title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Lawrence L. Piersol has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on August 12, 2024. Southy Thepmontry, age 69, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Thepmontry also forfeited the cell phone used to commit the crime and must register as a sex offender once he is released from federal prison. Thepmontry was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 22, 2024. The conviction stemmed from an incident on March 21, 2024, when Thepmontry used his cell phone to attempt to coerce an undercover agent posing as a 15-year-old female to engage in sexual activity. His conversation occurred on Facebook over the course of ten days. Thepmontry offered to pay the 15-year-old girl money in exchange for sex and was arrested at the meeting location where he possessed his cell phone and cash he withdrew from an ATM on his way. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by HSI and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case. Thepmontry was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison on Firearm Charge

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on August 8, 2024. Christian Lorenzo Witt, age 31, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Witt was indicted by a federal grand jury in May of 2023 for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. He pleaded guilty on May 8, 2024. On March 18, 2023, Rapid City police officers were involved in a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Witt. Officers learned Witt had an active warrant and he was arrested. Officers recovered a loaded Glock pistol along with a 30-round magazine under the driver seat of the vehicle that belonged to Witt. Witt is prohibited from possession of a firearm as a result of several felony convictions. As part of his sentence, Witt forfeited the Glock firearm and ammunition. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Patterson prosecuted the case. Witt was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty to Nine Counts of Fraud and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Thomaston, Conn. man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with a scheme to obtain bank loans and money for projects in Saudi Arabia. Hanibal Tayeh, 63, pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment with two counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering and one count of making a false bankruptcy declaration. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Dec. 19, 2024. Tayeh was originally charged and arrested in July 2018. In 2013 and 2014, Tayeh used fake documents and misrepresentations to obtain a $9.1 million loan package and later a $400,000 extension of credit from a bank. A number of the fake documents and misrepresentations pertained to a business venture Tayeh claimed to be pursuing in Saudi Arabia. Further, he financially defrauded an individual by making misrepresentations related to construction projects he claimed to be pursuing in Saudi Arabia. Tayeh then laundered the proceeds of his fraud schemes through payments made to third parties for his personal obligations. Additionally, Tayeh made a false statement during a bankruptcy proceeding when he denied knowledge of a fake letter of credit that he created. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of false bankruptcy declaration provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Morgan of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Clearwater Man Sentenced To 10 Years For Coercing And Enticing A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Caleb Belanger (25, Clearwater) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Belanger to pay $3,000 in restitution and forfeit an iPhone and iPad, which were used to commit the offenses. Belanger entered a guilty plea on March 26, 2024. According to court documents, Belanger enticed approximately 30 minor females, all between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, to take sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and send the images to him via a mobile application, in exchange for money, vapes, and alcohol. He also offered money in exchange for sex and other sexual acts. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Belanger’s home and seized his iPhone and iPad. A search of those devices revealed that Belanger possessed 1,209 images and 111 videos of child sexual abuse material. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Ross Roberts. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Pleads Guilty to Charges of Conspiracy to Obtain and Disclose National Defense Information, Export Control Violations and Bribery

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NASHVILLE – Korbein Schultz, a U.S. Army soldier and intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty today to all charges against him in the indictment returned by a federal grand jury in March 2024 charging him with conspiracy to obtain and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense articles without a license, conspiracy to export defense articles without a license, and bribery of a public official, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “This defendant sold national defense information to a foreign actor and conspired to corrupt other members of our military,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “In doing so, he violated his training and his oath as a member of the armed services and he compromised our national security. Today’s guilty plea to all of the charges in the indictment ensures that he will be held fully accountable for his crimes.” “The defendant abused his access to restricted government systems to sell sensitive military information to a person he knew to be a foreign national,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “By conspiring to transmit national defense information to a person living outside the United States, this defendant callously put our national security at risk to cash in on the trust our military placed in him. Today’s guilty plea is a stark reminder that those who would betray their sworn oath for personal gain will be identified and brought to justice.” “The defendant has admitted guilt in a case that should send a strong message to any U.S. service members thinking about betraying their country,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The U.S. is governed by the rule of law and when persons, placed in a position of trust violate that trust, the FBI and our partners will hold them accountable. Governments like China are aggressively targeting our military personnel and national security information and we will do everything in our power to ensure that information is safeguarded from hostile foreign governments.” “This Soldier swore an oath to faithfully discharge his duties, to include protecting national defense information. Not only did he fail in his sworn duty, but he placed personal gain above his duty to our country and disclosed information that could give advantage to a foreign nation, putting his fellow Soldiers in jeopardy,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “Army Counterintelligence Command, with our partners at the FBI, Department of Justice, and the greater intelligence community, will ruthlessly pursue those who commit acts such as these. Let this case serve as a warning: if any member of the Army, past or present, is asked for classified or sensitive information, they should report it to the appropriate authorities within 24 hours or be held fully accountable for their inaction.” According to charging and plea documents, Schultz – an enlisted intelligence analyst in the United States Army who held a Top Secret//Sensitive Compartmented Information (“TS//SCI”) security clearance – conspired with an individual who lived in Hong Kong and who Schultz suspected of being associated with the Chinese Government (“Conspirator A”) to collect national defense information, including classified information and export-controlled technical data related to U.S. military weapons systems, and to transmit that information to Conspirator A in exchange for money. Schultz entered into this conspiracy even though, as part of his official duties in the Army, he was required (1) to protect national defense information, classified information, and controlled unclassified information (“CUI”); (2) to train other members of his unit on the proper handling, storage, and dissemination of classified information and information marked CUI; and (3) to report suspicious incidents, including attempts by anyone without authorization to receive classified or sensitive information about U.S. military operations, organizations, equipment, or personnel. During the conspiracy, Conspirator A told Schultz the specific information that Conspirator A wanted Schultz to gather and send to him, including sensitive information related to missile defense and mobile artillery systems. Before he was arrested, Schultz sent Conspirator A dozens of sensitive and restricted (but unclassified) U.S. military documents regarding a variety of U.S. military weapons systems and U.S. military tactics and strategy, including documents containing export-controlled technical data. Among the items that Schultz collected and transmitted to Conspirator A were: (1) a document discussing the lessons learned by the United States Army from the Ukraine/Russia war that it would apply in a defense of Taiwan; (2) an operations order outlining the deployment of the defendant’s unit to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations; (3) an Air Force Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (“AFTTP”) document relating to the HH-60 helicopter, which included a banner warning that the document contained technical data subject to export controls; (4) an AFTTP manual relating to the F-22A fighter aircraft, which included a banner warning that the document contained technical data subject to export controls; (5) an AFTTP manual relating to the operation of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems, which included a banner warning that the document contained technical data subject to export controls; (6) a publication related to the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft; (7) a document describing modifications of the B-52 aircraft; (8) documents describing tactics to counter unmanned aircraft systems and the use of unmanned aircraft systems in large-scale combat operations; (9) documents relating to Chinese military tactics, the Chinese military’s preparedness, and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force; (10) documents relating to rocket, missile, and artillery weapons systems, including the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (“HIMARS”) and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (“THAAD”) missile defense system; (11) documents relating to military exercises and U.S. military forces in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines; and (12) a document relating to U.S. military satellites. In exchange for all of this information, Schultz was paid approximately $42,000 by Conspirator A. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2025. Schultz faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to obtain and transmit national defense information; 20 years in prison for exporting technical data related to defense articles to the People’s Republic of China without a license; 20 years in prison for conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations ("ITAR"); and 15 years in prison for bribery of a public official. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Hillsborough County Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Receiving And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Darnell Credit (51, Tampa) to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Credit to pay $21,000 in restitution and forfeit a computer, two thumb drives, and an external hard drive, which were used to commit the offenses. Credit entered a guilty plea on February 15, 2024. According to court documents, in November 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant at Credit’s home and seized several of his electronic devices. A forensic search of those devices revealed more than 1,000 photos and over 100 videos of child sexual abuse material, including images depicting sadistic conduct, toddlers, and bestiality. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Ross Roberts. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense, Admits Violating Supervised Release

