title: California man sentenced for drug distribution, money laundering, and human smuggling scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A 28-year-old California man was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 66 months in prison and four years of supervised release for dealing fentanyl, laundering drug money, and arranging for people to be smuggled across the U.S. Mexico border, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Andre Jackson was identified as a key distributor of narcotics in the Kitsap County and Pierce County areas. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “Drug dealing is of course dangerous” and when you engage in human smuggling “you were making money off of vulnerable people." According to records filed in the case, Jackson was in contact with a Mexican-based source of supply named “Pacheco.” Working at Pacheco’s direction Jackson coordinated the delivery of drugs from California to Washington State and the laundering of drug proceeds back to Pacheco, and his associates, in Mexico. At times, Jackson would deliver drugs in person from California to Washington. For example, in August of 2021, he delivered 3500 fentanyl pills to a person working with law enforcement. That deal was conducted at the Tacoma Mall. Later that day, he made a second smaller drug delivery to a codefendant at a grocery store parking lot in Bremerton. The investigation also revealed Jackson wired drug proceeds from multiple Bremerton and Silverdale, Washington, locations to individuals in Mexico. Throughout August, September, and October 2021, Jackson sent money to sources in Mexico via Money Gram, CashApp or Western Union from various locations in Kitsap and Pierce Counties. Finally, during the drug and money laundering investigation, law enforcement identified Jackson as someone facilitating the smuggling of non-citizens across the U.S./Mexican border. Jackson used various social media channels to recruit drivers who would smuggle non-citizens across the border or pick them up near the border and drive them north. A number of the recruited drivers were apprehended by law enforcement with the non-citizens in their vehicles. Jackson was indicted and arrested in November 2022. In February 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to transport certain non-citizens for profit. Other individuals charged federally in this investigation include Jason Baker (61-month sentence), Ashley Chico (18-month sentence), and John Irias-Mejia (18-month sentence). In asking for a 6-year-prison sentence Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs wrote to the court, “Most basically, Jackson was involved in the distribution of significant quantities of fentanyl pills and likely other drugs. The Court is certainly aware of the dangers that controlled substances – particularly fentanyl – pose to those who use them. But Jackson was not just a street dealer or simple courier. He was in direct contact with the DTO leader in Mexico and played a knowing and significant role in transporting drugs from California to Washington, distributing the drugs in this State, and sending the proceeds back to Mexico.” The case was investigated by HSI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hobbs.


title: Former Principals Of Private “Pre-IPO” Funds Charged In Connection With $185 Million Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging MARIO GOGLIORMELLA, STEVEN LACAJ, and KARIM IBRAHIM, a/k/a “Chris Hayes,” with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud in connection with their management of L & G Capital Corp., Legend Venture Partners LLC, and a related series of funds. The defendants’ fraudulent misrepresentations about the operation of their funds allowed them to raise approximately $185 million from hundreds of investors. Based in large part on the excessive and undisclosed share price markups they charged to investors, the defendants were able to divert nearly $28 million in investor funds to themselves. They also used investor funds to pay their sales representatives at least $17.5 million in fees and commissions, despite making explicit representations to investors that fees were not being charged. GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM were arrested earlier today and will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “By allegedly raising approximately $185 million from over 1,400 investors, Mario Gogliormella, Steven Lacaj, and Karim Ibrahim left a trail of shattered trust and financial ruin. Today’s Indictment is a resolute stance against such alleged egregious breaches of investor confidence in the pre-IPO markets. We will hold perpetrators accountable and safeguard investors from such deceitful practices.” USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service thoroughly investigates investment fraud cases which involve the criminal use of the mail to defraud investors. This case highlights the crooked path these greedy individuals allegedly took as they charged excessive and undisclosed share price markups, callously defrauding investors out of millions. I commend the work of our Postal Inspectors, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Together we are ensuring that investors are protected, the sanctity of the U.S. Mail is preserved, and ultimately fraudsters are held accountable for their dirty deeds.” According to the allegations in the Indictment: [1] From at least in or about 2019 through at least in or about October 2022 , GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in a group of related private funds known generally as the “StraightPath Funds” and the “Legend Funds” (the “Funds”). In particular, the defendants, and others working at their direction, used “boiler room”-style call centers to market the funds, including to individual, non-professional investors, and present an opportunity to invest in privately held companies expected to go public in the near future (“pre-IPO companies”). The defendants purported to offer investors the chance to acquire shares in pre-IPO companies at favorable prices in advance of an anticipated public offering, at which time they claimed the shares would be worth significantly more. Although the defendants and their agents represented to existing and prospective investors in the Funds that they earned no upfront fees or commission in connection with the acquisition of pre-IPO shares on the Funds’ behalf, in reality and contrary to their fiduciary duties, the defendants acquired the shares and then sold them to the Funds at arbitrarily inflated and excessive prices without disclosing to investors the nature or extent of the markup. The defendants also misled investors regarding the nature of their investments and hid the involvement of GOGLIORMELLA and IBRAHIM, who had previously been disciplined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) for the management of the Funds. Moreover, in order to evade detection of their scheme, the defendants destroyed records and otherwise obstructed the efforts of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to uncover the defendants’ fraud on investors. GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM conducted this scheme through several related entities. Among those entities was L & G Capital Corp. (“L & G”), which, from approximately 2019 up to approximately February 2022, marketed the StraightPath Funds on behalf of StraightPath Venture Partners, Inc. (“SPVP”). In approximately 2021, multiple individuals associated with SPVP received subpoenas from the SEC in connection with an investigation into SPVP’s unlawful marketing of pre-IPO shares to investors, and in approximately February 2022, SPVP ceased operations. On or about May 13, 2022, the SEC filed a civil action against SPVP and its founders. In approximately February 2022, when SPVP ceased operations, GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM began conducting the scheme under the corporate entity Legend Venture Partners, LLC (“Legend”). The defendants, now through the corporate entity Legend, continued to market funds investing in pre-IPO shares to investors. In addition to marketing these funds, Legend was the manager and investment adviser to each of the five Legend Funds. In order to generate interest in the Funds among retail investors, GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM used finders, or “referral agents,” to pitch prospective investors and thereafter to serve as the investors’ primary point of contact. The defendants used “boiler room”-style call centers wherein salespeople cold-called potential investors, many of whom were not experienced investors, and gave aggressive sales pitches using notes and pitch scripts. The defendants referred to their pitch scripts as “The Bible.” Contrary to the defendants’ claim that they and their agents did not make money unless and until investors received a profit on their investments, L & G and Legend paid referral agents a commission, typically a 10 to 15% front-end fee based on the amount of the investment that agents were able to draw to the Funds, plus a portion of the carried interest when the Funds exited their position in a particular company. In addition to misleading prospective investors about the compensation paid to referral agents, GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM defrauded investors in the Funds, for which they acted as fiduciaries, by charging investors excessive and undisclosed markups on share prices of pre-IPO companies, which benefited the defendants and their associates at the expense of investors and the Funds. These markups regularly exceeded 50% of the price at which Legend had acquired the shares and sometimes were as high as 150%. These markups, in turn, were used to pay fees and commissions to the defendants and their sales representatives. GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM also misled investors by actively taking steps to prevent investors from learning about GOGLIORMELLA’s and IBRAHIM’s leadership roles at Legend because of the fact that both had been disciplined by FINRA. In addition, GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM misled investors by misrepresenting the experience and knowledge of the sales representatives who were advising investors to invest in their funds. In total, during the course of their scheme, from in or about 2019 through in or about October 2022, GOGLIROMELLA, LACAJ, IBRAHIM, and their agents solicited investments into the Funds of approximately $185 million from at least 1,400 investors. GOGLIROMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM used much of these investor funds to enrich themselves and their associates and referral agents. GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM themselves received a total of more than $28 million in investors’ funds. For the most part, these distributions were not disclosed to investors or made in accordance with the Funds’ offering documents. The defendants also paid at least $17.5 million in investor funds to their associates and referral agents, despite having made and caused to be made explicit representations to investors that fees were not being charged or were being waived. In all, approximately 25% of the capital contributions the Funds received from investors was diverted to pay the defendants and their associates. The Funds are no longer operational and are under the control of court-appointed receivers tasked with taking possession of the funds’ assets and recommending a plan to return value to investors. * * * GOGLIORMELLA, 47, of Manhasset, New York, LACAJ, 27, of New York, New York, and IBRAHIM, 34, of Queens, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment adviser fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of investment advisor fraud, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the USPIS. Mr. Williams further thanked the SEC, which has separately filed civil charges against GOGLIORMELLA, LACAJ, and IBRAHIM. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam S. Hobson and Matthew R. Shahabian are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Pine Hill Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Pine Hill man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on May 28, 2022, Tony Jake Jr. , 75, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, approached seven-year-old Jane Doe as she played outside a church she attended with her grandmother. Jake separated Doe from other children playing nearby and put his hand down the front of her pants. Around this time, Doe's grandmother noticed she was not with the other children and began looking for her, eventually finding her with Jake . Shortly after, Doe's mother picked her up from her grandmother. Doe told her mother what Jake had done to her, and Doe's mother rushed her to the hospital. Doe underwent an examination and later a forensic interview where she described in detail Jake 's abusive actions. Jake admitted his conduct to an FBI agent when questioned and later pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact. After completing his term of imprisonment, Jake will be required to serve 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Bell is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: New Haven Man Charged with Operating Illegal Money Transmitting Business

