title: Middle District Of Florida Second Quarter 2023 Prosecutions Include 63 Firearms And Violent Crime Indictments As Part Of Project Safe Neighborhoods Strategy

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the results of the second quarter of fiscal year 2023 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the second quarter, ending on March 31, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has charged 63 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses, removing 87 firearms from our streets in the process. In addition, law enforcement seized several silencers and machine gun conversion devises. ( See chart for case details ) The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Those efforts in the second quarter involved approximately 313 citizens. These community outreach efforts included presentations to elementary, middle, and high school students, meetings with community leaders, and re-entry programs. “Our office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders as part of our joint effort to make our communities safer.” PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based re-entry programs to reduce recidivism. Q2 PSN case highlights: United States v. Ronald Dale Perkins (Ft. Myers) On January 17, 2023, Ronald Dale Perkins was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for distributing methamphetamine. According to court documents, on April 5, 2022, Perkins, a nine-time convicted felon, sold a sawed-off .410 caliber shotgun gun and methamphetamine to an undercover ATF special agent. United States v. Brandon Corey Skeith (Jacksonville) In February 2023, Brandon Corey Skeith was sentenced to seven years and eight months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with the intent to distribute it and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, in April 2022, after officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit observed Skeith selling fentanyl from a motel in Jacksonville, a search warrant was obtained for his room. Officers seized fentanyl packaged for sale, cocaine base, scales, beakers and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyzed the pistol and found Skeith’s DNA on the firearm. United States v. Aaron Haa (Ocala) On February 9, 2023, Aaron Haa was sentenced to 17 years and 7 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court records, on December 9, 2020, Haa was arrested by state authorities after being found with a firearm during a traffic stop. After being released from state custody, Haa was arrested again a few weeks later. During the second incident, Haa led police on a high-speed chase on U.S. 441 in Marion County. A deputy had to force Haa’s vehicle to stop when Haa started fleeing into opposite lanes of traffic. After Haa flipped his vehicle, deputies took him into custody. Deputies recovered another firearm and 70 grams of methamphetamine intended for distribution from Haa’s vehicle. At the time, Haa had at least 20 prior state felony convictions, including trafficking in a controlled substance, fleeing and eluding, and sale of a controlled substance. United States v. LaTravis Deyonta Mackroy (Orlando) LaTavis Deyonta Mackroy was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for three bank robberies and an attempted bank robbery. According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, Mackroy was a federal prisoner residing at a halfway house in Orlando. After staying at the halfway house for more than a month, Mackroy was given a home pass which allowed him to spend the weekend with his family. On April 16, 2022, while on his home pass, Mackroy robbed a credit union by passing a demand note and threatening the teller. He left the credit union with $3,231 and returned to the halfway house the following day. The next weekend, Mackroy was again given a home pass. He robbed one bank on Friday, one bank on Saturday, and attempted to rob another bank on Saturday, which was not successful. During the final robbery, the teller walked away from his station after reading the demand note, which caused Mackroy to flee the bank empty-handed, leaving behind the demand note. That note contained four prints matching Mackroy’s fingerprints which were on file with the FBI. At the time of the robbery spree, Mackroy was still serving a federal sentence for a robbery of a pawn shop in Apopka in 2014. U.S. v. Francisco Cabrera (Tampa) In January 2023, Francisco Cabrera (28, Dover) was charged with armed robbery, armed carjacking, and attempting to murder federal agents. According to court documents, in January 2022, Cabrera robbed two smoke shops and a gas station. During each robbery, he showed victims a loaded magazine, inserted it into his pistol, and pointed the gun at the victims. Cabrera also approached a victim at a gas station and carjacked him at gunpoint. When law enforcement tried to conduct a traffic stop on Cabrera, he fled at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour in heavy midday traffic, firing multiple shots at the agents and officers pursuing him. ATF agents returned fire, striking Cabrera, which ended the pursuit. No one else was struck by the gunfire. If convicted on all counts, Cabrera faces a mandatory minimum mandatory sentence of 28 years, up to life, in federal prison. The case is currently set for trial in June 2023. An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0 . Charged Cases Defendant(s) (Age) Charges Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment Firearms Seized Ft. Myers Division 2nd Quarter Zachary Pegg (27) Carjacking Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment Brandishing a firearm during commission of a crime of violence Min. 7 years to max. of up to life imprisonment 1 Jimmy Diggs (57) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Min. penalty 15 years up to max. penalty of life imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSA Simon R. Eth. Jacksonville Division 2nd Quarter Byron Keith Jones, Jr. (34) Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm Max. penalty of up to 5 years’ imprisonment 1 Antoine Danielle Pearson, Jr. (28) Possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Max. penalty of up to 15 years imprisonment 1 Bronquell Aurion Hutchinson (23) Misrepresentation to firearms dealer during purchase of firearm Max. penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment 0 Cody Mack McCormick (35) Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon Max. penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment 0 Day’Jon Ma’Ki Major (19) Possession of a machine gun and a stolen firearm Max. penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment per charge 2 Donnell Bernard Demps, Jr. (26) Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon Max. penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Maisha K. Daniels (47) Stealing contents of postal package as postal employee and possessing, selling, and disposing of a stolen firearm Max. penalty of up to 5 years’ imprisonment for postal crime and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for firearm charge 1 Samuel Arthur Thompson (52) Possession, receipt, and production of child sex abuse material, intrusion of protected computer causing damage; production of child sex abuse material by registered sex offender; failure to register as a sex offender; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Max. penalty of minimum 10 years’ imprisonment and maximum of 50 years’ imprisonment on child abuse charges and up to 15 years’ imprisonment for firearm charge 1 Tony Kenneth Paul, Jr. (22) Possession of a machinegun and possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana Max. penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for firearm charge and up to 5 years’ imprisonment for drug charge 0 David Wayne Riddle, Jr. (29) Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon Max. penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Pocols Lashawn Jackson (38) Distribution of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for drug charge and up to 15 years imprisonment for firearm charge 1 Trevor Jonathan Wright (31) Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge 0 Avery Fuller (28) Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge 0 Antonio Saquan Tate (19) Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge 0 Jameise Vaughn Christian (32) Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years to life imprisonment for firearm charge 0 Delonte Antonio Martin (33) Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge 0 Jaylaun Brown (20) Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge 0 Lucas Shirley (27) Possession of unregistered short-barreled rifles and transferring unregistered short-barreled rifles Max. penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each firearm charge 10 firearms 5 silencers Lenwall Watts (43) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and distribution a controlled substance. Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment up to life for firearm charge and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for drug charge 1 These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Frank Talbot, John Cannizzaro, Laura Taylor, Michael Coolican, Aakash Singh, Kirwinn Mike, and David Mesrobian. Ocala Division 2 nd Quarter Luis Alicea (29) Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Brandon Jamal Alex Grant (22) Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Christopher Worlds (36) Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Brady Williams (27) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Sarah J. Swartzberg, William Hamilton, and Tyrie K. Boyer. Orlando Division 2nd Quarter Bernard Rogers (35) Hobbs Act robbery (2 counts), bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (3 counts) Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for Hobbs Act and bank robbery and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for each firearm charge 1 Michael Jerome Virgil (28) Bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for bank robbery and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for firearm charge 1 Carlos Aquino (41) Possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl Min. mandatory of 10 years up to life imprisonment Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime Min. mandatory consecutive 5 years up to life imprisonment 2 Edward Charlesalton Chappell (40) Possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 10 grams or more of fentanyl analogue Min. mandatory of 5 years up to 40 years’ imprisonment Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and Armed Career Criminal Min. mandatory of 15 years’ imprisonment 2 Rany Jonathan Parrales (35) Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment 7 Robert Potocnak (48) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment Possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine Min. mandatory of 10 years up to life imprisonment Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes Min. mandatory of 5 years consecutive up to life imprisonment 2 Alvarez Caprio Cosby (25) and Desmond Nyshon Smith (18) Possession of firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 3 Jeremy Deion Middleton (24) Receiving stolen firearms and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 13 Geoffrey Gaston (38) Hobbs Act robbery (5 counts), and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence (4 counts) Max. penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each Hobbs Act robbery and mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment for each firearm charge 0 Rico Allen Gandy (44) Possession of firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Antione Oshea Ladson (28) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon (2 counts) Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment Possession with intent to distribute cocaine Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes Min. mandatory of 5 years consecutive up to life imprisonment 1 Jahroy Elijah Sackey (43) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment Possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin Min. mandatory of 5 years up to 40 years’ imprisonment 1 Terrell Anthony Robinson (36) Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and Armed Career Criminal Min. mandatory of 15 years up to life imprisonment 1 Antavious Anton Gray, Jr. (22) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Allen Lee Glover (24) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon (2 counts) Max. penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment 2 Leo Lamar Massey, III (47) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment 1 Jatariuis Nyquan Horne (26) Possession of ammunition by convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Michael Joseph Hathaway (37) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Dana Hill, Megan Testerman, Kara