikus was convicted at trial in 2019, but his conviction was overturned on appeal. On remand, the district court dismissed the indictment without prejudice. Pikus was reindicted in January 2023 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive and pay health care kickbacks and conspiracy to defraud the United States by obstructing the lawful functions of the IRS in May 2023. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Thomas M. Fattorusso of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New York; and Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. IRS-CI and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Florida Man Charged with Sex Trafficking Multiple Women and Sexually Assaulting a Minor in New York

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: An indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn, New York, today charging a Florida man with sex trafficking multiple women and coercion and enticement of a minor. Joel David Forney, 41, of Kissimmee, was charged with sex trafficking; interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution; and coercion and enticement of a minor. Forney was arrested today and is scheduled to be arraigned this evening in the Middle District of Florida. Forney allegedly trafficked women to work in commercial sex in New York, including at an open-air sex trafficking market along a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn known as the Penn Track, as well as the defendant’s transportation of women from New York to multiple other states, including Connecticut and Missouri, with the intent that they engage in commercial sex for his financial benefit. Forney is also charged with coercion and enticement of a minor. According to the indictment, for years, Forney preyed on vulnerable women in tough financial circumstances by sex trafficking them, violently assaulting them and subjecting them to constant threats of violence. If convicted, Forney faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York and Assistant Director in Charge James Smith of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement. The FBI New York Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Elbert and Antoinette N. Rangel for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Leah Branch of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case. If you are a victim of trafficking — whether by Forney or someone else — and have information to provide, please contact the FBI, which is prepared to help you regardless of your immigration status, at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Escape from Federal Custody

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who escaped from custody in the Gerald R. Hinzman Center pled guilty on April 16, 2024, in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Casey Duhme, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of escape from federal custody. At the plea hearing, Duhme admitted that he was in custody at the Hinzman Center under a federal court order pursuant to his prior conviction for conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Duhme admitted that, between June 12, 2023, and August 31, 2023, he left custody without authorization by failing to return to the Hinzman Center as required. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Duhme remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Duhme faces a possible maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 24-20. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Alyssa Burkett Murder Trial: Jury Convicts Holly Elkins of Orchestrating Killing

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

body_text: A Rowlett woman who helped her fiancé orchestrate the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend was convicted at trial, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Holly Ann Elkins was indicted in June 2023. On Wednesday, after seven days of trial and an hour and a half of deliberation, a jury convicted her of conspiracy to stalk, stalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death, and brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. Her former fiancé, Andrew Beard, previously pleaded guilty to stalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and was sentenced to 43 years in federal prison. “Holly Elkins and Andrew Beard constructed a campaign of terror aimed at Alyssa Ann Burkett, the mother of Mr. Beard’s young daughter. After months of harassment and stalking, this campaign ended in the incredibly violent murder of Alyssa at the hands of Mr. Beard with Ms. Elkins’s full participation and knowledge in the planning and ensuing attempted cover-up. This U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Department of Justice as a whole, are committed to bringing those guilty of such heinous domestic violence to justice. I pray that today’s verdict brings the victim’s family the peace they need to move forward. I know they will never allow Alyssa’s daughter to forget just how much her mother loved her,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. According to evidence presented at trial, Ms. Elkins helped plot the Oct. 2, 2020 murder of 24-year-old Alyssa Ann Burkett, Mr. Beard’s ex-girlfriend, with whom he shared a young daughter. The government argued that Ms. Elkins – who apparently dreamt of a life with Mr. Beard and a mother/ child relationship with his daughter – repeatedly attempted to call into question Ms. Burkett’s fitness as a parent. When that failed, Ms. Elkins goaded Mr. Beard into taking Ms. Burkett’s life, labeling the victim a “c**t” and a “dumb b**ch” and a “garbage s**t mom.” The perpetrators’ relationship began in early April 2020. Later that month, Ms. Elkins spent her first weekend with Mr. Beard and his daughter. By May, the couple were shopping for engagement rings. In June, however, Ms. Elkins grew frustrated at Mr. Beard’s continuing association with Ms. Burkett, writing, “your BM [baby mamma] owns you,” “you continue to put BM first,” “you choose to be idk for lack of a better term submissive to her,” and “I don’t have want or need any bullshit from anyone.” Ms. Elkins began a campaign to harass Ms. Burkett in summer 2020, shortly after Ms. Elkins moved into Mr. Beard’s home. In June, Ms. Elkins and Mr. Beard conspired to place a GPS tracker on Ms. Burkett’s vehicle. A month later, Ms. Elkins placed a call to 911 under the name fake “Amber,” falsely claiming that Ms. Burkett’s car was driving erratically on the interstate. In August 2020, Ms. Elkins falsely reported to police that Ms. Burkett’s mother had attacked her, creating scratches on her own chest to support the lie. Five days later, Ms. Elkins and Mr. Beard paid a private investigator to dig up dirt on Ms. Burkett and her new boyfriend. (The investigator, who testified at trial, found nothing incriminating.) In September, Ms. Elkins helped Mr. Beard plant drugs and a gun in Ms. Burkett’s vehicle; Mr. Beard then placed a call to police under a fake name claiming Ms. Burkett was selling drugs to black men out of her car. Then, on Sept. 10, just three weeks before the murder, Ms. Elkins accompanied Mr. Beard to a sporting goods store, where he purchased a black rainsuit in cash. On Sept. 14, two and a half weeks before the murder, Ms. Elkins purchased dark makeup from a drug store. On Sept. 19, she accompanied Mr. Beard to a big box store, where they purchased .410 shotgun shells and a Camillus knife. One week prior to the murder, Ms. Elkins texted Mr. Beard and said “I hope you handle it.” She requested that he be “ride or die” for her and said if he was not, she is not sure the relationship can continue. Shortly after that text exchange, Google records reflect that Andrew Beard began conducting searches for how to remove gunpowder from his hands. On Oct. 2, 2020, Mr. Beard, dressed in a black rainsuit and disguised as a Black man, shot Ms. Burkett in the head with a shotgun while she sat behind the wheel of her car in her work parking lot. As she staggered out of the car, Mr. Beard grabbed her and stabbed and slashed her 44 times. Her coworkers testified at trial that they found Ms. Burkett covered in blood and gasping for air in front of her office front door. She died as her coworkers tried to render aid to her. During the murder, Ms. Elkins stayed at Beard’s home in Rockwall with Ms. Burkett’s daughter. In an attempt to create an alibi, she later claimed Mr. Beard had been home with her during the crime. At the trial, Ms. Burkett’s new boyfriend testified that he believed Ms. Elkins was the “puppet master” behind the murder. Ms. Elkins now faces up to life in federal prison. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Carrollton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Tromblay, Rick Calvert, and Ryan Niedermair are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle presided over trial.