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL SZWARC, 36, of Derby, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to a child exploitation offense, and admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction. According to court documents and statements made in court, Szwarc was convicted in 2013 in state court of possession of child pornography in the second degree, and in 2022 in federal court of receipt of child pornography. In January 2024, while Szwarc was on federal supervised release, his federal probation officer conducted an unannounced visit to his home and discovered Szwarc in possession of an unauthorized laptop. The probation officer seized the laptop. A subsequent forensic examination of the device revealed multiple images of child pornography. The investigation revealed that Szwarc used the dark web to access websites used to traffic and distribute child pornography. Szwarc pleaded guilty to and accessing with intent to view child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Szwarc’s prior federal and state convictions for possessing child pornography. Szwarc has been detained since his arrest on February 9, 2024. A sentencing date is not scheduled. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to more than 7 years in Prison for Possession and Intent to Distribute Meth and Fentanyl

body_text: AKRON, Ohio - Dion Dejournett, 29, of Akron, was sentenced to 90 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and one count of possession of firearms to further the crime of drug trafficking. Dejournett was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following release from prison and will also forfeit drug-related assets including four pistols, a semi-automatic rifle and more than $6,000. According to court documents, in June 2023, the Akron Police Department (APD) executed a search warrant at Dejournett’s apartment. Methamphetamine and fentanyl were recovered throughout the master bedroom, hidden in a closet, drawers, and under the bed, including fentanyl in plain sight on top of a dresser. Packaging materials, cutting agents, and a digital scale were also recovered. Numerous firearms, including several pistols and a semi-automatic rifle, were found at his residence and confiscated. APD later found additional fentanyl on Dejournett following his arrest. Laboratory testing confirmed that police seized a total of 116.39 grams of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl and 1,460.51 of mixtures and substances containing methamphetamine. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Akron Police Department and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfe r for the Northern District of Ohio. If you have information about the drug-related manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances, submit an anonymous tip at dea.gov/submit-tip.


title: Madison Felon Sentenced for Possessing Five Firearms in Appleton

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 9, 2024, Edlando M. Watson (Age: 41) of Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of five firearms. According to court records, Watson transported five firearms from his home in Madison to a storage facility in Appleton, Wisconsin. Watson is prohibited under state and federal law from ever possessing a firearm based on his 2012 federal conviction for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. At his sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense, Watson’s poor prior record, and the need to protect the public. He further noted a strong need to deter Watson and other prohibited persons from possessing firearms. After serving his 65-month term of imprisonment, Watson will spend three years on supervised. This case was investigated by the Madison Police Department with the assistance of the Appleton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. ### For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Green Bay Man Sentenced to 60 Months’ Imprisonment for Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 13, 2024, Bryan S. Peterson (Age: 46) of Green Bay, Wisconsin, a former high school football coach and Oneida Tribal Court Bailiff, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment for distributing sexually explicit images of minors online. According to court records, in early 2024, investigators identified an online account, later determined to be used by Peterson, which had received and distributed child pornography. On February 21, 2024, federal agents executed a search warrant at Peterson’s residence and recovered numerous electronic devices containing sexualized conversations concerning children and images depicting child pornography. At the sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of the offense and a strong need to deter Peterson and others who might engage in similar crimes. After serving his five-year term of imprisonment, Peterson will spend seven years on supervised release and will be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s investigatory offices in Monterey, California, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. ### For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of First-Degree Murder While Armed with a Firearm of 22-Year-Old in Southeast Washington D.C.

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury found Bernard Matthews, 45, of Washington, D.C., guilty of first-degree murder while armed, for shooting and killing Diamonte Green in February 2021 in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Matthews was also found guilty of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a license. The verdict was returned on August 12, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2024. Matthews faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison. According to the government’s evidence, around mid-afternoon, on February 16, 2021, Matthews walked several blocks and sought out the victim, 22-year-old Diamonte Green, who was threatening the defendant’s son via Instagram. The defendant shot the unarmed victim eight times inside an apartment building entry way at 33 rd and C Street SE, D.C., killing him. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Coronado and Kathleen Gibbons.


title: Methamphetamine Found in Car Leads to Federal  Conviction of Shreveport Man

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – James Edward Knighten, Jr. , 35, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced today on drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Knighten to 96 months (8 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. On or about May 15, 2023, near Southern Avenue in Shreveport, a Louisiana State Police trooper conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle for having a switched license plate. Knighten was the driver and sole occupant of the car. The trooper determined that Knighten had an outstanding warrant, and he placed him under arrest. A K-9 and his handler came on scene to conduct an open-air sniff around the vehicle. After the K-9 positively alerted to the presence of narcotics, troopers searched the car. Among the items recovered inside the vehicle were 100 orange tablets. The tablets were submitted to the crime lab for analysis, the results of which confirmed they contained methamphetamine. Knighten was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy. The investigation and conviction of Knighten is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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. # # #


title: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty

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

body_text: BIRMIHGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon pleaded guilty today to illegally possessing firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. Ro’Daryus Donell Mitchell, 27, of Center Point, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Annemarie C. Axon to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the plea agreement, on May 31, 2023, the United States Marshals Service (USMS) Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force (GCRFTF) was looking for Mitchell for multiple arrest warrants. Mitchell had arrest warrants for 22 counts of Unlawful Breaking and Entering a Vehicle, four counts of Theft of Property, Second Degree, one count of Receiving Stolen Property, Second Degree, and a probation revocation warrant for Violation of the State Firearms Act. USMS GCRFTF deputies located Mitchell at a residence in Birmingham and arrested him on the outstanding warrants. A search of the residence resulted in the seizure of a Glock 9mm pistol loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition, an American Tactical .300 pistol, and a Taurus .45 caliber pistol that was loaded with five rounds of ammunition. The American Tactical .300 pistol was reported stolen with the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office on May 12, 2023. The Taurus .45 caliber pistol was reported stolen with the Birmingham Police Department on May 25, 2023. At the time of this incident, Mitchell had been convicted of Unlawful Breaking and Entering a Vehicle in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County. ATF investigated the case, along with the USMS GCRFTF. Assistant United States Attorney Kristy Peoples is prosecuting the case.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Stalking, Child Pornography

