title: 12 New Federal Cases Filed as Law Enforcement Continues Vigorous Response to Deadly Fentanyl Epidemic

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Law enforcement officials today announced a dozen new federal cases targeting fentanyl dealers who, in all but one case, allegedly sold fentanyl and fake pills containing fentanyl that directly resulted in the death of at least one victim. The 12th case charges an alleged dealer who distributed fentanyl to teenage girls who suffered overdoses and required hospitalization. In another matter announced today, a man who sold fentanyl through several dark web marketplaces has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges, admitting that his products caused the death of three individuals and that he sold fentanyl-laced pills to two others who died soon after. The announcement was made at a news conference in which federal authorities, joined by a host of local law enforcement leaders, discussed their ongoing efforts to combat the proliferation of fentanyl, the extremely powerful synthetic opioid that is found in many illicit drugs and is killing approximately 70,000 Americans every year. “We are fully committed to combating the fentanyl crisis, which is wreaking so much destruction across this nation,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Those who traffic in fentanyl should be on notice that our office will hold you accountable and the consequences will be severe. The deadly risks of fentanyl are well known. The cases announced today charge drug dealers who have caused the death or injury of others, and thereby prioritized greed over human life. These cases that focus on fentanyl distribution resulting in death are the result of an unprecedented level of cooperation between federal agents and local authorities throughout our district.” “The two main drivers that are causing fentanyl related deaths in our community and throughout the nation are accessibility and deception,” said DEA Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner. “Social media platforms have made fentanyl widely available to anyone with a smartphone and made every neighborhood an open-air drug market. The deceptive marketing tactics used by the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels have created a vast pool of victims who unknowingly ingested fentanyl and did not make a choice to be harmed or die. Through the DEA Overdose Justice Task Force we continue to send a strong message to individuals who engage in drug trafficking resulting in death or great bodily injury that selling even one fentanyl pill will have significant consequences in the federal criminal justice system.” “Drug traffickers operating on the darknet use encrypted communications and decentralized currency in an attempt to conceal their illicit trade, but the joint efforts announced today are evidence that their perceived anonymity is a myth,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to identify drug trafficking on the darknet, including sales of pills pressed with fentanyl, a poisonous ingredient that’s led to an unprecedented number of deaths in the United States each year.” The 12 new cases being announced today are a result of the ongoing efforts of the Overdose Justice Task Force, a DEA-led project designed to investigate fatal fentanyl poisonings and identify the individuals who provided the fentanyl that directly caused the deaths. Under the Overdose Justice program for the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, DEA agents have established collaborative relationships with local law enforcement agencies across the seven counties that make up the Central District of California. Local authorities are almost always the first to respond to an overdose death, and DEA agents have provided training to dozens of local agencies to help them analyze evidence to determine if there are circumstances that might lead to a federal criminal prosecution. Since the project’s launch in 2018, and including the cases announced today, the United States Attorney’s Office has filed charges against 64 defendants who allegedly sold drugs that resulted in a fatal fentanyl poisoning. OVERDOSE JUSTICE TASK FORCE CASES The United States Attorney’s Office and the DEA today announced 12 cases that charged 13 defendants. Most of the defendants discussed below have entered not guilty pleas to the charges containing in indictments issued by federal grand juries. U.S. v. Benavides-Schorgi Adrian Benavides-Schorgi, 22, of the Jefferson Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, is accused of selling counterfeit pills containing fentanyl that led to life-threatening overdoses of two 15-year-old girls in Santa Monica who thought they were buying ecstasy. Benavides-Schorgi was charged by a federal grand jury with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury for the alleged narcotics sale on May 24, 2022. Benavides-Schorgi was arrested on April 27, and he was ordered held without bond at a hearing the following day. A trial in this matter is scheduled for June 20. The DEA and the Santa Monica Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Beecher of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Galvan Heriberto Galvan, 24, of North Hollywood, was arrested last week on charges of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, distribution and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm and a short-barrel rifle in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and possession of an unregistered firearm. The indictment alleges that Galvan distributed fentanyl on December 4, 2021 to a 19-year-old man from La Cañada Flintridge who was found dead in his car the next day. Galvan allegedly distributed fentanyl in another transaction on January 19, 2022. A subsequent search of Galvan’s residence led to the discovery of more fentanyl and cocaine, along with a short-barrel AR-type “ghost gun.” Galvan was named in a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on May 5, and he was arrested later that day. Galvan was arraigned on Monday and was ordered held in custody without bond pending a trial scheduled for July 11. The DEA and the Glendale Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Alix McKenna of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Gutierrez Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 32, of Montebello, was arrested on May 2 after being indicted on a charge of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. On December 9, 2022, Gutierrez distributed fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 34-year-old man at a Long Beach drug treatment facility the next day. At his arraignment on May 5, Guiterrez was ordered held without bond, and a trial was scheduled for June 27. The DEA and the Long Beach Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda B. Elbogen of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Jeremy Beecher of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Wendel and Villapania Kaelen Jacobkeali Wendel, 31, of Lompoc, and Michael Villapania, 35, of Santa Barbara, were indicted on a charge of distributing fentanyl that led to the death of one jail inmate and serious bodily injury to a second. Early on October 20, 2022, two male inmates at the Santa Barbara Northern County Jail overdosed on fentanyl. Custody deputies and medical personnel at the jail administered CPR and Narcan on both inmates. They were able to save one inmate, “J.V.,” however, the second inmate, “E.E.,” did not survive. The investigation revealed that Wendel, a new inmate at the facility, brought fentanyl into the unit, and Villapania, who knew both Wendel and J.V., brokered a deal with J.V. in which Villapania allegedly sold some of the drugs in exchange for commissary items. J.V., in turn, allegedly shared some of the drugs with his cellmate, E.E., the inmate who died after ingesting the fentanyl. The indictment was filed on February 10, Villapania was arraigned on March 23, and Wendel was arraigned on April 24. Both men are being held without bond pending trial. The DEA and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Suria M. Bahadue of the Criminal Appeals Section is prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Cruz Javier Carlos “Juvy” Cruz, 22, of Ontario, was arrested April 21 after being indicted on drug distribution and weapons charges. The five-count indictment alleges that Cruz sold fentanyl to an Ontario man on November 11, 2022. The 26-year-old victim died the next day, and a toxicologist determined that fentanyl toxicity was the cause of death. During the subsequent investigation by the DEA and the Ontario Police Department, Cruz was the subject of a search on December 27, 2022, which led to the discovery of fentanyl on his person and nearly 1,500 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. Investigators also seized three semiautomatic handguns from Cruz’s residence. The indictment charges Cruz with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Cruz is currently detained pending his June 13 trial date. Assistant United States Attorneys Pete Dahlquist and Miles J. Robinson of the Riverside Branch Office are prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Diaz Luis Enrique Diaz, 22, of Victorville, was arrested April 21 after being indicted on charges of distributing fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 28-year-old Hesperia man. When contacted by law enforcement on April 10, 2021 – the day after the victim died – authorities allegedly recovered additional fake pills from Diaz’s person. The indictment charges Diaz with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with the intent to distributed fentanyl. Diaz is currently detained pending a trial scheduled for June 13. This case is being investigated by the DEA and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Pete Dahlquist of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Alvarado Dominick Kingdiamond Alvarado, 22, of Tarzana, was arrested May 3 on charges of distributing fentanyl in form of fake Percocet pills that caused the deaths of an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl. Alvarado allegedly sold fake pills laced with fentanyl to a group of young people in a transaction in Valencia on July 11, 2022. Two days later, an 18-year-old Santa Clarita resident was found dead by his brother. Ten days after the first death, Alvarado allegedly sold fake pills containing fentanyl to another group of teenagers at the same mall in Valencia where the prior transaction took place. Following this second sale, a 17-year-old girl died of fentanyl poisoning