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging WILLIAM McNEILLY, 55, of New Haven, with operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The indictment was returned on June 5, 2024, and McNeilly was arrested yesterday. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $50,000 bond. The indictment alleges that McNeilly owned and operated Global Income Marketplace LLC (“GIM”) from a storefront in West Haven. According to its Connecticut state registration, GIM was engaged in “website builders programming tech computer repairs and upgrades.” McNeilly and another individual also operated Global NuMedia LLC (“GNM”), a limited liability company registered in Delaware. McNeilly, who never obtained a license from the Connecticut Department of Banking to engage in the business of money transmission, opened up several bank accounts in the names of GIM and GNM, and a cryptocurrency exchange account in the name of GNM, and used the accounts to operate a business through which he exchanged customers’ cash, checks, and money orders for cryptocurrency, charging a fee for the service. Between approximately July 2019 and June 2022, McNeilly exchanged more than $1 million in U.S. currency for cryptocurrency on behalf of customers throughout the U.S. McNeilly knew that some of the funds involved in his illegal business were derived from fraud schemes, and the investigation revealed that cashiers checks from victims of romance fraud schemes were mailed to GIM and deposited into GIM accounts. It is further alleged that, in February 2021, McNeilly was contacted by TD Bank and told that a $10,000 wire transfer to GNM was reported as fraudulent, and that he needed a license to operate a money transmission business. Despite the warning, and that TD Bank closed the GIM and GNM accounts, McNeilly continued to operate his money transmission business through other GIM and GNM bank accounts. The indictment charges McNeilly with one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and with three counts of making illegal money transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.


title: Broward deputy sheriff and SWAT team member convicted at trial of COVID-19 relief fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On June 5, a federal jury in Miami convicted a Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputy of conspiracy to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA), two counts of false statements to the SBA, and wire fraud, all in relation to her COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. In 2021, Alexandra Acosta, 38, of Tamarac, Florida, conspired with her tax preparer, Vilsaint St Louis, to apply for and receive a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for herself as a sole proprietor doing business as a realtor based upon materially false information about her average monthly income in 2019, including two falsified IRS tax forms submitted with the application. Acosta also sought and received forgiveness of the fraudulently obtained PPP loan, which totaled over $20,000 in principal and interest. During the period of the scheme, Acosta was employed as a deputy sheriff in BSO’s Department of Law Enforcement and was the first and only BSO female SWAT team member. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 27, before U.S. Senior District Judge Robert N. Scola. Acosta faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conviction, 5 years in prison for the conspiracy conviction, and 2 years in prison for each of the false statement convictions. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acosta’s coconspirator, St Louis, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced, on May 14, to one-year of probation, a $5,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker, Eastern Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Sheriff Gregory Tony of BSO; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement. FRB-OIG, BSO, and FBI Miami investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Jones and Adam Love are prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren Grove is handling asset forfeiture. 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. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams . 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-60170. ###


