title: Two Orlando Women Sentenced For Preparing Fraudulent Tax Returns For Three Years

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Erotida Natasha Harden Ortiz to eight years in federal prison and Aida Cortes to four years and six months in federal prison. A federal jury had found Harden and Cortes guilty in October 2022. Harden was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and six counts of aiding in fraudulent and false statements related to IRS tax returns. Cortes was convicted of one count conspiracy to defraud the United States. According to evidence admitted during the trial and sentencing hearing, Ortiz owned Certified Taxes, LLC and Cortes was her office manager. Prior to opening Certified Taxes, Harden and Cortes both worked for two other tax businesses that had been closed down by the IRS. From 2016 through 2018, Ortiz and Cortes orchestrated a scheme to file taxes for unsuspecting taxpayers by filling out fraudulent Schedule C forms, which showed a business loss and enabled the taxpayers to obtain the Earned Income Tax credit. By obtaining the Earned Income Tax credit, the taxpayers were able to receive refunds to which the taxpayers were not entitled. As a result, the taxpayers continued to come back to Certified Taxes every year. The evidence revealed that Certified Taxes did not provide the tax returns to the taxpayers to review or review the tax returns with the taxpayers prior to filing them with the IRS. During the conspiracy, Certified Taxes filed more than 3,600 tax returns with the IRS, with only 1 tax return resulting in a taxpayer owing money to the IRS. For each tax return Certified Taxes charged the taxpayer approximately $400, resulting in Certified Taxes receiving more than $1.2 million in tax preparation fees. In addition, in the last year of operation, Harden claimed income from Certified Taxes of approximately $394,000 but due to a fraudulent Schedule C, which claimed expenses of $379,000 on her tax return, she was able to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit and receive a refund of $6,375. At sentencing, Harden and Cortes were ordered to repay the IRS $3.796 million in restitution for the fraudulent tax returns that generated tax refunds to which taxpayers were not entitled. “Knowingly submitting false documents to the IRS is a crime,” said Ronald A. Loecker, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge. “The defendants personally benefitted from filing false tax returns for clients and yesterday’s sentence demonstrates that willfully interfering with the integrity of our nation’s tax system will result in fraudsters spending time in prison.” This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.


title: Miami-Area Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Connection with Nationwide Gas Station Skimming Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Yuny Hurtado Rodriguez, age 34, of Cutler Bay, Florida, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for his role in an access device fraud conspiracy. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Ketty Larco-Ward, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea on December 30, 2020, Rodriguez admitted that between April 2016 and July 2019, he conspired with others to commit access device fraud by building skimming devices designed to steal gas station customer information, installing those devices inside gas pumps in Albany, Broome, and Montgomery Counties, and elsewhere, and then using the information collected by those devices to create fraudulent credit and debit cards. The fraudulent cards were used to obtain money orders, gift cards, cash, and other things of value. As part of his plea agreement, Rodriguez agreed to be subject to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $606,000. Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release on Rodriguez to follow his term of incarceration. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albany Field Office and the USPIS Boston Division, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Miami and Pittsburgh, the USPIS Miami Division, and the United States Secret Service Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss prosecuted the case.


title: Jefferson County Man Sentenced for Mailing Threatening Letters

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jesse Bartlett a/k/a the “Chinese Zodiac Killer,” age 46, of LaFargeville, New York, was sentenced today to 16 months in prison for mailing threatening letters. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. From about April 2021 to May 2022, and while using the alias “Chinese Zodiac Killer,” Bartlett mailed threatening communications to media outlets, government offices, houses of worship, and private businesses throughout New York, as well as in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. In the letters, which he signed as the “Chinese Zodiac Killer,” Bartlett wrote that he killed people, ate their flesh, and that he intended to kill more people, including an unnamed bus driver. Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to follow Bartlett’s term of incarceration. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with assistance from the New York State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.


title: Albany Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance Fraud

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Taliek Lanier, age 23, of Albany, pled guilty today to participating in a conspiracy to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the names of other people, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG). As part of his guilty plea, Lanier admitted that he provided Jamie Johnson with the personal identifying information of three other people, which Johnson used to file false claims via the NYSDOL website. Lanier further admitted that as a result of the fraudulent applications submitted by Johnson, the NYSDOL paid $113,936 in unemployment insurance benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Lanier agreed to pay $113,936 in restitution to the State of New York. Johnson previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $701,441 in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme. Lanier faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on August 2, 2023 by Senior U.S. District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. This case was investigated by the New York State Inspector General’s Office, HSI, USPIS, and USDOL-OIG, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations, the Capital Region Crime Analysis Center, and the Albany County Department of Social Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General 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. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Man Convicted of Alexandria and Monroe Bombings Gets Sentenced

