title: Florida Dentist Pleads Guilty to Sending Threats to Multiple Victims, Including an Election Official

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Florida dentist pleaded guilty today to sending threats to three victims in 2019 and 2020 and to an election official in 2024. According to court documents, from September 2019 to July 2020, Richard Glenn Kantwill, 61, of Tampa, sent over 100 threats to various public figures based on their political commentary via Facebook and Instagram messages, email, and text. As charged in the superseding information, those threats included a threat sent via email to an author, a threat sent via text to a religious persona, and a threat sent via Instagram to a television personality. Kantwill also sent at least seven additional threats to four public figures via Facebook from April 2022 to April 2024, including a threat to an election official in another state on Feb. 9. “With this plea, the Justice Department is ensuring that Richard Kantwill faces accountability for targeting an election official and other public figures with over 100 heinous threats,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In the three years since I created the Department’s Election Threats Task Force we have worked to aggressively combat the dangerous increase in violent threats against the public servants who administer our elections. Today’s action is yet another warning: the Justice Department will not stand for threats of violence that endanger people’s safety and endanger our democracy.” “Today’s guilty plea is the next step in holding Richard Kantwill accountable for his almost year-long campaign of terror, sending more than 100 violent threats to over 40 victims including various public figures and an election official,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Make no mistake, using electronic communications to threaten victims with violence is illegal and the FBI will continue to pursue those who seek to cause fear and terror by sending such violent threats.” “Richard Kantwill sent more than 100 violent threats to multiple public figures, including an election official,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department has zero tolerance for conduct that seeks to intimidate public servants from doing their jobs. I am proud of the work the Election Threats Task Force has done over the past three years to hold accountable those who threaten election workers with violence.” Kantwill pleaded guilty to four counts of interstate transmission of a threat. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail K. King for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they join the task force in its critical work. Under the leadership of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, the task force is led by PIN and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.


title: Madera Pharmacist Sentenced to over 7 Years in Prison for Illegally Trafficking Hundreds of Thousands of Opiate Pills

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Ifeanyi Vincent Ntukogu, 49, of Fresno, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison for illegally distributing oxycodone and hydrocodone, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Ntukogu was a pharmacist in Madera who dispensed more than 450,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills based on fraudulent prescriptions, all in exchange for cash. “This defendant displayed a blatant disregard for public safety and the law,” U.S. Attorney Talbert said. “It took the effort of agents, investigators, undercover officers, and medical professionals to bring an end to this illicit prescription-writing racket. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue our pursuit of those who fuel the opioid epidemic for their own personal benefit.” “As a licensed pharmacist, Mr. Ntukogu was trusted to dispense medications safely, supporting positive health outcomes. He intentionally exploited his trusted role, dispensing hundreds of thousands of fraudulently prescribed oxycodone and hydrocodone pills, knowing his greed-fueled actions would put opioids in the hands of drug dealers and could cause grave harm to the public. Working closely with our state and federal law enforcement partners, we dismantled this operation and held those who chose profit over public safety accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel, who leads the FBI Sacramento field office. “Ntukogo thought he could outsmart the system by rejecting red flag prescriptions all while conducting drug deals on the side for cash. His illicit scheme led to the distribution of nearly half a million highly addictive opioids in Tennessee, Texas and beyond; fueling the fire of prescription drug misuse and endangering American lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “This lengthy sentence underscores the serious consequences for medical practitioners who place profits above people. DEA will continue to work with our counterparts to investigate, arrest and prosecute individuals who abuse their positions and threaten public safety.” According to court records, from December 2014 through November 2018, Ntukogu dispensed more than 450,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills based on fraudulent prescriptions delivered to him by his co-conspirators and co-defendants in the case, Kelo White and Donald Pierre. The prescriptions were from more than 10 different physicians whose signatures were forged. Ntukogu reviewed each prescription and rejected the ones that he believed regulators may deem suspicious. For example, he rejected prescriptions that were supposedly written by certain doctors or that were written for individuals who were having prescriptions filled at other pharmacies because he believed those prescriptions may raise red flags. Ntukogu dispensed the pills through his New Life Pharmacy in Madera. Upon doing so, he required cash payments from White and Pierre and increased the price that he charged over time. White and Pierre then illegally sold the pills in Tennessee, Texas, and elsewhere. Ntukogu received hundreds of thousands of dollars for his participation in the scheme. His sentence was also enhanced because he used his special skills as a pharmacist to help commit the crime. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the California Department of Health Care Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio Pataca and Joseph Barton prosecuted the case. The case was investigated under the DOJ’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. This case was also part of the DOJ’s Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), which is a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. White is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 24, 2025. He faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Pierre, the remaining defendant in the case, was previously convicted and sentenced to nine years and four months in prison.


title: Tampa Dentist Pleads Guilty to Sending Threats to Multiple Victims, Including an Election Official