title: Bronx Man Charged With 2016 Murder

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging BRUCE MORRIS, a/k/a “G,” with murder through the use of a firearm and a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. MORRIS was arrested this morning and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, almost eight years ago, Bruce Morris murdered Jerome Jemison in the Bronx in connection with a long-running drug conspiracy. Thanks to the hard work of the prosecutors in this Office and our law enforcement partners at the NYPD and FBI, Morris will finally be held to account for this heinous crime. With these charges, we continue our daily work of investigating and prosecuting those who perpetrate these senseless acts – no matter how many years have passed. We hope this prosecution brings some measure of comfort to the victim’s loved ones.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Firearms and illegal narcotics continue to infiltrate and plague our city, posing a grave danger to New Yorkers. In 2016, Bruce Morris allegedly murdered Jerome Jemison – prematurely ending the life of another over a drug trafficking operation. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to remove firearms from the streets and deliver justice for those fallen victim to unnecessary gun violence, regardless of when the crime was committed.” NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “Gun violence goes hand-in-hand with the illicit drug trade, and today’s charges show the tragic consequences of that reality. The NYPD and our law enforcement partners remain committed to investigating drug-related murders, no matter how long it takes. We also remain committed to disrupting and dismantling the actors and enterprises that fuel such drug-related violence, as well as to removing from our streets all illegal firearms and everyone allegedly willing to use them. I commend the NYPD investigators and FBI agents involved in this important case, as well as the prosecutors at the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, for their indispensable work.” As alleged in the Indictment: [1] MORRIS shot and killed Jerome Jemison on August 11, 2016, in the Bronx, New York, in relation to an eight-year crack cocaine distribution conspiracy. * * * MORRIS, 42, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of death or life in prison, and one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Weinberg, Camille L. Fletcher, and Jeffrey W. Coyle are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Brooklyn Woman Charged with Possession of Stolen Mail in Connection with Theft of More Than $167,000 from Former Employer

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn woman has been charged with possession of stolen mail in connection with stealing over $167,000 in funds from her one-time employer, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Kathryn Mountain, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of stolen mail. She made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer on June 6, 2024, and was released on an unsecured bond of $100,000. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From December 2022 through July 2023, Mountain stole and fraudulently obtained mail that contained checks from her former employer and fraudulently deposited those checks into her own bank account. Mountain executed this scheme by first placing a mail hold on her former employer’s mail, which caused the mail to be held at a Newark post office until retrieved by a representative from the company instead of the mail being sent directly to the company. Mountain went to the Newark post office, represented herself as an active member of the company although she had previously been fired, and collected the company’s mail. Mountain then deposited the checks she found in the stolen mail – which had been mailed by the company’s clients to the company as payment for services – into her business bank account. Mountain attempted to deposit $272,940 in stolen funds; the alleged actual loss caused by Mountain was $167,119. The count of possession of stolen mail is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Javon Henry of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. mountain.complaint.pdf


title: Memphis Men Indicted in String of 2023 Bank Robberies

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Tennessee recently returned a multi-count indictment charging four men with conspiracy to commit bank robberies, and the commission of six bank robberies in the Memphis area. Robert Haley , 44, Devin Hinds , 34, Courtney Trenell , 32, and Monterrio Trenell , 28, were all indicted by a federal grand jury in April. All four men have been arrested. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the unsealing of the indictment today. The four men are charged in connection with the robberies of: First Horizon Bank, N. Watkins Street, on April 27, 2023 Truist Bank, Poplar Avenue, on August 11, 2023 First Horizon Bank, N. Germantown Parkway, on October 20, 2023 Bank of Bartlett, Trinity Road, on October 20, 2023 First Horizon Bank, N. Watkins Street, on October 25, 2023 Independent Bank, Union Avenue, on December 22, 2023 United States Attorney Kevin Ritz said: “The alleged crimes in this indictment are serious, and they carry serious penalties. Our office will continue to work with law enforcement partners to double down on fighting violent crime with the federal tools available to us.” “These indictments are a testament to the collaborative efforts between all levels of law enforcement to bring to justice those who perpetrate crimes in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the Memphis Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “It is the shared resolve of the FBI and our partners to keep our community safe and to continue to pursue those who commit crimes.” If convicted on all counts, Hinds and Haley are facing sentences of up to life in prison and up to five years of supervised release; Courtney Trenell and Montarrio Trenell face sentences of five years in prison and up to three years of supervised release. All defendants face up to a $250,000 fine. This case is pending before Senior United States District Judge Jon P. McCalla in Memphis, Tennessee. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Memphis Police Department. Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 901-528-2274. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Aaron Henricks with the Violent Crime Initiative are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Sanostee Man Sentenced for Assaulting Jail Guard

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Sanostee man was sentenced to 19 months in prison for assaulting a jail guard and violating the terms of his supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on October 11, 2017, Zachariah Nez , 25, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for voluntary manslaughter. Upon his release from prison, Nez was placed on three years of supervised release. On September 3, 2023, Nez was arrested for violating the conditions of his supervised release and was detained. While in custody, Nez punched a jail guard at Core Civic in Cibola County. The guard was uninjured. After completing his term of imprisonment, Nez will be required to serve three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The United States Marshal Service investigated this case with assistance from Core Civic. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Spindle is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Readout of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division's Meeting with Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian and Hindu Community Stakeholders