title: Wilton Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Federal Prison for Operating Art Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICHOLAS P. HATCH, 29, of Wilton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 14 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for selling counterfeit works of art. According to court documents and statements made in court, Hatch was the owner of Hatch Estate Services LLC, an estate sales company based in Norwalk. Between approximately April 2020 and January 2022, Hatch used various websites, including Estatesales.org, a website specializing in estate sales and auctions, to offer for sale purported paintings by the artist Peter Max. Hatch, who knew that the paintings were not authentic Peter Max paintings, used multiple aliases when interacting with purchasers through email during the sale process, and he made various representations as to the paintings’ authenticity, including providing certificates of the works’ authenticity. Through this scheme, Hatch sold 145 fraudulent Peter Max paintings and defrauded 43 purchasers out of a total of $248,600. Judge Nagala ordered Hatch to make full restitution. Hatch was arrested on a criminal complaint on May 9, 2023. On August 7, 2023, he pleaded guilty to mail fraud. Hatch, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on June 17. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Use of Firearm in Drug Crime Amidst Investigation Into Stabbing

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Darnell Lamont Savoy, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, which was revealed during the investigation into an October 2022 stabbing that Savoy committed while he was on release and under indictment for the December 2018 near-murder shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Northeast Washington, D.C. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Savoy pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly to the use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Judge Kelly set a sentencing date for August 2, 2024. Savoy faces at least five years and a maximum of life in prison on the charge. A district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Over the federal government’s written and oral objections, in 2021, Savoy was released from custody while awaiting trial in Superior Court on charges of assault with intent to kill while armed and related offenses stemming from the 2018 shooting. According to court documents, months later, on October 11, 2022, Savoy allegedly stabbed a person during an argument and fled the scene. Investigators tracked Savoy to the 3900 block of Southern Avenue, SE. On the morning of October 21, 2022, MPD officers and FBI agents executed a search warrant at an apartment unit where Savoy was staying with a woman and a 3-year-old child. During the search, law enforcement found a plastic bag containing 4.55 grams of an off-white powder, a digital scale with white powder residue, a red cut straw with white powder residue, and a two-pack of naloxone. The powder and the residues tested positive for fentanyl. In a blue jacket that contained Savoy’s ID and credit card, investigators discovered 27 zip baggies with an off-white powder weighing a total of 7.3 grams, 29 blue pills stamped M30, 16 red zip baggies containing an off-white powder weighing nearly 5 grams, and $473 in U.S. currency. The powders tested positive for fentanyl. In a hall closet, on top of a dryer, officers discovered a loaded, unregistered, semi-automatic Glock 30, loaded with 24 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. DNA testing linked Savoy to the firearm. The fentanyl recovered during the search warrant was found in a common area of the apartment that the three-year-old had access to, which could have led to the death or serious injury of the child. On March 29, 2024, Savoy and two co-defendants pleaded guilty in Superior Court to their roles the December 28, 2018, shooting of a father and son in the Clay Terrace neighborhood. Savoy was driving when his co-defendant fired 30 shots into an SUV in which the father and son were sitting. The boy was shot nine times, including in the head, abdomen, chest, and back. The father sustained gunshot wounds to his leg and hand. Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2024. The federal case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Long and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Hart and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam. The shooting of the boy and his father was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberley Nielsen and Sharon Donovan.


title: Four District Men Charged with PCP Conspiracy and Gun Crimes

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – A 21-count superseding indictment, unsealed today in U.S. District Court, charges four Washington D.C. men — Lamont M. Langston, 43; Jamar Bennett, 44; Norman Morris, 43; and Kelvin Sanker, 42 — with distributing and conspiring to distribute mass amounts of phencyclidine (also known as PCP) in the metropolitan region, and with firearms offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the DEA Washington Division. According to court documents, the defendants organized a drug trafficking organization that packaged and distributed multiple kilograms of PCP in the District of Columbia. Jamar Bennett allegedly sold PCP to undercover officers on numerous occasions in 2023 and 2024. The PCP was supplied by Langston, with assistance from Morris and Sanker. Bennett and Morris are also alleged to have dealt fentanyl in the District of Columbia, with Bennett selling large quantities of fentanyl to an undercover officer. Langston was arrested on February 25, 2024, by MPD officers after fleeing from a police cruiser and discarding a handgun that had been converted into a machinegun with a “giggle switch.” Langston hid from law enforcement in the Watts Branch tributary stream until he was located with help from an MPD helicopter and extracted with an MPD K9. From Langston’s person, coat, and vehicle, law enforcement recovered an AK-style Mini Draco pistol loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition, a water bottle containing an amber liquid that tested positive for PCP, and nearly $10,000 in cash. Langston made his initial appearance in District Court on March 1, 2024. Bennett was arrested March 6, 2024, and made his initial appearance the same day. During a search of his residence, law enforcement recovered a Ruger LC9 handgun. Today, April 17, Morris was arrested in Anne Arundel County and Sanker was arrested in Washington D.C. Morris and Sanker also made their first court appearances today. All four defendants are charged with conspiring to distribute PCP. Langston is also charged with using, carrying, and possessing a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; and with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Bennett is charged with five counts involving the distribution of fentanyl, and nine counts involving distribution of PCP. Morris also faces a fentanyl distribution charge. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The case is being investigated by DEA and FBI. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Roman of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section. An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Federal Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Transporting and Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Stephen Rattley Johnson, 36, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today of transporting and possessing child pornography. The jury verdict, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, on September 21, 2020, and October 1, 2020, Johnson uploaded hundreds of child pornography files to his Google Drive cloud storage account. Google identified 220 of the files as known child pornography and closed Johnson’s account. Consistent with its statutory obligations, Google reported the material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which in turn referred the matter to law enforcement. Investigators obtained the contents of Johnson’s Google account, which included hundreds of child pornography files. Law enforcement arrested Johnson on October 7, 2021, and searched his then-residence in the H Street Corridor of Northeast Washington. Among other evidence, law enforcement seized his cellphone and the laptop Johnson had used to upload the child pornography. Although Johnson deleted the child pornography from his computer after Google closed his account, digital forensics experts were able to recover artifacts showing that Johnson had downloaded many of the files as early as April 2020 and that he had opened and watched them. Many of the files are videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of prepubescent girls. In addition, Johnson’s web browser history showed that he had navigated to child pornography online—including several of the files he later uploaded to Google—and evidence from his cellphone showed that he continued to seek out child pornography even after Google closed his account. The jury found Johnson guilty of five counts of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. On the possession count, the jury further found that the child pornography involved minors under 12 years of age, an aggravating circumstance that doubles the statutory maximum sentence. The Honorable Carl J. Nichols, who presided over the trial, has ordered Johnson detained pending sentencing. Transportation of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison and a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Possession of child pornography involving minors under 12 years of age carries an enhanced maximum term of 20 years in prison. The offenses also carry potential financial penalties, including mandatory restitution for identified victims. The maximum statutory penalties for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only. The sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney and Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Lipes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. The prosecution team received valuable assistance from the High Technology Investigative Unit at CEOS, and all of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Marissa Mondelli and Carolyn Carter-McKinley, former Paralegal Specialist Alexis Spencer-Anderson, Victim–Witness Service Coordinator Tonya Jones, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Janani Iyengar and Jocelyn Bond. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Accused Drug Dealer Charged After Allegedly Possessing 43 Pounds of Blue Fentanyl Pills, $33,000 and Other Illicit Drugs