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL — A Florida dentist pleaded guilty today to sending threats to three victims in 2019 and 2020 and to an election official in 2024. According to court documents, from September 2019 to July 2020, Richard Glenn Kantwill, 61, of Tampa, sent over 100 threats to various public figures based on their political commentary via Facebook and Instagram messages, email, and text. As charged in the superseding information, those threats included a threat sent via email to an author, a threat sent via text to a religious persona, and a threat sent via Instagram to a television personality. Kantwill also sent at least seven additional threats to four public figures via Facebook from April 2022 to April 2024, including a threat to an election official in another state on Feb. 9, 2024. “With this plea, the Justice Department is ensuring that Richard Kantwill faces accountability for targeting an election official and other public figures with over 100 heinous threats,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In the three years since I created the Department’s Election Threats Task Force we have worked to aggressively combat the dangerous increase in violent threats against the public servants who administer our elections. Today’s action is yet another warning: the Justice Department will not stand for threats of violence that endanger people’s safety and endanger our democracy.” “Today’s guilty plea is the next step in holding Richard Kantwill accountable for his almost year-long campaign of terror, sending more than 100 violent threats to over 40 victims including various public figures and an election official,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Make no mistake, using electronic communications to threaten victims with violence is illegal and the FBI will continue to pursue those who seek to cause fear and terror by sending such violent threats.” “Richard Kantwill sent more than 100 violent threats to multiple public figures, including an election official,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department has zero tolerance for conduct that seeks to intimidate public servants from doing their jobs. I am proud of the work the Election Threats Task Force has done over the past three years to hold accountable those who threaten election workers with violence.” Kantwill pleaded guilty to four counts of interstate transmission of a threat. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Aaron L. Jennen of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abigail K. King for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they join the task force in its critical work. Under the leadership of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.


title: Farmington Accountant Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARK LEGOWSKI, 60, of Farmington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to eight months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for filing false tax returns. Judge Dooley also ordered Legowski to pay a $10,000 fine. According to court documents and statements made in court, from January 2015 through December 2017, Legowski was a self-employed accountant and tax return preparer doing business as Legowski & Company, Inc. (“LCI”) in Farmington. Legowski prepared income tax returns for approximately 400 to 500 individual clients and approximately 50 to 60 businesses. For the 2015 through 2017 tax years, in order to reduce his personal income tax liability, Legowski willfully underreported LCI’s gross receipts in LCI’s computer bookkeeping system by excluding some customer payment checks. He then filed false personal income tax returns that failed to report a total of more than $1.4 million in business income, which resulted in a loss to the IRS of $499,289. In 2015, Legowski reported $0 in taxable income when the true figure was $415,697; in 2016, he reported $29,343 in taxable income when the true figure was $531,294; and in 2017, he reported $56,060 in taxable income when the true figure was $496,808. Legowski has paid the IRS $499,289 in back taxes. He still must pay substantial tax penalties and interest. On August 29, 2024, Legowski pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. Legowski, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on January 8. This investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.


title: Former Cleveland City Council Member Charged with Bribery and Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CLEVELAND – Basheer Jones, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been charged in a two-count information with conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud for using his role as a public official for personal financial gain by seeking to defraud multiple community stakeholders out of more than $200,000. He previously served as an elected Cleveland city council member representing Ward 7. According to court documents, from about December 2018 to June 2021, Jones allegedly misrepresented and concealed material facts to induce nonprofit organizations to enter into a variety of arrangements that would benefit Jones and his romantic partner co-conspirator. Under the guise of working on projects to benefit the city of Cleveland and revitalize Ward 7, Jones fraudulently sought and obtained funds from local nonprofits while he concealed his connection to his romantic partner, through whom he benefited from these arrangements. Jones’s schemes were devised to deceive nonprofit entities into making payments toward projects they thought were for the community’s benefit. Instead, the money ultimately went into bank accounts controlled by Jones’s romantic partner. Jones would then direct her to divert those funds to herself, Jones, and to other associates who were involved. The information alleges that Jones deceptively advised nonprofits to provide funding to move community projects forward or to hire a purported “consultant,” with the full knowledge that the funds would flow back to himself. For example, Jones recommended that a nonprofit hire a consultant for community outreach. Unbeknownst to the nonprofit, the “consultant” who quickly submitted a proposal and whose business was ultimately contracted, was Jones’s co-conspirator and romantic partner. She submitted the proposal and requested $5,000 per month at Jones’s prompting. The investigation discovered that she did not provide the nonprofit with substantial services in exchange for payments she received. Jones later defrauded the same nonprofit out of an additional $50,000, again through his romantic partner’s consulting business. Jones claimed that he needed $50,000 to plan a community event, which included buying backpacks for schoolchildren, and falsely promised that the city would reimburse the organization. Instead, after the funds were paid, no event was held, and Jones directed his romantic partner to divide the money amongst herself, Jones, and others associated with the scheme. Some of the projects Jones pushed included seeking community funding to rehabilitate certain distressed properties while concealing his financial interest in them. In one instance, Jones devised a bribery scheme under which he arranged for co-conspirators, including his romantic partner, to acquire a dilapidated property on Superior Road, and used his position as councilperson to pass ordinances allocating city funds to buy that property from them. Jones arranged for a co-conspirator to buy the property a minimal cost. After asking a nonprofit to purchase and rehabilitate the property, and promising city funding, Jones sponsored an emergency ordinance to fund the nonprofit’s purchase and renovation of the property. When Jones was unable to convince the nonprofit to proceed, he arranged to transfer the property to his romantic partner’s consulting business, with the understanding that she too would share the proceeds of the sale with him. After sponsoring another ordinance to reauthorize city funding for the same project, Jones sought to finalize the nonprofit’s purchase of the property from his partner’s entity for $80,000. Ultimately the scheme failed when the nonprofit decided not to proceed with the purchase. Jones and his partner did succeed in obtaining funds for the sale of a different property to another nonprofit. He misled them to believe that he was helping them to acquire the property from the original owner. Instead, he was simultaneously arranging for his romantic partner to acquire the property from the original owner in the name of another business entity, and then immediately to resell it to the nonprofit. Jones and his partner arranged to purchase the property for only $1, promising to pay a $40,500 city demolition bill. But without paying that bill or disclosing it, Jones’s partner immediately re-sold the property to the nonprofit for $45,000. These charges are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial. It will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum. This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio. To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint .