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a man who stalked his St. Louis-area ex-girlfriends and sent them child sexual abuse material to 12 years in prison. Cody Dean Brownlow, 41, sent threatening text and voice messages that included rape threats and files containing child sexual abuse material to an ex-girlfriend and her adult daughter in 2022, his plea agreement says. The victims reported the threats to the FBI. In April of 2023, a court-approved search of Brownlow’s home in Austin, Texas, resulted in the seizure of cell phones and other electronic devices that contained 1,601 images and 19 videos containing child pornography. Brownlow pleaded guilty in May in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of distribution of child pornography and two counts of stalking. During the investigation, two more ex-girlfriends reported that Brownlow had harassed and threatened them and sent them child sexual abuse material, a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman says. A boyfriend of one of the victims was also sent child pornography. The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Indianapolis Woman Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Illegally Purchasing Firearm Used to Shoot and Kill Champaign, Illinois, Police Officer

body_text: URBANA, Ill. –An Indianapolis woman, Ashantae Corruthers, 30, was sentenced on August 13, 2024, to four years of imprisonment for engaging in a conspiracy to illegally purchase and transfer a firearm and a conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct. Corruthers had previously pleaded guilty and admitted that she conspired with co-defendant Regina Lewis and Darion M. Lafayette, now deceased, to purchase and transfer a firearm to Lafayette, who could not legally purchase a firearm himself because he was a convicted felon (commonly known as a “straw purchase”). On November 17, 2020, at the direction of Lafayette and Lewis, Corruthers purchased a Glock 48, nine-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol and Sellier & Bellot, nine-millimeter ammunition, from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) in Indianapolis. During the purchase, Corruthers falsely certified on an ATF form that she was the actual buyer of the firearm, when in fact, she purchased the firearm for Lafayette and transferred it to him. Corruthers further admitted that she conspired with Lewis and Lafayette to cover up the discovery of their illegal purchase and transfer of the firearm by having Corruthers falsely report to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department on April 26, 2021, that the Glock pistol was stolen from her around March of 2021. Approximately twenty-three days after Corruthers falsely reported the firearm stolen, Lafayette used the firearm to shoot Champaign Police Officers Christopher Oberheim and Jeffrey Creel in Champaign, Illinois, killing Oberheim. Corruthers admitted that she and Lewis continued the cover-up after Oberheim’s death by agreeing to have Corruthers falsely tell an ATF Special Agent investigating the officer-involved shooting that she purchased the gun for herself, that it was stolen from her in March of 2021, and that she did not know Lafayette. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that the United States Sentencing Guidelines recommended only 21 to 27 months of imprisonment, although the United States argued they recommended 97 to 121 months. Nonetheless, the United States requested an upward variance from the Court’s determined range to a sentence of nine years of imprisonment due to the nature and circumstances of the offense. Officer Oberheim’s widow and four daughters wrote letters in support of the requested upward variance, and retired Officer Creel personally addressed the Court. Corruthers faced statutory penalties of up to five years in prison for conspiracy to illegally purchase and transfer a firearm and up to twenty years in prison for conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct. Each charge also carried a penalty of up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. Co-defendant Lewis is currently serving 8 ½ years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons following her December 22, 2023, sentencing. The case investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.


title: U.S. Attorney and FBI Charge Bloomfield Man with Sexual Abuse

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Bloomfield man was charged by indictment with multiple counts of alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor that occurred in the Navajo Nation. Donovan Pete , 43, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to the indictment, between February 26, 2016, and February 27, 2016, and again between April 7, 2012, and April 6, 2014, Pete engaged in unlawful sexual acts and contact with Jane Doe, a minor, minor who was unable to consent and causing inappropriate contact with intent to gratify sexual desire. If convicted, Pete faces any term of years and up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Inmate at FCI Berlin Sentenced to an Additional 9 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Weapon

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – An inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Berlin was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a weapon in prison, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Kareem Davis, 23, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty. Pursuant to federal law, the 9 month prison term must be served consecutive to the 108 month prison term Davis is presently serving for a kidnapping which occurred in the District of Columbia in 2020. “The defendant is a criminal who was undeterred from committing crime by his original sentence. Instead, he possessed a weapon in federal custody not just once, or twice, but a total of three times,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Rather than focusing on rehabilitation during his time at FCI Berlin, the defendant continued to put others in danger. The sentence imposed by the Court should serve as a warning to other federal defendants that you cannot threaten the safety of other inmates or the prison staff without consequences.” On May 3, 2023, Davis was searched for weapons while serving an ongoing sentence at FCI Berlin. Davis admitted to corrections officers that he possessed a “shank,” and correctional officers subsequently recovered a toothbrush sharpened to a point, with a handle fashioned out of latex gloves from Davis. This was the third incident where Davis was found to be in possession of a weapon while in federal custody. FCI-Berlin’s Office of the Special Investigative Supervisor led the investigation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon prosecuted the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Sentencing of Man for Armed Robberies Targeting Local Businesses

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A French national was sentenced to 111 months in federal prison for a series of armed robberies in Albuquerque on Halloween 2019. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on the morning of October 31, 2019, Mathis Laau , 26, entered the lobby of Motel 6 located at 13141 Central Ave. NE in Albuquerque. He pointed a firearm at a clerk and demanded money. The clerk gave Laau $300, and he left. Later that same day, Laau entered the Circle K store at 5301 Wyoming Boulevard NE in Albuquerque carrying a purple and silver pistol. He pointed the gun at an employee and demanded cash from the register. After taking approximately $175 and several packs of cigarettes, Laau fled the scene in a waiting vehicle driven by his girlfriend. Albuquerque Police Department detectives who had been surveilling Laau as a suspect in multiple prior robberies observed the robbery at Circle K and followed the vehicle. Laau and his girlfriend were arrested shortly after at the intersection of Louisiana Boulevard and Constitution Avenue. The stolen cash, cigarettes, and pistol were recovered from the vehicle. Upon his release from prison, Laau will be subject to three years of supervised release, which will convert to unsupervised release if he is deported to France. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Spindle prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Two Mexican Nationals Each Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Scheming to Distribute More than 1 Million Fentanyl Pills