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a foreign national living in Utah with drug crimes after agents allegedly seized 43 pounds of blue M-30 fentanyl pills and other narcotics. According to court documents, Elder Alberto Ahumada-Castro, 29, of Murray, Utah, was suspected by federal agents of distributing drugs in the Salt Lake Valley. On April 10, 2024, Ahumada-Castro was spotted by agents overnighting at a motel in Murray, Utah. After obtaining a search warrant for Ahumada-Castro’s vehicle and motel room, agents located and seized approximately 2800 blue M-30 fentanyl pills, approximately $33,000, and a larger amount of blue M-30 fentanyl pills that weighed 43 pounds, 4 ounces. The pills field tested positive for properties of fentanyl. Ahumada-Castro was arrested. DEA Prior to Ahumada-Castro’s arrest, court documents allege that on April 3, 2024, he possessed with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine in the District of Utah. Ahumada-Castro is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 22, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Holtan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Launches Carjacking Task Forces in Targeted Areas Across the Country

body_text: The Justice Department announced that 11 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices have now established a carjacking task force to focus efforts and resources on this important public safety threat. “The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, we are launching seven new carjacking task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where available data shows that carjacking rates are now falling. When prosecutors, officers, agents, and analysts come together to crunch data, share intelligence, and apply best practices, we can make real progress in the fight against all forms of violent crime, including carjacking.” In keeping with the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime , the task forces represent a strategic enforcement priority for the Department, focusing federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Building on the initial efforts of and best practices learned from carjacking task forces in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of Columbia, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the following seven districts are announcing the creation of carjacking task forces in their communities: District of Oregon Eastern District of Texas Northern District of Alabama Northern District of California Eastern District of Louisiana Southern District of Mississippi Western District of Washington Carjacking and other violent crime task forces have proven to be an effective part of successful violent crime reduction strategies by focusing on significant crime drivers and taking violent offenders off the streets of our communities. For example, carjackings in Philadelphia declined by 31% from 2022 to 2023, and armed carjackings are down 28% in the District of Columbia this year compared to the same period in 2023. In Chicago, carjackings decreased 29% from a high in 2021 through the end of 2023. The newly formed task forces will be led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), working alongside state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners. At initial kickoff meetings, task force members will come together to institute expedited sharing and prompt action procedures related to car thefts, carjackings, and the recovery of stolen or suspect vehicles — as well as effective evidence gathering and technology exploitation strategies. The task forces will also collaborate on how to use federal sentencing enhancements for cases where adults use juveniles to commit carjackings, as well as work with state and local authorities to ensure the appropriate handling of juvenile suspects. The task forces will also assist state and local officials who wish to seek Justice Department grant funding for juvenile intervention and diversion resources.


title: Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to gun trafficking conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Christian Arroyo Collazo, 28, of New Castle, PA, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to traffic in firearms, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who are handling the case, stated that between July 2022, and March 2023, Collazo transported, or attempted to transport, firearms to the Jamestown, NY, area. These firearms included pistols, AR-style rifles, handguns, revolvers, and high-capacity magazines. Collazo trafficked a total of approximately 40 firearms. Collazo utilized social media to conduct firearm related conversations and effectuate his firearms trafficking activities. During these conversations, Collazo would send photos of firearms to potential buyers. 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 . This case is being prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted, and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, III, New York Field Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Bryan DiGirolamo, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Division, the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Erie, PA, Police Department, under the direction of Chief Daniel Spizarny Sr. Sentencing is scheduled for August 16, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra. # # # #


title: Buffalo man arrested, charged with enticement of minor

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nasif Talukder, 22, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with sexual enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, a 14-year-old girl (minor victim) met Talukder on Teen-Chat.org. Talukder offered her $100 to engage in sexual activity and the two made plans to meet. On the morning of March 30, 2024, an individual who knows the minor victim saw her getting into a vehicle later identified as Talukder’s vehicle. The individual contacted the minor victim’s parent, who then notified the Town of Tonawanda Police Department. A subsequent investigation resulted in Talukder’s arrest. A search of the minor victim’s phone recovered multiple screenshots of the “Teen-Chat.org” conversation between the minor victim and Talukder. Talukder made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on home detention with electronic monitoring. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Road rage driver sentenced to 7+ years in prison for illegally possessing firearms and ammunition

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 42-year-old King County man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 90 months in prison for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Robby Lee Robinson was convicted in October 2023 following a four-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin told Robinson, “You turned a car accident into a dangerous situation for all the people around you on that highway.” “Mr. Robinson grabbed a gun and started shooting at another driver on a busy highway – conduct that could have killed or injured others,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Despite prior convictions for illegally possessing firearms, he continues to get guns and is willing to use them. Then he lies about his conduct to police and on the witness stand. Such conduct merits a lengthy prison term.” According to records filed in the case, just after 10:00 PM on November 8, 2022, a victim called 9-1-1 reporting that he had been involved in an accident and now the other driver was chasing and shooting at him. The incident occurred on the southbound lanes of Highway 18. After about five minutes, the driver was able to get away from the car Robinson was driving and reported to police that it appeared the car had exited the highway. King County Sheriff’s deputies were able to locate the car with the shooter and followed it to Maple Valley where the driver, Robinson, finally stopped the vehicle and surrendered. In the car, police found two firearms, ammunition, and shell casings. At trial, Robinson and his wife claimed the guns belonged to her and that Robinson did not know the guns were in the car. Robinson was alone in the car at the time of the incident. He testified that he felt threatened following the collision, and then described how he chased after the driver and repeatedly fired the gun he found on the floor of the car at the taillights of the other driver. The bullets broke a window on the victim car, and law enforcement recovered bullet fragments in the vehicle. In asking for a nine-year prison sentence, prosecutors highlighted Robinson’s refusal to respect the law, and that he had committed this new crime while on supervised release. “Despite being convicted of this same offense (illegal firearms possession) and serving a 90-month sentence, Robinson was not deterred. He again possessed firearms and ammunition, and he again used them—this time to shoot at a random person driving on the road. The fact that no one was killed was sheer luck. And once again, Robinson sought to subvert the judicial process by committing perjury while testifying at trial and by suborning perjury by seeking to have his wife lie on his behalf to cover up his criminal conduct,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. “Mr. Robinson knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Yet, he turned to a firearm and used it in an act of violence in this case. We will vigorously investigate all those who are prohibited from possessing firearms and yet still do so, especially when they use firearms in violent acts.” “The King County Sheriff’s Office is working tirelessly to remove illegal firearms from our streets,” said King County Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall. “I’m grateful for the continued support we’ve received from the United States Department of Justice and other local law enforcement agencies to hold these individuals accountable for their dangerous actions. Together, we are working to make our communities and our residents safer.” The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives (ATF), the Washington State Patrol, and King County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Rachel Yemini.