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, LA – Daniel Aikens , 40, of Alexandria, Louisiana, was sentenced March 28, 2023, to 16 years in prison for 8 counts of illegal explosive related charges by United States Senior District Judge Dee D. Drell announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. On November 18, 2022, the jury found Aikens guilty of 3 counts of Making a Destructive Device, 3 counts of Possession of a Destructive Device in violation of the NFA, 1 count of Use of an Explosive to Commit a Federal Felony and 1 count of Conveying Malicious False Information. The government presented evidence at trial that on September 12, 2019, an explosion occurred at Cloyd’s Beauty School in Monroe, Louisiana. The victim was placing boxes inside a commercial garbage can when the explosion occurred and sustained burns on his hands and face. Remnants of the device were collected by agents for analysis by the ATF laboratory and found to contain a rocket motor commonly sold at hobby stores and a pressure cooker. Law enforcement was unable to identify a suspect at the time but obtained video footage from Hobby Lobby in West Monroe, LA showing a black male purchasing a rocket motor two days before the explosion. Agents also collected numerous items for DNA analysis, including a piece of tape located on the device. Further, on December 20, 2019, officers responded to reports of an explosion at a Texaco gas station located in Alexandria, Louisiana. 911 dispatch operators received a call from an unknown male caller advising that an explosion had occurred. On the morning of January 2, 2020, an employee at the Payday Today located on MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, Louisiana received a phone call from cell phone number 716-563-4031. The caller initially spoke with an employee about a set of lost keys. While the employee was in the parking lot looking for the keys, an explosive device detonated in a trash can near the building. The caller advised that he caused the explosion and demanded $10,000 in cash. The caller further advised that there was second device on the scene, and he would cause it to detonate if the employee did not comply. The caller then recited the employee’s home address and explained that he knew that she had three children. He then threatened to kill her and her family if she did not comply. The caller then asked why the employee was going there instead of the bank. This led the employee to believe that the caller was nearby and observing her actions. The employee advised the caller that she needed a bottle of water, but once inside the store, she panicked, and the call was disconnected. The employee ultimately did not provide any money to the bomber. Among the blast debris collected from the scene, investigators located metal pipe fragments, which is indicative of a pipe bomb detonation. During the investigation, law enforcement contacted employees at a nearby gas station. The gas station is within approximately 400 feet of Payday Today and was determined to be an ideal overwatch location to observe any activity at PayDay Today. Surveillance footage retrieved from the gas station showed a white Jeep Cherokee at the location. A tall unidentified black male entered the store and made a small purchase, shortly before the explosion and call at PayDay Today. Surveillance footage even showed the male looking in the direction of PayDay Today while inside the store on the telephone. A BOLO alert was provided to Alexandria area law enforcement, with screen captures of a white Jeep Cherokee taken from the gas station and other businesses near the Payday Today bombing. 4 days later, the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office located the Jeep Cherokee and initiated a traffic stop. The driver was identified as Daniel Aikens and matched the description of the subject that was present at the gas station shortly before the explosion. Investigators also secured a search warrant for Aikens’ home and pursuant to the search, observed damage in the kitchen area consistent with a blast and located what appeared to be fragments of galvanized pipe and blast debris indicative of a pipe bomb detonation. When arresting Aikens, agents secured his cellular telephone and discovered that he had been communicating with a friend via text message concerning the Monroe bombing. Agents later interviewed this friend and the friend stated that Aikens communicated with him after the Monroe and Texaco bombings. He even stated that Aikens called him on the morning of the explosion from his personal cell phone and allowed him to listen in as he called Payday Today from the “bomb phone.” Forensic examination of Aikens’ personal cell phone revealed Google Street View images of the Ferrand Street area near Cloyd’s Beauty School in Monroe, Louisiana. The phone’s web history showed a search for “how to build a pressure cooker bomb” and included a possible pdf download. A piece of black electrical tape was recovered from the pressure cooker device and found to contain a mixture of a known DNA profile found to be 1 trillion times more likely to have originated from Aikens. Cell phone and 911 records confirmed that the “bomb phone” was also used to call emergency services during the Texaco explosion on December 20, 2019. The 911 recording depicts a male caller (who law enforcement identified as Aikens) advising that he was passing by, there was an explosion, and requests law enforcement. Location data from Aikens’ personal phone showed that he frequented several stores in Lafayette, LA, the day before the Texaco explosion. Specifically, it showed Aikens making stops near Home Depot, Academy Sporting Goods and Hobby Lobby. Surveillance video from Home Depot showed Aikens’ entering the store at 12:33pm. Twenty-three minutes later, he purchased a drill bit, two metal pipe caps, a steel pipe and adhesive. Aikens’ cell phone was then located near Academy Sporting Goods a short time later. Agents reviewed sales receipts around the time that Aikens was in the store. They located a sales receipt at 1:39pm for 2lbs. of Hodgdon H335, Rifle Powder. Included in that same purchase were two children’s fishing rod and reel combos and a lady’s rod and reel combo. All three fishing combos were later collected from Aikens’ girlfriend who advised that she and her two children had received the fishing equipment as Christmas gifts from Aikens. Aikens then traveled to the nearby Hobby Lobby. A review of the December 19, 2019, surveillance video showed Aikens purchasing what appears to be rocket motor starters. Aikens returned to the store on December 21, 2019, and made another purchase identical to the one on December 19. “Simply put, Daniel Aikens is a domestic terrorist. The citizens of the Western District of Louisiana should be able to move about their respective communities freely on a day-to-day basis without fear of hurt, harm or danger and this defendant deserves every single day of the sentence handed down by the court. The sentencing hearing showed that the victims involved still are healing emotionally and I hope we brought them some manner of justice. The prosecution team and state, local and federal investigators are to be commended for a job well done in collaborating to ensure that this defendant is held accountable. Given the investigator’s swift action, no other individuals were harmed. I pray that the conviction and sentence will serve as a deterrent for anyone thinking of committing such a selfish and inhumane crime,” stated United States Attorney Brown. “ATF will continue to prioritize and aggressively investigate crimes involving the criminal use of explosives. Explosives can lead to serious injury, damage, and create fear in communities like happened to the citizens of Alexandria and Monroe,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “ATF remains vigilant working with its partners to keep the public safe by investigating and perfecting charges against those who use explosives with criminal intent.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Police Department, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Louisiana State Police, and the Alexandria Fire Department investigated the case, with the assistance of the Alexandria Public Safety Commissioner and the City of Alexandria Mayor’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog, LaDonte A. Murphy and Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case. ###


title: Hong Kong Company, CEO, Agree to Permanent Injunction, Abandon Funds Fraudulently Obtained from Iowa Company

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Gold Wings (HK) Limited (“Gold Wings”), a Hong Kong company, and its CEO, Min Zheng, have agreed to enter a consent decree to resolve allegations made by the United States that they participated in and furthered a fraud scheme against an Iowa company. In the consent decree, United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand prohibited Gold Wings and Zheng from continued fraudulent activity, exercising control over fraudulently obtained funds, and contesting ownership over certain fraud proceeds. The United States alleged in a court filing that Gold Wings and Zheng participated in a scheme that defrauded an Iowa company of over $8 million by knowingly receiving and laundering $2.3 million sent to them for purposes of purchasing a chemical used to manufacture fertilizer. The United States alleged the victim company never received the promised chemicals, yet Gold Wings and Zheng almost immediately dissipated the victim’s funds, leaving only slightly more than $575,000 in the recipient bank account. Under the parties’ consent decree, Gold Wings and Zheng disclaimed all property interests in the $2.3 million received from the victim company and agreed not to contest ownership of those funds in any future proceeding, which will allow for the return of fraudulently obtained funds to victims. They further are permanently enjoined from engaging in certain related financial transactions and engaging in future fraudulent or unlawful activity. “Every day, individuals and entities around the country fall victim to bad actors committing scams both at home and abroad,” said United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax. “We take these schemes seriously and will use all tools at our disposal to prevent and remedy the damages stemming from such fraudulent schemes. In this case, we are pleased fraud victims will have the opportunity to recoup their funds.” The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Gillespie and Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CV-3015-LTS-KEM. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Felon who Fired Rounds in Residential Neighborhood Sentenced to over Nine Years in Federal Prison

body_text: A man who fired a .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun in a residential neighborhood in the middle of the day was sentenced today to more than 9 years in federal prison. Deshaun Jackson, age 24, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 13, 2022 guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the guilty plea, Jackson admitted he possessed an Intratech Tech .22 semi-automatic handgun and a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun while he was prohibited due to being previously convicted of burglary and robbery in Black Hawk County. Jackson also possessed a 110 round drum-style magazine. At sentencing, the Judge stated Jackson created a “firefight in a residential neighborhood,” and that his conduct was “extremely dangerous and unjustified in any sense.” The Judge further stated that Jackson did not have any business possessing a 110 round drum magazine. Jackson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Jackson was sentenced to 114 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. Jackson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Liz Dupuich and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-2045. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Coordinator and Money Middleman Indicted for Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Undocumented Non-Citizens