after ingesting the narcotics and suffering an overdose in a Santa Clarita park. Following his arrest, Alvarado was ordered held without bond, and a trial was scheduled for June 27. The DEA and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are conducting the investigation this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Alix McKenna and J'me K. Forrest of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Brunfman Kimber Brunfman, 26, of East Brunswick, New Jersey, was arrested on May 2, after being charged by a grand jury with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. The indictment alleges that Brunfman, in the days after Thanksgiving 2022, distributed fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 26-year-old Thousand Oaks man. The investigation in this case revealed that Brunfman allegedly mailed the fentanyl from Philadelphia to the victim in California. Brunfman was ordered detained in New Jersey, and he is expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles in the coming weeks. The DEA and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Laura A. Alexander of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Villegas Joshua Villegas, 25, of Torrance, was arrested April 21 pursuant to a federal grand jury indictment charging him with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. On May 30, 2020, Villegas allegedly distributed fentanyl, which resulted in the death of a person who lived in the same apartment complex. The investigation revealed that Villegas used Instagram to negotiate the drug deal. Following the arrest, a United States magistrate judge ordered Villegas jailed without bond. A jury trial in this matter is scheduled for June 13. The DEA and the Torrance Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Declan T. Conroy of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Campos Edgar Arturo Campos, 27, of Coachella, was arrested March 13 on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with one count of distribution of fentanyl and cocaine resulting in death. On December 12, 2020, Campos allegedly sold cocaine and fentanyl to the 23-year-old victim, who ingested the drugs the next morning. The victim’s parents found her body in her bedroom in La Quinta. Evidence shows the victim and Campos allegedly negotiated a drug deal in the hours prior to her death. Campos is free on $35,000 bond. His trial is scheduled to start on August 15 in United States District Court in Riverside. The DEA and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen T. Merrill of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Maya Sergio Maya, 32, of Lake Elsinore, was indicted on March 29 and charged with one count of distribution of fluorofentanyl and fentanyl resulting in death. During the early morning hours May 26, 2022, the victim allegedly met with Maya to purchase fentanyl. The victim’s body was discovered by his roommate, who notified law enforcement. Toxicology tests indicated the presence of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl – a fentanyl analogue chemically similar to fentanyl – in the victim’s body. Maya is currently in state custody for an unrelated state criminal case. He will make his initial appearance in United States District Court in Riverside at the conclusion of the state criminal case. The DEA and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen T. Merrill of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case. U.S. v. Varvara John Nicholas Varvara, 31, of Mission Viejo, was arrested March 1 pursuant to a grand jury indictment that accuses him of distributing fentanyl resulting in death. The charge stems from a December 5, 2021 sale to a 27-year-old man who died at his father’s Huntington Beach residence two days later. A trial in this matter is scheduled for March 24, 2024. This matter is being investigated by the DEA and the Huntington Beach Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Nikki Elkerton of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case. In relation to the pending cases noted above, indictments contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) Team The final case being announced is the product of an investigation by the FBI under auspices of the FBI-led JCODE team, which the Justice Department established to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics. U.S. v. Srinivasan Rajiv Srinivasan, 37, of Houston, has agreed to plead guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, acknowledging that his drug trafficking activities caused at least three deaths. In a plea agreement filed April 20, Srinivasan operated the account “redlightlabs” on multiple marketplaces on the dark web, where he advertised and sold fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. In addition to operating under the greater anonymity offered on the dark web, Srinivasan further admitted he tried to evade law enforcement by using encrypted messaging applications and asked for payment to be made in cryptocurrency. Srinivasan admitted in the plea agreement that over approximately nine months in 2022, he and his co-defendant “engaged in at least 3,800 drug transactions with approximately 1,500 customers across the country, selling at least 123,688 pills resembling M30 pills which in fact contained fentanyl,” in addition to approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine and lesser quantities of fentanyl powder, black tar heroin, and cocaine. Srinivasa admitted that the drug sales in 2022 directly led to fatal overdoses of three individuals who resided in Fort Collins, Colorado; The Villages, Florida; and Fayetteville, Arkansas. In the plea agreement, Srinivasan further admitted he and his co-defendant distributed fake pills to two other individuals – one in Livonia, Michigan; the other in Santa Cruz – “who died of drug overdoses shortly after receiving the fentanyl-laced pills.” Srinivasan is scheduled to formally plead guilty on June 5 in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Following the entry of his guilty pleas to the two charges, Srinivasan will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a potential sentence of life without parole. The second defendant charged by a federal grand jury in this case – Michael Ta, 24, of Westminster – is currently scheduled to go on trial on November 14. Assistant United States Attorney Gregg E. Marmaro of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Final Member of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Carlos Alberto Castro-Ruiz, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty yesterday to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine before United States District Judge Steven P. Logan. A sentencing hearing is set for July 18, 2023. Castro-Ruiz’s co-conspirators also pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine. On April 13, 2023, Alexander Ortega-Islas, 22, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty before Judge Logan. Keivin Crosswell-Cervantes, 27, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on May 2, 2023, before Judge Logan. Sentencing hearings are scheduled for July 10 and July 17, 2023, respectively. The three co-conspirators all admitted that they delivered approximately 400,000 blue fentanyl pills, approximately 20,000 multi-colored fentanyl pills (“skittles”), and approximately 25 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover officers on September 22, 2022. Law enforcement officers also seized an AK-47-style pistol, a .45 caliber Kimber 1911 semi-automatic pistol with two magazines, and a .45 caliber FN semi-automatic pistol. A conviction for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, a fine up to $10,000,000, or both. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Homeland Security Investigations, Nogales, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, Nogales conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew G. Eltringham, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR 22-01295-PHX-SPL RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-068_Castro-Ruiz, et al. # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Detroit Street Gang Leader Sent to Prison for 25 Years for Murdering Two People as Part of a Racketeering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A leader of a Detroit street gang was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for murdering two people, one of them an innocent 13-year-old bystander, as part of a racketeering conspiracy, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division. Edwin Mills, aka “Edboy,” age 33, of Detroit, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith. Mills had pleaded guilty to his crimes before Judge Goldsmith in October 2022. Mills and ten other members of the “6 Mile Chedda Grove” gang were indicted in 2016 for racketeering offenses. According to court records, Mills admitted to being a member of the street gang, which operated on the eastside of Detroit. 6 Mile Chedda Grove was a violent organization responsible for murders, assaults, robberies, and narcotics trafficking in the Detroit metropolitan area and in other states. All eleven charged members of the gang have now been convicted and sentenced. As a part of his guilty plea, Mills admitted to participating in the 2015 murder of two people. According to plea documents, Mills was with another gang member, Carlo Wilson, when they saw an individual with whom they had been feuding in a car outside of a market on the eastside of Detroit. Mills and Wilson then shot into the car, killing the individual and a 13-year-old passenger. Mills and Wilson also seriously injured two children who had been sitting on the hood of the car. Wilson pled guilty to the murders, and he was previously sentenced by Judge Goldsmith to 25 years in prison. “Today’s sentence closes the book on a violent gang that terrorized an entire neighborhood,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “The community is safer with these men off the streets.” “Guns and drugs take the lives of far too many people in our communities, and Edwin Mills - as a leader of the ‘6 Mile Chedda Grove’ gang - contributed to the devastating impact of both on Detroit’s Eastside,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. "The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to address the threat of gang violence in our neighborhoods. The lengthy sentence Mills received today sends a strong message that we will not tolerate criminal enterprises using violence to further their agendas.” The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Moran and Andrew R. Picek.