title: Manokotak man indicted for illegally possessing firearm as a felon

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Manokotak man with illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. According to court documents, on Oct. 6, 2023, Wasillie Chocknok, 54, knowingly possessed a firearm as a felon. In June 2008, Chocknok was convicted of assault in the second degree in Alaska Superior Court in Dillingham, and in March 2022, he was convicted of criminally negligent homicide in Alaska Superior Court in Dillingham. Both were felony convictions. Chocknok is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais made the announcement. The ATF Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers and Village Public Safety Officers, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Ringleader imprisoned for almost 16 years after laundering millions in Indian call center scam

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 39-year-old legal permanent resident (LPR) from India has been sentenced for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Sohil Usmangani Vahora, Des Plaines, Illinois, pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2023. U.S District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered him to serve 188 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. As an LPR, he could also lose his status in the United States. Vahora was ordered to pay a combined $3,541,258 in restitution to dozens of individual victims. At the hearing, the court heard that over 80 percent of Vahora’s victims were elderly. Victim impact statements received from 33 victims or their family members described “relentless” phone calls, financial hardship and feelings of shame Vahora and his co-conspirators caused. “Vahora chose to go all in on India’s predatory call centers, swindling savings from his elderly neighbors while at the same time turning his back on the country that chose to let him in,” said Hamdani. “He saw the money flowing through his organization as nothing more than dollar signs, ignoring the foreign fraudsters who stole money and dashed dreams using a script of fear and lies. Today’s 15-year and eight-month sentence sends the message that people who move a victim’s money are as culpable as the person who initially places the bogus call.” Between 2017 and 2020, Vahora managed a team of domestic money mules or “runners.” He received work from call centers in India that were perpetrating telemarketing scams in the United States. One common script used in the scheme involved coercing victims into believing members of law enforcement were investigating them. The “federal authority” on the phone would convince the victim the only way to clear his or her name from investigation was to buy gift cards and transfer the redemption codes to the call center or mail cash in a package to a name and address the call center provided. Runners in the United States would then deplete the gift card funds and pick up the packages. At least five runners worked for Vahora over the course of the conspiracy. They picked up hundreds of packages containing cash approximately 280 victims had shipped. Although Vahora lived in the greater Chicago area, he sent his runners all over the country. Co-conspirator Zaheen Rafikbhai Malvi, 30, Heber Springs, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud May 15, 2023, and is set for sentencing Dec. 9. At that time, Malvi faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. An additional three of Vahora’s runners were previously sentenced to 29, 41 and 60 months in federal prison. Vahora will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations in Houston and Fayetteville, Arkansas, conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI and Heber Springs Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case. The SSA and its OIG consistently warns people of similar scams. Protect yourself!


title: Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Entering the US After a Prior Removal

component: USAO - Maine


title: Owner of Florida Labor-Staffing Companies Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Money Laundering

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Ukrainian national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents and statements made in court, between August 2007 and August 2021, Oleg Oliynyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC. Through these staffing companies, Oliynyk and others facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of federal income and employment taxes. Oliynyk and his codefendants also laundered more than $11 million of proceeds from their scheme. A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. Oliynyk faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit money laundering charge and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Matthew B. Hicks and Wilson R. Stamm of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Clark for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.


title: Probation Check Leads to Discovery of Firearm, Federal Sentence for Lewiston Man