Wick, Michael Felicetta, Terry Livanos, Ranganath Manthripragada, John Gardella, Aakash Singh, David Pardo, Stephanie McNeff, Beatriz Gonzalez, and Ashley Washington. Tampa Division 2nd Quarter Evan Ingram (42) Distribution of controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, and mandatory min. of 15 years up to life imprisonment for each possession of firearm and ammunition charge 1 Nicholas Quinton Hanson (32) Marcus Dewonn Mobley, Jr. (22) Possession of ammunition as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years imprisonment Possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 2 Terrance Paul Snow (22) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Martez Manning (26) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Meccos Donta Allen (38) Unlawfully possessing a firearm Mandatory min. of 15 years up to life imprisonment 1 Clinton Justesen (48) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment and 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense 3 Francisco Cabrera (28) Armed robbery, armed carjacking, and attempting to murder federal agents Mandatory minimum 28 years up to life imprisonment 0 Dempsey Gilmore (32) Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon Maximum penalty of life imprisonment 1 Jojuan Lindsey (27) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon Maximum penalty of up to 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Dartis Cobb (35) Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 0 Demetrius Sanchez Mitchell (38) Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Shawn Lanier Lowman (23) Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 2 Leonon Ricky Davis (37) Felon in possession of a firearm Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Michelle Denise Herds (44) Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime Mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment 1 Rodrick Quinelle Dallas (35) Felon in possession of a firearm Mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to life imprisonment 1 De’Antez Morgan (28) Felon in possession of a firearm Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Lennard Rashard Monroe (30) Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance Mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to life imprisonment Felon in possession of a firearm Mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to life imprisonment 1 Milton Anthony Bradshaw (42) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon Mandatory min. of 15 years up to life imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, Christopher Murray, David P. Sullivan, David W. A. Chee, Diego Novaes, Samantha Beckman, and Michael Kenneth. Defendant(s) (Age) Charges Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment Firearms Seized Fort Myers Division 2nd Quarter Giovanni Francois (23) Possession of a firearm and ammunition by convicted felon Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and MDMA Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes Min. mandatory of 5 years up to life imprisonment 1 Shaborn Washington Possession of a firearm Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Alphonso James (29) Possession of a firearm Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Jontavious Griffin (34) Possession of a firearm Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan and Simon R. Eth. Jacksonville Division 2nd Quarter Gregory Austin Eward (25) Conspiracy to possess and transfer unregistered firearm silencers Max. penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment 0 Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr. (46) Selling fentanyl and high-purity methamphetamine while armed and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for each of the three counts of selling fentanyl, minimum mandatory of 10 years up to life imprisonment per count of selling methamphetamine, and minimum of 5 years up to life imprisonment consecutive for each of two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime 2 Cory Lee Kelly (34) Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 0 Sonja Leigh Quinn (50) Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 0 These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Kirwinn Mike, Michael J. Coolican, Cherie Krigsman, Laura C. Taylor, and Michael Coolican. Ocala Division 2nd Quarter Antonio Eugene Brutton (35) Possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a previously convicted felon Minimum of 15 years, maximum of life imprisonment 2 Christopher Richard Munroe (55) Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon Maximum of 15 years’ imprisonment 3 These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, and Belkis Crockett. Orlando Division 2nd Quarter Nacoe Ray Brown (54) Bank robbery and violating the term of supervised release Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for bank robbery and max. penalty of 3 years’ imprisonment for violating term of supervised release 1 Darius Rodney Capers (18) Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier and attempted robbery of postal carrier Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 2 Jesus Rojas (21) Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier, armed postal robbery, theft of Arrow Key and receipt of stolen property Max. penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment 0 Elsie Marie Crespo (27) Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (3 counts); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime Min. of 10 years up to life imprisonment for drug offenses; min. penalty of 5 years’ up to life imprisonment for firearm offense 1 Bengie Emannual Silva-Ramos (31) Unlawfully engaging in the business of dealing in firearms, transferring and possession of machine guns, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances, possession of firearms in furtherance of the drug conspiracy Mandatory min. of 10 years and up to life imprisonment 4 These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael P. Felicetta, Kara Wick, and Dana Hill. Tampa Division 2nd Quarter Christopher Alvarez (19) Four robberies, conspiracy to commit those robberies, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for each robbery count, and a mandatory min. of 7 years up to life imprisonment, served consecutive to any other sentence 1 Patraic Setzer (28) Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment 1 James Junior Williams (44) Bank robbery Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment 0 Jamaal Black (22) Robberies and discharging a firearm during and in relation to one of the robberies. Max. penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for each robbery count, and min. mandatory of 10 years up to life imprisonment for firearm offense 1 Omar Rochester Miller, Jr. (23) Robbery of a postal carrier, theft of postal keys, and brandishing a firearm during the robbery Max. penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment for armed robbery; 10 years’ imprisonment for theft of postal keys; mandatory min. of 7 years’ imprisonment for brandishing the firearm 1 Thomas Bellere (40) Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon Mandatory min. penalty of 10 years up to life imprisonment 1 Reginald Roberts a/k/a “Rudy” (22) Nathaniel Keith Carr a/k/a “Nate”(28) Chrishawn De’Earl Butler a/k/a “Baby” (22) Conspiracy to commit robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and brandishing and discharging firearms in the commission of crimes of violence Mandatory min. of 14 years up to life imprisonment 0 Demetrius Sanchez Mitchell (38) Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment 1 Meccos Donta Allen (38) Unlawfully possessing a firearm Mandatory min. of 15 years up to life imprisonment 1 Yasin Carnegie (32) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Max. penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment. 1 These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, Samantha Beckman, Charlie Connally, Ilyssa M Spergel, Stacie B. Harris, Diego Novaes, Michael Sinacore, and David P. Sullivan. Sentenced Cases Defendant(s) (Age) Charges Sentence Imposed Firearms Seized Fort Myers Division 2nd Quarter Ronald Dale Perkins (45) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and distributing methamphetamine Sentence imposed: four years and nine months’ imprisonment 1 Cambrel Jamal Smart (29) Possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 5 years’ imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan, and Trent Reichling. Jacksonville Division 2nd Quarter Brandon Corey Skeith (40) Possession of fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime Sentence imposed: 7 years and 8 months’ imprisonment 1 John Nathan Hemingway (52) Possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime Sentence imposed: 9 years’ imprisonment 1 Frederick Lamont Sams (41) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 7 years’ imprisonment 1 Cornelius Dewyane Moore (30) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 2 years’ imprisonment 1 Raekwon Cannon (26) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 4 years’ imprisonment 2 Terry Lenard Shipman (48) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 5 years of imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Frank Talbot, Michael J. Coolican, and John Cannizzaro. Ocala Division 2nd Quarter Jaedyn Tiryse Presley (23) Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon Sentence Imposed: Time Served: (4 months) 1 Michael Tyrone Young (32) Possession of a firearm by a felon Sentence imposed: 33 months’ imprisonment 1 Aaron Haa (42) Possession of a firearm by a felon; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense Sentence imposed: 17 years and 7 months’ imprisonment 3 Troy Nix (29) Possession of a firearm by a felon; possession with intent to distribute heroin Sentence imposed: 5 years and 8 months’ imprisonment 1 Rey Daniel Facio-Garcia (29) Possession of a firearm by an illegal alien Sentence imposed: 2 years and 6 months’ imprisonment 1 Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr. (30) Possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon. Sentence imposed: 3 years and 4 months’ imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Robert E. Bodnar, Jr., Tyrie K. Boyer, William S. Hamilton, and Hannah Nowalk. Orlando Division 2nd Quarter Kevin Deane Jones (30) Unlawfully possessing ricin, a biological toxin, and for possession of two firearms as a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 10 years’ imprisonment 2 Nathan Joel Arledge (29) Possession of machine guns, an unregistered short-barrel rifle, unregistered silencers, and child abuse material Sentence imposed: 6 years’ imprisonment 3 Carlos Tawan Reed, Jr. (23) Bank burglary and bank theft in connection with the destruction of an ATM Sentence imposed: 4 years and 3 months’ imprisonment 0 Daniel Stephen King (28) Possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 10 years’ imprisonment 9 Carlos Alberto Roman (56) Possession of controlled substances and possessing a firearm equipped with a silencer in furtherance of drug crime Sentence imposed: 40 years’ imprisonment 19 firearms, 6 silencers, 3 grenades These PSN cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs Jennifer M. Harrington, Courtney D. Richardson-Jones, Michael P. Felicetta, John M. Gardella, and Dana Hill. Tampa Division 2nd Quarter Edwin Hill a/k/a “Z” (51) Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, distribution of fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking Sentence imposed: 21 years and 10 months’ imprisonment 1 Damien Boatwright (23) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 6 years and 5 months’ imprisonment 1 Terry Augusta Newsome (34) Unlawful possession of a firearm Sentence imposed: 7 years’ imprisonment 1 Robert Humberston (39) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 6 years’ imprisonment 3 Thaddeus Timeaus Howard (30) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 10 years’ imprisonment 1 Raequin Smith (27) Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking Sentence imposed: 6 years and 3 months’ imprisonment 1 Demetrius Haynes (32) Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine Sentence imposed: 14 years’ imprisonment 1 Marques Howard (31) Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to commit that robbery, discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 17 years and 3 months’ imprisonment 1 Cedric Durham Jr. (22) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 4 years’ imprisonment 1 Dallas Robinson, Jr. (22) Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Sentence imposed: 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment 1 These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Dan Baeza, Samantha Beckman, Charlie Connally, David P. Sullivan, Maria Guzman, Shauna S. Hale, Samantha Newman, and David W. A. Chee.