component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2023 Ohkay Owingeh man pleads guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon in Indian Country ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jerry Segura, Jr. pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of such crime in Indian Country. Segura, 34, of Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to the plea agreement, Segura, Jr. admitted to brandishing a firearm without justification at Jane Doe, his former girlfriend’s adult daughter, which enabled Segura, Jr. to assault her. Segura, Jr. admitted to assaulting Jane Doe in Indian Country. Segura, Jr. faces a minimum of seven years imprisonment at sentencing. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-103


title: Gloucester County Man Admits Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man today admitted filing false claims against the IRS, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Christian L. Whittaker, 42, of Williamstown, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn in Camden federal court to one count of an indictment charging him with making false claims against the IRS. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Whittaker knowingly and willfully prepared, electronically signed, and filed with the IRS false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns (Forms 1040) for the tax years 2016 to 2019. Whittaker claimed that a business paid him significant wages and incurred substantial losses, when in fact the business was fictitious. Based on the false claims, the IRS paid more than $300,000 in refunds to Whittaker. More than $80,000 was paid by the IRS and garnished to pay debts that Whittaker had previously incurred. The charge that Whittaker pleaded guilty to is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine $250,000, or twice the gross profits or gross loss, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Seopt. 13, 2023. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden. whittaker.indictment.pdf


title: МИНИСТЕРСТВО ЮСТИЦИИ США ОБЪЯВЛЯЕТ О САНКЦИОНИРОВАННОМ СУДОМ ПРЕСЕЧЕНИИ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ ВРЕДОНОСНОЙ СЕТИ «SNAKE», КОНТРОЛИРУЕМОЙ ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЙ СЛУЖБОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ РОССИИ

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: БРУКЛИН, НЬЮ-ЙОРК – Сегодня, Министерство юстиции США объявило о завершении санкционированной судом операции под кодовым названием «МЕДУЗА» по пресечению деятельности глобальной одноранговой сети компьютеров, зараженных высокотехнологичным вредоносным ПО под названием «Snake», которое правительство Соединенных Штатов связывает с подразделением в Центре 16 Федеральной службы безопасности Российской Федерации (ФСБ). На протяжении почти 20 лет данное подразделение, упоминаемое в судебных документах как «Турла», использовало версии вредоносного ПО «Snake» для хищения конфиденциальных документов в, по крайней мере 50 странах, из сотен компьютерных систем, принадлежащих правительствам стран-членов Организации Североатлантического договора (НАТО), журналистам и другим объектам внимания представляющих интерес для Российской Федерации. После хищения данных документов, «Турла» извлекала их через негласную сеть компьютеров в Соединенных Штатах и по всему миру, заражённых ПО «Snake» без ведома их владельцев. В результате операции «MEDUSA» вредоносное ПО «Turla Snake» на заражённых компьютерах было отключено с помощью созданного ФБР инструмента под названием «PERSEUS», который давал команды, заставившие вредоносное ПО «Snake» перезаписать собственные ключевые компоненты. На территории США операция была проведена ФБР в соответствии с ордером на обыск, выданным федеральным судьей-магистратом Восточного округа Нью-Йорка Шерил Л. Поллак, санкционировавшим удаленный доступ к заражённым компьютерам. Сегодня утром, суд разгласил отредактированные версии письменного показания под присягой, представленного в обоснование ходатайства о выдаче ордера на обыск, и самого ордера на обыск, выданного судом. В целях содействия потерпевшим за пределами Соединенных Штатов, ФБР взаимодействует с местными властями, как предоставляя уведомления о заражениях ПО «Snake» так и рекомендации по принятию корректировочных мер, в странах под юрисдикцией местных властей. Меррик Б. Гарланд, Генеральный прокурор США; Брион Пис, федеральный прокурор США по Восточному округу Нью-Йорка; Лиза О. Монако, заместитель Генерального прокурора США, Министерство юстиции США и Майкл Д. Дрисколл, заместитель директора-начальник Нью-Йоркского регионального отделения ФБР, объявили о данной операции. «Министерство юстиции вместе с нашими международными партнерами ликвидировало глобальную сеть зараженных вредоносным ПО компьютеров, которую российское правительство использовало в течение почти двух десятилетий для ведения кибершпионажа, в том числе против наших союзников по НАТО», — заявил Генеральный прокурор Гарланд. «Мы будем продолжать укреплять нашу коллективную оборону против дестабилизирующей деятельности российского режима по подрыву безопасности Соединенных Штатов и наших союзников». «Россия использовала высокотехнологичное вредоносное ПО для хищения конфиденциальной информации у наших союзников, маскируя её пропуском через сеть зараженных компьютеров в Соединенных Штатах, цинично пытаясь скрыть свои преступления. Ответ на угрозу кибершпионажа требует творческого подхода и готовности использовать все законные средства для защиты нашей страны и наших союзников», — заявил федеральный прокурор США Пис. «Санкционированные судом обыск и работы по устранению последствий заражения, проведенные в удаленном режиме и объявленные сегодня, демонстрируют приверженность моего Управления и наших партнеров к использованию всех инструментов, имеющихся в нашем распоряжении, для защиты американского народа». «Благодаря высокотехнологичной операции, которая обратила российское вредоносное ПО против себя, правоохранительные органы США нейтрализовали один из российских инструментов кибершпионажа высочайшего уровня, применяемого в течение двух десятилетий для продвижения авторитарных целей России», — заявила заместитель Генерального прокурора Лиза Монако. «Сочетая эту операцию с обнародованием информации, необходимой потерпевшим для самозащиты, Министерство юстиции продолжает ставить потерпевших в центр внимания в нашей работе по борьбе с киберпреступностью и активно сражаться со злоумышленниками в киберпространстве». «Операция, о которой мы сегодня объявили, успешно пресекла деятельность ведущего инструмента кибершпионажа российского правительства. В течение двух десятилетий вредоносное ПО позволяло российской разведке заражать компьютерные системы и похищать конфиденциальную информацию, нанося ущерб не только правительству США и нашим союзникам, но и частному сектору. Это должно послужить напоминанием России и любой другой враждебной стране, готовой похищать информацию, что ФБР и наши партнеры сполчены в наших усилиях по защите наших стран», – заявил заместитель директора-начальник Нью-Йоркского регионального отделения ФБР Дрисколл. Как подробно описано в судебных документах, правительство США уже почти 20 лет расследует вредоносное ПО «Snake» и связанные со «Snake» инструменты. Государственные органы США следят за сотрудниками ФСБ, прикомандированными к «Турла» и проводящими ежедневные операции с применением «Snake» с установленного объекта ФСБ в городе Рязань, РФ. Хотя ПО «Snake» было предметом нескольких отчетов в области кибербезопасности на протяжении всего своего существования, «Turla» осуществляла многочисленные обновления и редакции, и выборочно применяла его с тем чтобы ПО «Snake» оставалось самым высокотехнологичным долгосрочным внедрением вредоносного ПО, применяемым ФСБ в кибершпионаже. В случае непресечения его деятельности, внедрение ПО «Snake» на зараженных компьютерах, сохраняется в системе на неопределенное время, как правило, оставаясь незамеченным владельцем компьютера или его авторизованными пользователями. По наблюдениям ФБР, ПО «Snake» остается на некоторых компьютерах, несмотря на усилия потерпевшего по устранению заражения. ПО «Snake» даёт операторам «Турла» возможность удаленного применения отдельных вредоносных программ для расширения функциональности «Snake» в целях выявления и хищения конфиденциальной информации и документов, хранящихся на определенных компьютерах. Прежде всего, набор зараженных «Snake» компьютеров по всему миру, действует как негласная одноранговая сеть, применяющая оптимизированные протоколы передачи данных, предназначенные для препятствования мониторингу и сбору данных, службами радиотехнической разведки Западных и иных стран. Для маршрутизации данных, извлеченных из целевых систем для передачи операторам «Turla» в России, через многочисленные ретрансляционные узлы, разбросанные по всему миру, «Турла» использует сеть «Snake». Например, ФБР и партнеры ФБР из разведывательного сообщества США, совместно с государственными органами стран-союзников, следили за использованием ФСБ сети «Snake» для извлечения данных из конфиденциальных компьютерных систем, в том числе, систем применяемых правительствами стран-членов НАТО, путем маршрутизации этих данных через компьютеры, зараженные «Snake» в США, без ведома их владельцев. Как описано в судебных документах, с помощью анализа вредоносной программы «Snake» и сети «Snake», ФБР разработало метод расшифровывания и декодирования обмена информацией в сети «Snake». Используя информацию, собранную посредством наблюдения за сетью «Snake» и анализа вредоносного ПО «Snake», ФБР разработало инструмент под названием «PERSEUS», который устанавливает сеансы связи с внедрением вредоносного ПО «Snake» на определенном компьютере. Впоследствии, «PERSEUS» выдает команды, вызывающие самостоятельное отключение внедрения «Snake» без причинения ущерба самому компьютеру или легитимным программам, установленным на компьютере. Сегодня, для поддержки сетевых защитников по всему миру, ФБР, Агентство национальной безопасности, Агентство по кибербезопасности и защите инфраструктуры, Национальная миссия по кибербезопасности при Киберкомандовании США, и шесть других спецслужб и агенств по кибербезопасности каждой из стран-участников альянса «Пять глаз», опубликовали совместную рекомендацию по кибербезопасности («Совместная рекомендация»), содержащую подробную техническую информацию о вредоносном ПО «Snake», которую специалисты по кибербезопасности смогут применять для идентификации и защиты от новых заражений вредоносным ПО «Snake» в их сетях. С Совместной рекомендацией можно ознакомиться здесь . ФБР и Государственный департамент США также предоставляют дополнительную информацию местным властям в странах, где были обнаружены компьютеры, подвергшиеся заражению вредоносным ПО «Snake». Несмотря на то, что операция «MEDUSA» отключила вредоносное ПО «Snake» на заражённых компьютерах, пострадавшим следует принять дополнительные меры для предотвращения дальнейшего ущерба. Операция по отключению «Snake» не устранила уязвимости, не искала и не удаляла какие-либо другие вредоносные программы или средства взлома, которые группы хакеров могли разместить в сетях пострадавших. Министерство юстиции настоятельно призывает сетевых защитников ознакомиться с Совместной рекомендацией для получения дальнейших указаний по обнаружению уязвимостей и установлению корректировочных патч-файлов. Более того, как отмечалось в судебных документах, «Турла» часто использует «кейлоггер» вместе со «Snake», который «Турла» может использовать для хищения учетных данных, например, имен пользователей и паролей легитимных пользователей. Потерпевшим следует знать, что «Турла» может использовать эти похищенные учетные данные для восстановления доступа к зараженным компьютерам и другим учетным записям мошенническим путем. ФБР уведомляет всех владельцев или операторов компьютеров, доступ к которым был произведен в удаленном режиме в соответствии с ордером на обыск, о проведении санкционированной судом операции. Уголовное расследование использования вредоносного ПО «Snake» ФСБ проводит Управление прокуратуры по национальной безопасности и Управление прокуратуры по борьбе с киберпреступностью. Заместитель федерального прокурора Иэн Ричардсон отвечает за расследование, при содействии Отдела контрразведки и экспортного контроля Управления по национальной безопасности. Меры по пресечению работы сети вредоносного ПО «Snake» были осуществлены под руководством Нью-Йоркского регионального управления ФБР, Управлением ФБР по борьбе с киберпреступностью, Федеральной прокуратурой США по Восточному округу Нью-Йорка и Отделом контрразведки и экспортного контроля Управления по национальной безопасности. Содействие было также оказано Отделом по компьютерным преступлениям и интеллектуальной собственности Управления по борьбе с уголовной преступностью. Эти усилия не увенчались бы успехом без сотрудничества многочисленных структур частного сектора, включая тех потерпевших, которые позволили ФБР наблюдать за потоком информации «Snake» в своих системах. Ордер на обыск : Относительно поиска информации, связанной с компьютерами, составляющими сеть вредоносного программного обеспечения «Snake». Реестр Восточного округа Нью-Йорка № 23-MJ-0428 (CLP)