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

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for illegally possessing a firearm. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Bret Binette , 19, to time served followed by three years of supervised release. Binette had been incarcerated since May 9, 2024 and pleaded guilty on August 13, 2024. According to court records, in May 2024, law enforcement conducted a probation check and interview with Binette at his residence in Lewiston. Prior to the probation check, he was observed operating a vehicle with a passenger in the front seat. A search of the vehicle revealed a Glock model 45, 9 mm pistol. Binette denied owning or possessing the firearm, but the passenger stated that Binette had handed him the weapon as the officers were approaching the vehicle, and he had stashed it under the seat. The investigation revealed that Binette had purchased the firearm in March 2024, and he admitted possessing the Glock in numerous recorded phone calls from Androscoggin County Jail. Binette was precluded from possessing a firearm due to an October 2023 felony conviction for criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Lewiston Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods : This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn . ###


title: Fort Lauderdale Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Defraud Medicare In The Provision Of COVID-19 Test Kits

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kevin Karl Wills, Jr. (48, Ft. Lauderdale) today pleaded guilty to conspiring to receive kickbacks in return for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries for the provision of COVID-19 tests and to purchase and sell Medicare beneficiary identification numbers. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, Wills and a co-conspirator owned and operated a company that engaged marketers who illegally obtained Medicare beneficiary identifying information. They entered into “consulting” agreements with medical service providers whereby they introduced the marketers to the providers, and the marketers agreed to supply the providers with lists of Medicare beneficiaries and their identifying information, including their Medicare beneficiary identication numbers. The providers then shipped COVID-19 tests to the identified beneficiaries and billed Medicare for the tests, then paid both the defendant’s company and the marketers a set dollar amount per beneficiary. However, the providers paid this amount only if a claim submitted on behalf of a beneficiary was reimbursed by Medicare. Such payments were illegal kickbacks under federal law. The actions of Wills and his co-conspirators caused the submission of approximately 152,00 fraudulent claims to Medicare by several different medical service providers, which resulted in reimbursements from Medicare totaling approximately $14,405,700. Wills received a total of approximately $652,312 in kickbacks, which he agreed to forfeit to the government. One of the providers who purchased Medicare beneficiary identifying information was SWL Services, a business in Jacksonville, Florida. The owners and operators of SWL Services, Courtney Shauta’ Lewis (31, Jacksonville) and Latania Renee Smith-Washington (50, Jacksonville), pleaded guilty to the conspiracy on March 14, 2024, and are scheduled for sentencing on December 2, 2024. One of the marketers that Wills introduced to SWL Services, Noel Gary Beres (64, Sunny Isles), pleaded guilty to the conspiracy on August 27, 2024, and is scheduled for sentencing on April 22, 2025. This case was investigated by Health and Human Services–Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Harrington.


title: Idaho Falls Man Convicted of Federal Drug Trafficking Charges

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: POCATELLO – A federal jury convicted Jason Lundholm, 36, of Idaho Falls, of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver after a four-day trial, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, on September 26, 2023, officers with the Idaho Falls Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Idaho Falls. Lundholm was seated in the back passenger seat. Officers searched the vehicle and found 227 grams of methamphetamine in a fast-food bag located at Lundholm’s feet. Evidence presented during the trial established that Lundholm conspired with his co-defendants, Jeremy Wheeler, 49, of Idaho Falls, and Breena Jolley, 44, of Pocatello, who were also in the vehicle, to distribute methamphetamine. The jury found Lundholm guilty of both charges after two hours of deliberation on November 21, 2024. Lundholm is scheduled to be sentenced on February 13, 2025, before Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. Lundholm faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison. Wheeler and Jolley previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and are both scheduled for sentencing on December 18, 2024 before Judge Winmill. U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigation by the Idaho Falls Police Department and the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Concord Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl,  and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Concord, New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today in federal court in connection with drug distribution and the illegal possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Wayne Smith, 49, pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for March 10, 2025. In August 2023, the New Hampshire State Police received information regarding methamphetamine sales in the Concord area. The ensuing investigation led to the defendant’s indictment on federal charges on May 8, 2024. The New Hampshire State Police and the Concord Police Department led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Strelzin is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Billings woman admits trafficking fentanyl, brandishing firearm

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings woman accused of dealing fentanyl in the community and to brandishing a firearm admitted to charges on Nov. 22, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, Renee Esperanza Arambula, 27, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Arambula faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of seven years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm crime. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Feb. 26, 2025. Arambula was released pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in early 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Arambula for suspected drug trafficking. Agents determined that between May 2020 and January 2023, Arambula deposited more than $230,000 in cash into the bank and received thousands of dollars more through electronic payment but was making only a small fraction of the money through formal employment, with much of the money being proceeds from drug trafficking. The investigation further determined that Arambula was trafficking fentanyl and other drugs in the Billings community, with individuals admitting to purchasing fentanyl from her up to early 2023. During this time, Arambula also possessed and brandished a firearm in furtherance of her drug trafficking activities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 15 months for Stealing from a Nonprofit Working to Prevent Veteran Suicides