title: Sauk Rapids Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Unlicensed Manufacturing, Selling Ghost Guns

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Sauk Rapids man has been sentenced to the statutory maximum 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlicensed manufacturing and selling ghost guns, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “Jay Olson was manufacturing and trafficking untraceable, unmarked firearms and accessories, including a fully automatic machinegun and a silencer. The proliferation of these ghost guns and machinegun conversion devices presents a serious threat to the safety of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “To underscore the significance of his crimes, Mr. Olson has been handed the statutory maximum prison term.” “A case like this demonstrates the immense value of collaborative law enforcement efforts in curbing gun violence in our communities,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt. “I’m proud of the efforts of our West Metro Drug Taskforce and our Violent Offender Taskforce, who partnered with ATF and Stearns County Sheriff’s Office on this investigation. I would like to thank the U.S Attorney’s Office for our continued partnership as we all work to reduce violent crime in our communities.” “Firearms trafficking puts dangerous weapons in the hands of violent criminals and will absolutely not be tolerated,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge William McCrary, of the St. Paul Field Division. “We are pleased with the outcome of this case and are grateful to work beside law enforcement partners like Sheriff Witt who make the reduction of gun violence a top priority.” According to court documents, between the fall of 2021 through April 2022, Jay James Olson, 22, willfully engaged in the business of manufacturing firearms for profit, despite the fact that he is not and has never been a federally licensed manufacturer of firearms. In the spring of 2022, Olson offered to sell numerous unserialized firearms, commonly referred to as “ghost guns,” and various firearms-related accessories, including a silencer, a machinegun conversion device, carbine conversion kits, and multiple high-capacity magazines, to an individual for $20,000. Unbeknownst to Olson, the individual was working with law enforcement as a confidential source. During their conversations, Olson touted the illicit benefits of unserialized firearms and told the confidential source that the price for each firearm would be going up because of the federal government’s then-recent initiative targeting ghost guns. On April 26, 2022, at a residence in Waite Park, Olson sold the confidential source 16 ghost guns, nine high-capacity magazines, one silencer, a machinegun conversion device, and other firearms accessories. Immediately after the transaction, law enforcement arrested Olson and executed a search warrant at the residence. During the search, investigators recovered various firearm assembly kits, unserialized lower receivers, and multiple miscellaneous firearms parts and accessories. On May 4, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at Olson’s Sauk Rapids residence, and recovered from the basement manufacturing tools, various firearm assembly kits, and a Glock firearm assembly diagram. The investigation revealed that Olson was trafficking these firearms and offering to sell them to others whom he knew or had reason to know were otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms or intended to use them for unlawful purposes. Olson plead guilty on September 28, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Eric C. Tostrud to one count of willfully engaging in the business of manufacturing firearms without a license. During Olson’s sentencing hearing yesterday, Judge Eric C. Tostrud said Olson’s actions posed a “grave danger” to the public. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force, and the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.