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment last week against Juan Manuel Soto-Guzman, 41, of Mexico, and Adulfo Soto-Guzman, 45, of Mexico, for conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens for profit. The complaint alleges, in part, that an investigation identified Juan Manuel Soto-Guzman, as a person involved in a conspiracy to transport undocumented non-citizens (UNCs) for profit. J. Soto-Guzman was identified as a UNC smuggling coordinator, responsible for coordinating the transportation and harboring of UNCs and housing them in Phoenix, Arizona, before coordinating their transportation to their final destinations within the United States. Adulfo Soto-Guzman also was identified as a member of the conspiracy. The complaint alleges that he was responsible for delivering money to other co-conspirators to pay load drivers and finance human smuggling activities within this organization. Many of the UNCs had crossed the border from Mexico, and were transported through Southern Arizona to stash houses in Phoenix, Arizona, as they waited for further transportation within the United States. During the course of the investigation, agents seized over 20 notebooks containing ledgers detailing human smuggling, cash payments due, and cellphones previously identified as being used by this organization. A conviction for conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This prosecution resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona is part of JTFA, which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. The investigation in this case was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)–Douglas Office, with the assistance of HSI-Phoenix, Enforcement and Removal Operations-Phoenix and United States Border Patrol-Sonoita. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR 23-0386-TUC-RM RELEASE NUMBER: 2023- 045_Soto-Guzman # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Two Additional Defendants Charged with Civil Rights Conspiracy Targeting Pregnancy Resource Centers

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned a superseding indictment charging two additional Florida residents with federal crimes arising out of a series of targeted attacks on pregnancy resource facilities in the state. Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, were previously charged with the same offenses in March. According to the superseding indictment, Gabriella Oropesa and Annarella Rivera, along with Freestone and Smith-Stewart, engaged in a conspiracy to prevent employees of reproductive health services facilities from providing those services. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants allegedly targeted pregnancy resource facilities and vandalized those facilities with spray-painted threats. Some of the co-conspirators are alleged to have spray painted threats, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” and “We are everywhere,” on a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven, Florida. Facilities in Hollywood, Florida, and Hialeah, Florida, were also allegedly targeted. The superseding indictment also alleges that Rivera, along with Freestone and Smith-Stewart, violated the FACE Act by using threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees of a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven because those employees were providing or seeking to provide reproductive health services. The superseding indictment further alleges that Rivera, along with Freestone and Smith-Stewart, violated the FACE Act by intentionally damaging and destroying the facility’s property because the facility provides reproductive health services. If convicted of the offenses, Rivera, Freestone and Smith-Stewart each face up to a maximum of 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000. Oropesa faces up to a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement. The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Miami Field Office, the Miami Police Department, the Hialeah Police Department and the Hollywood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Thelwell for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats, and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov . For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney Hurwit Announces Sentences in Two Cases Involving Fentanyl and Stolen Firearms

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

body_text: BOISE – Two men from southern Idaho were sentenced to federal prison in separate drug and firearms cases this week, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. Keith McClary, 38, of Nampa, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered McClary to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. According to court records, in October 2021, McClary broke into a gun store in Nampa and stole twenty-four firearms. McClary then distributed the firearms, trading some of the firearms for a large quantity of fentanyl pills. McClary has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for burglary, domestic violence, and possession of a controlled substance. In a separate case, Jase Anderson, 35, of Mountain Home, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Anderson to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. According to court records, over the course of a two-day investigation in July 2022, law enforcement seized six ounces of fentanyl powder, $9,440 in drug proceeds, three firearms—one of which was stolen, and numerous rounds and calibers of ammunition from Anderson. Anderson also has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for attempted malicious injury to property, possession of a controlled substance, and domestic battery. “The successful prosecution of these dangerous offenders demonstrates our commitment to making our communities safer,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “The success of our Project Safe Neighborhoods program is the result of our close partnerships with local law enforcement agencies who help us identify and prosecute violent offenders across the state.” U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Nampa Police Department for their collaboration on the McClary case and commended Boise Police Department and the Boise Area Narcotic Drug Interdiction Team (BANDIT) for their work on the Anderson case. These cases were prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. ###


title: Hampton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for  Defrauding Elderly Victims and Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for defrauding victims in the Hampton Roads area out of more than $630,000 and evading the assessment of more than $50,000 in income taxes. According to court documents, between 2013 and 2019, Clarence M. Rice Jr., 56, falsely represented to victims that he was going to receive a sizeable inheritance from his father’s death, under the condition that Rice paid off all his existing debts. He tricked victims into giving him large sums of money using the false representations that he needed the funds to obtain his inheritance. As a result of his fraud scheme, Rice stole more than $350,000 from a 75-year-old retired bricklayer and more than $140,000 from an elderly blind man. In total, Rice obtained at least $632,017.44 in fraudulent proceeds from the scheme. As part of the plea, Rice agreed that his victims were of limited financial means and suffered substantial hardship from his fraud. Despite earning income from his fraud scheme, Rice has not filed taxes since 2011. Between 2015 and 2019, he defrauded the IRS by living a cash lifestyle, negotiating checks from victims for U.S. currency instead of depositing them in bank accounts, hiding assets on prepaid cards, and lying to law enforcement about his income and assets. The approximate tax due and owing resulting from Rice’s failure to pay his personal income tax is $52,064.18. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge, Washington, D.C. Field Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen. Norfolk Police Department and Hampton Police Department provided significant assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Mack Coleman and Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Samuels prosecuted the case. Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Elder abuse is an intentional or negligent act by any person that causes harm or a serious risk of harm to an older adult. It is a term used to describe five subtypes of elder abuse: physical abuse, financial fraud, scams and exploitation, caregiver neglect and abandonment, psychological abuse, and sexual abuse. Elder abuse is a serious crime against some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens, affecting at least 10 percent of older Americans every year. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness. This holistic and robust response demonstrates the Department’s unwavering dedication to fighting for justice for older Americans. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:21-cr-60.