body_text: CONCORD – David Duren of Haverhill, Massachusetts was sentenced today in federal court for attempting to steal almost $73,000 from a nonprofit health care provider, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. David Duren, a/k/a Dawud Hakiem Duren, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 15 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. On July 1, 2024, Duren pleaded guilty to wire fraud. “The defendant is a recidivist fraudster who used a sophisticated scheme to steal money intended to help vulnerable veterans,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “He spent the stolen money on items like a cruise, landscaping at his home and OnlyFans.com. His brazen criminal conduct was compounded by the fact that he stole from a program dedicated to preventing veteran suicides. Today’s sentence should be a warning to others that stealing from veterans will not be tolerated and will result in incarceration.” “Today’s sentencing sends the message that the VA Office of Inspector General will work diligently to hold accountable those who would egregiously steal funds intended to help our most vulnerable veterans in crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their excellent work in this case.” Duren was a program manager for a nonprofit health care provider in Nashua, New Hampshire. He oversaw a program funded by a $750,000 Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention grant. The grant was awarded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment and services to veterans at risk of suicide. At Duren’s recommendation, the health care provider hired a “faith-based organization” called “E3 Foundation” to provide services funded by the Staff Sergeant Fox grant. E3 Foundation was in turn purportedly led by a “Dr. Michael Rapp.” However, unbeknownst to the victim, E3 Foundation was a shell company and Dr. Rapp did not exist. Duren was pretending to be “Dr. Michael Rapp” on emails and calls. Duren was able to fraudulently obtain almost $50,000 in Staff Sergeant Fox program funds and tried to obtain an additional $24,000 before being discovered. He used a website called “Invoice Generator” to create fake invoices. Duren offered to personally hand-deliver payments to E3 Foundation and Dr. Rapp at their regularly scheduled meetings. Duren and E3 Foundation did not provide the services and products that he billed for. After the fraud was uncovered, Duren took steps to attempt to conceal his wrongdoing. For example, he emailed the victim a document containing notes of a “meeting” between himself and Dr. Rapp dated July 28, 2023, but the metadata proved he created the document a month after that date. Duren also provided the victim a phone number for Dr. Rapp, who replied via email that he was on vacation in Europe. Shortly after, Duren created a voicemail for Dr. Rapp he titled “Rapp vacation.” And, when law enforcement interviewed Duren, he claimed that the stolen money used to pay for his home’s landscaping was justified because he was using the money to “create a space that was conducive” to hosting veterans. Approximately a decade ago, Duren was convicted of stealing more than $143,000 from the U.S. Department of Defense. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case. ###


title: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Joe Dante Townsend, 32, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 11, 2024, Townsend was a backseat passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers on the 1600 block of Ninth Avenue in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle during the traffic stop and found a backpack in the backseat containing approximately 499 grams of cocaine. Townsend admitted that the backpack belonged to him, and that he had transported the cocaine by bus from Detroit to Huntington, where he intended to distribute the cocaine for money. Townsend is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-115. ###


title: Ringleader of Stalking Campaign Against Journalists Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for orchestrating a conspiracy to harass and intimidate journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) and their family members. Eric Labarge, 46, of Nashua, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 46 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and pay restitution of $34,139 to the victims. In July 2024 Labarge pleaded guilty to a five-count superseding Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and using a facility of interstate commerce; one count of conspiracy to commit stalking using a facility of interstate commerce; one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce and aiding and abetting; and two counts of stalking through interstate travel and aiding and abetting. Labarge was arrested and charged in September 2023 along with co-conspirators Tucker Cockerline, Michael Waselchuck and Keenan Saniatan. “Mr. Labarge was the ringleader of a targeted, terror campaign that caused the victims—journalists exercising the First Amendment rights and the families —incredible fear and emotional harm. Mr. Labarge’s terror campaign sent ripples of fear throughout the journalism community and violated the bedrock principles enshrined in the Bill of Rights,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding the rights of journalists to report without fear of retribution and to put behind bards those who try to silence the media through threats and violence.” “Eric Labarge will now pay a hefty price for being the vindictive ringleader of an elaborate harassment campaign that inflicted significant emotional harm, stress, and fear on New Hampshire Public Radio employees and their family members who were simply just doing their jobs,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Let today’s sentence be a warning: anyone attempting to infringe on the freedom of the press – a constitutionally protected right – will not get away with it.” In March 2022 an NHPR journalist (Victim 1) published an exposé detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, identified in the charging document as Subject 1. Another NHPR journalist (Victim 2) also contributed to the article, which appeared on NHPR’s website during and after March 2022. In response to this reporting Labarge – one of Subject 1’s closest friends – orchestrated a months-long scheme to harass, stalk and intimidate Victims 1 and 2 and their immediate family members with the help of Cockerline, Waselchuck and Saniatan. Specifically: On or about the evening of April 24, 2022, at Labarge’s direction, Cockerline spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and threw a brick through an exterior window of Victim 1’s former residence in New Hampshire; On the evening of April 24, 2022, at Labarge’s direction, Saniatan spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and threw a large rock at the exterior of Victim 2’s home in New Hampshire; and threw a softball-sized rock through a front exterior window and spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home in New Hampshire; On or about May 18, 2022, Labarge directed Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s parents’ home in New Hampshire, and Victim 1’s home in Massachusetts, using bricks and red spray paint. Cockerline, in turn, recruited Waselchuck to vandalize Victim 1’s residence; and On the evening of May 20, 2022, at Labarge’s direction, Cockerline spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home, and he left a brick on the ground near the front door. Several hours later, Waselchuck threw a brick through an exterior window of Victim 1’s home in Massachusetts and painted the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” in large red letters on the front of the house. Earlier this year , Cockerline and Waselchuck received prison sentences of 27 months and 21 months, respectively. Each sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. Saniatan has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 6, 2024. U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments, the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jesse Robert Phillips, 40, of Burtchville, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, Phillips admitted that he possessed approximately 19.8 grams of fentanyl on April 30, 2024, in Beckley that he intended to distribute. Phillips further admitted that he had been selling fentanyl in West Virginia while residing at a Mount Hope residence and used two individuals at the residence to sell fentanyl. Phillips is scheduled to be sentenced on March 21, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Phillips has also agreed to forfeit one firearm and abandon three other firearms that were seized on April 30, 2024. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-142. ###