title: Middle District Of Florida Task Force Continues To Combat COVID-19 Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the United States Attorney’s Office’s (USAO-MDFL) Criminal, Asset Recovery, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. “The Middle District of Florida United States Attorney’s Office remains committed to protecting the integrity of government programs established to provide relief for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “These cases should serve as a warning to those who might have engaged in similar fraudulent activity that holding those accountable for these crimes remains a high priority for federal authorities.” The USAO-MDFL’s Civil Division, in conjunction with the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, recently announced a $325,000 settlement with Florida companies Kingwood Orlando Reunion Resort LLC and Kingwood Crystal River Resort Corp. (“Crystal River”) regarding allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act by knowingly providing false information in support of a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan forgiveness application submitted by Crystal River. On the criminal enforcement front, the USAO-MDFL and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies combined resources in March 2020 to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the Task Force has prosecuted 57 defendants for fraud schemes designed to exploit federal programs including the PPP, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), Unemployment Insurance (“UI”), the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”), and the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (“ERAP”). Collectively, these defendants sought to defraud the United States of over $65 million. 43 of those defendants have already been found guilty, while prosecution remains pending against 14 defendants. ( See chart for criminal case details .) For example, in February 2023, Keith Ingersoll (46, Orlando) was sentenced to nine years and one month in federal prison for a variety of fraud schemes, including a real estate scam and a fraudulent EIDL application. Also in February 2023, Daniel Joseph Tisone (35, Naples) was sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison for a variety of COVID-19 fraud offenses. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to forfeit properties, an engagement ring, ammunition, and cash seized from bank accounts and must pay more than $2.6 million in restitution. Tisone, a convicted felon, submitted false and fraudulent EIDL, MSLP, and PPP loan applications containing false representations, including about his criminal history, average monthly payroll, number of employees, and gross revenues. Further, the USAO-MDFL’s Asset Recovery Division and federal seizing agencies have completed the forfeiture of more than $16.8 million of EIDL, UI, and PPP funds that were fraudulently obtained, depriving the fraudsters of their ill-gotten gains and recovering the proceeds for the victims. More than $9.8 million in additional pandemic fraud proceeds have been seized and are pending civil or criminal forfeiture. The U.S. Attorney General has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Through the PPP, the federal government authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program provides economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The MSLP provided support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. UI programs provided unemployment benefits to eligible workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own. The criminal cases charged by the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force have been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Small Business Administration, the Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery, Federal Reserve Board – Office of Inspector General, the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Winter Park Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida. The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation. Charged Cases Defendant(s) (Age) Charge(s) Max. Imprisonment Type of Fraud* Intended Loss Amount Tampa Division Joseph Abdo Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years PPP $500k Alexander Leszczynski Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years PPP $200k Charles Cunningham Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years PPP $800k Ellyn Pinkney Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years EIDL $14M Kieanna Garrett Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years EIDL $40k Nicole Bramble-King Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years PPP $40k These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Candace Rich, and Jennifer Peresie Orlando Division Evan Edwards Joshua Edwards Conspiracy to commit bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 years Visa fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 years False statements Maximum Prison Term: 30 years PPP $8M Emmet Bowens Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years PPP $740k These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Kara Wick, Chauncy Bratt, Shannon Laurie, and Amanda Daniels Jacksonville Division Jacob Byrd Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years PPP $20k These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSA Kevin Frein Fort Myers Division Venera Price Mail fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years ERAP $82k Ismaelle Manuel Bank Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years Wire Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years PPP $280k Denis Casseus Bank Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years Wire Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years PPP $298k These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSA Yolande Viacava Ocala Division Henry Wade Wire Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years EIDL $500k These COVID Fraud cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk Adjudicated Cases Tampa Division Keaujay Hornsby Racketeering conspiracy Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive Access device fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years UI $3M Kareem Spann Racketeering conspiracy Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive Access device fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years UI $3M Richard Simpkins Conspiracy to commit bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years Illegal monetary transactions Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years PPP $1.9M Steve Moodie Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive UI $1.5M Marqus Willard Johnson Bank fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years Money laundering Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years PPP $500k Omar Esquivel Bello Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years EIDL $242k These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Diego Novaes, Tiffany Fields, Jennifer Peresie, and Greg Pizzo, and DOJ Trial Attorney John Scanlon Orlando Division Brian Blake Possession of device-making equipment Maximum Prison Term: 15 Years Access device fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive PPP/UI $832k Daniel Johnson Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive Unlawful transfer of firearm Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years UI $2.3M Teresa McIntyre Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years EIDL $730k Jaheim Davis Access device fraud Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years Aggravated identity theft Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive UI $219k These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt, Amanda Daniels, Jennifer Harrington, Shannon Laurie, and Dana Hill, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg Jacksonville Division Desmond Williams Wire fraud conspiracy Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Wire fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years PPP $40k Kenneth Landers Wire Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years Money Laundering Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years PPP $1.4M These COVID Fraud cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSA Kevin Frein and Michael Coolican Fort Myers Division Al Clint LaRoche Bank Fraud Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years PPP $1M This COVID Fraud case from the Fort Myers Division is being handled by AUSA Trent Reichling Sentenced Cases Tampa Division Louis Thornton, III Wire Fraud Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison EIDL/PPP $815k Kary Stevenson Corey Quinn Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison (Stevenson) Sentence Imposed:7 years in federal prison (Quinn) UI $1M Bridgitte Keim Bank fraud Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison PPP $588k Wayne Ganaway Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison EIDL $300k Eriaius Bentley Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: One year in federal prison UI $3M Rolanda Wingfield Access device fraud, Aggravated identity theft Sentenced Imposed: 3 years in federal prison UI $135k Tywon Spann Racketeering conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud Sentence Imposed: 6 years and 9 months in federal prison UI $3M Randy Jones Wire fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years and 1 month in federal prison EIDL/UI $250k Julio Lugo Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 7 years and 6 months in federal prison EIDL/PPP $4.4M Keith Nicoletta Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 24 months in federal prison PPP $1.9M Rosenide Venant Conspiracy to commit money laundering Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison EIDL/PPP $413k Melinda Hernandez Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Wire fraud and aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: Three years and six months in federal prison UI $1.5M Bri’antina Mills Wire fraud and theft of government funds Sentence imposed: 15 months in federal prison $10K Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria Wire fraud Sentence imposed: Two years and six months in federal prison EIDL $150k These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Tiffany Fields, Diego Novaes, Jennifer Peresie, and SAUSA Chris Poor Orlando Division Jacquavius Smith Possession of short-barreled rifle; felon in possession of firearm; and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 1 month in federal prison PPP $10k Johnson Eustache Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison EIDL/PPP $2.2M Joseph Harrison Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison UI $2.1M Tomas Ziupsnys Conspiracy to commit bank fraud; bank fraud; aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison PPP $2M Holly Urban Conspiracy to commit bank fraud Sentence Imposed: 30 months in federal prison PPP $1.5M Joel Greenberg Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and other offenses while on pretrial release Sentence Imposed: 11 years in federal prison EIDL $430k Don Cisternino Wire fraud, illegal monetary transactions, and aggravated identity theft Sentence Imposed: 8 years and 6 months in federal prison PPP $7.2M Keith Ingersoll Conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft Sentence imposed: 9 years, 1 month in federal prison. EIDL $66k These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Amanda Daniels, Chauncey Bratt, Emily Chang, and Jennifer Harrington, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg Fort Myers Division Casey Crowther Bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, illegal monetary transaction Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison PPP $2.7M Anthony Bruey Amber Bruey Conspiracy to commit wire fraud Wire fraud Conspiracy to commit money laundering Illegal monetary transactions Sentence Imposed : Anthony Bruey : 4 years, 3 months in federal prison Amber Bruey : 4 years in federal prison PPP/EIDL $881k Edrica Leann Watson False statement to a lending institution Sentence Imposed: 15 months in federal prison PPP $392k Daniel Joseph Tisone Wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person Sentence Imposed: 7 years in federal prison PPP/EIDL/MSLP $10.7M Liliana Gonzalez Wire fraud Sentence Imposed: 5 years of probation with 18 months of home confinement PPP $169k These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSA Trent Reichling and AUSA Jesus M. Casas Ocala Division Lavelle Harris Wire Fraud Sentence Imposed: 27 months in federal prison PPP $1.2M This COVID Fraud case from the Ocala Division was handled by AUSA Hannah Nowalk Types of Fraud* Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Unemployment Insurance (UI) Main Street Lending Program (MSLP) Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP)