title: Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution and Gun Possession Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDUARDO COLON, 34, of Manchester, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to fentanyl distribution and firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 3, 2022, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made a controlled purchase of 1,000 wax sleeves of fentanyl from Colon in front of his Manchester residence on Buckland Hills Road. Later that day, a court-authorized search of Colon’s residence revealed approximately 2,100 sleeves of fentanyl, approximately 250 grams of unpackaged fentanyl, and a loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Colon’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. Colon pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Manchester Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham. This prosecution 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. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Madison County Couple Indicted on COVID-19 Program Fraud Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Madison County couple were indicted today for defrauding the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. A five-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges John D. Scoggins , 43, and Jennifer C. Scoggins , 37, husband and wife, both of Huntsville, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the indictment, between February and June 2021, the Scoggins conspired to defraud the SBA and the United States Government by applying for and/or receiving approximately $1.7 million in fraudulent PPP loans on behalf of four purportedly operational businesses. The Scoggins submitted loan application containing material misrepresentations and supported by falsified and fraudulent documentation. The Scoggins used the PPP loan funds for a series of unauthorized purposes, including purchasing a home, taking a family vacation, and plastic surgery. FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington is prosecuting the case. Throughout the country, federal, state, and local law enforcement are on high alert to investigate reports of individuals and businesses engaging in a wide range of fraudulent and criminal behavior. For more information about these scams visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Bart Ely, 51 years old, of Ohio City, Ohio, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to bank robbery, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Ely was sentenced to 71 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $401.00 to the victim bank. According to documents in the case, on June 4, 2021, Ely entered a bank in Bluffton, Indiana. He wrote and presented a note directing the teller to not make a sound and give him money or he would shoot. After obtaining an amount of bank funds, Ely fled. He was arrested later in the day after being identified from photographs posted by law enforcement. Ely’s criminal history includes several prior robbery convictions in Ohio. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Indiana State Police, the Bluffton Police Department, the Wells County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Wayne Police Department. Federal, state, and local authorities in Ohio also assisted in this investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery. ###


title: Fall River Woman Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Fall River woman was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for sexually exploiting children she babysat on multiple occasions. Nichole Cyr, 27, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 25 years in prison and five years of supervised release. In September 2022, Cyr pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children. “The crimes committed by Ms. Cyr are unconscionable and every parent’s nightmare. While a trusted babysitter, she sexually exploited two defenseless children who were two and seven years old at the time. Specifically, she sexually abused the toddler on multiple occasions, documented it, and distributed that documentation. Today’s sentence ensures that this dangerous predator is exactly where she belongs – removed from our community and behind bars,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Our children are among the most vulnerable, precious members of our communities. As the chief federal law enforcement officer in Massachusetts, ensuring their safety and wellbeing will always be my top priority. We will spare no expense or resource to keep our children safe from dangers like Ms. Cyr.” “Nicole Cyr was trusted to care for a child and betrayed that trust in the most egregious manner. The sexual abuse and exploitation of a child has long-term and far-reaching impacts on the life of the child and their family. We at Homeland Security Investigations hope that this sentencing offers some peace and a measure of justice as they move forward,” said Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. In July 2020, Cyr was arrested for child exploitation offenses after child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including images and videos, were located on her cell phones. Forensic analysis of Cyr’s phones revealed CSAM involving a two-year-old victim and a seven-year-old victim, including videos and photographs that showed Cyr sexually abusing the two-year-old victim on various dates. Forensic analysis also revealed that Cyr had shared the CSAM with another individual. Subsequent investigation determined that the Cyr produced the CSAM of the two minor victims, who she had babysat on multiple occasions. U.S. Attorney Rollins, HSI Acting SAC Krol, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III, Fall River Police Chief Paul Gauvin and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Chief of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Marcel Toussaint, 37 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Toussaint was sentenced to 120 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, between June 25, 2020, and August 24, 2020, Toussaint distributed various quantities of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.


title: Kaplan Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire  Fraud and Money Laundering

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – GRANT C. MENARD , age 36 and a resident of Kaplan, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana. As according to court documents, MENARD conspired with RYAN MULLEN, DUANE DUFRENE, DILLON ARCENEAUX, LANCE VALLO, and ZEB SARTIN to use a number of shell Louisiana companies with no assets to defraud a merchant cash advance company based in Georgia. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN as the owners of existing corporations. MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN, with the aid of another person, created falsified bank records for the companies. MULLEN then used an alias, claiming to be a broker for the companies he helped create. Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records in order to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and began to electronically wire ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN laundered a portion of the funds by paying MULLEN and DUFRENE percentages of the funds. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN then closed their non-existent businesses before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses of approximately $6.4 million. MENARD was responsible for approximately $649,990 in losses to the victim. MENARD is to be sentenced on July 5, 2023 and faces a maximum sentence of five years on the wire fraud conspiracy, and a maximum sentence of up to twenty years on the money laundering conspiracy. After imprisonment, the defendant faces up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the wire fraud count, and up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $500,000 fine on the money laundering count. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera and Andre Lagarde.


title: Former Financial Advisor and Tax Preparer Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Mulitiple Counts of Preparing False Tax Return

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, one year of supervised release, and fined $12,000, for preparing a false tax return. Terrence LeGall, 69, of Linden, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2022, before U.S. District Court Judge John M. Vazquez in Newark federal court to a superseding indictment charging him with 12 counts of aiding and abetting the preparation of a false tax return.


title: Former State Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Alfredo Hudson, 36, a former correctional officer with the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) has pled guilty to wire fraud in connection with two fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid. On June 12, 2020, Hudson submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan application claiming to be a self-employed individual operating a recreation business under the name “Alfredo Enterprise.” The PPP loan application falsely represented Alfredo Enterprise’s monthly payroll and included a false and fraudulent IRS Form 1040, Schedule C for tax year 2019. As a result of the false and fraudulent application, Hudson obtained a $10,104 PPP loan from a Georgia-based lender. On April 25, 2021, Hudson submitted a second false and fraudulent PPP loan application, this time claiming to be a sole proprietor operating a barbershop under the tradename of “Alfredo Enterprise.” The second draw PPP loan application also fraudulently represented Alfredo Enterprise’s 2019 gross income. In support of the application, Hudson submitted a different false and fraudulent IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, for tax year 2019. Once again, the fraudulent application was approved, and Hudson obtained approximately $11,251 in PPP loan proceeds from a Florida-based lender. Subsequently, Hudson submitted a false and fraudulent PPP loan forgiveness application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) seeking repayment forgiveness for the PPP second draw loan he received from the Florida-based lender. As a result of this false and fraudulent forgiveness application, the SBA excused the defendant from any repayment obligation on the second draw PPP loan. Hudson is scheduled for sentencing on May 24, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman. He faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Small Business Administration, Investigations Division’s Eastern Region (SBA-OIG), announced the guilty plea. FBI Miami and SBA-OIG investigated the case, with assistance from the Florida Department of Corrections’ (FDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG). Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General 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. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . 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 23-cr-20060. ###