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Steven Patrick Crabtree, 35, of Huntington, was sentenced today to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2024, law enforcement officers responded to reports of an individual shooting at others outside of a Buffington Street residence in Huntington. Officers encountered Crabtree, who matched the description of the shooting suspect. Officers recovered a loaded Smith & Wesson model SD9VE 9mm pistol from Crabtree, and later determined that the firearm had been stolen. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Crabtree knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for conspiracy to deliver not less than 10 grams nor more than 100 grams of heroin in Wayne County Circuit Court on May 30, 2018, and attempt to commit a felony in Cabell County Circuit Court on March 21, 2017. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-86. ###


title: Upshur County Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Fraudulently Obtain Unemployment and COVID-19 Benefits

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Christopher Grant, 41, of Buckhannon, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation, including four months on home detention, and ordered to pay $35,168 in restitution for conspiracy to steal public money, property or records. Grant admitted that he fraudulently obtained approximately $14,336 in unemployment benefits, including COVID-19 supplementary funds, and a $20,832 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 25, 2020, Grant applied for unemployment compensation after he was laid off as a sales manager at a Charleston auto dealership when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Grant legitimately received unemployment benefits until the week ending April 18, 2020, when he returned to work. Grant admitted that from at least April 25, 2020 through at least July 25, 2020, he continued to apply for unemployment benefits that he knew he was not entitled to because he had returned to work. Grant fraudulently obtained approximately $14,336 in unemployment benefits, including supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the CARES Act. WorkForce West Virginia administers the unemployment compensation program for the State of West Virginia. Grant admitted that as part of his scheme, he falsely certified on the WorkForce West Virginia website for 14 consecutive weeks that he was entitled to unemployment benefits. Grant submitted the false certification answers while using his personal electronic device in St. Albans. On March 21, 2021, Grant applied for a PPP loan because he had earned income as an independent contractor during previous tax years. PPP loans were available to qualifying independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to replace their normal income and for certain other expenses. Grant admitted that he falsely represented that he had earned $104,580 as an independent contractor for the prior tax year when he knew he had only earned $33,900. Grant further admitted that he made this false representation in order to receive $20,832, the maximum loan amount available to independent contractors. Grant also admitted that he used the fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits and PPP loan funds to make purchases and pay his bills. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations. Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-113. ###


title: Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Deona’tre Capri Dowell, 30, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Dowell admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 25, 2024, Dowell received an ounce of fentanyl from a co-conspirator at his Beckley residence. Dowell admitted that he requested the fentanyl from the co-conspirator by phone earlier that day and discussed adding a cutting agent to the fentanyl to make more money when it was sold to pay back the co-conspirator. Dowell further admitted that he obtained additional quantities of fentanyl during May 2024 from his supplier on consignment, paying the supplier back with the proceeds from distributing it. On May 30, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Dowell’s residence and found approximately 535 grams of methamphetamine, 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, a Romarm Micro Draco 7.62mm firearm, and a Glock model 21 .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Dowell admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances and intending to distribute them. Dowell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Dowell is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. Dowell is also among five defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against Bradley and the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90. ###


title: Billings meth dealer sentenced to seven years in prison

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community as part of a group that was supplied by Washington sources was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Robert Allen Clark, 44, pleaded guilty in July to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that Clark was one of seven defendants involved in a multi-state drug trafficking organization that operated from a residence on Sugar Avenue in Billings. A group from Washington brought pounds of meth into Montana and used these defendants to distribute meth and fentanyl. In 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this organization, and sources reported that Clark sold multi-ounce quantities to other dealers. Law enforcement seized methamphetamine sold by Clark. The government also identified Clark as a mid-level dealer who received meth from a co-defendant and then distributed to lower-level dealers. Clark has been selling meth for nearly 20 years, has three prior drug convictions dating to 2005, and was on parole for assault on a peace officer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty for Threatening to Kill Members of Jewish Community and Bomb Places of Worship