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department convened a quarterly interagency meeting yesterday with Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian and Hindu community stakeholders. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division outlined relevant enforcement efforts across the Department and highlighted actions to prevent and combat discrimination and hate crimes. This convening occurred at a time when hate and threats of violence against these communities remain concerningly high, particularly since Oct. 7, 2023. Representatives from the Civil Rights Division, FBI, Criminal Division, Community Relations Service, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties and Office of Community Oriented Policing Service heard from attending organizations about campus safety and civil rights protections for student protestors as well as concerns about employment discrimination. Representatives from other federal government agencies also participated, including Department of Homeland Security Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Departments of Education, Labor, Transportation and State. Combating hate crimes and addressing discrimination claims are among the department’s top priorities. Yesterday’s meeting represents the department’s latest efforts to engage with organizations and stakeholders on issues affecting Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, Sikh, Hindu, and South Asian communities. In March, the department hosted a community safety briefing for Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian community stakeholders, during which the department released resource documents designed to help the public better understand federal civil rights laws, including laws that prohibit violence and discrimination on the basis of religion and national origin , discrimination in public accommodations , and protections afforded by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The department has also continued to aggressively investigate and prosecute hate crimes, including recent cases involving a Texas man who threatened employees of a Sikh nonprofit organization; a Texas man who carried out a mass shooting targeting Muslims at a car repair shop in Dallas in which one person was killed, and four others were seriously injured; a New Jersey man who broke into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University during the Eid holiday and destroyed property, including prayer stones, items with inscriptions of the Quran, and a Palestinian flag; a Florida man who assaulted a Muslim woman postal worker by pulling her out of her truck and grabbing her neck while attempting to pull off her hijab and threatening her; and a Florida man who threatened a Michigan-based Muslim civil rights nonprofit. If you believe that you or someone else experienced religious or national origin discrimination, report a civil rights violation online at civilrights.justice.gov . If you believe you are a victim or a witness of a hate crime, report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov . Learn more about the department’s work on hate crimes here .


title: Former Chair of Grafton Select Board Arrested for Allegedly Defrauding Investors in His Cannabis Company

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former chair of the Select Board in Grafton, Mass. was arrested today on charges of defrauding investors in his cannabis company and for conducting an unlawful monetary transaction. Bruce W. Spinney, III, 49, of Grafton, was indicted yesterday on three counts of wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud investors in Spinney’s marijuana company as well as one count of conducting an unlawful monetary transaction. Spinney was arrested today and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester, was released on conditions. According to the indictment, after resigning as Chair of the Grafton Select Board in August 2019, Spinney solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars from several investors for his new marijuana dispensary venture, Noble Manna, Inc. Prior to incorporating Noble Manna in October 2019, Spinney operated Spinney Enterprises, a rental equipment and rental linen business that accumulated large amounts of debt. The indictment alleges that Spinney told Noble Manna investors that he would be using the money toward the construction and licensing of marijuana dispensaries in Graton and Mendon, Mass. However, it is alleged that contrary to his representations about his use of the investment money, Spinney immediately used investors’ money to pay-down previously existing debts for his linen and rental business including payments to debt collectors, outstanding business loans, cash withdrawals and personal expenses. It is further alleged that in March 2020, Spinney used the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme to transfer $27,000 to pay a debt related to his rental business in an unlawful monetary transaction. Each of the wire fraud charges provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of unlawful monetary transaction provides for a sentence up to 10 years in prison, two years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the amount involved in the transaction. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Massachusetts Inspector General Jeffrey S. Shapiro made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Brownsville trafficker sent to prison for importing 25 bricks of meth

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 27-year-old man has been sentenced for importing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Juan Adame II pleaded guilty March 11, 2022. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Adame to serve 57 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence Adame had an integral role in smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted traffickers could not succeed without the willing participation of transporters like Adame. On April 8, 2021, Adame claimed he had no illegal drugs in his vehicle when arriving at the Progresso Port of Entry. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed 25 bricks of meth, weighing approximately 24 kilograms and hidden in compartments within the vehicle’s wheel wells. The meth had an estimated street value of approximately $60,000. At the time of his plea, Adame admitted he knew he was smuggling narcotics and had done so on multiple occasions. Adame 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 and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case.


title: Escaped felon arrested after drive-by shooting, chase in Billings sentenced to more than three years in prison for illegal possession of firearm

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

body_text: BILLINGS — A felon who escaped from a pre-release center, committed a drive by shooting at a house in Billings and then led law enforcement on a chase in a stolen vehicle before crashing was sentenced yesterday to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conviction of a firearms crime, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, Azuriah Austin Stallcup, 20, of Billings, pleaded guilty in February to prohibited person in possession of firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In court documents, the government alleged that on July 6, 2023, Stallcup was a wanted escapee from a Butte pre-release center when he travelled to Billings, obtained a stolen .40-caliber firearm and repeatedly fired it from his stolen vehicle into a house. Residential surveillance cameras identified the vehicle and Stallcup. Billings Police Department officers tracked Stallcup the next day to a house. When officers attempted to arrest Stallcup as he was leaving in the stolen vehicle, Stallcup rammed one of the police cars, plowed into a nearby civilian vehicle and fled on foot. Officers chased Stallcup and saw him throw a pistol over a fence. Police officers, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, arrested Stallcup after being tackled by the owner of the car he had just hit. Officers recovered a .40-caliber pistol. Stallcup had been convicted of assault with a weapon, a felony, in Montana District Court and was prohibited from possessing firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Marshals Service, conducted the investigation. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Chief Investment Officer Of Allianz Global Investors U.S. Pleads Guilty To Investment Adviser Fraud