title: Two sentenced for trafficking firearms destined for Mexico

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Two people residing in Laredo have been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to sell pistols, rifles and ammunition via social media, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Joccelyn Jasmin Recio, 30, Laredo, and Mexican national Victor Martin Serrano Carrillo, 20, pleaded guilty Sept. 12, 2023, and May 11, 2023, respectively. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now ordered Recio and Carrillo to serve respective sentences of 78 and 63 months. Recio must also serve three years of supervised release, while Carillo, not a U.S. citizen, is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard about Recio’s prior conviction for alien smuggling in 2016. In imposing the sentence, Judge Saldaña noted the drug war in Mexico in which Recio and Carrillo made a choice to become involved and how their involvement in the conspiracy operated as a well-oiled machine that resulted in the sale of an immeasurable number of firearms. “Recio and Carillo potentially put lives at risk for their own personal gain - intending to profit by selling firearms and ammunition to be illegally smuggled out of the United States,” said Hamdani. “We remain vigilant in our efforts to combat this international issue. Try to take guns to Mexico through our district and pay for it with your freedom.” As part of the conspiracy, Carrillo contacted sellers on WhatsApp to purchase firearms for Recio via private sales. Carrillo would then transport Recio and the firearms to the meeting places. Recio would use WhatsApp and other social media messaging to communicate with the buyers and then pay Carrillo a fee for each firearm following the sale. As part of their pleas, both admitted that in February 2023, Recio had delivered a total of six pistols, two rifles and 123 rounds of ammunition along six pistol magazines in exchange for cash. Recio contacted a buyer and sent photos of the various firearms along with the prices for each. The firearms included one loaded AR-15 type rifle. Recio and Carrillo have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, Laredo Police Department, Webb County Sheriff’s Department and Precinct 2 Webb County Constable’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN ) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.


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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ODINE DOMINICK , age 33, of New Orleans, was indicted on March 8, 2024, for violations of the Federal Gun Control and Controlled Substances Acts. The indictment was unsealed on April 15, 2024. DOMINICK is charged in Count 1 of the indictment with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(D). He is charged in Count 2 with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). He is charged in Count 3 with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). As to Count 1, DOMINICK faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release. As to Count 2, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to Count 3, he faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Heroin

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MALCOM JOHNSON , age 41, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2024, before United States District Judge Susie Morgan to violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court records, JOHNSON sold $400 worth of heroin to a DEA confidential source in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. He was charged with violating Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). Judge Morgan set sentencing for July 23, 2024. JOHNSON faces up to 20 years imprisonment a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel.


title: Furniture company employee sentenced to 5 years in prison for embezzling more than $26 million from employer

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Central Ohio man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 60 months in prison for embezzling more than $26 million from his Columbus employer. As part of his sentence, Yi He, 36, of Powell, will pay restitution to his former employer and to the IRS, and he will forfeit a Tesla vehicle. According to court documents, Yi was a long-time and trusted employee of a furniture company that provides furniture to retailers like Wayfair, Overstock, Kohls, Walmart and Ashley. Yi was solely responsible for payroll and payroll tax-related duties for the company. From 2018 until 2022, Yi embezzled money from the company’s bank account into his own personal and financial investment accounts. Yi submitted false and fraudulent bank and financial statements to the company’s leadership to remain undetected. For example, in one wire transfer in February 2022, Yi wired himself $100,000. Yi falsified that month’s bank account statement by removing the transaction entirely. In total, Yi stole $26.5 million from the company. Yi also helped oversee an employee incentive LLC that rewarded company employees with 10 or more years of service. The LLC offered employees a way to earn more and supplement retirement. Yi similarly embezzled from the LLC’s bank accounts. For example, in one wire transfer in April 2022, he paid himself $200,000 by falsely categorizing the transfer as “Rent.” In total, he stole $635,000 from the LLC. Yi failed to accurately report his income to the IRS for tax years 2018 through 2021, causing a total tax loss of approximately $6.8 million. Yi pleaded guilty in August 2023 to committing wire fraud and filing a false tax return. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Karen Wingerd, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Perry County man pleads guilty to federal child exploitation charges

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Junction City, Ohio, man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography. Since 2018, Clay Thomas Wolfe, 28, obtained child pornography from more than 250 victims via the mobile application Snapchat. His plea includes a recommended sentence of 18 to 23 years in prison. Wolfe pretended to be a 15-year-old female on Snapchat and used this persona to solicit child pornography from primarily middle school and high school aged boys. The victims who have been identified thus far reside in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Chillicothe, Ohio, and other various cities in the Southern District of Ohio and across the United States. Wolfe’s Snapchat account also contained sexually explicit photographs and videos of minor males as young as 10 and 11 years old. The investigation was initiated in April 2022, when law enforcement officials in Pennsylvania learned that a sixth-grade student was sharing a nude photograph of a classmate that he received from Wolfe, who was pretending to be a teenage girl. As part of his online persona, Wolfe – acting as the username “Ally” on Snapchat – sent the male victims photos and videos of pubescent female’s naked breasts and genitalia that he found on adult pornography sites or public social media accounts. Wolfe would also extort the victims by threatening to send the nude images of his victims to their friends and family unless they sent him additional images. In total, Wolfe received approximately 850 images and 570 videos depicting child pornography. Wolfe was arrested and charged federally in June 2023. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Parker and Iatarola commended the cooperation of the Perry County Sheriff’s Office and Perry County Prosecutor. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch and are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: International Arms Dealers Charged with Conspiring to Unlawfully Export Weapons and Ammunition from the United States to Sudan and Iraq