title: Bozeman man admits traveling with intent to engage in sex with a juvenile

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Bozeman man suspected of traveling to other state to have sex with a juvenile admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Zachary Vernon Stephens, 34, pleaded guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Stephens faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for Aug. 24 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Stephens was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that in September 2021, while investigating Stephens on allegations of stalking a person in the Bozeman area, law enforcement learned that Stephens had been communicating with another individual, a 12-year-old girl, who was in Utah. Electronic communications between Stephens and the girl, identified as Jane Doe, were sexually explicit and discussed a previously planned trip of Stephens to Utah in July 2021 to engage in sex acts with Jane Doe. The messages also indicated that Stephens had met Jane Doe for sex acts prior to July 2021, including a trip to Nevada in June 2021. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno B. Baucus is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. XXX


title: Three Members Of Caribbean Arms Trafficking Ring Plead Guilty

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tevin OBrian Oliver (30, Homestead), Jameal Kaia Phillip (30, Trinidad and Tobago), and Edward Soloman King III (31, Tampa) have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Oliver and Phillip pleaded to conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, and King pleaded guilty to disposing of a firearm to an alien who had been admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa. Oliver and Phillip each face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. King faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The defendants also agreed to forfeit various firearms, ammunition, and related items, which facilitated the offenses. According to the plea agreements, Oliver, Phillip, and King were part of a ring that unlawfully exported firearms, firearms components (including upper/lower receivers and gun parts kits), and related items from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago between 2019 and 2022. Oliver and Phillip are both nationals of Trinidad. The firearms, which included pistols and long rifles, and related equipment were concealed within boxing/fight equipment, speakers, and other household items to avoid detection by law enforcement and customs authorities. King helped Phillip and Oliver acquire and transfer firearms in the Tampa area. Conspirators also acquired firearms from different sellers through straw purchases, falsely representing the identities of the actual purchasers and recipients of the firearms, as well as their ultimate destination. On or about April 7, 2021, Oliver shipped a package concealing and containing various firearms and related equipment, including a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, a SAR Arms SAR-9 9mm pistol, a Taurus G3 9mm pistol, and a Ruger Security-9 9mm pistol, from Miami to Trinidad and Tobago. Authorities in Trinidad seized those firearms and other related items at Piarco International Airport on or about April 22, 2021. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), including HSI’s Attaché (Caribbean), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of National Security (Transnational Organized Crime Unit) and Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (Special Investigations Unit), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Casper Man Sentenced to 170 Years on Six Counts of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Salvador Salas, Jr., age 32, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced today to 2,040 months (170 years) of imprisonment, with 10 years of supervised release to follow if he were ever to be released from his term of imprisonment, for possessing and producing child pornography. A jury convicted Salas after a three-day trial, held in Casper, January 23-25, 2023. The court ordered $132,056 in restitution to cover the expenses for the victim’s care and treatment and $600 in special assessments. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence. Based on trial evidence, Salvador Salas was a family friend who was entrusted with the minor victim, a 13-year-old girl. Salas, a graphic artist clothing designer and DJ, had offered to mentor the child, teaching her clothing and shoe design. However, the minor victim arrived home in the early morning hours of February 28, 2021, exhibiting signs of illicit substance intoxication, behaving strangely, and shaking. Her mother took the minor victim to the emergency room. There, she presented with burns on her lips consistent with a methamphetamine pipe and tested positive for methamphetamine. The mother sought the minor victim’s admission to the Wyoming Behavior Institute. The mother also reported to the police that the minor victim was with Salas at his home and had come home high. Believing that Salas had supplied drugs to a minor, the Casper Police Department executed a search warrant at Salas’s home for evidence of drugs. Officers recovered methamphetamine, paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine use, cocaine, and buprenorphine. While there, officers developed probable cause to believe that Salas had taken sexually explicit images of the minor victim. The same day, officers executed a second search warrant at Salas’s home and collected his electronic devices. On his devices, the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) found child pornography that had been downloaded from the internet, which featured the graphic sexual abuse of prepubescent children, and five videos and 47 photographs of the minor victim. The images of the minor victim depict Salas sexually abusing her. In the audio that accompanies the videos, Salas can be heard talking to the minor victim and remarking that she is just 13 years old. The videos and photographs were taken in Salas’s home. As part of the follow up investigation, testing of the minor victim’s clothing revealed semen and Salas’s DNA in her panties. Additionally, Salas admitted to police that he engaged in sex acts with the minor victim and recorded it using his iPhone. “The evidence in this case demonstrated that Salas is a sexual predator—someone who manipulated people that trusted him. He used his relationship with the minor victim’s mother to gain access to the child. Once he had that access, he supplied the child with drugs, making her even more vulnerable to his sexual abuse. This kind of trauma devastates the victims, the families, and the communities in which it occurs. The long sentence imposed by Judge Skavdahl is just punishment for Salas. Hopefully, it also can be the first step towards healing the victim,” said United States Attorney Nicholas Vassallo. “Those who exploit children will always be a focus of FBI resources. Our partners like the Casper Police Department enable us to identify, prioritize, and investigate individuals who victimize children and to prevent future abuse,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “While this man will no longer be able to harm children, we know his victim will continue to need support. The significant sentence and restitution in this case recognizes the lasting impact on the survivor of this horrific crime and provides for appropriate care and treatment.” This crime was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Casper Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christyne Martens and Stephanie Sprecher. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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 . Case Number: 0:21-CR-00077-SWS