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of GREGOIRE TOURNANT, the former chief investment officer and co-lead portfolio manager for a series of private investment funds managed by Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC (“AGI”), to investment adviser fraud. AGI and two other AGI employees previously pled guilty, and AGI paid more than $3 billion in restitution to the innocent victims of this fraud, paid a criminal fine of approximately $2.3 billion, and forfeited approximately $463 million to the Government. TOURNANT pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16, 2024. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Gregoire Tournant and his co-conspirators lied to investors, secretly exposed them to risk, and as Tournant has now admitted, sent victims altered risk reports. Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of a multi-year investigation and prosecution that has held wrongdoers responsible, made victims whole, and demonstrated this Office’s resolve to pursue even the most sophisticated of financial crimes.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictments, Superseding Information, and other filings and statements made in court: Between 2014 and 2020, TOURNANT was the chief investment officer of a set of private funds at AGI known as the Structured Alpha Funds. These funds were marketed largely to institutional investors, including pension funds for workers all across America. TOURNANT and his co-defendants misled these investors about the risk associated with their investments. To conceal the risk associated with how the Structured Alpha Funds were being managed, TOURNANT and his co-defendants provided investors with altered documents to hide the true riskiness of the funds’ investments, including that investments were not sufficiently hedged against risks associated with a market crash. In March 2020, following the onset of market declines brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Structured Alpha Funds lost in excess of $7 billion in market value, including over $3.2 billion in principal, faced margin calls and redemption requests, and ultimately were shut down. On May 17, 2022, AGI pled guilty to securities fraud in connection with this fraudulent scheme and later was sentenced to a pay a criminal fine of approximately $2.3 billion, forfeit approximately $463 million, and pay more than $3 billion in restitution to the investor victims. TOURNANT’s co-defendants, Trevor Taylor and Stephen Bond-Nelson, previously pled guilty on March 8, 2022, and March 3, 2022, respectively. * * * TOURNANT, 57, of Basalt, Colorado, pled guilty to two counts of investment adviser fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. In connection with his plea, TOURNANT agreed to forfeit approximately $17 million in paid and deferred compensation traceable to his commission of the fraud. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He also expressed appreciation for the Securities Exchange Commission, which previously initiated a civil proceeding against TOURNANT. This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Graham, Nicholas Folly, Allison Nichols, Thomas Burnett, Sarah Mortazavi, and Nicolas Roos are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Penn Hills Resident Sentenced to Over Three Years in Prison for Trafficking Cocaine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 6, 2024, to 37 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of federal supervised release, following his federal drug trafficking conviction, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Senior United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti imposed the sentence on Jose Santiago Hernandez, 32. In February, Hernandez pleaded guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. According to information presented to the Court, on June 28, 2021, Hernandez attempted to take possession of two parcels that contained a collective weight of over 5,000 grams of cocaine. Hernandez was attempting to pick up these parcels from an apartment complex in Monroeville when he was apprehended by law enforcement. In imposing the sentence, Judge Conti emphasized the serious nature of Hernandez’s conduct, noting the harm to the community that could have resulted but for law enforcement’s intervention. She also expressed concern regarding the quantity of cocaine Hernandez attempted to possess. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hernandez.


title: Orlando Man Sentenced To More Than 24 Years In Federal Prison For Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Sean Calvin Ellixson (30, Orlando) to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Ellixson to forfeit digital media devices used during the commission of the offense. Ellixson entered a guilty plea on February 6, 2024. According to court documents, on September 10, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Orlando received information regarding online communications between an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl in an online chatroom and Ellixson. Ellixson contacted the individual he believed to be a 13-year-old and engaged in sexually explicit conversation with that person over the course of several days. During the conversations, Ellixson sent three videos of child sexual abuse material. On September 11, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Ellixson’s residence. During the search, Ellixson agreed to speak with investigators and stated he had two cellphones and confirmed that the phone number used to communicate with the undercover agent belonged to him. Ellixson admitted to having child sexual abuse material on the phone and showed law enforcement where it was located. Ellixson further stated that he had been talking to various people he believed were minor children to receive child sex abuse material. He also stated that he had attempted to purchase child sexual abuse material by purchasing a gift card and sending it to an unidentified individual. Ellison stated that this person was supposed to send him a link which contained child sexual abuse material. “The sentencing of Sean Ellixson serves as a stark reminder that HSI will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our children from exploitation and abuse,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “This outcome, achieved through the dedicated efforts of HSI Orlando and our law enforcement partners with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, underscores our unwavering resolve to hold perpetrators of child exploitation accountable for their actions and to ensure justice for their victims.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Brevard County Felon Pleads Guilty To Multiple Drug And Firearms Offenses

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Shawndell Johnson (32, Melbourne) has pleaded guilty to distribution of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Johnson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, Johnson twice distributed fentanyl to a confidential source in September 2022. Then, in March 2023, Johnson was arrested on state charges stemming from his fentanyl distribution. Following his arrest, a search of his residence revealed hundreds of grams of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine as well as digital scales, drug processing materials, and over $30,000 in cash. Also in his residence, agents located two firearms and ammunition. At the time of the search, Johnson had previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including murder in the third degree without design and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a previously convicted felon, Johnson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Rockledge Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman. 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: Waterbury Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Gun Offense, Violating Supervised Release

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALEXANDER CALDERON, 28, last residing in Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 72 months of imprisonment for illegally possessing a firearm, and for violating his conditions of supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction for trafficking narcotics. According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2019, Calderon was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 46 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for a gang-related drug trafficking offense. He was released from prison in December 2021, and began serving his term of supervised release. Shortly after midnight on March 21, 2022, four victims were wounded in a shooting incident outside of a bar on Scovill street in Waterbury. A Waterbury Police detective who was in the vicinity at the time of the shooting saw Calderon discard a silver handgun under a vehicle. Calderon was apprehended and officers recovered the discarded firearm, a Walther PPK .380 handgun. Officers subsequently recovered several spent shell casings from the scene, including a .380 casing that was connected to the handgun Calderon discarded. Calderon has been detained since his arrest on March 21, 2022. On January 5, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Judge Meyer sentenced Calderon to 64 months of imprisonment for the firearm offense, and a consecutive eight months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release. This matter was investigated by the Waterbury Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth. The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Orlando Man Sentenced To More Than Six Years In Federal Prison For Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Charles Bernard Long (44, Orlando) to six years and six months in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Long to forfeit a laptop computer which was used during the commission of the offense. Long entered a guilty plea on January 26, 2024. According to court documents, on May 20 and June 1, 2023, investigators used a file-sharing program to download multiple files of child sexual abuse material from a particular device traced to Long. During a subsequent interview with FBI agents, Long admitted that he had been using the online file-sharing program for the past year to collect child sexual abuse material. Long advised the agents that he had viewed the images and videos because he was curious. Multiple digital devices were removed from Long’s home and were analyzed. Specifically, Long’s laptop computer contained approximately 22 images and 238 videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Much of the material had been deleted but was recovered using a forensic tool. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Suburban Chicago Man Charged in Federal Court With Stealing More Than $9.5 Million in Interstate Shipments