body_text: An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Syria national Mohamad Deiry and Lebanese national Samer Rayya, both principals of an Iraq-based arms company, Black Shield Ltd., with conspiring to export munitions from the United States to Sudan and Iraq without the necessary licenses and approvals, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. Additionally, Deiry and Rayya were charged with conspiring to commit money laundering in furtherance of their illicit procurement activities. Both Rayya and Deiry remain at large and wanted by the FBI. The defendants have ties to or may visit Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Russia, Belarus, Sudan and Libya. Concurrent with this announcement, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Black Shield , also known as Black Shield for Trading LLC, Deiry, and Rayya, as well as other individuals and entities involved in the procurement network used by Deiry and Rayya in support of Black Shield’s illegal supply of munitions used in conflicts around the world. “These defendants allegedly ran an international arm trafficking ring and conspired to unlawfully export anti-aircraft ammunition and other military arms and munitions from the United States to Sudan and Iraq, promoting violence and putting Americans and our allies at risk,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These charges exemplify the Justice Department’s commitment to investigating and holding accountable those who defy our U.S. export controls.” “This indictment demonstrates the FBI’s resolve to investigate those who seek to illegally acquire and sell U.S. arms, ultimately fueling conflict around the world,” said Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch Larissa L. Knapp. “Deiry and Rayya’s alleged actions will not be taken lightly, and the FBI will do all within its power to ensure that they are brought to justice. Illegal arms exportation and international money laundering will not be tolerated. ” “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to the prosecution of those individuals and corporations that illicitly procure munitions to be shared overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Our goal is to identify and thwart arms traffickers and money launderers whose criminal acts fuel the destabilization of nations and perpetuation of international conflicts.” According to the indictment, between April and November 2016, Deiry, Rayya and others conspired to export munitions, including 23-millimeter antiaircraft ammunition, Bushmaster 40mm Grenade Launchers, FN SCAR-L CQC (5.56x45mm) assault rifles, FN SCAR-H CQC (7.62x51mm) assault rifles, FNH 5.7x28mm green tip ammunition, and HK MR762A1 LRP ii (7.62x51mm) assault rifles, from the United States to Sudan and Iraq without first obtaining the required licenses or approvals from DDTC. Specifically, the co-conspirators attempted to illegally acquire the munitions from the United States in a deal worth $1,200,000, which was part of a larger scheme to illegally acquire $4 million worth of 23-millimeter ammunition. The conspiracy involved the transshipment of the munitions from the United States to Guatemala and from Guatemala to false end-users in Cyprus before ultimately arriving in Sudan and Iraq. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Black Shield wired a downpayment of $100,000 from a front company located in Benin, West Africa. The conspiracy involved both Black Shield emissaries from India and Belarus, who traveled to the United States to inspect the munitions, as well as Israeli American and Israeli Romanian-Uzbeki brokers, who acted as middlemen between the supplier and end-users. Deiry and Rayya are charged with conspiracy to unlawfully export defense articles from the United States, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison; and conspiracy to engage in international money laundering, which carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Hummel for the Southern District of Florida is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorneys Brendan Geary and Tracy Varghese of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Indictment


title: Owner of Medford Construction Company Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes and Making False Statements

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former Quincy man pleaded guilty last week to a tax fraud scheme that resulted in a tax loss of approximately $2,824,577 and making false statements about a fatal workplace accident. Mauricio Baiense, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, seven counts of failure to collect and pay over taxes, one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and one count of making false statements. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2024. In August 2022, Baiense was indicted by a federal grand jury. Baiense owned and operated Contract Framing Builders, Inc. (CFB), a Medford-based construction business. Baiense was responsible for filing CFB’s quarterly employment tax returns and collecting and paying IRS payroll taxes withheld from the wages of the company’s employees. From approximately 2013 through 2017, Baiense facilitated having approximately $11 million worth of checks drawn on CFB’s corporate bank account to purported subcontractors, which were in fact nominee entities controlled by him. Baiense then cashed or directed others to cash the checks at a check cashing business and used the money to operate an “off-the-books” cash payroll for CFB’s employees. Baiense did not report the cash wages to the IRS and did not pay employment taxes on wages paid to employees in cash. Baiense also assisted in the preparation of at least one fraudulent employment tax return that understated the actual wages paid to CFB’s employees. When questioned under oath at a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration hearing regarding a fatal workplace accident pertaining to an employee of Baiense’s company, Baiense made false statements to a federal investigator - falsely claiming that the deceased employee did not work for him. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of failure to collect and pay over taxes each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of making a false statement provides for a sentence of up to five 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. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stuart M. Goldberg, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division; Galen Blanton, Regional Administrator of the Department of Labor OSHA Region 1; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General in Boston made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security, OSHA Criminal Investigations Team, Region 1; and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit and Trial Attorney Thomas F. Koelbl of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Agreement With Gastonia Hotel To Ensure Access To People With Disabilities

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that federal prosecutors have reached a settlement agreement with the owners of the Express Inn and Suites LLC (Express Inn) in Gastonia, N.C. The agreement requires the owners of the Express Inn to provide access and accommodations to customers with disabilities, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated an investigation following a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice, claiming that the Express Inn violated the ADA by refusing to provide a room to a visually impaired individual based on speculation about the individual’s capabilities. Under federal law, private entities that own or operate “places of public accommodation,” including hotels and other places of lodging, are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of disability. The ADA requires that hotels provide access to individuals with disabilities, and a hotel cannot impose or apply eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out an individual with a disability from full and equal enjoyment of any goods, services, or accommodations. Upon learning of the complaint, the Express Inn cooperated with the investigation and subsequently agreed to remedy its past discriminatory conduct. According to the terms of the agreement, the Express Inn will provide employee training, update its policies, practices, and procedures to comply with the ADA, and provide monetary relief for the impacted individual. “My office is committed to enforcing the ADA and protecting all civil rights in this District,” said U.S. Attorney King, who also leads the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Civil Rights. “People with disabilities have a right to equal access to hotel accommodations and should not be denied lodging on the basis of disability. I want to thank the customer who brought this matter to our attention, and I am pleased that the Express Inn has entered into an agreement that ensures going forward individuals with disabilities will not be denied their rights under federal law.” Individuals who believe they have been victims of discrimination may file an ADA complaint online at https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/ . Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov , or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY). This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Janice Powers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. AUSA Powers also serves as the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil-Civil Rights Coordinator.