title: Federal Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Illegally Possessing a Gun and Distributing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: OXFORD, MS – A federal jury convicted a Greenville, Mississippi man on Tuesday of illegally possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony and four counts of distributing methamphetamine. According to court documents and evidence presented at a two-day trial, Clarence Lamar Buck, 51, distributed methamphetamine on four separate occasions out of the Express Inn in Greenville in January of 2021. Approximately a year later, the United States Marshals Service, along with the Greenville Police Department, served an arrest warrant on Buck for bond violations. During a search of Buck’s room, officers found a Ruger .22 caliber handgun. Records reflect that at the time Buck possessed the gun, he had multiple prior felony convictions, including a conviction for sale of a controlled substance. “The defendant is a repeat felon who injected poison into his community in the form of methamphetamine,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “The Greenville Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service are to be commended for their hard work on this case, and we are proud to stand with them to stem the flow of illegal narcotics and to get firearms out of the hands of criminals.” “Making sure that those who break the law are apprehended, and convicted, is our priority,” remarked Greenville Police Chief Marcus Turner. “We appreciate the partnership that we have with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and look forward to working together to ensure the safety of our community.” The Greenville Police Department investigated the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Addison and Sam Stringfellow. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Honduran National Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the U.S.

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARLON AMAYA-LOPEZ, also known as Elder Figueroa, 34, a citizen of Honduras last residing in Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arteron in New Haven to 12 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, Amaya-Lopez was previously deported and removed from the U.S. to Honduras following a felony conviction in 2007 in Connecticut Superior Court for attempted robbery in the second degree, and again in 2015 following a misdemeanor conviction for theft of property. He illegally reentered the U.S. in 2016. In February 2020 and again in January 2021, Amaya-Lopez was arrested in Bridgeport for motor vehicle violations. Amaya-Lopez has been detained since his federal arrest on November 30, 2022. He pleaded guilty to the offense on January 3, 2023. This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Stephanie T. Levick and Neeraj N. Patel.


title: Palm Beach Gardens Attorney Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: MIAMI – A 53-year-old West Palm Beach licensed attorney has been arrested with possession of child pornography. Michael T. Dolce will appear in a West Palm Beach federal court tomorrow for his initial appearance. According to the filed criminal complaint affidavit, on March 15, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Dolce’s West Palm Beach apartment. They discovered Dolce actively downloading child pornography using peer-2-peer software. Nearly 2000 images and videos of child pornography were recovered from his devices. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the charges. FBI Miami, West Palm Beach Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Schiller is prosecuting the case. A complaint contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . 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 23-mj-08161. ###


title: Cedar Rapids Woman Sentenced for Harboring Escapee

body_text: A Cedar Rapids woman who harbored and concealed a felon who had escaped from a local halfway house was sentenced on March 28, 2023, to approximately 5 months in custody. Rachel Louise Monthie, formerly known as Rachel Louise Chronister, age 45, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the term of incarceration after a February 3, 2023 guilty plea to one count of harboring and concealing an escapee, Ricky Joe Vaughn. In Monthie’s plea agreement, as well as at prior hearings in the Monthie and Vaughn cases, the evidence showed that Vaughn was sentenced in June 2015 to serve 96 months in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition illegally. Vaughn has an extensive criminal history extending back to 2001. In addition to his prior federal firearms conviction, Vaughn’s criminal history in state court includes felony convictions for theft and conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. Vaughn was scheduled to be released from a federal prison in Michigan in February 2022. In December 2021, however, the United States Bureau of Prisons permitted Vaughn to reside in a Cedar Rapids halfway house with work release privileges. On January 10, 2022, Monthie drove to Vaughn’s workplace. In Monthie’s presence, Vaughn cut off his ankle monitor and threw it into a nearby ditch. Monthie drove Vaughn to a Cedar Falls hotel, where she provided food and lodging for three nights. On January 13, 2022, Monthie drove Vaughn to her apartment in Marion, Iowa. Monthie allowed Vaughn to use her shower and placed a loaded, chambered firearm on an ottoman next to the front door. Monthie conducted countersurveillance against law enforcement, going in and out of the apartment on the false pretense that she was taking things from her vehicle. Deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) approached the apartment and knocked twice but received no response. Eventually, Monthie allowed the deputies inside the apartment and told them about the firearm. Vaughn was arrested without incident. Monthie has a misdemeanor criminal history, including three drunk driving offenses, that extends over two decades. Before the sentencing hearing, Monthie’s pretrial release was revoked after she used methamphetamine and possessed a compressed air BB pistol. Monthie was later released to a halfway house but failed to comply with its rules concerning alcohol use and re-ordered by a federal judge into USMS custody. Monthie was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Vaughn was sentenced to a time-served sentence of 154 days of jail. She must also serve a one-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. In August 2022, Vaughn was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment for his escape from custody. Monthie is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until April 20, 2023, when she is ordered to report to a local halfway house for up to 180 days. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Vavricek and investigated by the USMS. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file numbers are 22-CR-80 (Monthie) and 22-CR-12 (Vaughn). Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 27 Years for Large-Scale Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national residing in Raymore, Mo., was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Abel Miranda-Diaz, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 27 years in federal prison without parole. On Sept. 21, 2022, Miranda-Diaz pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and 50 grams of more of methamphetamine from 2015 to March 18, 2020. On March 18, 2020, federal agents saw co-defendant Christopher Aldana-Vergara, 33, a Mexican national residing in Independence, Mo., deliver two kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of methamphetamine to co-defendant Sergio Villegas-Sandoval, 44, a Mexican national residing in Kansas City, Kan. Agents arrested Villegas-Sandoval and seized the drugs. Agents also followed Aldana-Vergara to his residence; when he left his residence a short time later, agents conducted a traffic stop and arrested him. They searched his vehicle and found more than a kilogram of cocaine. Miranda-Diaz was found hiding under Aldana-Vergara’s residence, a trailer with an attached garage. Agents searched the residence and found a large-scale methamphetamine conversion laboratory. Agents found seven one-gallon containers that contained a total of 31 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, approximately 33 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, approximately two kilograms of heroin, drug ledgers, and a Mossberg sawed-off shotgun. Miranda-Diaz admitted to investigators that he maintained stash houses in the Kansas City area for the purpose of storing methamphetamine and was paid for this service by a Mexican drug cartel. Miranda-Diaz described how he would unload shipments of methamphetamine, which were often hidden in compartments of car tires, the drive shafts of trucks, gas tanks and car batteries. According to court documents, Miranda-Diaz is in the country illegally after having been previously convicted and deported for illegally entering the United States. Miranda-Diaz is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in this case after pleading guilty to participating in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Aldana-Vergara was sentenced on Jan. 26, 2022, to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Yanez-Sotelo was sentenced on March 9, 2023, to 11 years in federal prison without parole. Villegas-Sandoval was sentenced on Oct. 18, 2022, to nine years in federal prison without parole. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Raskin and Patrick Edwards. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Philadelphia Man Convicted of Obtaining United States Citizenship by Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Sumo Dukulah, 49, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was convicted today at trial of procurement of citizenship by a false statement and unlawfully arising from his failure to honestly answer questions during the naturalization process about his prior criminal activity, including his rape of a child under the age of thirteen. The defendant was indicted by a grand jury on June 24, 2021 and charged with procuring citizenship through a false statement and with procuring citizenship unlawfully. The defendant, from September 27, 2011 to January 9, 2012, in submitting his application for citizenship and in his sworn affirmations at his interview at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Philadelphia, falsely declared that he had never committed a crime, when in fact, he had been raping a minor female. “The guilty verdict for Sumo Dukulah sends a message that you will be held accountable for lying about your criminal background on federal immigration forms,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Those who would lie in order to secure the precious privilege of U.S. Citizenship put the integrity of our immigration system at risk.” “Today’s conviction of Mr. Dukulah illustrates HSI’s commitment to ensuring that our immigration system is void of fraud and deception, particularly from those perpetrating such heinous criminal conduct,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia William S. Walker. “HSI will continue to tirelessly work with our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute and to revoke any fraudulently obtained citizenship from anyone that poses a threat to the most vulnerable amongst our communities.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Josh A. Davison and Patrick Brown.