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been charged in federal court with stealing more than $9.5 million in goods, including liquor and commercial-grade copper, from interstate shipments. According to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago, AIVARAS ZIGMANTAS used various aliases to falsely pose as a representative of real and fictitious carriers and brokers involved in transporting shipments across state lines. After fraudulently inducing individuals and entities to release shipments of goods to him, Zigmantas and others diverted the shipments from their intended destinations and stole the goods, the indictment states. As part of the fraud scheme, Zigmantas used aliases to open bank accounts and UPS Store mailboxes, and he created email addresses and websites in the names of fake individuals and entities, the indictment states. The indictment alleges that Zigmantas and others intended to steal at least $13.5 million in goods, and successfully stole more than $9.5 million. Zigmantas, 39, of Elk Grove Village, Ill., is charged with six counts of wire fraud, five counts of bank fraud, and two counts of theft of interstate shipments. He was arrested on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling. A detention hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2024. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, and LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director of the Chicago Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations participated in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Misty N. Wright. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison. Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years, while each theft count is punishable by up to ten years. Zigmantas indictment


title: St. Charles Parish Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – AMARYD DOWNING (“DOWNING”) , age 38, of Hahnville, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 5, 2024 by United States District Judge Susie E. Morgan to one hundred twenty months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and $300.00 in mandatory special assessment fees after pleading guilty to distribution of a quantitymixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on May 8, May 11, and May 22, 2023, St. Charles Parish detectives conducted an investigation during which they made controlled purchases of gram quantities of drugs from DOWNING in the Hahnville area. The drugs from each purchase tested positive for both fentanyl and heroin. After making the last of the controlled purchases, detectives arrested DOWNING . This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Dual U.S.-Russian Citizen Pleads Guilty to Sending Weapon Components to Russia

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: A dual U.S.-Russian citizen pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act by exporting firearm parts, components, and ammunition to Russia without the required authorization. According to court documents, from at least July 2020 to 2023, Dimitry Timashev, 58, coordinated with an associate in Russia to send weapon parts from the United States to Russia. In exchange, the associate paid tuition for Timashev’s daughter and rent for an apartment in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Timashev’s associate provided him with the names and addresses to which the firearm components and ammunition were sent. Before July 6, 2022, all the packages were shipped to Russia. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022, Timashev could no longer create a U.S. Postal Service label to send packages of firearm components to Russia. Instead, Timashev’s associate directed him to send the components to his relative’s apartment in Kazakhstan, from where the goods would be sent to Russia. Timashev sent multiple packages of components to Kazakhstan, knowing they were ultimately bound for Russia. He also knew exporting the parts through Kazakhstan to Russia required a license from the Department of Commerce that he did not have. Timashev concealed the illegal exports by misrepresenting the contents of the shipments on the accompanying manifests. Timashev pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act by exporting firearm parts, components, and ammunition to Russia without the required authorization. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 8 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. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations; ATF; Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement; U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Tracy Varghese of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Walutes for the Eastern District of Virgina are prosecuting the case.


title: Dual U.S.-Russian citizen pleads guilty to sending weapon components to Russia

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A dual U.S.-Russian citizen pled guilty today to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act by exporting firearm parts, components, and ammunition to Russia without the required authorization. According to court documents, from at least July 2020 to 2023, Dimitry Timashev, 58, coordinated with an associate in Russia to send weapon parts from the United States to Russia. In exchange, the associate paid tuition for Timashev’s daughter and rent for an apartment in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Timashev’s associate provided the defendant with the names and addresses to which the firearm components and ammunition were sent. Before July 6, 2022, all the packages were shipped to Russia. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Timashev could no longer create a U.S. Postal Service label to send packages of firearm components to Russia. Instead, Timashev’s associate directed him to send the components to his relative’s apartment in Kazakhstan, from where the goods would be sent to Russia. Timashev attempted to send multiple packages of components to Kazakhstan, knowing they were ultimately bound for Russia. He also knew exporting the parts through Kazakhstan to Russia required a license from the Department of Commerce that he did not have. Timashev concealed the illegal exports by misrepresenting the contents of the shipments on the accompanying manifests. Timashev is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 8. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Matt Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division (NSD); and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Homeland Security Investigations; ATF; Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement; U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tracy Varghese of NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. 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. 1:24-cr-111. This release was revised on June 12, 2024, to reflect the valuable contributions of of investigating agencies.


title: Two Charged for Involvement with Online Groups Dedicated to Monkey Torture and Mutilation