title: Level III Sex Offender Convicted on Child Pornography Charges for a Fifth Time

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A level III sex offender is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in July, having been convicted for a fifth time on child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Patrick M. O’Donnell, 63, arrested in July 2023, less than one month after being released from state prison after completing a four-year term of incarceration following his fourth state conviction on child pornography offenses, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court to a charge of possession of child pornography. In this most recent matter, during a sex-offender compliance check conducted on July 6, 2023, O’Donnell was found to be in possession of two cellphones, in violation of the conditions of the terms of his state probation. A forensic review of the cellphones revealed of images of child pornography. O’Donnell is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on July 29, 2024. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court records, O’Donnell was convicted previously in Rhode Island state court on child pornography offenses in 2007, 2011, 2016, and 2020. The case in federal court is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Cranston Police, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole. ###


title: Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Interference with Commerce by Robbery

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Tyler Dunn, age 23, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to interference with commerce by robbery. According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on or about November 17, 2019, four masked and armed men, one of which was Dunn, entered the Dollar General store on 4755 Prescott Drive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The four robbers all brandished handguns. In the store, one robber walked up to a Dollar General cashier and pointed his handgun at them. That robber then jumped over the register and, unlawfully and against the cashier’s will, took money from the safe while directly in the presence of a Dollar General employee. During the robbery, Dunn forced an employee to move from the back of the store to the front while pointing a handgun at her. The robbers obtained approximately $7,000 from Dollar General. On or about November 21, 2019, four robbers, which included Dunn, approached two employees of the Dollar General store located at 6365 Scenic Hwy as they stood outside the front door getting ready to lock the security gate. All robbers were wearing masks and armed with guns. The robbers, brandishing their guns, forced the two employees to open the door and enter the store. One robber ordered an employee to the back of the store while pointing a handgun at him and had the employee turn off an alarm. While in the presence of the robbers, an employee, against her will, removed approximately $1,200 from a safe and provided it to the robbers. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Baton Rouge Police Department with assistance from the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson.


title: Three Individuals Plead Guilty To Trafficking Methamphetamine Through The Orlando Airport

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jevonn Clayton (48, Auburndale), Venus Lott (45, Bartow), and Richardson Sid (40, Winter Haven) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. All three defendants face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled. According to the plea agreement, on August 11, 2022, Clayton agreed to transport suitcases containing methamphetamine from Los Angeles to Orlando on behalf of a drug trafficker. Shortly thereafter, Clayton and the drug trafficker recruited Lott and Sid to travel to California to assist in transporting the suitcases. On August 16, 2022, Clayton, Lott, and Sid departed Los Angeles for Orlando, with five suitcases packed with large amounts of methamphetamine. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation were investigating inbound flights at the Orlando airport. The agents located and searched the suitcases belonging to Clayton, Lott, and Sid and recovered several vacuum-sealed bags that contained over 35 kilograms of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman.


title: Bronx Man Charged With Sexual Exploitation Of A Child And Receipt And Possession Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging WINSTON COLON CORREA with sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. COLON CORREA was arrested this morning and will be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker later today. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Winston Colon Correa repeatedly sought out minor girls — some as young as 12 years old — to engage in sexually explicit conversations and convince them to send pornographic videos of themselves. Colon Correa allegedly knew that his victims were minors, and to earn their trust, he lied to them about his own age. This Office will relentlessly pursue predators who sexually exploit children, whether online or in person.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] Since at least on or about May 28, 2022, COLON CORREA, a 31-year-old male, engaged in sexually explicit text message conversations with numerous minor girls. In the course of these conversations, COLON CORREA induced the production of child pornography, received child pornography, and possessed child pornography, including videos of minor girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement’s review of a cellphone seized from COLON CORREA has revealed the existence of sexually explicit text messages between COLON CORREA and over approximately 15 individuals believed to be minor girls and over approximately 20 files believed to contain child pornography. COLON CORREA engaged in this conduct despite having reason to know and knowing that he was communicating with minors. On multiple occasions, COLON CORREA falsely represented to minor girls that he was only 17 years old. Any individuals with information concerning WINSTON COLON CORREA, or whose child may have had any communications with COLON CORREA, are asked to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov . * * * COLON CORREA, 31, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The minimum and 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 work of the FBI and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department in connection with this investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Kinder is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Former NYPD Officer Pleads Guilty To Distributing Fentanyl And Heroin

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GRACE ROSA BAEZ pled guilty today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and para-fluorofentanyl. BAEZ pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Fentanyl and heroin are driving this nation’s deadly opioid crisis and are responsible for thousands of tragic deaths in this city and around the nation. Rather than protect and serve the people of New York City, former NYPD officer Grace Rosa Baez peddled deadly poison for personal gain. Today, Baez is held accountable for her selfish and reckless betrayal.” According to the filings and statements made in Manhattan federal court: In 2012, BAEZ became an active member of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”). In 2020, due to alleged misconduct, BAEZ was placed on modified duty and was under departmental investigation. On three occasions in October 2023, while on modified desk duty at a particular NYPD facility, BAEZ sold a confidential source working with law enforcement (the “CS”) packages containing over one kilogram of heroin, over 400 grams of fentanyl, and over 100 grams of fentanyl analogue. BAEZ negotiated the price and quantity of the narcotics and arranged to deliver the narcotics to the CS while she was on duty with the NYPD. BAEZ sold the narcotics to the CS outside of her homes in the Bronx and Yonkers, New York. Upon her arrest, BAEZ resigned from the NYPD. * * * BAEZ, 38, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of heroin, fentanyl, and para-fluorofentanyl, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. BAEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Cote on July 18, 2024. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the exceptional investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the NYPD. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda C. Weingarten is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal Prison for Robbery of Personal Property of the United States