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Two Mexican men arrested last year in El Monte with more than 1 million fentanyl pills were each sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison. Florencio Camacho Allan, 29, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. to 120 months in federal prison. Judge Blumenfeld also sentenced co-defendant Gerardo Gaxiola Patiño, 30, to 120 months in federal prison. Allan and Patiño pleaded guilty on April 2 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Another co-defendant, Alex Valdez Oroz, 26, also pleaded guilty on April 2 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and is scheduled for sentencing on September 10. From September 2022 to March 2023, the defendants conspired with each other and others to knowingly distribute fentanyl. Prior to March 7, 2023, a Mexico-based drug broker arranged a deal with a buyer to sell approximately 2 million fentanyl pills. The deal was to occur in the Los Angeles area and the buyer agreed to pay approximately 75 cents per pill. As part of the deal, the buyer also agreed to first purchase a sample “box” of approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills at the same price. On March 7, 2023, the drug broker coordinated a meeting between Allan and the buyer to occur that day at a Denny’s restaurant in El Segundo to buy the sample fentanyl pills. Later that day, Allan, Patiño, and Oroz arrived in a white car at the Denny’s. While Oroz waited in the driver’s seat of the car, Allan and Patiño met the buyer and the buyer’s associate inside the restaurant, where they discussed the plan to sell approximately 1 million more fentanyl pills later that day, and the sale of another 1 million fentanyl pills the next day. After the meeting, Allan, Patiño, the buyer and the associate went to the white car, where Patiño retrieved a black bag, containing approximately 10,082 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 1.1 kilograms (2.5 pounds), out of the white car and handed it to the buyer in exchange for $7,500. The three defendants then drove away. Later that day, Allan confirmed with one of the buyers that they had possession of the larger set of pills and – via a WhatsApp video call – showed one buyer the pills, which appeared to be in the car’s trunk. They agreed to do the 1-million fentanyl pill deal in a Holiday Inn parking lot. At the Holiday Inn, law enforcement detained Allan and Oroz in the parking lot. Officers also found and detained Patiño, who was inside the Holiday Inn lobby bathroom. Inside the white car, law enforcement found at least three duffle bags in the trunk and back seat, each containing bundles of fentanyl pills. In total, the defendants knowingly possessed with intent to distribute approximately 1,016,270 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 109.3 kilograms (241 pounds). The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this matter as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program with Homeland Security Investigations, the Hawthorne Police Department, the Fullerton Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, and the California National Guard providing assistance. Assistant United States Attorney K. Afia Bondero of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Former Biloxi City Councilman Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy Involving Vape Shops

body_text: Gulfport, Mississippi – A former Biloxi City Councilman was sentenced to 72 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance. According to court documents and information presented to the court, in 2019, Robert Leon Deming, III, 47, founded the Candy Shop, LLC to operate Candy Shop stores in Mississippi and North Carolina. The Candy Shop stores sold CBD and vape products. In 2020, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating the Candy Shop. The investigation revealed that some of the vape products sold by the Candy Shops in Mississippi contained Schedule I controlled substances and controlled substance analogues. In 2022, the DEA also received complaints that some of the products at the Candy Shops were making customers ill. During the investigation, law enforcement agents seized over $1.8 million in cash from Deming’s residence and additional cash and controlled substances from his stores. Agents learned that Deming was aware that his vape additives did not contain CBD; rather, they contained synthetic cannabinoids. This was evidenced by group chats in which Deming’s employees complained about how the additives were too strong and could hurt their customers. Despite this fact, Deming misbranded the additives as containing CBD. In addition, through the course of the investigation, agents were able to determine that in May of 2022, Deming sent an uncharged coconspirator $2,200.00 to purchase 1 kilogram of 5F-AB-PINACA, a Schedule I controlled substance, for use in the Candy Shop’s vape additives and that, at the time Deming sent the money, he knew that 5F-AB-PINACA was a controlled substance. The investigation also revealed that Deming’s gross sales of vape additive products containing either Schedule I controlled substances or their analogues totaled over $2 million. Deming was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 19, 2023, and he pled guilty on May 1, 2024. As part of the resolution in this case, Deming agreed to forfeit a yellow Monster Truck with oversized tires and a lift kit and over $1.9 million dollars. “U.S. consumers are put at risk when labeling is false and misleading,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “Labeling is designed to provide information that can help consumers make informed choices about what they purchase and consume. The FDA is committed to pursuing and bringing to justice those who unlawfully mask controlled substances as known consumer products to be sold to the American public.” U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Buckner and Lee Smith.


title: Danville, Illinois, Man Convicted of Carjacking Resulting in Death and Murder

body_text: URBANA, Ill. – A federal jury returned five guilty verdicts on August 7, 2024, against Kevin Marshall, 34, of Danville, Illinois, for carjacking and murdering Daniel Walter, a 28-year-old man from rural Indiana, for the possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and the possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Sentencing for Marshall has been scheduled on December 9, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois. Over seven days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that on April 25, 2020, Marshall was riding with Walter and Marshall’s girlfriend to an address in the 1600 block of Ray Street in Danville. Once there, Marshall told Walter to get out of the truck because he wanted to talk. Walter complied, and once outside, Marshall shot Walter four times and left him outside of a detached garage. Marshall and his girlfriend started to drive away in Walter’s Ford F-150 before Marshall ordered her to stop the truck. He then returned to Walter and shot him five more times, taking his phone and other identification. Walter was discovered several hours later but was not identified until the following day during the autopsy. Shell casings recovered at the scene were later matched to a Taurus 9mm handgun by Illinois State Police forensic specialists. The evidence showed that Marshall and his girlfriend took Walter’s truck to Belvidere, Illinois, the day after Walter’s murder. The truck broke down and Marshall abandoned it in Belvidere on April 29, 2020, where it was recovered by the Belvidere Police Department that day. On August 18, 2020, Marshall and his girlfriend were arrested during a traffic stop at a Casey’s gas station in Danville. Marshall possessed the Taurus 9mm handgun used to murder Daniel Walter and a Colt .45 at the time of his arrest. Marshall also had several dozen methamphetamine pills in a black fanny pack with the Colt .45. The evidence at trial showed that the methamphetamine pills were all that remained after Marshall sold most of the 1000 that he had obtained earlier that summer. Marshall obtained the Colt .45 at the same time as the 1000 pills so he could distance himself from Walter’s murder weapon by having his girlfriend carry the gun for him. As Danville Police Department officers and members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force approached the car to arrest him, Marshall tried to put all the guns and drugs at the feet of his girlfriend, who was in the backseat at the time. Additional evidence presented at trial showed that, while in pretrial custody, Marshall manipulated his girlfriend into writing three separate letters to law enforcement falsely claiming that the guns and drugs belonged to her, and that she knew nothing of Walter’s murder. Evidence of the attempted obstruction was presented to the jury during the trial, including through recorded calls where Marshall arranged to have the false letters sent to his attorneys. Marshall remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, where he has been since his arrest in 2021. At sentencing, Marshall faces statutory penalties of up to life imprisonment for the carjacking resulting in death and murder convictions. The case investigation was conducted by the Danville Police Department; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; the Illinois State Police; the Belvidere Police Department; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Vermilion County Sheriff’s Office; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan D. Freres and Eugene L. Miller represented the government at trial in coordination and cooperation with Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy.