title: California Couple Pleads Guilty To Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bryce Stanger, age 34, and Tanya Stanger, age 33, of San Yisidro, California, pleaded guilty on April 11, 2023, before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bryce and Tanya Stanger admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. The charge stems from an incident on August 25, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Union County. Bryce and Tanya Stanger were the occupants of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately thirty pounds of crystal methamphetamine and a kilogram of fentanyl. The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Street Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison. The maximum penalty under federal law is up to life in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. ###


title: Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Conspiracy Involving Over 30 Handguns

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

body_text: BANGOR, Maine : A Lewiston man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to an illegal straw purchasing conspiracy and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, between December 2021 and July 2022, Abdullahi Issak , 26, conspired to have 36 firearms straw purchased for him at federal firearms dealers throughout central and southern Maine. Issak directed the straw purchasers where to buy the firearms and what firearms to buy, and provided them cash or drugs in return for engaging in the illegal transactions. Issak took possession of the firearms from the straw purchasers following each sale. He also pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing one of the firearms, which was purchased for him at a federal firearms dealer in Jay. A 2019 New York felony conviction precluded Issak from possessing firearms. Straw purchasing typically involves a buyer who can lawfully purchase firearms but who then provides them to another person who is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms, therefore allowing the prohibited person to illegally obtain firearms and avoid the national background check system. Issak faces up to 10 years in prison on the felon in possession charge and five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. Following any sentence of imprisonment he faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. 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 investigated the case. # # #


title: Former Nurse Pleads Guilty to Tampering with a Consumer Product

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Catherine Shannon Dunton, 54, has pled guilty in federal district court in Fort Pierce to tampering with a consumer product. From approximately February 28 to April 18, 2022, Dunton, a Florida licensed Registered Nurse (RN), worked at an outpatient surgical center in Jensen Beach, Martin County, Fla. as a circulating nurse. While working at the center, Dunton took vials of fentanyl, a narcotic painkiller in liquid form, and self-administered it by injection. To avoid detection, she replaced the fentanyl from nearly 450 vials with saline solution, and then returned the adulterated vials to the center for use during outpatient surgical procedures. At sentencing, Dunton faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for June 27, at 10:30 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea. FDA-OCI Miami investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana M. Acosta is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14073. ###


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Narcotics and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A former resident of Philadelphia, PA, has been sentenced in federal court to a total of 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release on his convictions of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine base, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as conspiring to commit money laundering, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on James Edwards, age 53, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the court, on or about July 5, 2018, to on or about May 5, 2020, Edwards did conspire to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and a quantity of heroin, as well as, conspired to commit money laundering, in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Further, Edwards distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard, Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The OCDETF led the prosecution of Edwards. The task force is headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and is comprised of members drawn from the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Indiana Borough Police Department.


title: Two Foreign Nationals Suspected of Being Part of a Large Drug Trafficking Organization Supplying Drugs Throughout Utah Have Been Arrested and Charged

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City , Utah – A federal grand jury in Utah returned an indictment Wednesday charging two foreign nationals with possession and distribution of narcotics, including cocaine and heroin. According to the complaint and law enforcement affidavit, on March 30, 2023, Gildardo Ramirez Garcia, 40, and Luis Felipe Felix-Campos, 31, were served a search warrant at each of their residences in Salt Lake County, Utah. The Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) consisting of the FBI and Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF), is conducting a criminal investigation into Garcia and Felix-Campos, and other co-conspirators of a drug trafficking organization believed to be facilitating the distribution of large quantities of narcotics throughout Utah. As a result of the investigation, heroin and cocaine were recovered. Felix-Campos later admitted the cocaine in his residence belonged to him. In the indictment, Garcia is charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute. Felix-Campos is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and reentry of a previously removed alien. The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearance April 13, 2023, in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah. Felix-Campos is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. and Garcia is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Stephen L. Nelson, of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Erie Drug Dealer Gets Federal Prison Sentence

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Peter Daniel Gambill, Jr., 25. According to information presented to the court, Gambill and others engaged in a conspiracy to distribute multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, approximately 1.7 kilograms of blue fentanyl pills (an estimated 15,000 pills), and methamphetamine within the Western District of Pennsylvania from in and around February 2022 and continuing thereafter to in or around May 2022. Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE), Safe Streets Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the FBI, the Erie Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Oil City Police Department, the Titusville Police Department, the Franklin Police Department, and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, in coordination with the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the Erie County Detectives, and the Millcreek Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gambill. The investigation was also conducted in association with the Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative which was formed following Erie County’s designation as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2021. The HIDTA program was created by Congress in 1988 to coordinate and assist Federal, State, and Local law enforcement agencies in addressing regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States. The Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative coordinates personnel and resources between multiple agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police, Federal Burau of Investigation, Erie Police Department, Erie County District Attorney’s office, Erie County Detectives, United States Postal Inspection Service, the EAGLE Task Force, and other participating agencies.


title: Previously Convicted Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Dealer Is Sentenced To 12+ Years In Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, United States District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Daniel Ryan Robinson, 43, of Arden, N.C., to 151 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for dealing methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Lowell S. Griffin of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court filings and court proceedings, on October 31, 2022, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Court records show that, between August 2019 and November 2019, Robinson was found to be in possession of more than 280 grams of methamphetamine and 35 grams of fentanyl. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement also recovered from Robinson’s residence and vehicle two firearms and ammunition. In 2013, Robinson was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. Robinson is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prison upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.


title: Eight Crips Gang Members and Associates Indicted for Racketeering and Numerous Violent Crimes on Long Island