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Tarek Sonnier, age 26, a resident of Fresno, Texas, to 90 months in federal prison following his conviction for robbery of personal property of the United States. The Court further sentenced Sonnier to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on October 6, 2021, at approximately 4:00 p.m., the victim postal worker was delivering mail in her capacity as a USPS mail carrier. Sonnier, who had been waiting behind a tree near the rear of the USPS vehicle, crossed the street with a red letter. The victim noticed Sonnier as he crossed the street, looked in his face, and asked him if he had to mail something. When he got close to the victim, Sonnier pepper sprayed the victim and snatched USPS keys from her. The keys included a set of USPS Promaster truck keys and a USPS Arrow Key. Sonnier and his accomplice then fled in a silver Camaro. Surveillance camera footage across the street from the incident captured the robbery. The surveillance footage captured a silver Camaro with distinctive damage to the rear passenger side drive pass by, then a few minutes later an individual, later identified as Sonnier, walk down the street and wait behind a tree near the rear of the USPS vehicle. Sonnier was dressed in a black shirt, and black sweatpants with white stripes halfway down the sides. The surveillance video also captured the robbery. In addition, a witness saw the silver Camaro with distinctive damage to rear passenger side prior to the robbery. Also, footage from several surveillance cameras in the area captured the silver Camaro with damage to the rear passenger side. On October 7, 202l, at approximately 2:30 pm, near 2000 Lobdell Dr., BRPD conducted a lawful traffic stop on a silver Camaro. This silver Camaro had distinctive damage to the rear passenger side. The driver of the vehicle was Sonnier. On October 8. 2021, BRPD executed a search warrant on the Camaro and located notable evidence that included the following: (1) USPS truck keys, (2) black adidas sweatpants with a stripe that goes half-way down the side, (3) stolen U.S. mail, checks, and money orders; numerous checks were from Houston and postmarked from September 202l, but many were also dated October 6, 2021 and from Baton Rouge, and (4) bottles of “Wite Out” and “Heet,” which are both commonly used to alter checks. In addition, on October 7, 2021, the victim selected Sonnier out of a photo lineup as the person that robbed her. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service and Baton Rouge Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Jeremy S. Johnson.


title: Former North Korean Official Indicted on Sanctions Evasion, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, and Money Laundering Charges

body_text: WASHINGTON – An indictment was unsealed today charging a former North Korean official serving in Thailand, Myong Ho Ri, with conspiracy to violate U.S. economic sanctions, bank fraud, and international money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen, and Special Agent in Charge Derek Gordon, with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington D.C. Field Office. According to the indictment, Ri arranged for shipments of goods to North Korea using U.S. dollar wire transfers without receiving a license from the U.S. Treasury Department. Ri is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and 18 counts of international money laundering relating to a scheme to smuggle goods into North Korea from Thailand via Dalian, China. “This defendant allegedly skirted the sanctions put in place to protect our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “He is also alleged to have thwarted U.S. banking laws, so that he could conduct business for North Korea, a foreign government that is determined to unlawfully expand its nuclear program. Working with our partners, we will make every effort to bring to justice the people who put this country at risk, no matter where in the world they operate.” “As alleged, this defendant deliberately circumvented U.S. sanctions by using front companies to deceive American banks as he smuggled goods into North Korea,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will be relentless in pursuing those who violate sanctions and advance North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.” “Today’s announcement exposes a former North Korean official’s efforts to circumvent U.S. sanctions and exploit the U.S. financial system,” said Special Agent in Charge Gordon. “By his actions, Myong Ho Ri, a North Korean official at the time of the suspected activity, not only allegedly committed numerous counts of money laundering but also purportedly conspired with others to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by illegally directing payments through U.S. banks. HSI Washington, D.C. will aggressively pursue criminal charges against those acting on behalf of hostile regimes that threaten the security of the American people. This includes historically hostile nations who attempt to subvert U.S. economic sanctions.” On March 15, 2016, the President issued Executive Order 13,722 to address the Government of North Korea’s continuing pursuit of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. That and subsequent regulations prohibit the export of financial services from the United States or by any U.S. person to North Korea, including the processing of U.S. dollar wires for transactions conducted overseas. According to the indictment, beginning around February 2015, Ri used his position as Third Economic and Commercial Secretary in the Embassy of North Korea in Thailand to negotiate contracts on behalf of a North Korean company to ship goods into North Korea from Thailand, utilizing multiple front companies and co-conspirators in Thailand and Malaysia. Ri and his co-conspirators deliberately concealed the intended destination of the goods from banking institutions located in the United States and directed shipments through Dalian, China in order to obscure the true nature of their business. As a result, U.S. financial institutions unknowingly processed multiple U.S. dollar transactions for the benefit of North Korea. This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigation’s Washington D.C. Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Maeghan Mikorski from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Stephen Marzen and Tracy Varghese of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Valuable assistance was also provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Grady. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Announces That It Will Provide Technical Assistance to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Under COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative

component: Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

body_text: The Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced it will engage with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) through the COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative’s Critical Response program. In conjunction with the National Policing Institute, and at the request of IMPD Chief Christopher Bailey, the COPS Office will conduct an independent review and analysis of data, records, policies, and practices related to officer involved shootings. The review will also examine the department’s policies, procedures, training, and practices to assist the Department as they work to make them more reflective of accepted state and national best and emerging practices. “It takes a real commitment to transparency to engage in these types of reviews,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “This is a significant step for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in their efforts to ensure effective community policing, and we know both the Department and the community will benefit.” “Taking an in-depth look at these areas is always a positive step and can result in real changes,” said Director Hugh T. Clements, Jr. of the COPS Office. “We credit Chief Bailey and the leadership of the department for asking for this assistance.” The Collaborative Reform Initiative encompasses three programs offering expert services to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies: the Collaborative Reform Initiative Technical Assistance Center, Critical Response, and Organizational Assessment programs (complete details of these programs can be found at www.cops.usdoj.gov/collaborativereform ). Managed out of the COPS Office, this continuum of services is designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve; improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness; enhance officer safety and wellness; build agencies’ capacity for organizational learning and self-improvement; and promote community policing practices nationwide. The Critical Response program is designed to provide targeted technical assistance (TA) to state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies experiencing high profile events, major incidents, or sensitive issues of varying need. Critical Response is highly customizable by providing flexible assistance to law enforcement agencies that have recently experienced a critical incident or identified an issue of significant community concern in their department’s operations. The TA generally falls into three categories: (1) immediate delivery of TA to address a pressing and acute need, (2) data analysis, and (3) after-action reviews to understand and learn from law enforcement and public safety responses to critical incidents or issues. The COPS Office is the federal component of the Justice Department responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Justice Department agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served. The COPS Office has been appropriated more than $20 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 138,000 officers.


title: New Jersey Longshoreman Sentenced for Tax Fraud

component: Tax Division

body_text: A New Jersey man was sentenced yesterday to 29 months in prison for evading taxes and not filing income tax returns. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jonathan Michael worked as a crane mechanic in the machine shop at the Port Newark Container Terminal. In 2014, after decades of filing tax returns and paying his taxes, Michael gave his employer a fraudulent IRS Form W-4, Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate, that claimed he was exempt from any federal income tax withholding. From 2014 through 2021, Michael did not file tax returns or pay any tax, even though he earned over $2.5 million in wages. According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Michael’s conduct resulted in a tax loss to the IRS of $656,740. In addition to his prison sentence, Judge Stephanos Bibas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, sitting by designation, ordered Michael to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $378,844 in restitution to the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorney Michael C. Vasiliadis of the Tax Division and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew F. Nikic for the District of New Jersey prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Army Financial Counselor Admits Defrauding Gold Star Families