title: Probation Check Leads to Guilty Plea After Convicted Felon Found in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. According to court records, on March 15, 2024, law enforcement conducted a probation check and interview with Bret Binette , 19, at his Lewiston residence. When law enforcement arrived at the residence, they saw Binette operating a motor vehicle. A search of that vehicle revealed a 9mm pistol and subsequent investigation established that Binette knowingly possessed that firearm. Binette is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a 2023 conviction in Androscoggin County Superior Court for criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon. Binette faces up to 15 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Lewiston Police Department investigated the case. ###


title: Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Saco Convenience Store

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to interference with commerce by robbery. According to court records, in September 2021, Max Gbetibouo , 30, entered a Saco convenience store brandishing a weapon and demanded money from the register. The store clerk complied, and Gbetibouo fled the store on foot. The robbery was captured on surveillance video. Gbetibouo faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. Any sentence would be followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The multicolored 1911 firearm Gbetibouo used to threaten the store’s employee during the commission of the robbery was recovered and will be forfeited. The Saco Police Department investigated the case. ###


title: Testing Laboratory Co-owner Sentenced for $3.8 Million in Fraudulent Billing

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a former St. Louis County health care company owner to 20 months in prison and fined him $100,000 for submitting more than $3.8 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, Medicaid and private health care benefit programs. Carlos Himpler, now 44, owned or operated a series of health care-related businesses. Himpler’s co-defendant, Dr. Franco Sicuro, owned Advanced Geriatric Management LLC (AGM) in Creve Coeur, Missouri. In the fall of 2014, Himpler and Dr. Sicuro decided to open an in-house testing lab at AGM. They also opened Genotec DX, which they held out as a clinical testing laboratory, and which was in the same building and used the same testing machine as AGM’s lab. Himpler and Dr. Sicuro sought accreditation for both labs under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), which set forth quality standards for laboratories. They did not disclose that both labs would employ the same part-time employee who would perform tests using the same machine. To convince CLIA to grant Genotec a final certificate of compliance in November 2015, Himpler participated in causing Genotec to make misrepresentations to CLIA, including that Genotec’s testing hours “changed” so that they no longer overlapped with AGM. The misrepresentations also included claims that AGM stopped lab running samples and transferred its employees to Genotec in July of 2015, and that Genotec did not begin running samples until July of 2015. In reality, the AGM lab continued operating after July 2015 and Genotec started testing months before then. The pair concealed Sicuro’s co-ownership of Genotec from Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers, while referring urine specimens from Sicuro’s own practice, AGM, to Genotec. Himpler and Sicuro and other health care providers at AGM ordered urine toxicology tests for patients and referred those tests to AGM’s lab and Genotec, which in turn sent the samples to outside “reference” laboratories. Both men knew AGM and Genotec did not have the necessary testing equipment to confirm the amount of given toxin in the urine testing to a high degree of certainty, Himpler’s plea says. They then billed health insurers for the testing, despite knowing that Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurers bar “pass-through billing,” or billing for tests performed by others. When health insurers became resistant to paying Genotec claims, Himpler and Sicuro in March of 2015 created another laboratory company, Midwest Toxicology Group LLC, for the purpose of billing health insurers. Midwest was a lab in name only and was not authorized to perform tests on human specimens. Himpler and Sicuro never obtained a CLIA certification or any lab equipment for Midwest. In many instances, Himpler caused Genotec and Midwest to each submit claims for the testing of the same specimen obtained from the same person on the same day of service. The pair also falsely used Genotec’s CLIA number on claims submitted under Midwest’s name. Himpler admitted in his plea agreement that Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers paid $1.4 million in pass-through billing and $2.4 million in split billing. “Today’s sentencing of Dr. Carlos Himpler demonstrates that HHS-OIG will continue to hold individuals who exploit federal health care programs accountable,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "Health care providers have a responsibility to submit accurate and honest claims to federal health care programs, to ensure that these resources are available for eligible patients.” Himpler, now of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a felony conspiracy charge. Dr. Sicuro pleaded guilty in November 2022 and has satisfied the restitution owed. He also agreed to forfeit $3.1 million in assets. The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dorothy McMurtry, Amy Sestric and Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.


title: Carjacking in Chicago Suburb Leads to 15-Year Federal Prison Sentence

body_text: CHICAGO — A man who carjacked a vehicle in a Chicago suburb and fired shots at a police officer who was pursuing him has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. DAVID JOHNSON carjacked a vehicle in Orland Park, Ill., on Feb. 12, 2021. The victim was sitting in his car on the street outside of his home when Johnson approached, pointed a gun at the victim’s head, and demanded the key. Johnson stole the vehicle and led police on a high-speed chase into Chicago, where he crashed into another car in the city’s Morgan Park neighborhood. Johnson then fled on foot and fired shots at an Oak Forest, Ill. Police officer who was pursuing him. Chicago Police officers arrested Johnson a short time later. At the time of the carjacking, Johnson was on court-supervised release following his imprisonment for a prior federal firearm conviction. Johnson, 27, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin imposed the sentence Thursday during a hearing in federal court in Chicago. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Substantial assistance in the investigation was provided by the Oak Forest, Ill. Police Department, Orland Park, Ill. Police Department, and Chicago Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.


title: Maui Man Arrested in Connection with IED

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – Robert Francis Dumaran, age 47, of Kahului, Maui, made his initial appearance in United States District Court today before United States Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield, following his arrest pursuant to a criminal complaint for possessing an unregistered destructive device and attempting to damage property by means of explosives. A preliminary hearing is set for August 27. He was ordered detained without bail. The complaint and affidavit allege that on July 23, 2024, Maui Police Department (“MPD”) officers encountered an improvised explosive device (“IED”) near Lono Avenue in Kahului. The IED was in the roadway by Kahului Elementary School. The IED contained explosive powder, a battery, and shrapnel. Dumaran’s fingerprints were recovered from packing tape used to build the IED. If indicted and convicted of the charged offenses, the defendant would face up to ten years in prison on the unregistered destructive device charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and up to 20 years on the explosives charge. The charges and information contained in the federal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until indicted and proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The affidavit also mentions the recovery of detonated IEDs near Kaamana Street in Kula on August 7, and the explosion of an IED and resulting damage to a car in Pukalani on August 8. The complaint does not charge Dumaran in connection with either of those events. The FBI and Maui County Police Department conducted the investigation resulting in the complaint and arrest, and the investigation into these matters remains ongoing. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne Myers and Jonathan Slack.