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, a 59-count indictment was unsealed charging eight members and associates of a violent subset of the Crips street gang known as the Insane Crip Gang or “ICG,” with various offenses including racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and firearms offenses, as well as fraud schemes. The indictment charges seven defendants with racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder; six defendants are charged with multiple attempted murders, assaults, and related firearms offenses; four defendants are charged in connection with their respective roles in three murders committed in Nassau County between 2016 and 2021. Six defendants were taken into custody this morning in New York and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay. A seventh defendant, Jonathan Gonzalez, was arrested in North Carolina and will be arraigned in federal court in Winston-Salem this afternoon. One additional defendant remains at large. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Anne T. Donnelly, District Attorney, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office (NCDA); Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the arrests and indictment. “As alleged, the defendants participated in a staggering amount of extreme violence that shattered lives, maimed rivals and endangered countless innocent bystanders on Long Island. As of today, after three brutal murders, over a dozen shootings, hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraud, their chokehold of fear and violence over our community is finally over,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners will continue working tirelessly to protect our communities from gang violence and fraud.” Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force and the Nassau County Police Department’s Homicide Squad and Gang Investigation Squad for their tireless efforts to bring these violent offenders to justice. Mr. Peace also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General for their efforts in assisting the investigation. NCDA Donnelly stated: “This Crips faction has wreaked havoc in the Hempstead area for nearly a decade, killing perceived rivals and innocent bystanders alike. In just two years, Akeem Chambers allegedly participated in two homicides and more than a dozen shootings. This gang celebrated its violence on social media, using that same social media as a recruiting tool, and financed its activities by systematically stealing from government benefit programs designed to aid the unemployed and those adversely impacted by COVID. Dismantling gang networks is incredibly difficult work and I thank my staff and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and NCPD for the collaborative spirit used during this year-long investigation.” “The defendants allegedly engaged in multiple acts of gang violence, bringing undue fear and harm to the streets of our neighborhoods,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. “Gang violence menacing communities is something no one should have to endure; people have the right to feel safe where they live. Today’s indictment serves as a reminder that the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force is persistent in its efforts to keep the neighborhoods of Long Island safe and free of violent crime.” “This multi-agency law enforcement investigation has led to the arrest of numerous Crips gang members for homicides, shootings and racketeering. These defendants have terrorized our communities in Nassau County and now our residents can show a sign of relief that these criminals will no longer be able to inflict harm in our neighborhoods. I would like to congratulate all of the dedicated law enforcement professionals for their hard work and diligence during the course of this investigation. A job well done by all,” stated NCPD Commissioner Ryder. As alleged in the indictment and court filings, the defendants engaged in a pattern of gang violence which resulted in dozens of gang-related shootings, as well as multiple murders in Nassau County between 2015 and the present. The defendants, as part of their membership and association with the ICG, together with others, committed dozens of violent crimes in and around Hempstead, New York, including shootings, assaults, murders, robberies, and kidnappings. Akeem Chambers is charged with participating in over a dozen shootings and two homicides between 2020 and 2022, including the August 1, 2020, murder of 28-year-old Thiasia Williams in Hempstead, New York. In that incident, Chambers, along with Rob Pardo and another associate of the ICG learned of a party on Martin Luther King Drive in Hempstead that was going to be attended by members of the rival D Block Bloods. Chambers and the others decided to commit a drive-by shooting of the party. Jonathan Gonzalez was enlisted to be the driver for the shooting. Chambers and the other associate, each armed with a 9mm firearm, planned to shoot the rivals, while Rob Pardo remained in the area to assist their flight from the scene of the crime. As Chambers and the others drove down Martin Luther King Drive shortly after midnight on August 1, 2020, they fired at least eight times at party goers, striking and killing Thiasia Williams, an innocent bystander who was sitting in her car outside the party to pick up a friend. Another innocent female bystander was also struck by gunfire and suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to her leg. Chambers was also charged with his role in the 2021 robbery and murder of James Diamond in Freeport, New York. In that incident, Chambers, together with others, planned to rob Diamond of a large sum of cash. Chambers and another individual, both armed with firearms, approached the victim and another man, and attempted to rob them at gunpoint. During the course of the robbery, Chambers’ coconspirator shot and killed Diamond. Chambers and several accomplices were indicted and arrested for this murder by Nassau County authorities. Notably, Jalen Rogers, who is charged with over a half-dozen violent crimes ranging from attempted murder and assault to attempted kidnapping, committed at least three of those violent crimes while he was wearing a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor imposed as a condition of supervision. In each of those shootings, records for Rogers’ ankle monitor place him at the scene of the crime at the time of the shootings. Jonathan Vazquez is charged with the November 19, 2016 murder of 19 year-old Joecephus Vanable in Hempstead, New York. Vanable, an individual who was repeatedly targeted by the ICG in Hempstead, was shot and killed on a Hempstead street by Vazquez. In the wake of Vanable’s murder, members and associates of the ICG took to social media to brag about the killing. In addition, the gang boasted about the killing in rap videos and graffiti around Hempstead. In addition to violence directed at rivals, Vazquez is also charged with attempted murder for opening fire on two Nassau County Police Officers who were attempting to conduct a stop of his vehicle. Vazquez is also charged with the gunpoint robbery of a woman in Levittown, New York and several other gang-related shootings. To finance their criminal conduct and enrich themselves, the defendants and other ICG members and associates engaged in a wide array of fraud schemes, including defrauding state unemployment systems, the federal Covid-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), various forms of identity theft and bank fraud. The frauds perpetrated by ICG members and associates netted the gang’s members and associates hundreds of thousands of dollars since early 2020. For example, the ICG stole approximately $200,000 from the State of California by submitting fraudulent unemployment benefits applications. In addition to their fraud schemes, the defendants regularly purchased, maintained and sold a wide array of firearms. The investigation linked a total of 26 guns to the defendants and their associates; 14 of the 26 guns were linked to multiple shootings committed by the defendants or other ICG members. Law enforcement executed multiple search warrants this morning and recovered a 9mm, fully-loaded semiautomatic pistol and a .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine and additional ammunition. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Chambers, Dindyal, Gonzalez, Lesly Pardo, Rogers, and Vazquez face up to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Pardo faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of its renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Boeckmann, Michael Maffei and Samantha Alessi are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Kerry Ucci and Automated Litigation Specialist Michael Compitello. This prosecution is the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, Suffolk County Police Department, NCPD, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Hempstead Police Department, Rockville Centre Police Department, and the NCDA. The Defendants: Akeem Chambers, also known as “Luca” Age: 21 Uniondale, New York JAHZIAH DINDYAL, also known as “JZ” and “Nine” Age: 19 Hempstead, New York Jonathan Gonzalez, also known as “Grizz” Age: 23 Greensboro, North Carolina LESLY PARDO, also known as “Chop” and “Chopavelli” Age: 26 Mount Sinai, New York ROB PARDO, also known as “Static” Age: 25 Mount Sinai, New York JALEN ROGERS, also known as “Drama” and “Moonie” Age: 20 Hempstead, New York JONATHAN VAZQUEZ, also known as “Chulo” and “Clutch” Age: 21 Hempstead, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-157 (JMA)