title: Erie, PA Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge After Having Sex With 15 Y/O

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Tristan Pearson, 26, Erie, PA, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan P. Cantil and Raymond J. Fadel, who are handling the case, stated that between January and May 2018, Pearson knowingly engaged in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female (Victim) in the Western District of New York. On two separate occasions, Pearson filmed himself having sexual relations with the Victim using his cellular telephone. Pearson then distributed those videos to others via text message. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. # # # #


title: Former construction company president sentenced for attempting to monopolize highway construction, repair contracts

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — The former president of a paving and asphalt contractor based in Billings was sentenced today to three years of probation, with six months of home detention, and fined $27,000 after he admitted to attempting to monopolize the market for highway crack-sealing services in Montana and Wyoming, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Nathan Nephi Zito, 44, of Billings, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to an information charging him with one felony count of attempted monopolization in violation of the Sherman Act. The government alleged in court documents that Zito attempted to cheat the competitive bidding process by monopolizing the markets for highway crack-sealing services in Montana and Wyoming by proposing that his company and its competitor allocate regional markets. As early as January 2020, Zito approached a competitor about a “strategic partnership” and proposed that the competitor stop competing with Zito’s company for highway crack-sealing projects administered by Montana and Wyoming. In return, Zito’s company would stop competing with the competitor for projects administered by South Dakota and Nebraska. Zito offered to pay his competitor $100,000 as additional compensation for lost business in Montana and Wyoming. Zito further proposed that he and his competitor enter into a sham transaction to disguise their collusion. “If Zito had succeeded in his efforts to game the competitive bidding process, there would have been a dangerous probability he would have eliminated competition and been free to raise prices or limit production, which would have negatively impacted the American taxpayer. I am grateful to Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Dake and our valued partners at both the Antitrust Division within the Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General for their creative and hard work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Defendant Zito’s sentence should serve as a deterrent for contractors tempted by greed when bidding on contracts funded with federal dollars,” said Cissy Tubbs, Special Agent-In-Charge, Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Western Region. “We rely on DOT operating agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration to sound the alarm when circumstances in these complex bidding processes seem amiss, as occurred here. Consequently, OIG is committed to pursuing these multifaceted cases with our partners including the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force, the Antitrust Division, and the Montana United States Attorney’s Office.” The case is the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General as part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government – federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on market allocation, price fixing, bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct related to defense-related spending, go to https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Anyone with information in connection with this investigation should contact the Antitrust Division’s Complaint Center at 888-647-3258, or visit http://www.justice.gov/atr/report-violations. XXX


title: Bath Man With Prior Sex Offense Conviction Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joshua Wormley, 38, of Bath, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2017, Wormley was convicted of attempted possession of a sexual performance of a child. In February 2021, Wormley possessed a cell phone containing approximately 800 images and two videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent minors. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia and the Yates County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Ronald Spike. Sentencing is scheduled for August 16, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. before Judge Wolford. # # # #


title: Las Vegas Felon Sentenced To Prison For Unlawful Possession Of Short-Barrel Rifle With Obliterated Serial Number

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A prior convicted felon and Las Vegas resident was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kent J. Dawson to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of a short-barrel AR-15 pattern rifle with an obliterated serial number. Martel Deavon Nelson, 38, pleaded guilty in November 2022 to felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on July 5, 2020, Nelson left his car running at the curb in the valet parking area outside a Las Vegas casino’s entrance. He entered the casino and walked bare-footed to the bar and said to the cashier “Give me my money.” He refused to leave the casino and he became belligerent, lunging at one of the security officers. While Nelson scuffled with security personnel inside the casino, a security officer outside the casino looked into Nelson’s car and observed an AR-15 pattern firearm between the driver seat and center console. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers responded and during the execution of a search warrant of Nelson’s vehicle recovered the short-barreled rifle with an obliterated serial number, a vertical fore-grip, and a large-capacity magazine inserted. Nelson has a prior felony conviction in San Bernardino County, Calif., for attempted murder, and by law he is prohibited to possess a firearm. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement. The ATF investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Dan Cowhig prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a nationwide program by the Department of Justice that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN. For more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/usao-nv . If you have information pertaining to illegal firearms activity such as a straw purchase, please contact the ATF at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867). Anonymous tips may also be submitted to ATF through the ReportIt mobile app. ###


title: Skagit County man sentenced to ten years in prison for drug and gun crimes