title: Taylor Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting an Infant

body_text: DETROIT – A Taylor woman was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for sexually exploiting an infant and another child and for distributing child pornography, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Rheanna Rose Salyer, 26, was sentenced by United States District Judge David M. Lawson. According to court documents, Salyer admitted creating images sexually exploiting an infant, and that she had sent an image of herself performing inappropriate sexual contact with an infant to another individual over the internet in February 2022. Later that month, Salyer met an undercover officer online who pretended to have a sexual interest in children. During a conversation with the undercover officer, Salyer sent the officer sexually explicit images of the infant, bragged about sexually assaulting the infant, and discussed her desire to engage in sex acts with the undercover officer and the infant together. Once the FBI was able to confirm Salyer’s identity, agents executed a search warrant at her residence. They discovered additional images of horrific child sexual abuse, including one Salyer created only hours before they entered her home. Salyer’s phone contained numerous conversations with other individuals online discussing her sexual interest in children, and her phone had other sexually explicit images of minors. Salyer also possessed other images of child pornography that she downloaded from the internet or received from others during chats. “I am thankful for the FBI agents who acted so quickly to save this infant from continued abuse,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “This defendant not only abused an infant in an unimaginable manner, but she also shared that abuse with others over the internet. This sentence demonstrates that those who harm our most vulnerable will be held responsible.” “Rheanna Salyer admitted to sexually exploiting an infant. I can think of nothing more appalling, and today’s sentencing sends an unequivocal message that predatory acts by criminals like her will not be tolerated,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “I commend the work of the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force in this investigation. Their quick and decisive action ensured Salyer will be unable to victimize children for years to come.” The case was investigated by the Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Rawsthorne.


title: California Man Convicted of Health Care Kickback Conspiracy

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TEXARKANA, Texas – A Temecula, California, man has been found guilty of federal violations related to a health care kickback scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Steven Donofrio, 49, was found guilty by a jury on May 5, 2023, following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder, III. “This is the last of many defendants in this case who abused our healthcare system for the sake of stealing taxpayer dollars and in the process caused unnecessary medical procedures,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Protecting citizens from physical and financial harm is always a top priority for law enforcement and parasites like Donofrio, who prey on vulnerable citizens, will be brought to justice.” “The reach of HHS/OIG is far and wide. Our agents and law enforcement partners will not be deterred by the scope of a healthcare fraud investigation or the location of its defendants,” said Jason E. Meadows, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Dallas Region. “Donofrio and others stole millions from American taxpayers for medically unnecessary services and all to line the pockets of greedy individuals across the country. HHS/OIG and our partners remain laser-focused in our pursuit of those who use the Medicare trust fund as their own personal piggy bank.” “Illegal kickback schemes corrupt the healthcare system by causing billions of dollars in losses each year. They also directly affect patients who expect to receive quality care and to be billed for legitimate services from their health care providers,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to hold those who commit healthcare fraud accountable and seek justice for the patients that are harmed as a result of these schemes.” According to information presented in court, Donofrio conspired with others to pay and receive kickbacks in exchange for the referral of, and arranging for, health care business, specifically pharmacogenetic (PGx) tests. Pharmacogenetic testing, also known as pharmacogenomic testing, is a type of genetic testing that identifies genetic variations that affect how an individual patient metabolizes certain drugs. The illegal arrangement concerned the referral of PGx tests to clinical laboratories in Fountain Valley, California; Irvine, California; and San Diego, California. More than $28 million in illegal kickback payments were exchanged by those involved in the conspiracy. In December 2019, twelve individuals from three states were charged for their roles in the kickback conspiracy. A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas returned an indictment against Philip Lamb, 48, of Eagle, Colorado; Nicolas Arroyo, 41, of Tempe, Arizona; Vincent Marchetti, Jr., 58, of Coronado, California; William Flowers, 58, of Houston, Texas; Steven Donofrio; James J. Walker, Jr. a/k/a Jimmy Walker, 49, of Frisco, Texas; Timothy Armstrong, deceased, formerly of Frisco, Texas; Virginia Blake Herrin, 57, of Frisco, Texas; Patrick Ridgeway, 53, of Jackson, Mississippi; Chismere Mallard, 42, of McAllen, Texas; Dr. Ray W. Ng , 65, of Dallas, Texas; and Ashley Kretzschmar, 37, of Aledo, Texas; for conspiring to commit illegal remunerations in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Philip Lamb, Nicolas Arroyo, Jimmy Walker, Timothy Armstrong, Virginia Blake Herrin, Patrick Ridgeway, Chismere Mallard, and Ashley Kretzschmar pleaded guilty prior to trial. Kimberly Willette, 61, of Friendswood, Texas, and Edwin Chad Isbell, 50, of Atascocita, Texas also pleaded guilty to related charges. Vincent Marchetti, Jr., was found guilty by a jury on December 16, 2021, following a month-long trial. He was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison on August 30, 2022. On April 25, 2022, Nicolas Arroyo was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. On August 23, 2022, Kimberly Willette was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, and Patrick Ridgeway was sentenced to a three-year term of probation and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting, or receiving remunerations in exchange for the referral of or arranging for or recommending the ordering of items or services payable under federal health care programs. Under federal statutes, violations of the Anti-Kickback statute are punishable by up to five years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the FBI Dallas – Frisco Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel C. Kummerfeld, Lucas Machicek, and Adrian Garcia, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan E. Oestreicher, Jr., Brent Andrus, and L. Frank Coan, Jr., and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel E.P. Simmons. ###