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Two individuals were charged this week for their involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys. Nicholas T. Dryden, of Ohio, and Giancarlo Morelli, of New Jersey, were charged with conspiracy to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos,” and with distributing animal crush videos. Dryden is also charged with the creation of animal crush videos, as well as with production, distribution and receipt of a visual depiction of the sexual abuse of children because a minor was paid to abuse the monkeys. According to court documents, in March and April 2023, the two co-defendants allegedly conspired to create and distribute videos depicting acts of sadistic violence against baby, adolescent and adult monkeys. The conspirators allegedly funneled money through Dryden, who then paid the minor in Indonesia to commit the requested acts on camera. The videos alleged to have been created as part of the conspiracy included depictions of monkeys having their genitals burned, having their genitals cut with scissors, being sodomized with a wooden skewer and being sodomized with a spoon. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, the charges related to the creation and distribution of animal crush videos each carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and the charges of producing and distributing depictions of the sexual abuse of children each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio made the announcement. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Oakley for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Wyandotte Elementary School Principal Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - A former Wyandotte Elementary School Principal pleaded guilty today to embezzling over $89,000 of funds intended for use by the school to advance its educational mission, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Joining in the announcement was Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Chief Brian Zalewski, Wyandotte Police Department. Krizia Allen, 38, of West Bloomfield, entered a plea of guilty to one count of theft from a federally funded program before United States District Chief Judge Sean F. Cox. The guilty plea arose out of Allen’s embezzlement of public funds while serving as the Principal of Garfield Elementary School within the City of Wyandotte. Allen used the school funds for her own personal gain or benefit, including for personal vacations, meals, gift cards, clothing, and rent. According to the plea documents, from June 2018 through February 2023, while serving as the Principal of Garfield, Allen stole approximately $89,312 of public-school funds using various fraudulent means to divert the funds for her own personal use and conceal the theft. According to the plea documents, Allen used a corporate entity that provided no goods or services to the school to funnel over $24,000 in funds directly to her personal bank accounts. Once there, Allen used the stolen proceeds to make rent payments, purchase food, and make ATM withdrawals. Allen also repeatedly used a school credit card entrusted to her for official school purposes to make thousands of dollars’ worth of personal purchases on Amazon, including for digital gift cards for use at Nordstrom, Foot Locker, and Old Navy. To conceal these personal expenditures, Allen created false Amazon orders identifying school-related items for submission to the school’s finance department to justify the purchases. Finally, Allen used the school credit card to transfer over $50,000 in funds between the school’s PayPal account and her own PayPal account. During the same time period, Allen made over $50,000 in debit card transactions and withdrawals from her PayPal account for purely personal uses, including CashApp and ATM cash withdrawals, rent payments, and DoorDash purchases. To justify the regular fund transfers from the school’s PayPal account into her personal PayPal account, Allen created and submitted more false business invoices and receipts to the school’s finance department, which identified apparent school-related purchases that never occurred. According to the plea documents, in February 2023, after becoming aware of Allen’s misappropriation of certain funds for personal purposes, the school confronted Allen and discontinued her employment. That same day, Allen conducted open-source Internet searches utilizing search phrases such as “embezzlement” and “minimum for fraud.” United States Attorney Ison stated, “Krizia Allen stole tens of thousands of dollars of public funds intended to benefit its students. Every dollar Ms. Allen misappropriated for her own personal gain deprived the students and teachers of Garfield Elementary of the financial resources needed to ensure that each child at Garfield received a proper education. My office takes theft from such federally funded educational programs very seriously, and we will continue to bring those who steal from these programs to justice.” “Educators are entrusted with the ultimate responsibility of ensuring our children receive a high-quality education and schools have the resources needed to accomplish academic goals,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Mrs. Allen admittedly violated that trust by misappropriating school funds, and she will face the appropriate consequences. This investigation was conducted by the FBI's Detroit Area Corruption Task Force. I would like to also thank the Wyandotte Police Department, especially Chief Brian Zalewski, for their partnership during this investigation.” Sentencing is set for October 10, 2024 before Judge Cox. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney T. Patrick Martin. The case was investigated by our Detroit Area Corruption Task Force and then the Wyandotte Police Department.


title: Accused Drug Cartel Broker, 28 Others Indicted in St. Louis

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man accused of being a broker for Mexican drug cartels and 28 others have been indicted on drug and money laundering conspiracy charges in St. Louis. Genaro Rosas-Vargas, 39, also known by other names including “Chilango,” and the 28 others were indicted by a grand jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on May 24 on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, five kilograms or more of cocaine and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Rosas-Vargas and nine others also face one count of money laundering conspiracy, and others face additional drug and firearm charges. Twenty-eight of the defendants have been arrested in the St. Louis area, Illinois and other states. Rosas-Vargas was arrested when he crossed the U.S. border. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested the bulk of the defendants this week. “This long-term investigation represents a significant blow to the drug trafficking cartels trying to profit by poisoning the St. Louis community,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “It also resulted in the interception of large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and meth and the coordinated, masterful arrest of a large number of defendants in multiple states in just a few hours.” “Mexico-based drug cartels should never be underestimated for their power and global reach,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, head of Drug Enforcement Administration operations in Eastern Missouri. "The lethality of the illegal drugs these traffickers ship into St. Louis communities demonstrates that their greed trumps any concern for the health and safety of our citizens. DEA and our partners are determined to disrupt the cartels’ supply chain and end their horrible business.” The indictment alleges that since at least 2017, Rosas-Vargas was a Mexico-based broker who obtained fentanyl, meth and cocaine from drug cartels and had it delivered to the St. Louis area and elsewhere. Rosas-Vargas and his co-conspirators wired some drug proceeds back to Mexico and used couriers to transport bulk shipments of cash, the indictment says. The indictment says Javier Ramos-Garcia, 50, Jose Coronel-Coss, 28, and Theodore Sigite, 47, were large-scale drug traffickers involved in the conspiracy. The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of a 2017 Jaguar F-Pace, a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, a 2003 Suzuki GSX motorcycle and more than $131,000 in cash. During the investigation, six kilograms of fentanyl, 44 kilograms of cocaine, 75 kilograms of meth and $250,000 in drug proceeds have been seized, according to a motion seeking to have Rosas-Vargas held in jail until trial. That motion accuses Rosas-Vargas of organizing the transport of undocumented immigrants from Mexico into the United States, who were then required to work off the $5,000 to $11,000 they owed by participating in drug trafficking operations. Rosas-Vargas also discussed sending firearms from the U.S. to Mexico for use by the cartels, the motion says. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, the St. Charles County Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Bridgeton Police Department and the Marion (Illinois) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dane Rennier and James Delworth are prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force , which is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and includes members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. The OCDETF strike forces are permanent, multi-agency, prosecutor-led teams that conduct intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Portland High School Teacher Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice and Coerce a Minor Online

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—A high school teacher from Portland was sentenced to federal prison today after he traveled to Bend, Oregon, in hopes of meeting a 15-year-old child he met online. Edward Hernandez-Corchado, 27, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in November 2022, as part of an ongoing investigation into online child exploitation, a police officer from Bend, Oregon set up and began using a Snapchat account to pose as a 15-year-old child. As the investigation continued, the officer, posing as the child, met an individual online who was later determined to be Hernandez-Corchado. Over the next several days, Hernandez-Corchado engaged in sexually explicit communication with the officer, who he still believed was a child, and developed a plan to meet the child in Bend. On November 11, 2022, Hernandez-Corchado traveled to Bend to meet the child and was intercepted and arrested by law enforcement. Following his arrest, Hernandez-Corchado admitted to regularly engaging in sexually explicit communications with underage girls online, possessing child pornography, and previously meeting and engaging in sexual conduct with two minors in the Salem, Oregon area. On November 19, 2022, Hernandez-Corchado was charged by criminal complaint with enticing a minor. Later, on January 12, 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Hernandez-Corchado with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and, on January 8, 2024, he pleaded guilty to the single charge. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bend Police Department. It was prosecuted by Judith R. Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org . Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: California Man Sentenced for Federal Controlled Substances Act Violation