title: Chicago-Area Rap Artist Sentenced for Role in Nationwide Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Chicago-area man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for his role in a nationwide wire fraud conspiracy that victimized businesses and individuals across the United States. Joseph Williams, 32, of University Park, Ill., was sentenced by District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to three years of probation. In March 2024, Williams pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2020 along with five co-defendants, including rap promoter Antonio Strong, rap artist Herbert Wright and Demario Sorrells. Williams is a rap artist known as “Joe Rodeo,” “Rockstar Rodie,” or “Rodeo,” based in the Chicago area. Beginning in at least March 2017 through November 2018, Williams, Sorrells, Wright and Strong, and allegedly two other co-defendants, conspired to defraud numerous businesses and individuals throughout the United States by using unauthorized and stolen payment card account information of real individuals – including the actual cardholders’ names, addresses, security codes and account expiration dates. The defrauded businesses and individuals successfully processed the fraudulent transactions and provided the goods and services to Wright and his alleged co-conspirators. The actual cardholders discovered these transactions on their accounts and disputed the charges with their card companies who then charged back the transactions to the businesses and individuals, which consequently suffered losses in the amounts of the unauthorized transactions. Williams received illicit account information allegedly from Strong on numerous occasions and used it to make purchases knowing the account information was stolen. He also took numerous private jets, commercial flights and stayed in hotels that were paid for with the illicit account information. Although Williams did not personally conduct all of the transactions that benefitted him, he knew (or reasonably should have known) that others were purchasing his flights and hotels in a fraudulent manner. In total, Williams was responsible for $102,000 in victim losses. In May 2024 , Strong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 19, 2024; in July 2023 , Wright pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making a false statement to a federal official. He was sentenced to three years’ probation and was ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $139,968 in Jan. 2024 ; and on Feb. 2, 2024 , Sorrells pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 29, 2024. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office and Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and Kyle Crawford of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Thackerville Pharmacy Agrees To Pay $115,000 To Resolve Allegations Of Illegally Dispensing Controlled Drugs

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Thackerville Pharmacy and its owner, Nurse Practitioner Dana Sprott, have agreed to pay $115,000.00 to settle allegations they violated the federal Controlled Substances Act. The Complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma on August 29, 2022, alleged that Defendants Sprott and Thackerville Pharmacy used a rubber stamp of a doctor’s signature to prescribe drugs without that doctor’s knowledge or approval. The Complaint was the result of a Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Unit investigation that determined at least 21 patients had prescriptions issued and filled without the knowledge of their doctor. The DEA also determined that some of the controlled substances were issued to Ms. Sprott’s family members, and controlled substances were impermissibly ordered for office inventory. “I commend the DEA Diversion Unit for their investigative efforts to ensure that pharmacies and medical providers are legally and safely dispensing controlled drugs,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This settlement illustrates the continued dedication of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to combat illegal drug distribution within the Eastern District. Thackerville Pharmacy allegedly breached its duties under the Controlled Substance Act and this monetary settlement is a mechanism to hold the pharmacy and its owner accountable.” “The DEA will not tolerate the willful disregard of the Controlled Substances Act, especially by those who have been entrusted with a DEA registration,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Thackerville Pharmacy’s use of a rubber stamp to forge a doctor’s signature on controlled substance prescriptions is not only a violation of the Controlled Substances Act, it places the public’s health in danger. The rise of opioid use disorders is a reminder that DEA will remain committed to tirelessly and effectively fight the diversion of pharmaceutical controlled substances across the country.” Tips and complaints concerning potential violations of the federal narcotics laws can be reported to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s website at dea.gov/submit-tip . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael O’Malley and Joshua M. Mitts represented the United States. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Former General Motors Manager Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Receiving Bribe from Foreign Auto Parts Supplier Seeking Contract

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former manager at General Motors was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for conspiring to solicit and receive a $5 million bribe from a South Korean company in return for a promise to deliver a contract worth more than $100 million for various car parts. Hyoung Nam So, 49, a.k.a. “Brian So,” of Irvine, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered him to pay a $250,000 fine. At the conclusion of a one-week trial in November 2023, a jury found So guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. “Corporate executives must play by the same rules as the rest of us,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “By demanding millions of dollars in bribes to award contracts, this defendant corrupted the system and thumbed his nose at fair and honest business practices. Now, this defendant will do federal prison time and see firsthand that no person is above the law.” In 2015, a foreign parts supplier paid So a total of $3.45 million in cash. As a manager and team leader at General Motors (GM), So oversaw the supply of parts used to build interiors for GM automobiles in North America. In October 2015, So promised the contract – which was to be awarded through a competitive bidding process – to the owner of the South Korean parts company – Wookyung MIT – in exchange for $5 million, which So demanded in cash. The following month, the owner of Wookyung MIT arranged to have $1 million in cash transferred from South Korea to Los Angeles through money brokers, which an accomplice then drove to Troy, Michigan, where So was then living. The owner of Wookyung MIT flew to Detroit in late November 2015 and personally delivered the cash to So during a meeting at a hotel in Troy. By the time So received the first $1 million installment of the bribe payment, he had already learned that Wookyung MIT was not the lowest bidder on the contract. So arranged for information to be provided to Wookyung MIT that would allow it to revise its bid. On December 8, 2015, So recommended to GM executives that the contract be awarded to Wookyung MIT, and the contract was awarded to Wookyung MIT on the same day. So refrained from notifying Wookyung MIT that it had won the contract and continued to withhold that information until Wookyung MIT’s owner paid the remaining portion of the bribe. That occurred on December 20, 2015, when the owner of Wookyung MIT paid So $2.45 million in cash at a restaurant in Detroit – cash that also had been driven from Los Angeles to Michigan. The following day, So arranged for Wookyung MIT to be informed that it had won the contract. Homeland Security Investigations seized $3.19 million believed to be proceeds from the bribery scheme from a private vault in Los Altos in 2017, and HSI subsequently returned the money to South Korean authorities. The owner of Wookyung MIT was prosecuted in South Korea for offenses related to the bribery scheme. The investigation into the bribery scheme was conducted by HSI’s Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force comprised of federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance during the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeff Mitchell and David Y. Pi of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: Two Foreign Nationals Charged in Alleged Armed Robbery  of $1 Million Watch on Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Two South American nationals, allegedly part of a "crime tourism" group, were charged today in a federal complaint for the armed robbery of a $1 million watch. During a search of the crew's Airbnb, officers also discovered a handgun registered to notorious former Los Angeles Police Officer Christopher Dorner. Jamer Mauricio Sepulveda Salazar, 21, of Colombia, is charged with one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Jesus Eduardo Padron Rojas, 19, of Venezuela, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery. Sepulveda and Padron are currently in custody and made their initial court appearances today. Sepulveda's arraignment is scheduled for September 3, and Padron's for September 19, both in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. According to the complaint affidavit, on August 7, the victim was sitting with his wife and two daughters on the patio of a restaurant at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, when Suspect 1 allegedly approached and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at the victim. Suspect 1 reportedly pulled back the slide of the handgun, chambering a round. While Suspect 1 held the victim at gunpoint, Suspect 2 allegedly approached and removed a silver Patek Philippe watch, which is estimated to be worth $1 million, from the victim's wrist. Both suspects then fled the scene and eventually entered a blue Toyota Corolla, where Sepulveda allegedly served as the getaway driver. On August 10, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an Airbnb where the South American theft group had allegedly been staying. Security camera footage showed the group leaving the night before. During the search, officers found a handgun in a bedroom, which was registered to former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner, known for committing a series of murders before dying in a standoff in 2013. Later that day, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Equinox and reportedly identified Sepulveda and Padron inside the vehicle. The Equinox was allegedly linked to another armed robbery in Beverly Hills on August 5, during which a $30,000 Rolex was stolen. “We will not accept violent crime perpetrated by organized crime groups that exploit the freedoms of our country,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Our number one mission is to protect our community and those who undermine public safety will be held accountable. We should all be grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement in apprehending these suspects before they could cause more harm.” Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted on all counts, Sepulveda faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while Padron faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Homeland Security Investigations, the Beverly Hills Police Department, and the Blythe (California) Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this matter.