title: Brooklyn, New York Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Jazzmeek Johnson, 31, of Brooklyn, New York was sentenced today to serve 60 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to distributing controlled substances, specifically cocaine base and fentanyl. United States District Judge Christina Reiss ordered that after Mr. Johnson’s release from custody, he must serve a 3-year term of supervised release. Mr. Johnson has been detained since his arrest in July 2022. According to court records, law enforcement began investigating Jazzmeek Johnson in August 2021. During the course of the investigation, Mr. Johnson sold controlled substances to a confidential informant on five separate occasions. On one of those occasions, May 31, 2022, Mr. Johnson sold cocaine base and fentanyl to a confidential informant in Rutland, Vermont. Mr. Johnson was arrested on July 17, 2022, during a traffic stop. Following his arrest, Mr. Johnson confessed to selling drugs out of the Highlander Motel in Rutland. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, Rutland City Police Department, and the Vermont State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Ophardt, Corinne Smith, and Zachary Stendig handled the prosecution. Heather Ross, Esq. represented Jazzmeek Johnson.


title: Iowa Felon Sentenced to Almost Four Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced on May 8, 2023, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Lavell Andre Barnes, Jr., age 27, from Iowa City, Iowa, was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon. At the sentencing, information showed that Barnes traveled from Chicago with a firearm, illegal controlled substances, and a large amount of United States Currency with children in the vehicle. Barnes admitted that he illegally possessed a firearm after being previously convicted of two felony convictions in Cook County, Illinois. Barnes was also previously convicted of a controlled substance offense involving heroin. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Barnes was sentenced to serve 46 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three‑year term of supervised release following his term of incarceration. There is no parole in the federal system. Barnes remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he is transported to federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood and was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department’s Street Crimes Action Team. 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. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-84. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mason City Man Returned to Federal Prison for Violating His Supervised Release

body_text: A man who violated his supervised release by selling methamphetamine has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison. Adam James Rollins, age 43, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 8, 2023, revocation hearing where he was found to have violated his third term of supervised release which began May 6, 2022. Rollins violated the conditions of release by using, and eventually selling methamphetamine again. Rollins’ supervised release had previously been revoked in April of 2019 and September of 2021. He was originally sentenced in January of 2010, to 10 years in prison and 8 years of supervised release for conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine in the Mason City area. He also had a previous conviction for a felony drug offense in April of 2005. Rollins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. Rollins was sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Rollins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office and the Algona Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 09-CR-3019. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: East Windsor Man Sentenced to Prison for Oxycodone Prescription Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAYSON KEMP, 46, of East Windsor, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating a scheme to acquire and distribute oxycodone obtained through fraudulent prescriptions. According to court documents and statements made in court, Kemp obtained blank prescription paper from employees of various Connecticut medical practices. He kept some of the prescription paper for himself and also sold some of the prescription paper, for thousands of dollars, to other individuals. Kemp and his co-conspirators recruited “runners,” who typically were individuals who received Medicaid and Medicare benefits, to fill fraudulent prescriptions at various pharmacies. Kemp and his co-conspirators filled out each prescription with the runner’s identifying information and forged a doctor’s signature on the prescription. The runner then filled the fraudulent prescription at a pharmacy, generally using their Medicaid or Medicare benefits, and provided the pills to Kemp and his co-conspirators in exchange for approximately $50 per prescription. Kemp and his co-coconspirators then sold the pills to individuals suffering from opioid addictions. Kemp and his co-conspirators were responsible for filling at least 150 fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone, almost all of which were for 150 30-mg oxycodone pills. Judge Bolden ordered Kemp to pay $48,836.14 in restitution. Kemp was arrested on August 2, 2019. On July 5, 2022, he pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, oxycodone. Kemp, who is released on a $150,000 bond, is required to report to prison on July 5. This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, and the Vernon Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.


title: Justice Department Reaches Agreement to Protect Rights of Spanish-Speaking Voters in Union County

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The Justice Department announced today that it has entered into a proposed consent decree with Union County, New Jersey, and county elections officials to settle a voting rights lawsuit. The proposed consent decree was filed in federal court in conjunction with a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department. The Department’s lawsuit brings claims under Section 203 and 208 of the Voting Rights Act regarding the availability of election assistance and materials in Spanish for Spanish-speaking voters with limited English proficiency. Section 203 requires that certain jurisdictions provide election materials and assistance in other languages, in addition to English. These jurisdictions have been determined by the Census Bureau to have a substantial population of citizens who speak a language other than English and who have limited English proficiency. Under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, Union County is required to provide assistance and make materials available in Spanish. Section 208 provides a right for voters who need assistance with voting – due to inability to read or write, blindness, or disability – to receive assistance from the person of their choice, so long as that person is not an agent of the voter’s employer or union. The consent decree would resolve the United States’ claims. “The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. “We will work tirelessly to ensure that every eligible American is able to vote free of unlawful barriers. Through the agreement entered today, we ensure that no one is denied this sacred right simply because they are a Spanish speaker.” “Language barriers should never prevent an eligible voter from being able to freely participate in the democratic process,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Equal access to the ballot in a modern democracy means ensuring the availability of bilingual materials for those who are limited English proficient and guaranteeing the right to receive assistance by a person of your choice. We will continue using our voting rights laws to confront the barriers that stand between voters and the ballot box.” The proposed consent decree, which must be approved by the court, requires the implementation of a comprehensive Spanish-language elections program under Section 203. The Union County Clerk and Board of Elections will provide all election-related information in both English and Spanish, including information in the polling places and online. The Union County Board of Elections will also ensure that in-person language assistance is available at all early voting sites and at each election district with at least 100 Spanish-surnamed registered voters. Spanish-language assistance will continue to be available to all voters by telephone during elections. In addition, the consent decree provides that any voter covered by Section 208 who needs assistance to vote may be assisted by the person of that voter’s choice, other than an agent of the voter’s employer or union, during any stage of the voting process. The consent decree also provides that federal observers may monitor election day activities in polling places in Union County. Individuals may file voting rights complaints with the Civil Rights Division either online here , or may call (800) 253-3931. Individuals may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey either online here or may call (855) 281-3339. More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting rights laws are available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot . The government is represented by Michael E. Campion, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Division; Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky of the U.S. Attorney’s Civil Rights Division; Bert Russ, Deputy Chief of the Voting Section in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Bruce Gear, Trial Attorney, Voting Section; and Michelle Rupp, Trial Attorney, Voting Section. unioncounty.consentdecree.pdf unioncounty.complaint.pdf union_county_spanish.pdf


title: Whatcom County contractor sentenced to two years in prison for failing to pay more than $1 million in employment taxes on employees