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to threatening to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb Jewish synagogues. John Reardon, 59, of Millis, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure a person, and one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce. In January, Reardon was arrested and charged. “This defendant’s threats to bomb synagogues and kill Jewish children stoked fear in the hearts of congregants at a time when Jews are already facing a disturbing increase in threats,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. The Justice Department is committed to using the full force of our investigative and prosecutorial authorities to root out these threats and ensure that all people are protected in the expression of their faith.” “John Reardon now stands convicted of inflicting terror on the greater Boston Jewish community by threatening violence against fellow residents of Massachusetts solely because they of their Jewish faith,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts. “This insidious, pernicious conduct must be met with the full force of the criminal justice system to make sure victims and potential offenders alike know that hate crimes and acts of antisemitism will never be tolerated.” “When John Reardon threatened to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb places of worship, the FBI and our partners immediately mobilized. After all, you cannot call and threaten people with violent physical harm and not face repercussions,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Field Office. “People of all races and faiths deserve to feel safe in their communities. With today’s guilty plea, John Reardon is now a convicted felon.” On the morning of Jan. 25, Reardon called a synagogue in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and left a voicemail that included threats of violence. Within 10 minutes of leaving the voicemail at the Congregation Agudas Achim, Reardon called another local Synagogue in Sharon, Massachusetts, and left a voicemail that included threats of violence. Reardon was arrested by law enforcement after the calls were made. Following his arrest, investigators learned that Reardon had called the Israeli Consulate in Boston 98 times between Oct. 7, 2023, and Jan. 29. In many of those calls, Reardon also made statements intended to harass or intimidate. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. For obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, Reardon faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. For transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure a person, Reardon faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. For stalking using a facility of interstate commerce, Reardon faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Boston Field Office investigated the case. The Attleboro and Wrentham Police Departments, Massachusetts State Police, Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, and Bristol County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings for the District of Massachusetts is prosecuting the case.


title: Massachusetts Man Who Threatened to Kill Members of Jewish Community and Bomb Places of Worship Pleads Guilty

body_text: BOSTON – A Millis, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to threatening to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb Jewish synagogues. John Reardon, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure a person and one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for Aug. 14, 2025. In January 2024, Reardon was arrested and charged. “This defendant’s threats to bomb synagogues and kill Jewish children stoked fear in the hearts of congregants at a time when Jews are already facing a disturbing increase in threats,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. The Justice Department is committed to using the full force of our investigative and prosecutorial authorities to root out these threats and ensure that all people are protected in the expression of their faith.” “John Reardon now stands convicted of inflicting terror on the greater Boston Jewish community by threatening violence against fellow residents of Massachusetts solely because they of their Jewish faith. This insidious, pernicious conduct must be met with the full force of the criminal justice system to make sure victims and potential offenders alike know that hate crimes and acts of antisemitism will never be tolerated,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “When John Reardon threatened to kill members of the Jewish community and bomb places of worship, the FBI and our partners immediately mobilized. After all, you cannot call and threaten people with violent physical harm and not face repercussions” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division. “People of all races and faiths deserve to feel safe in their communities. With today’s guilty plea, John Reardon is now a convicted felon.” On the morning of Jan. 25, 2024, Reardon called a synagogue in Attleboro, Mass. and left a voicemail that included threats of violence. Within 10 minutes of leaving the voicemail at the Congregation Agudas Achim, Reardon called another local Synagogue in Sharon, Mass. and left a voicemail that included threats of violence. Reardon was arrested by law enforcement after the calls were made. Following his arrest, investigators learned that Reardon had called the Israeli Consulate in Boston 98 times between Oct. 7, 2023 and Jan. 29, 2024. In many of those calls, Reardon made harassing and intimidating statements. The charge of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure a person provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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. Attorney General Garland, U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. The Attleboro and Wrentham Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; Bristol County District Attorney’s Office; and Bristol County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Lancaster Man Convicted of Money Laundering and Operating an Unlawful Money Transmission Business for Converting Cash to Bitcoin