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 24-year-old resident of Mount Vernon, Washington was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to ten years in prison for drug trafficking while armed with multiple firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Santos Gutierrez-Fosella was arrested on March 14, 2022, with more than 89,000 fentanyl pills, two kilos of methamphetamine and five firearms – one of them a ghost gun. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, “The seriousness of your crimes has been escalating and all are tied to drugs…. You amplified the danger to the public, law enforcement and yourself by trying to protect your drugs with guns.” “Mr. Gutierrez-Fosella took more than $130,000 to Arizona to load up on potentially deadly fentanyl pills – that conduct alone indicates he was a prolific drug distributor,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “When the Skagit County authorities tried to arrest him, he rammed a patrol car in a futile attempt to escape. In his pocket was a loaded 9mm ghost gun. His conduct posed a danger to the community on many levels.” According to records filed in the case, Gutierrez-Fosella was indicted with two others on March 30, 2022. Robert Johnny was purchasing pills from Gutierrez-Fosella. He was sentenced in January 2023, to six years in prison. A third co-defendant, Steven Lopez Ruiz is scheduled for sentencing on April 5, 2023. When law enforcement searched Gutierrez-Fosella’s car after the traffic stop, they found not only the fentanyl and methamphetamine, but S10,000 in cash and four firearms: a .40 caliber Hi Point handgun, a Beretta APX handgun, a Palmetto PA15 rifle, and a CZ Scorpion rifle. Gutierrez-Fosella had the loaded ghost gun and another $7,000 in cash in his pockets. As part of the agreement to resolve the federal case, the Skagit County Prosecutor agreed to resolve its pending charges against Gutierrez-Fosella, including charges related to an armed robbery, by accepting pleas to the following charges pending in Skagit County: Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First Degree, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the First Degree, and Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree. The case was investigated by the Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Swinomish Police Department, and the Mount Vernon Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Hinman.


title: Repeat offender heads back to prison for distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Spring resident has been sent to prison…again, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Colt Jacoby Barnett pleaded guilty Oct. 17,2022, to multiple child pornography charges. Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane ordered Barnett to prison for a total of 210 months for distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography as well as destruction of evidence. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted that the troubling fact that he was a repeat offender. Barnett was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Barnett will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. “Offenders who exploit children by repeatedly traumatizing them via collecting and making their images available through the internet are a plague on our society,” said Hamdani. “This defendant was previously prosecuted and punished for similar behavior, and thankfully, the enhanced penalties for repeat offenders ensure he will spend even longer in prison this time, thus protecting our children further from his deviant criminal behavior.” In January 2019, law enforcement conducted an investigation into the sharing of child pornography through the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network. They soon downloaded a video from a particular internet protocol (IP) address that was over two minutes in length. It showed a female under the age of 12 engaged in oral sex with an adult male. The IP address was traced back to Barnett’s residence in Spring. The investigation revealed he was a registered sex offender from a previous conviction in 2004 for receipt of child pornography. Authorities conducted a search warrant at his residence, at which time Barnett attempted to destroy a laptop computer in his possession. A forensic examination of the hard drive from the damaged laptop revealed 55 videos containing child pornography. Barnett was found to have received and distributed child pornography via peer-to-peer programs. Of the 55 videos he possessed, at least two depicted bondage of a child, another two were over five minutes in length and one depicted the penetration of a minor under the age of five. Barnett was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. FBI Houston conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Trafficker ordered to prison for putting meth on Greyhound bus

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 47-year-old Donna man has received a significant sentence following his conviction of conspiracy to traffic meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Cesar Rocha pleaded guilty March 30, 2022. Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Rocha to serve 228 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that the meth had been smuggled in from Mexico before Rocha took possession and moved it further north. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Rocha’s prior convictions for similar offenses, possession with intent to distribute and delivery of controlled substances in Tennessee and Alabama, respectively. On Nov. 28, 2021, a K-9 alerted law enforcement to specific luggage on a Greyhound bus that was traveling from Harlingen to Corpus Christi. Upon opening the bag, they found a wrapped bundle containing nearly one kilogram of meth. Surveillance footage revealed Rocha had carried the bag in from the bus station in Harlingen. He also purchased a ticket for another individual and put that person on the bus with the bag containing the drugs. Authorities discovered 12 other bus trips matching the same pattern that occurred from December 2020 to November of 2021. Rocha will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Border Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.


title: Repeat offender ordered to prison after re-entering the country…for the 6th time

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old from Mexico has been ordered to federal prison for illegal re-entry after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal jury found Laureano Mar-Peres guilty Nov. 29, 2022. Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered him to serve 33 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Mar-Peres is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, Judge Morales noted that how Mar-Peres had been removed from the United States five times. At trial, testimony revealed that on Jan. 11, 2022, authorities had encountered Mar-Peres attempting to circumvent the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint in Kenedy County. A fingerprint expert was able to identify Mar-Peres as the same individual previously ordered removed from the United States, the most recent being Oct. 22, 2021. The defense attempted to convince the jury that because so many people are removed from the United States, there was no way to keep track of all of them. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged. Mar-Peres has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman and Tyler Foster prosecuted the case.


title: Bank robbery and 45-minute crime spree gets Texas man significant federal prison time

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 43-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison for robbing American Bank in Corpus Christi and brandishing a firearm during the robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Anthony Dwayne Carrington pleaded guilty Jan. 4. Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales handed Carrington a 51-month term of imprisonment for the robbery. He also received 84 months for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 135-month prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the extremely serious and dangerous series of events that led up to apprehension. On Aug. 8, 2022, Carrington entered the American Bank – Corpus Christi South branch on South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi. He approached the teller station while holding a silver pistol in his hand, pointed it directly at a bank employee and demanded he give Carrington all the money from the drawer. Carrington further warned the employee not to press the alarm or make a scene. Fearing for his life, the teller complied with Carrington’s demands. Further investigation revealed two shootings that occurred a short distance from the bank within 45 minutes of the robbery - an attempted murder in a private residence and a homicide at P.F. Chang’s restaurant. Authorities apprehended him after conducting a traffic stop later the same day. Carrington discarded the firearm used during the robbery and both shootings. The firearm was recovered by authorities in an empty grass lot. Carrington will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marck prosecuted the case.


title: San Jose Police Union Executive Charged With Attempted Illegal Importation Of Fentanyl Analogue