title: San Diego Man Indicted for Sending Threatening Communication to LGBTQ Victim

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 13, 2024 SAN DIEGO – George Joseph Wellinger II of San Diego made his first appearance in federal court today to face charges that he sent a threatening email to a member of the LGBTQ community. The victim was targeted after being interviewed for a KTLA news report about a hate-inspired murder in Lake Arrowhead in 2023. According to the indictment, the email called the victim “another alphabet clown that wants to take a dirt nap, too,” and included a link to the KTLA news report which featured the victim and others discussing the murder of a Lake Arrowhead business owner who had been gunned down for hanging a Pride flag in her business. The email continued: “We know what you look like and know where are you are....only a matter of time....Love it....get ur ghey on sister....scissor it up....we coming for ur rainbow azz. Click Click!!!!; Wellinger was arraigned on an indictment charging him with Transmitting a Threatening Communication. The indictment alleges Wellinger targeted his victim because of her sexual orientation. “Hate crimes are designed to terrify both the victim and the community,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The U. S. Attorney’s Office works tirelessly on prosecuting these cases to send our own message: San Diego is no place for hate.” “Today’s indictment serves as a reminder there is no room for hate in our community,” said Stacey Moy, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Hate crimes remain one of the top FBI priorities and we will continue to protect and safeguard our communities.” Wellinger was taken into custody early today and at today’s hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara L. Major set a $50,000 bond and ordered home detention and electronic monitoring. If you or anyone you know believes you have been the victim of a hate crime, please contact the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/home . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline M. Jimenez and Alicia Williams are prosecuting this case. DEFENDANT Case Number: 24-CR-1591 George Joseph Wellinger II Age: 48 San Diego, CA CHARGE Transmitting a Threatening Communication - Title 18 U.S.C., § 875(c) Maximum penalty: Five years in prison INVESTIGATING AGENCY Federal Bureau of Investigation For more information and resources about the department’s work to combat hate crimes, visit https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes . *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Crisp County Man Pleads Guilty after Stealing 62 Guns from Macon Business

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia resident with a criminal past who broke into a Macon pawn shop in 2023 and stole 62 firearms has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm and faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. Rontavious Jamal Jackson, 33, of Cordele, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Aug. 13. Jackson faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “Stolen firearms fuel crime and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, we are committed to doing everything we can to both prevent illegal firearms from getting into the hands of criminals and hold those responsible for gun trafficking accountable.” “We take this crime very seriously," said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “There were 62 firearms on the street, with the strong potential of being sold to or used by other criminals. Stealing firearms is a serious offense which results in significant federal prison time for all those responsible.” “We can hope this case sends a clear message to convicted felons of the serious consequences of the possession of firearms. I am grateful for the relationship between the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office and our Federal partners to continue to remove these potentially dangerous individuals from our streets,” said Bibb County Sheriff David J. Davis. "I am incredibly proud of our agency's efforts and the successful collaboration between our local and federal partners. These stolen weapons could have been used to take innocent lives. Our commitment to protecting our community remains unwavering, and this case is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together," said Crisp County Sheriff Billy Hancock. According to court documents and statements made in court, Jackson and another individual were seen on surveillance footage entering the Howard’s Pawn & Jewelry—a federally licensed firearms dealer—at 3:00 a.m. on April 5, 2023, and collecting 62 firearms into garbage bags. There was a large hole smashed in from outside the store and pieces of concrete blocks on the floor inside. On April 12, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office investigators learned from three sources that Jackson had stolen weapons at his Cordele residence. A search warrant was executed that same day, and agents recovered 32 firearms. The firearms matched the serial numbers of the stolen guns. Nine gun price tags were found, along with assorted ammunition, firearm parts and accessories, including ten magazines. The remaining 30 firearms have not been recovered. Jackson has a prior felony conviction; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. 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 of Justice 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 Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Community Supervision (DCS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Postville Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally  Reentering the United States After Being Deported