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 64-year-old Everson, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for failing to pay over taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Between 2013 and 2019, Jay Howard Prather owned and operated Heritage General Building Contractors. He had as many as 48 employees over that period and withheld $1,095,388 in Social Security, Medicare, federal income taxes, and unemployment taxes from his employees’ paychecks. Then, instead of paying the money to federal programs as required, he used the money to buy expensive horses, exotic sportscars, and to remodel his multi-million-dollar lavish estate. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said Prather “was warned several times that his conduct was illegal.” “Mr. Prather stole from his employees and continued to do so even after he was confronted by those employees and by his accountant. He simply had no respect for the law or any concern about how his actions would impact his employees in the future,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “Instead, he spent money that should have gone to their Social Security and Medicare accounts on his personal luxuries: $200,000 for thoroughbred horses and more than $360,000 on three Porsche automobiles.” According to records filed in the case, several employees confronted Prather about his failure to pay over the money he had withheld from their paychecks. In 2017, he met with an accountant who told him his tax obligation was significant. Prather sought to limit his payment to the two former employees who were threatening to sue him if he did not pay. The accountant told him that was not possible. Prather stopped communicating with the accountant and never paid the taxes owed. Even as Prather refused to pay the taxes he owed for his employees, he used their labor, and the money he withheld, to build and remodel his luxurious estate in rural Whatcom County. In 2020 he formed a new custom cabinet company, Artisan Builders Inc. According to an affidavit from investigators, to date Prather has not paid the taxes he withheld from the two employees of that company. “Mr. Prather made the wrong decision when he chose to buy horses and Porsches for his own fun over doing the lawful, right, and mandatory thing,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Mr. Prather abused his employees’ trust when he spent their withholdings for his own unjust enrichment.” Judge Coughenour imposed a restitution obligation of $1,095,388. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service: Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erika Evans.


title: Leominster Man and Woman Charged with Drug Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Leominster man and woman have been arrested and charged for allegedly conspiring to distribute large quantities of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Chanhda Onesyvieng, 48, and Bonnie Bounkong Namsaly, 45, were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances. Following initial appearances in federal court in Worcester on May 1, 2023, Onesyvieng was ordered detained pending trial and Namsaly was released on conditions. According to the charging documents, in early April 2023, federal law enforcement received information that Onesyvieng was distributing significant quantities of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine in Rhode Island using a phone subscribed under Namsaly’s name. On April 28, 2023, during a traffic stop of Onesyvieng and Namsaly in Worcester, it is alleged that approximately two kilograms of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine and approximately 135 grams of cocaine were seized. It is further alleged that, during a subsequent search of the defendants’ residence in Leominster, approximately one kilogram of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, approximately one kilogram of cocaine, and approximately $60,000 in cash were seized. The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and John. E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Lexington Investment Advisor and Attorney Sentenced to 120 Months for Investment Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. - A Lexington investment advisor and attorney, Douglas Hawkins, was sentenced to 120 months in prison Tuesday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for investment advisor fraud, securities fraud, and two counts of mail fraud. According to the evidence at trial, while operating as an investment advisor, Hawkins encouraged his clients to invest in securities that were properties in Jackson, Mississippi. Clients invested over $2 million in the properties. While encouraging these investments, Hawkins withheld vital information about the properties from his clients, including that many were uninhabitable, had burdensome rent collection, and were often subject to theft and vandalism. He also failed to inform his clients that their investment money would be used for purposes other than their properties, including paying other investors and buying a Harley Davidson for an employee. Hawkins was convicted in February 2023. In addition to his prison sentence, Hawkins was ordered to pay $1,588,048.50 in restitution. Under federal law, Hawkins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentences. Upon his release from prison, Hawkins will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service; and Justin Malcom Burse, Acting Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Mattingly-Williams and Will Moynahan. — END —


title: Richmond City Department of Public Works Employee Pleads Guilty to Fraud Scheme

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman pleaded guilty today to using her position within the City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) to steer governmental contract awards towards herself and her co-conspirators. According to court documents, Shaun Lindsey, 53, is a Senior Administrative Technician at DPW, a governmental entity responsible for providing engineering, technical, and administrative services to Richmond residents. Before she was placed on administrative leave in February 2022, Lindsey was responsible for managing and obtaining approval for DPW procurements with outside vendors. From at least 2018 through 2021, Lindsey and her co-conspirators operated a scheme to defraud the DPW. Lindsey and her co-conspirators owned and operated straw companies to bid on DPW work, circumventing Virginia law and City of Richmond rules against self-dealing by public employees. Additionally, Lindsey and her co-conspirators designated and approved DPW work to be performed by these straw companies using their positions at DPW. In some instances, the work to be performed was completely fabricated and no such work was ever needed. In other instances, the work was actually performed by DPW employees, not by contracted vendors. Sometimes, Lindsey and her co-conspirators subcontracted the work out for profit upon winning the DPW work. Where procurement amounts exceeded $5,000, a DPW approval threshold requiring that work be competitively bid, Lindsey manufactured fictitious straw bids on behalf of competitor companies to engineer Lindsey’s preferred company winning the work. In one instance, Lindsey steered a $28,700 contract award to her boyfriend. Finally, within days of Lindsey’s straw company winning work, she sent checks for a portion of the funds to a senior DPW leader, Lindsey’s co-conspirator. In another example, in early 2019, DPW sought to have overgrown foliage at Parker Field, an area in Richmond, cleared in advance of Fourth of July celebrations that same year. Though Lindsey knew mowing of the field was being performed by DPW employees, she nevertheless created and obtained approval of a requisition request in the DPW purchase order system for a company owned by the wife of a senior DPW leader to mow the entire area 16 times in four days, at a total cost of $4,800. In a different instance, in December 2020, DPW leadership sought to set up holiday decorations of Richmond-area bridges. In response, Lindsey generated a requisition request for her own straw company and thereafter sub-contracted the work out at a profit. The subcontractor believed they had contracted with the City of Richmond, not with Lindsey’s personal company, and when Lindsey failed to pay the sub-contractor the balance for the work, the sub-contractor sought payment directly from the City of Richmond. The City of Richmond then had to pay the subcontractor – effectively paying twice for the same work. In all, Lindsey and her co-conspirators fraudulently caused DPW to disburse at least $603,701 in funds to companies owned by Lindsey and her co-conspirators, causing $226,767 in loss to DPW. Lindsey is scheduled to be sentenced on August 29. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 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 taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and James Osuna, Inspector General, City of Richmond Office of the Inspector General, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth is 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. 3:22-cr-53.


title: Federal Investigation Into “Straw Purchasing” of Handguns in Wisconsin Results in Charges Against Chicago-Area Woman and Convicted Felon