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN JOSE – The Office of the United States Attorney has filed a federal criminal complaint charging Joanne Marian Segovia with attempt to illegally import a controlled substance in connection with a scheme to bring synthetic opioids into the country and distribute them throughout the United States, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The criminal complaint was filed on March 27, 2023, and unsealed the next day. According to the complaint, Segovia, 64, of San Jose, is the Executive Director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association (SJPOA). The complaint alleges that Segovia used her personal and office computers to order thousands of opioid and other pills to her home and agreed to distribute the drugs elsewhere in the United States. The complaint alleges that Segovia was apprehended as part of an ongoing Homeland Security investigation into a network that was shipping controlled substances into the San Francisco Bay Area from abroad. The complaint alleges that between October 2015 and January 2023, Segovia had at least 61 shipments mailed to her home, originating from countries including Hong Kong, Hungary, India, and Singapore. The manifests for these shipments declared their contents with labels like “Wedding Party Favors,” “Gift Makeup,” or “Chocolate and Sweets.” But between July 2019 and January 2023, officials intercepted and opened five of these shipments and found that they contained thousands of pills of controlled substances, including the synthetic opioids Tramadol and Tapentadol. Certain parcels were valued at thousands of dollars’ worth of drugs. Also alleged is that Segovia used encrypted WhatsApp communications to plan the logistics for receiving and sending pill shipments. For example, the complaint describes a three-year period between January 2020 and March 2023 during which Segovia is alleged to have exchanged hundreds of messages with someone using a phone with an India country code. The messages discussed details for shipping and payment of pills and contained hundreds of pictures of tablets, shipping labels, packaging, payment receipts, and payment confirmations. The complaint alleges that Segovia used her office at the San Jose Police Officers’ Association to distribute controlled substances. For example, in spring 2021, Segovia was told by a supplier to send a package to a woman in North Carolina. Segovia then sent this supplier a photograph of a shipment made using the UPS account of San Jose Police Officers’ Association. According to the complaint, Segovia continued to order controlled substances even after being interviewed by federal investigators in February 2023. On March 13, 2023, federal agents seized a parcel in Kentucky, containing valeryl fentanyl, addressed to Segovia. The package allegedly originated from China on March 10, 2023 and declared its contents as a “clock.” Segovia is charged with attempt to unlawfully import valeryl fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 952(a). A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and, like all defendants, Segovia is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Segovia faces a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years. In addition, as part of any sentence, the court may order the defendant to serve at least 3 years of supervised release and to pay a fine of up to $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Tartakovsky is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Margoth Turcios. This prosecution is the result of investigation by HSI.


title: 22 Individuals Charged with Drug Trafficking in the Municipalities of Sabana Grande, San Germán, Lajas, and Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 22, 2023, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned a six-count indictment charging 22 individuals with drug trafficking in the municipalities of Sabana Grande, San Germán, Lajas, and Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau Aguadilla Strike Force are in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Mayagüez Strike Force, Mayagüez Homicide Division, and the Mayagüez District Attorney. This arrest operation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The indictment alleges that from 2019 to the date of the return of the indictment, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marihuana, Fentanyl, Tramadol, Oxycodone (Percocet), and Alprazolam (Xanax) in Majinas Ward, Las Guaras Ward, Cerro Gordo Ward, José A. Castillo Public Housing Project (PHP) in the municipality of Sabana Grande; Sabana Eneas Ward in the municipality of San Germán; Sabana Yeguas Ward in the municipality of Lajas; Parabueyon Ward in the municipality of Cabo Rojo, and areas nearby for significant financial gain and profit. “The charges in this case reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking organizations that sow violence and fear in our communities. We will continue to work closely alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal organizations throughout Puerto Rico and break the cycle of violence that they perpetuate,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “When I first came to San Juan, I said that violent crime would be amongst our top priorities. Today, I want to thank my FBI Aguadilla Team for helping me make good on that promise,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph González. “There will always be more work to be done, but this takedown dismantled an extremely violent criminal enterprise, which controlled most of the drug trafficking operations in the SW of Puerto Rico, with no regard for human life and no respect for law enforcement. I want to thank the USAO, IRS, USMS, PRPB Mayagüez Strike Force, USPIS, DEA, HSI, CBP and the Mayagüez District Attorney’s Office, for their assistance in this investigation and their continued support to the FBI mission.” As part of the conspiracy, the members acted in different roles to further the goals of the conspiracy, including acting as leaders, enforcers, runners, sellers, and facilitators. The defendants had access to different vehicles which they used to transport money, narcotics, and firearms. They offered delivery services to their clients; they would meet up with clients at parking lots or wherever it was convenient to their customers. The members of the gang used force, violence, and intimidation to maintain control of the areas in which they operated. Twenty-one defendants are also facing a charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants are: José Alberto Pagán-Casiano, a/k/a “Pito Cansio” Victor Galindo-Padilla, a/k/a “Junito” John M. Hernández-Méndez, a/k/a “El Buster” Terril Rivera-Calder, a/k/a “TJ” Julio Argenis Figueroa-Martínez, a/k/a “Argenis” Renty A. Areizaga-García Alexander Rivera-Casiano, a/k/a “Papal” Gustavo González-González, a/k/a “Gotay/GTA/Negro/Tavo” Christian Belén-Silva, a/k/a “Belén” Michael Nazario-Rivera, a/k/a “Michael Bolso/El Pri” Yomvier Torres-Ruiz Jaime Rodríguez-Juliá Victor Casiano-Alameda, a/k/a “Junito” Rodney A. Santiago-Ramírez Gabriel Olmeda-Mercado, a/k/a “Rasta” Justin Carlo-Padilla, a/k/a “Donald Trump” José M. Rodríguez-Torres, a/k/a “JM” Alex Ramírez-Sánchez, a/k/a “Pote” Axel Vélez-Denizac, a/k/a “Axel el Enano” Shariel Mercado-González Yehudy Toro-Vargas Francisco Ayala-Vega, a/k/a “Cabra/Sico” If convicted, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Cordero-Romo from the Gang Section is in charge of the prosecution of the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 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: Assistant U.S. Attorney Pleads Guilty to Conflict of Interest Violation

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An Assistant U.S. Attorney pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally steering contracts to her spouse, in violation of the federal criminal conflict of interest statute. According to court documents, Kathryn Drey, 55, of Pensacola, Florida, directed contracts from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida to companies in which her spouse had a financial interest, including while she served as chief of the office’s Civil Division. Drey concealed her spouse’s financial interest in contracts to conduct title searches in litigation defended by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “Kathryn Drey committed a federal crime by enriching her family at the expense of her duty to the American people,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to holding accountable public servants who act with unlawful conflicts of interest, prioritizing financial gain over their ethical duties.” “The public trusts Department of Justice employees to act with the highest integrity. Instead, Drey acted in her own self-interest to improperly profit from her official position,” said Special Agent in Charge James F. Boyersmith of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Miami Field Office. “DOJ-OIG is committed to rooting out this kind of egregious misconduct and bringing perpetrators to justice.” Drey pleaded guilty to one count of acting with a conflict of interest. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 28 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The DOJ-OIG is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Lauren Castaldi and Nicholas Cannon of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.