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MAN FAI HO (“FAI HO”) , age 61, of San Lorenzo, California, was sentenced on June 5, 2024 by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to thirty-three months imprisonment, a $10,000.00 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, in July 2019, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Agents learned that Vinh Nguyen and others, participated in a drug and money trafficking network that spanned from California to Louisiana. Text messages confirmed that Nguyen worked with a supplier in California, who negotiated the cost and strains of marijuana with growers in San Francisco for Nguyen. Nguyen paid for the marijuana by having other co-conspirators fly the cash to the supplier in San Francisco. Another co-conspirator owned a shipping company that shipped the marijuana from San Francisco to a warehouse in Kenner. FAI HO would then pick up the marijuana shipments from the Kenner warehouse and deliver them to various unknown locations in the New Orleans area and other cities throughout the country. This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets. This case was investigated by the Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Former Assistant City Attorney and Police Officer Sentenced in an Approximately $15M PPP Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Shelitha Robertson, who formerly served as an Assistant City Attorney and police officer for the City of Atlanta, has been sentenced for fraudulently obtaining approximately $15 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal stimulus program authorized as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. “Motivated by greed, Robertson deceptively obtained funds that were designated to provide emergency financial relief to struggling small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute criminals who stole pandemic relief funds.” “Today the defendant in this case was held accountable for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars through the Paycheck Protection Program and using those stolen funds to enrich herself, while small businesses were struggling during the pandemic,” said Kyle A. Myles, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, Atlanta Region. “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue and bring to justice those who took advantage of such pandemic relief programs and threatened the integrity of our Nation’s financial institutions.” “Scheming to divert vital funds from legitimate businesses that needed support during the pandemic undermines the integrity of SBA’s programs,” said SBA OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite. “Our office remains steadfast in pursuing those who exploit federal programs for personal gain. I would like to thank the US. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their unwavering commitment to the pursuing justice in this case.” “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration will aggressively pursue individuals who commit fraud against the American taxpayer by making false claims to obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans intended for legitimate businesses who needed it to survive the pandemic,” stated Special Agent in Charge Mark H Morini, Jr. “We want to express our gratitude to our federal partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their assistance in holding these individuals to account.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the court documents and evidence presented at trial: Shelitha Robertson and other co-conspirators submitted PPP loan applications on behalf of four businesses that she owned and controlled. The loan applications falsely inflated the number of employees and average monthly payroll for each of the four businesses, resulting in larger PPP loans than Robertson would be legitimately entitled to obtain. Robertson and her co-conspirator, Chandra Norton, also submitted false tax documents to support the inflated statements in each loan application. Robertson used the loan proceeds to purchase luxury items, including a 10-carat diamond ring. She also transferred funds to Chandra Norton and family members. Shelitha Robertson, 62, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg to seven years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. A jury convicted Robertson of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering on December 19, 2023. This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bernita B. Malloy and Trial Attorney Ariel Glasner of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 192 defendants in more than 121 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud . In May 202, 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 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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: West Virginia Men Admit to Drug and Firearms Charges

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two West Virginia men have pled guilty to charges involving methamphetamine distribution and illegal possession of a firearm. John Marshall Jones, III, 37, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. David Allen Starkey, 36, of Flemington, West Virginia, pled guilty today to the unlawful possession of a firearm. Starkey had prior felony convictions in Barbour County, preventing him from having firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, officers were executing an arrest warrant for Jones for a parole violation at a home in Barbour County. Jones and Starkey were hiding inside the home, where officers also found an assault rifle, a handgun, and methamphetamine. Jones faces at least 5 and up to 40 years in prison. Starkey faces up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the United States Marshals Service; and the Barbour County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Grandview Man Pleads Guilty to $900,000 Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Grandview, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in a conspiracy that distributed at least 18 kilograms of cocaine. Anthony D. Harris, 41, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. By pleading guilty today, Harris admitted that he distributed at least 18 kilograms of cocaine between 2019 and 2022. Harris, who obtained cocaine from sources throughout the country, admitted that he made dozens of trips to Texas to obtain cocaine to distribute in the Kansas City metropolitan area. He made 38 trips by flight to Houston, Texas, to obtain cocaine, then rented a vehicle to return and distribute the cocaine to co-conspirators in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Harris had two bank accounts that facilitated his drug trade. He deposited a total $443,920 into the bank accounts during that time, of which $308,472 was cash deposits. Harris also gambled with proceeds from his drug trade. Records received from several casinos in the Kansas City area and Las Vegas, Nevada, revealed that from 2019 to 2021, Harris cashed in a total of $705,244 and cashed out a total of $646,108. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Harris must forfeit to the government a money judgment of up to $887,600, based upon his drug responsibility as determined by the court. This sum, in aggregate, was obtained through the drug-trafficking conspiracy, based upon an average street price of $1,400 per ounce of cocaine, $30 per pill (approximately 0.1 grams) of fentanyl, and $200 per ounce of marijuana. Harris is one of 29 defendants charged in this case. More than 200 law enforcement officers participated in an operation in March 2022 that led to the arrests of 25 of the 26 defendants originally indicted. Officers seized 27 firearms, 1,877 rounds of ammunition, more than 11.1 kilograms of marijuana, 300.9 grams of cocaine, 278.91 grams of other illegal drugs, and $34,439 in cash. Harris, who was among three defendants charged in a superseding indictment, was arrested on Jan. 27, 2023. Under federal statutes, Harris is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Moeder and Stephanie C. Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Buchanan County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Johnson County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department and the St. Joseph, Mo., Police Department. KC Metro Strike Force This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.