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

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago-area woman has been charged in federal court with conspiring to “straw purchase” 19 handguns in Wisconsin on behalf of a convicted felon. The felon was charged as part of the investigation with illegal firearm possession. SONYA BROWN purchased the guns from licensed dealers at stores and gun shows in Wisconsin and falsely certified on federal forms that she was both a Wisconsin resident and the actual buyer of the firearms, according to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. In reality, Brown purchased the guns on behalf of a convicted felon with whom she resided in the Chicago area, the complaint states. The felon – SIMONE DUNN – had previously been convicted of murder and other felonies and was not lawfully allowed to possess a firearm. Dunn was on parole from the murder conviction when Brown purchased the guns for him earlier this year, the complaint states. Brown, 49, of Oak Park, Ill., is charged with conspiracy to violate federal firearm laws. Dunn, 49, of Oak Park, Ill., is charged with illegal firearm possession. Both defendants were arrested Monday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel A. Fuentes scheduled Brown’s detention hearing for Wednesday at 11:00 a.m., while a detention hearing for Dunn was set for Thursday at 1:00 p.m. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek to have both defendants remain detained pending trial. The charges were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Substantial assistance was provided by the ATF Milwaukee Field Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Irene Hickey Sullivan. “Straw purchasers enable the unlawful possession of firearms and the violence that too often follows,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Our office is committed to stopping the flow of guns to individuals who cannot legally possess them.” “When firearms are diverted from the legal market to the illegal market via trafficking schemes such as straw purchasing, it threatens the safety of our communities,” said ATF SAC Amon. “ATF will continue to investigate these important cases in coordination with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners throughout Chicagoland to ensure prohibited persons do not possess firearms.” Disrupting illegal firearms trafficking is a centerpiece of the Chicago Firearms Trafficking Strike Force , the Department of Justice’s cross-jurisdictional strike force aimed at reducing gun violence. As part of the Chicago Strike Force, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collaborates with ATF and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in the Northern District of Illinois and across the country to help stem the supply of illegally trafficked firearms and identify patterns, leads, and potential suspects in violent gun crimes. Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is also a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods , the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The conspiracy charge against Brown is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, while the unlawful possession charge against Dunn is punishable by up to ten years. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.


title: Pittsburgh Man Indicted on Contempt of Court and Assault Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA. A resident of Pittsburgh, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal contempt of court laws and assault, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The three-count Indictment named James Taric Byrd, 46, of Pittsburgh, PA, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on or about July 18, 2022, Byrd is alleged to willfully and knowingly engaged in contempt of court by both engaging in misbehavior in the presence and so near there to the Court in order to obstruct the administration of justice, and by disobeying and resisting the lawful order and command of the Court by striking his own attorney in the court room. He is also charged with assault by striking, beating, or wounding. The law provides no maximum sentence or fine for the contempt charges. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The United States Marshals conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. Assistant United States Attorney DeMarr W. Moulton is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Hartford Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Gun Possession Offense, Violating Supervised Release

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH STEELE, 36, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 50 months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal conviction. According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2017, Steele was arrested by Hartford Police after a search of his vehicle revealed a stolen .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol, 50 wax folds of fentanyl, and two knotted plastic bags containing approximately 6.5 grams of crack cocaine. On April 16, 2018, a federal jury found Steele guilty of drug distribution and firearm possession offenses. On July 9, 2018, Judge Shea sentenced him to 36 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Steele was released from federal prison in February 2020. On January 28, 2022, while on federal supervised release, he was arrested by Hartford Police after they found him in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun. Steele’s criminal history also includes a 2016 state conviction for possession of a firearm without a permit. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Steele has been detained since January 28, 2022. On February 10, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. Judge Shea sentenced Steele to 37 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing a firearm, and a consecutive 13 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release. This investigation was conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force. The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: Fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Three Brothers Convicted of Multi-District Scheme to Defraud the United States Postal Service, UPS and Citizens Bank

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that brothers Zumar Dubose, age 34, of Atlantic City, NJ; Abdush Dubose, age 36, of Boynton Beach, FL; and Kariem Dubose, age 42, of Philadelphia, PA, were convicted today at trial of mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering conspiracy charges arising from their scheme to defraud and obtain money from the United States Postal Service, UPS and Citizens Bank. Starting as early as October 2018, in less than one year, the defendants submitted over 1,200 fraudulent insured-parcel claims with the United States Postal Service and UPS, and received almost $300,000 in ill-gotten gains. As part of the scheme, the Dubose brothers sent parcels themselves containing items of no value using insured United States Postal Service postage and UPS tracking labels. They then filed fraudulent claims with United States Postal Service and UPS, claiming that these parcels which had contained nothing of value were lost or damaged in transit, and attached sham proofs of value. The defendants used numerous e-mails, addresses and postboxes, bank accounts and bank cards, fake individual names, and fictitious corporations, including “Urmajesty Banktruckfit Solutions,” “Miworld Three Incorporated,” and “4 Entertainment Corporation,” which were incorporated in the State of New Jersey, and “Seeds of Beauty Incorporated,” which was incorporated in the State of Florida. The claim checks that the brothers received as part of this fraud scheme were deposited into Citizens Bank accounts opened in the names of these fake companies through ATMs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. When USPS and UPS refused to issue or deliver some of the fraudulently-obtained claim checks, and when Citizens Bank placed a hold on a bank account that was used to deposit the fraud proceeds, the Dubose brothers were undeterred. The brothers repeatedly contacted the United States Postal Service and UPS using fake names; defendant Zumar Dubose even filed lawsuits against UPS in various counties in New Jersey, using fake plaintiff names and falsely claiming that UPS did not pay him funds that he was owed. The defendants also filed lawsuits against Citizens Bank, again pretending to be a different individual, in an effort to obtain the funds from their fraud scheme. "Lying about insured parcels and then turning around and filing lawsuits against the victim companies, when those companies suspected something was awry is brazen, to say the least," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "Today's guilty verdicts against the Dubose brothers show the commitment of our office and law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute this type of flagrant fraud." One of the investigative missions of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) is to help safeguard the Postal Service and U.S. Mail from being utilized for illegal activity. OIG Special Agents vigorously investigate these cases in partnership with our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffery Krafels. “These guilty verdicts should serve as a reminder and deterrent to anyone thinking this type of behavior is acceptable.” The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and J. Jeanette Kang. UPS and Citizens Bank provided crucial cooperation in this investigation.


title: Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty in Drug Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – Torlando Hopson pled guilty to conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Hopson, age 34 of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on August 31, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction in this case. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: 12 KC-Area Residents Indicted for $250,000 Covid Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A dozen Kansas City metropolitan residents have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy that resulted in nearly $250,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Renetta Golden-Larimore, 54, Don A. Baker, 47, Stephan Booth, 40, Candace E. Hill-Williams, 25, Reisjon Larimore, 25, Teiara M. Mercer, 23, Padgit L. Smith, 48, Joseph Valdivia III, 45, Salvadore Valdivia, 41, and Mone’y C. Woods, 21, all of Kansas City, Mo.; Cameron P. Henderson, 27, of Independence, Mo.; and Roger Larimore, 27, of Raytown, Mo., were charged in a 13-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on April 26, 2023. The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon the arrests and initial court appearances of several defendants. According to the indictment, Golden-Larimore prepared and filed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of the other co-conspirators. She allegedly received payments between $2,000 and $7,000 from the loan proceeds for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loan applications. Golden-Larimore created counterfeit IRS forms for nonexistent businesses, the indictment says, and inflated income for existing businesses in order to qualify the borrower for a PPP loan. Each of the defendants received a PPP loan of either $20,832 or $20,833. In addition to the conspiracy, Golden-Larimore is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud. Each of the remaining defendants are also charged with aiding and abetting her in one of those wire fraud counts for the fraudulent loan they received. The indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require each of the defendants to forfeit to the government any property obtained from the proceeds of the alleged offenses, including a money judgment of $20,832 for each defendant. In a separate case that arose from the federal investigation, Theresa R. Griswold, 42, of Olathe, Kansas, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after obtaining a fraudulent PPP loan during this conspiracy. Griswold admitted she received a fraudulent $20,832 PPP loan. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: DOJ Recognizes National Fentanyl Awareness Day