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, financial counselor with the United States Army and major in the U.S. Army Reserves today admitted defrauding Gold Star families and related crimes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Caz Craffy, aka “Carz Craffey,” 41, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court to the indictment filed against him, which charged six counts of wire fraud and one count each of securities fraud, making false statements in a loan application, committing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and making false statements to a federal agency. “Those who target and steal from the families of fallen American servicemembers will be held accountable for their crimes,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “Nothing can undo the enormous loss that Gold Star families have suffered, but the Justice Department is committed to doing everything in our power to protect them from further harm.” “Caz Craffy admitted today that he brazenly took advantage of his role as an Army financial counselor to prey upon families of our fallen service members, at their most vulnerable moment, using lies and deception. These Gold Star families have laid the dearest sacrifice on the altar of freedom. And they deserve our utmost respect and compassion, as well as some small measure of financial security from a grateful nation. We will use every means at our disposal to ensure that those who defraud our military families are held accountable. Caz Craffy now faces the prospect of years in prison for ripping off these families to line his own pocket." U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Those who prey on the family members of fallen soldiers, will be sought out and held accountable,” Special Agent in Charge Joel Kirch, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Northeast Field Office, said. “The hard work, long hours, and dedication of our partners within the Task Force, from the United States Attorney’s Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and our own investigative analyst, resulted in this investigation’s swift resolution.” “The families of service members who lost their lives while serving their country deserve to be treated with compassion, dignity and respect by individuals entrusted to assist them in obtaining survivor benefits,” said James R. Ives, Principal Deputy Director of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the law enforcement arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General. “Today’s announcement reflects DCIS and our law enforcement partners’ steadfast commitment to holding accountable those who use their official positions to take advantage of grieving military families.” “Gold Star families are given a title no one would choose because it means they’ve paid the ultimate sacrifice for this country,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The soldier, sailor, marine or airman they loved died during a time of conflict – defending this nation. They are given money and assistance to help ease the burden that comes with losing their loved one, but no amount of money can replace what they’ve lost. Craffey took advantage of his position and defrauded families already going through a tremendous amount of suffering. He is being held accountable, and his victims are seeing justice prevail.” “Craffy disgraced his entrusted position to care for our nation’s military families when he allegedly took advantage of them during a vulnerable time of grief,” Homeland Security Investigations Newark acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker said. “No family, especially our Gold Star families, should have to face further heartache after a loved one’s death by having their financial security ripped out from under them by fraudsters.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: When a member of the Armed Services dies during active duty, his or her surviving beneficiary, now a member of a Gold Star family, is entitled to a $100,000 payment and the servicemember’s life insurance of up to $400,000. These payments are disbursed to the beneficiary in a matter of weeks or months following the servicemember’s death. To assist the beneficiaries in this time of need, the military provides a number of services to the servicemember’s family, including the assistance of a financial counselor. From November 2017 to January 2023, Craffy was a civilian employee of the U.S. Army, working as a financial counselor with the Casualty Assistance Office. He was also a major in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he has been enlisted since 2003. Craffy was responsible for providing general financial education to the surviving beneficiaries. He was prohibited from offering any personal opinions regarding the surviving beneficiary’s benefits decisions. Craffy acknowledged that he was not permitted to participate personally in any government matter in which he had an outside financial interest. However, without telling the Army, Craffy simultaneously maintained outside employment with two separate financial investment firms. Craffy used his position as an Army financial counselor to identify and target Gold Star families and other military families. He admitted to encouraging the Gold Star families to invest their survivor benefits in investment accounts that he managed in his outside, private employment. Based upon Craffy’s false representations and omissions, the vast majority of the Gold Star families mistakenly believed that Craffy’s management of their money was done on behalf of and with the Army’s authorization. From May 2018 to November 2022, Craffy obtained more than $9.9 million from Gold Star families to invest in accounts managed by Craffy in his private capacity. Once in control of this money, Craffy repeatedly executed trades, often without the family’s authorization. These unauthorized trades earned Craffy high commissions. During the timeframe of the scheme, the Gold Star family accounts lost more than $3.7 million, while Craffy personally earned more than $1.4 million in commissions, drawn from the family accounts. The wire fraud and securities fraud charges are each punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison. The charge of submitting a false statement on a loan application is punishable by a maximum of two years in prison. The charges of acts affecting a personal interest and false statements to a federal agent are each punishable by five years in prison. All counts but the securities fraud count are also punishable by a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The securities fraud count is punishable by a maximum fine of either $5 million or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 21, 2024. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a pending civil complaint against Craffy based on the same and additional conduct. Craffy has been permanently prohibited from association with any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA). U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kirch; special agents of DCIS, under the direction of Principal Deputy Director Ives; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Walker, with the investigation leading to the indictment. He also expressed appreciation for the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the direction of Gurbir S. Grewal, Director, Division of Enforcement, and FINRA, under the direction of Head of Enforcement Bill St. Louis. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martha K. Nye of the Criminal Division in Trenton, and Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. craffy.indictment.pdf


title: California man admits trafficking more than 12 pounds of meth to Silver Bow County

body_text: MISSOULA — A California man indicted as part of large drug conspiracy that had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel and brought methamphetamine and other drugs to Butte for redistribution admitted to a trafficking crime on Monday after law enforcement seized more than 12 pounds of meth from his vehicle, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Raymond Perez Ramos, 31, of Long Beach, California, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth. Ramos faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for Aug. 14 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. Ramos was released pending further proceedings. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The government alleged in court documents that from about October 2019 to November 2020 in Butte, Ramos and co-defendant, Travis Bridger Soderberg, possessed meth with intent to distribute the drug. Soderberg was previously sentenced to eight years in prison for his conviction in the case. In August 2020, Ramos asked if others had “work” for him and that others told Ramos “work” was indeed available but that he needed to keep quiet about “whatever we got going on.” Agents interpreted “work” to mean transporting meth. In November 2020, Ramos transported 12.5 pounds of meth, which is approximately 5,600 doses, to Montana for re-distribution. When Ramos arrived in Montana, law enforcement seized his vehicle and recovered meth that was hidden inside the door. The multi-agency undercover investigation into a large-scale, Butte-based drug trafficking organization that had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel has resulted in the federal convictions of 22 other persons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan G. Weldon is prosecuting the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation led the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Highway Patrol, the Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement and Butte Silver Bow County Attorney’s Office. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. XXX