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced August 13, 2024, to more than three months in federal prison. Alvaro Gomez-Lopez, age 35, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States and residing in Postville, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 28, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported. At the guilty plea, Gomez-Lopez admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Gomez-Lopez was previously deported in March 2006. On April 28, 2024, immigration officials learned Gomez-Lopez had illegally returned to the United States and found Gomez-Lopez at the Allamakee County Jail following his arrest on state charges. Immigration officials helped determine Gomez-Lopez’s identity through fingerprints after he provided an alias name and date of birth when he was booked into the jail. In 2022, Gomez-Lopez was convicted in Allamakee County under the same alias name for interference with official acts. Gomez-Lopez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gomez-Lopez was sentenced to 104 days imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Gomez-Lopez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-1014. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Lincoln Man Found Guilty of Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Robert Vincent Harris, age 57, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was found guilty on August 12, 2024, of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced found Harris guilty of both counts after a non-jury trial held on July 18, 2024, in which the United States presented evidence in the form of investigative reports, medical and fire department records, store surveillance video and recorded interviews with Harris and the victim. The parties submitted written arguments and Judge Gerrard announced his verdict on August 12, 2024. The United States presented evidence showing on February 14, 2024, Harris and the victim were at a social gathering and decided to walk to a nearby convenience store to purchase alcoholic beverages. The victim later stated that about a week before this incident, Harris had offered to sell her some heroin. On the way to the convenience store, the victim asked Harris if he still had heroin available. He told her he did, and they stopped at Harris’s Lincoln apartment, where he drew out a line of powder substance on a mirror and both he and the victim snorted some of the powder. Harris and the victim then walked to the convenience store where the victim purchased some alcohol while Harris waited outside. After purchasing the alcohol, the victim and Harris left the store to return to the social gathering, but the victim passed out. Lincoln Fire & Rescue was called by a clerk at the convenience store. LFR responded and administered Narcan to the victim. She woke up in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. On February 15, 2024, investigators with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force interviewed the victim after her release from the hospital. A search warrant was then obtained for Harris’s apartment. During a search of his apartment, investigators found powder on a mirror and cut off straws matching the descriptions given by the victim. Harris ultimately admitted he provided the fentanyl powder to the victim which resulted in her overdose. Harris said after the victim’s overdose, he went home and used the rest of the fentanyl powder. On February 15, 2024, he bought an additional quantity of what he believed to be heroin from his source and told investigators the powder found during the search of his apartment was what remained from the drugs he obtained on February 15, 2024. Testing at the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab later showed the presence of fentanyl in the victim’s urine sample. The powder seized from Harris’s apartment tested positive for fentanyl, meth, cocaine, and heroin. A medical expert reviewed the case, determined the victim suffered an overdose due to her use of fentanyl and found it was likely that she would have died or would have suffered serious debilitating injuries if she had not been promptly treated with Narcan. Harris’s phone contained text conversations between Harris and another person which occurred on February 15, 2024. In those conversations, Harris talked about the victim’s overdose the night before and his involvement. Harris and the other person agreed that Harris would obtain drugs for the other person on that date. Additional text messages showed the customer sent funds to Harris to pay for the drugs using a money transfer app. Sentencing in this case is scheduled for November 25, 2024. Harris faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in federal prison. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force, the Nebraska State Patrol, and Lincoln Fire & Rescue.


title: Nebraska Man Sentenced for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Frantz Kolbjornsen, age 44, of Phillips, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 13, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Kolbjornsen to 72 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Kolbjornsen’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Kolbjornsen has also been ordered to pay $18,000.00 in restitution. NSP Investigators were investigating the BitTorrent network, seeking offenders sharing child pornography, when they identified a device at an IP address that had downloaded a torrent. This torrent was of interest to law enforcement as at least one of the 5,971 files had been previously identified as child pornography. The Investigator was able to connect with the suspect device utilizing the identified IP address and successfully downloaded 29 of the 5,971 files. The suspect device was the sole source of download, and as such, each of the 29 files were directly downloaded from the suspect device. An investigation into the IP address utilized by the suspect device revealed that the IP address in question had been leased to Kolbjornsen. The service address, phone number and email address tied to the account all belonged to Kolbjornsen. On November 30, 2023, a search warrant was conducted at Kolbjornsen’s residence in Phillips, Nebraska. Law enforcement seized a Samsung cell phone from the Kolbjornsen’s pocket, a Verizon Orbit cell phone, RCA Tablet and an HP laptop computer from the shed where he was located. A search was conducted of the four items seized. In total, 163 videos and 638 images of child pornography were located. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Receipt of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Andre N. Schwindt, age 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 13, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for receipt of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Meyer to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Schwindt’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Schwindt was additionally ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution. This case began on April 11, 2022, when a CyberTip to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicated that a Dropbox user uploaded three files on April 10, 2022, which were considered child pornography. The IP addresses associated with the CyberTip came back to Schwindt at an address in Lincoln. On or about July 27, 2023, an investigator met with Schwindt in Lincoln. During the meeting, Schwindt admitted to owning the Dropbox account, viewing child pornography involving children under the age of 14, and actively searching for it. Schwindt also gave the investigator permission to preview his cell phone. Schwindt showed the investigator where the child pornography files would be found on his cell phone. Schwindt’s cell phone was seized and on August 1, 2023, a search warrant was received to forensically review the contents of the cell phone. During the examination of the phone, the investigator found more than 534 images and 9 video files of child pornography. Most files depicted male children under the age of 12. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Three Men Indicted and Arrested on Child Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Three individuals were arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation. On Thursday, August 8, agents of the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce arrested Eric Jonuel Collazo-Colón, 33 years old, from Orocovis, Puerto Rico. A federal grand jury indicted Collazo-Colón on August 1, 2024, on four counts: (1) coercion and enticement of a minor, (2) sexual exploitation of children, (3) receipt of child exploitation material, and (4) transfer of obscene material. According to court documents, from October 2023 through June 2024, the defendant used his computer, cellular phones, and internet social media applications to persuade and entice a female minor, between 14 and 15 years of age, to engage in sexual activity and sexually explicit conduct. During the same period, Collazo-Colón produced, received, and transmitted child exploitation material. He also transferred obscene material to the minor. If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. In a separate case, Jason Daniel Vargas, a 19-year-old man from Manatí was arrested on Thursday, August 8, 2024. A federal indictment was issued on August 7, 2024, against Vargas charging him with coercion and enticement of a minor and the transfer of obscene material to a minor. According to the indictment, in March of 2023, the defendant knowingly used a cellular phone and iPad to induce an 11-year-old female minor to engage in sexual activity. Vargas also transferred obscene material to the minor. If convicted, Vargas faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. AUSA Daynelle Álvarez Lora of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case. In a third case, Roberto Rosa Martínez, 39, from Bayamón, PR, was arrested on Thursday, August 8, 2024, for production of child pornography. According to the indictment filed on August 1, 2024, Rosa Martínez persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a 13-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. If convicted, Rosa Martínez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. AUSA Daynelle Álvarez Lora of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing our joint efforts with our state, local and federal partners to locate these offenders and ensure that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “It is important for our society to understand the importance of protecting our children from predators. As we have stressed before, predators come in all shapes, they place themselves in positions of public trust, they find the perfect moment to prey. It is our responsibility to protect our children, to be vigilant, to give them the right tools so they can protect themselves,” said Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI. “HSI’s main objective is to protect our children from those who attempt to exploit their innocence or misuse their position of trust to harm them. HSI will continue to pursue perpetrators tirelessly and ensure they face justice so our children can feel secure at school, in their homes, or wherever they may be. We also urge the public to say something if you see something, your collaboration is key in the fight against child exploitation in our island.” For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969. For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians . 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###