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that today, May 9, is National Fentanyl Awareness Day. One year ago, on the first National Fentanyl Awareness Day, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) opened the Faces of Fentanyl exhibit at DEA Headquarters—a wall that displays the photos of those who have lost their lives to fentanyl poisoning. The memorial started with 100 photos; over the past year, Americans from across the country have sent DEA more than 5,000 photos. It reflects the reality that fentanyl is killing Americans from all walks of life, in every state and community in this country. The youngest person on the wall is 17-months old. The oldest is 70 years old. “Fentanyl is the greatest threat to Americans today. It kills more Americans between the ages of 18 to 45 than terrorism, than car accidents, than cancer, than COVID. It kills nearly 200 Americans every day. And the number of children under 14 dying from fentanyl poisoning has increased at an alarming rate,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The two drug cartels responsible for bringing fentanyl into the United States—the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels—are intentionally driving addiction by selling fake pills and hiding fentanyl in other drugs, and they are reaching our kids through using social media platforms. I encourage you to use this day to talk to your families about the dangers of fentanyl and have an important conversation with your kids about who they are communicating with on social media.” DEA urges the public to be vigilant about fentanyl and the deadly threat it poses: Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams—the equivalent of a few grains of salt—can kill a person. Fentanyl comes in two forms: pills and powder. The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are hiding fentanyl in fake pills that look like oxycodone, Xanax, and Percocet. The cartels are also mixing fentanyl powder in with cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. This is why many of the people poisoned by fentanyl had no idea they were even taking it. The cartels and their members and associates are using social media applications—including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat—and encrypted platforms—including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Wire, and Wickr—to sell pills and powders that are advertised as something else but actually have fentanyl inside. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota works in conjunction with its state, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute drug offenses, including distribution resulting in overdose or serious bodily injury. We are committed to identifying the sources of these life-threatening drugs and aggressively pursuing charges that carry a mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years in federal prison. For additional facts about fentanyl, visit One Pill Can Kill .


title: High-Ranking Member of G-Shine Bloods Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. According to court documents, from May 2021 to April 2022, Torian Nemow, 30, purchased, manufactured, distributed, and possessed with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and a quantity of marijuana in Hampton Roads. On April 29, 2022, members of the Norfolk and Virginia Beach Police Departments executed a search warrant on Nemow’s residence. In Nemow’s residence, they found 2,321 pills containing methamphetamine, 27 pounds of marijuana, 56 bottles containing promethazine, 3 digital scales, packaging material, $60,000 in United States currency, 145 rounds of ammunition, and two firearms, one of which had been reported stolen. Officers also found numerous photographs of Nemow with other known members of the G-Shine/Gangster Killer Bloods, a criminal street gang and subset of the United Blood Nation. During the course of their investigation, law enforcement obtained information that showed that Nemow was a high-ranking member of the gang. Nemow had set up his own security cameras within the residence. One of the cameras was pointed at drugs sitting on a countertop in the kitchen. Footage from this security camera showed Nemow and others manipulating drugs at the kitchen counter on different occasions. Officers searched Nemow’s cell phones and social media accounts, where they found additional photographs of Nemow with other members of the G-Shine Bloods, conversations where Nemow talked about trafficking in narcotics, and photographs of firearms and narcotics. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wilson Hanes. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Cheney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle prosecuted the case. Stolle also serves as an Assistant Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 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. 2:22-cr-118.


title: Jefferson City Tax Preparer Sentenced for Filing False Tax Returns

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., tax preparer was sentenced in federal court today for filing false tax returns for himself and others. Josiah Mator, Jr., 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to two years and nine months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Mator to pay a fine of $1,000 and $200,292 in restitution to the federal government and the state of Missouri. On June 23, 2022, Mator was convicted at trial of two counts of filing false federal income tax returns. Mator, a citizen of the United States who moved to this country from Liberia in 2001, prepared and electronically filed tax returns for individuals in the Liberian community and other friends and acquaintances for tax years 2010 through 2015. Mator did not have a registered tax preparation business, but used Express 1040 software to prepare his clients’ tax returns from his home. According to court documents, individuals received substantial refunds they were not legally eligible to receive in 53 fraudulent claims related to the scheme. Matro’s criminal conduct resulted in a federal and state tax loss of $200,292. Mator was found guilty of filing a false federal income tax return for his own 2015 income. Mator claimed that his adjusted gross income in 2015 was $16,552, and his taxable income was $0, knowing that he did not include the business income from his tax preparation service. Mator also was found guilty of filing a false federal income tax return for individuals identified as “I.A.” and L.A.” The fraudulent return reported $16,000 in unreimbursed employee business expenses in 2015, although Mator knew I.A. and L.A. did not have any expenses related to their employment. As a result, I.A. and L.A. received a refund they were not legally eligible to receive. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.


title: Pomona Man Found Guilty of Abusive Sexual Contact on Flight

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A federal jury today found a Pomona man guilty of a felony offense for intentionally touching the inner thigh of a sleeping woman seated next to him on a flight from Cleveland to Los Angeles in February 2020. Mohammad Jawad Ansari, 49, was found guilty of one count of abusive sexual contact. According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, on February 17, 2020, Ansari boarded a flight from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. Ansari occupied a 10th-row window seat while the victim occupied the middle seat next to him. The victim, who was wearing a dress, fell asleep shortly after takeoff and the armrest separating Ansari from the victim was down. At some point during the flight to Los Angeles, Ansari placed his left hand on the victim’s right knee and knowingly, intentionally, and without the victim’s consent, moved his hand to her inner thigh. The person sitting in the 10th-row aisle seat next to the victim witnessed Ansari’s hand touching the victim’s inner thigh. The victim woke up, pushed Ansari’s hand away, left her seat, and informed a flight attendant about what had happened. The flight’s attendants observed Ansari during the remainder of the flight and believed he was pretending to sleep. United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled a September 29 sentencing hearing, at which time Ansari will face a statutory maximum sentence of two years in federal prison. The FBI and the Los Angeles Airport Police investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Samuel J. Diaz and James A. Santiago of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case. To mark Sexual Assault Prevention Month, the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office on April 28 issued a public service announcement to bring awareness to the problem of sexual assault on airplanes. Victims of in-flight sexual misconduct – either verbal or physical – or their loved ones are encouraged to report the incident to a flight attendant and to your nearest FBI field office or to submit a tip online to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/ .


title: Level 1 Sex Offender Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Zachary Feeterman, 28, of Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that in March 2016, Feeterman was convicted of attempted possession of a sexual performance by a child less than 16 years of age in New York State Court. On August 8, 2019, Erie County Probation Officers conducted a home inspection at Feeterman’s residence and found an unauthorized cell phone in his possession. A forensic analysis recovered approximately 375 images of child pornography on the cell phone, and 4,670 images and videos of child pornography in a cloud storage account. Some images depicted prepubescent minors as well as violence against children. The plea is the result of an investigation by members the Erie County Probation Department, under the direction of Commissioner Michelle Olszowy; the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; and the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James P. Stauffiger. Sentencing is scheduled for November 11, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.


title: Repeat Offender Sentenced To 16 Years In Prison For Receipt And Possession of Large Child Sexual Abuse Material Collection

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva to 16 years in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for receipt and possession of more than 118,000 images of child sexual abuse material. After a bench trial in November 2022, Barry Ray Knight (75) was found guilty of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on April 8, 2021, investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force executed a search warrant at Knight’s residence. During the search, investigators seized multiple electronic devices owned by Knight. A forensic examination of the devices revealed that Knight possessed 115,299 images and 3,135 videos depicting children who were as young as toddlers. He used the BitTorrent network to receive files online. In 2003, Knight was convicted of possession of child pornography in the Eastern District of Missouri. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement. The FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Supriya Prasad and Kimberly Sokolich prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###