title: Three Romanians Plead Guilty in St. Louis; Admit Nationwide Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Three Romanian citizens have pleaded guilty to federal charges in St. Louis and admitted running a “short-change fraud” in stores across the country. Loredana Angel, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court Thursday to felony charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and illegal reentry of an alien. Daniel Rostas, 30, pleaded guilty Wednesday and Legenda Rostas, 28, pleaded guilty March 1 to the same charges. Loredana Angel and Legenda Rostas told authorities that they are sisters and that the Rostas are married. All three admitted engaging in sleight of hand to defraud Target stores since 2017 while buying various denominations of Visa gift cards. When purchasing the cards, they would display the full purchase price in cash, then fold over a portion and keep it while handing the rest to store employees. They would target younger or less experienced employees and wire the money they made to family in Romania. Target records show Legenda Rostas was involved in $224,666 in fraud at stores throughout the country, her plea agreement says. Angel admitted involvement in about $83,865 in fraud. Records show Daniel Rostas wired about $62,534 to Romania and elsewhere. All three also admitted entering the country illegally. Angel was removed from the United States on June 24, 2019. Daniel Rostas was removed twice, on Nov. 13, 2019 and Oct. 14, 2020. Legenda Rostas was removed on Dec. 28, 2020. Arnold, Missouri police were initially alerted to Daniel Rostas on Oct. 14, 2022 by a Home Depot loss prevention officer. Officers later questioned Angel and Legenda Rostas. All three gave fake names and false identification to police. They were traveling with multiple license plates in their minivan, and police also found cash, gift cards and Western Union receipts. All three agreed as part of their plea to forfeit the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, $10,567 in cash and $11,300 in prepaid Visa gift cards. Legenda Rostas is scheduled to be sentenced May 31 and the co-defendants on July 24. The conspiracy charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The reentry charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The case was investigated by the Arnold Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Monmouth County Man Charged with Tax Evasion

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County, New Jersey, man was arrested today for tax evasion, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Raymond J. Salani Jr., 67, of Morganville, New Jersey, is charged by an indictment unsealed today with two counts of tax evasion. He appeared this afternoon for an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and was released on $50,000 unsecured bond. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Salani was the president and owner of Medical Nutrition Inc., located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, which purportedly provided management services to Lifestyles Medical LLC, a medical practice also controlled by Salani and located in the same office as Medical Nutrition. Salani, who was not a licensed physician, was prohibited under New Jersey law from owning a medical practice and employing licensed healthcare professionals. To conceal his ownership and control of Lifestyles Medical, Salani employed a licensed physician to work at Lifestyles Medical on a part-time basis and act as nominee owner of Lifestyles Medical. However, at all relevant times, Salani acted as the true owner of Lifestyles Medical, managed the day-to-day operations of Lifestyles Medical, and exercised control over the financial accounts of both Lifestyles Medical and Medical Nutrition. Between January 2016 and May 2017, Salani attempted to conceal his income from the IRS and evade the assessment of federal income taxes by transferring income earned by Lifestyles Medical into the business bank account for Medical Nutrition, purportedly as payments to Medical Nutrition for management services rendered to Lifestyles Medical. From there, Salani used the funds from Medical Nutrition’s business bank account to pay for personal expenses, including mortgage payments on his personal residence, payments to pay down balances on a personal credit card account in his spouse’s name, and payments for a personal vehicle leased by Salani. Federal law required Salani to report the income he received from Medical Nutrition to the IRS on his personal income tax returns for tax years 2016 and 2017. Salani failed to file a personal income tax return for tax year 2016 and failed to report any of the income he received through Medical Nutrition on his personal income tax return for tax year 2017. Salani failed to report $232,739 of taxable income that he received through Medical Nutrition in tax years 2016 and 2017, resulting in the evasion of $87,635 in tax due and owing. Each count of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins in Newark; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked investigators of the State of New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, under the direction of Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, and detectives of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian D. Brater of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. salani.indictment.pdf


title: Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 12+ Years in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: A drug trafficker who left Dallas’ Galleria Mall laden with more than 2,000 fentanyl-laced pills was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Jesus Alexander Perez Fuentes, 27, pleaded guilty to in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced Wednesday to 145 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade, who also ordered him to forfeit more than $13,000. According to the criminal complaint, the investigation began when a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement that Mr. Fuentes was distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone tablets marked M/30. On March 30, 2022, agents received information that Mr. Fuentes would be at the Galleria Dallas Mall with well over a thousand counterfeit pills. A surveillance team observed Mr. Fuentes and an unknown female exit the mall and enter Mr. Fuentes’ pickup. Troopers followed the pair towards Interstate 635, then pulled over the pickup for traffic infractions. A Dallas Police Department canine alerted to narcotics in the vehicle. In the center console, law enforcement found a loaded Glock 30, which Mr. Fuentes later admitted he used in furtherance of drug trafficking. Under the driver’s seat, they found a black backpack containing two clear plastic baggies stuffed with 2,072 fentanyl-laced pills. Also inside the backpack was $13,821, which Mr. Fuentes later admitted was proceeds from drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Group 3 (Dallas Field Division), the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department, the Frisco Police Department, and the Colony Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division.


title: New Britain Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Distribution and Firearm Possession Offenses

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAFAEL MARTINEZ, 31, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 108 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release for fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force identified Martinez as a large-scale distributor of fentanyl. The investigation revealed that Martinez used an apartment on Sargeant Street in Hartford to store and process fentanyl for distribution, and he also distributed the drug from his residence on Hayes Street in New Britain. On August 3, 2022, investigators executed a court-authorized search warrant at Martinez’s New Britain residence and encountered Martinez, who they observed throwing a white powder substance from the living room window. A search of the residence revealed approximately 3,000 wax folds of fentanyl, additional loose quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine, narcotics paraphernalia, two handguns, ammunition, and $28,777 in cash. Investigators subsequently recovered another approximately 200 grams of fentanyl, as well as items used to process and package narcotics, that Martinez had thrown from the window. Martinez’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Martinez has been detained since August 3, 2022. On January 25, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession of a firearm by a felon. This investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Windsor Locks and Willimantic Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Mexican man sentenced for smuggling over 8 kilos of narcotics in candy box

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Monterrey, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of smuggling two kilograms of cocaine and six kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before convicting, Nestor Alan Garcia before returning a guilty verdict Sept. 22, 2022, on all six counts as charged following a four-day trial. Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Garcia to serve 144 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard arguments on whether Garcia had a larger role in the conspiracy beyond his participation as a transporter. The court heard that Garcia should receive an appropriate sentence based on the amount and purity of the drugs he and others smuggled into the country. According to the testimony, Garcia attempted to enter the Hidalgo Port of Entry in a taxi on May 13, 2022. He claimed he was going to a party in McAllen and had a box of “pulparindo” candy, puppies and various meat products. Authorities referred Garcia to secondary inspection. There, a search of the box of candy revealed approximately 6.2 kilograms of meth and 2.08 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement testified Garcia had attempted to hide the narcotics in a box of candy and later lied when he claimed he did not know how the drugs had been placed in the box or came into his custody. He coordinated the smuggling of the narcotics with his mother for days ahead of the smuggling event at the Hidalgo Port of Entry. The defense attempted to convince the jury Garcia had no knowledge of the drugs and was simply doing a favor for his mother. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez and Lee Fry prosecuted the case.