body_text: BOSTON – A Lancaster, Mass. man was convicted on Nov. 22, 2024 following a five-day jury trial for his involvement in an unlicensed money transmission business that exchanged cash for Bitcoin for an individual who represented to be involved in unlawful trafficking in counterfeit goods. Alan Joseph,36, was convicted of one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business and three counts of money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Feb. 24, 2025. Joseph was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in February 2021 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2021. “Mr. Joseph’s conduct made him a critical cog in criminal enterprises, willingly converting illicit cash into cryptocurrency to help his customers conceal their tracks,” said United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This conviction sends a clear message: those who exploit emerging technologies like cryptocurrency to facilitate illegal activity will be held accountable. Our office, alongside our federal and local partners, will continue to disrupt these schemes and ensure that the integrity of our financial systems is upheld.” “This conviction proves that Mr. Joseph was more than willing to help criminals conceal their criminal cash flow in an attempt to cover up illegal activity,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners thank the jury for its service and swift verdict.” “Criminals rely on money laundering operations like the one run by Alan Joseph to obscure their proceeds, helping criminal enterprises evade detection, enhance profit margins and avoid tax liability. HSI’s El Dorado Task Force is committed to working with our partners to follow the money and dismantle money laundering enterprises that facilitate and enable the illicit financial economy,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “The guilty verdict of Alan Joseph demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation’s commitment to the prosecution of all who choose to not only break the law themselves but also those who assist criminals in facilitating their criminal activities,” said Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Joseph’s actions allowed criminals to conceal their activity by converting bulk cash into bitcoin, allowing them to easily and covertly integrate their ill-gotten gains into the mainstream financial system. IRS Criminal Investigations continues to work closely with our law enforcement partner to rout out these bad actors that aid others in the furtherance of their crimes.” “Alan Joseph received money through the U.S. Mail and subsequently laundered it into Bitcoin. This conviction sends a stark warning to anyone who thinks they can illegally use the U.S. Mail for their own gain. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to remain steadfast in our mission to protect the U.S. Mail and its customers from any illegal activity,” said Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in New England. Between August 2020 and February 2021, Joseph engaged in at least four financial transactions where he converted cash to Bitcoin in connection with what Joseph believed to be trafficking in counterfeit goods, which is illegal under federal law. Bitcoin is a form of virtual currency, or cryptocurrency, that has no physical form and is traded exclusively by electronic means. Joseph sought to promote and conceal the nature of such illegal activity. For instance, on Oct. 28, 2020, Joseph converted about $25,000 in cash to Bitcoin for the undercover agent. During this meeting, the undercover agent represented to Joseph that the money Joseph was converting was from “rich housewives” who purchased “fake” items. Additionally, Joseph expressed an interest in purchasing counterfeit goods from the undercover agent. Contrary to federal law and regulations, Joseph never registered his money transmission business with the Department of Treasury, nor did he ever request identification from the undercover agent during the meetings. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. 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. U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen, HSI SAC Krol, Acting IRS-CI SAC Wlodyka and USPIS Inc Larco Ward made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Lindsey E. Weinstein of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: CEO of Non-Profit that Provided Mentoring Services to Public School Students Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining COVID Benefits

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A South Bay man who provided lifestyle and personal development coaching to students in public schools through a non-profit he founded pleaded guilty today to fraudulently applying for millions of dollars in COVID-19 jobless benefits, including by using stolen identities. Reginald Foster Jr., 38, of the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud, and one count of use of unauthorized access devices. Foster admitted in court today that, from June 2020 to October 2020, he conspired with others to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a law Congress passed in March 2020 to help individuals and businesses deal with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Foster exploited the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provision of the CARES Act, which is designed to expand access to unemployment benefits to self-employed workers, independent contractors, and others who would not otherwise have been eligible because of the pandemic. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) administers the state’s unemployment insurance program, which included the PUA provision. Foster admitted that he and his co-conspirators filed fraudulent applications for benefits in the names of people who had not authorized him to do so, using the identity-theft victims’ personal identifying information without their permission. Foster included false information on the applications to ensure that EDD would approve the applications and send the debit cards through which the benefits were dispersed to a mailing address he used. In total, Foster and his co-conspirators submitted 118 fraudulent applications as part of the scheme. Foster used the debit cards to make transfers to his non-profit, Champs Up! LLC, which Foster has said provides guidance programs to middle school students in Los Angeles and Long Beach. Foster also used the cards to make multiple $1,000 withdrawals at ATMs. He then transferred the cards to co-conspirators, who used them to make further ATM withdrawals. Foster and his co-conspirators were able to withdraw almost $1.5 million of the benefits. EDD and Bank of America froze the remaining benefits as soon as the scheme was uncovered, preventing further losses of more than $4 million. United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a March 24, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Foster will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison for the unauthorized access devices count. Foster remains free on $50,000 bond. Co-defendants Shelece Counts, 31, of the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles; and Isaiah Herbert Lawrence, 31, of Houston, Texas, have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in this case and are scheduled to go to trial on January 21, 2025. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the California Employment Development Department, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter. Substantial assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; the United States Secret Service; the FBI; U.S. Customs and Border Protection Special Response Team; and the Los Angeles Unified School District Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Ranee A. Katzenstein of the Criminal Appeals Section is prosecuting this case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. More information on the Justice Department’s response to the pandemic may be found here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it to the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF online complaint form .


title: Jury Finds Two Men Guilty of Double Murder on the Colville Reservation

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced that a jury returned a verdict today in the trial of Zachary L. Holt, age 24, and Dezmonique D. Tenzsley (a/k/a “Privilege”), age 35. Holt and Tenzsley were found guilty on all seventeen counts presented at trial, including Felony Murder in Indian Country, Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer, Assault of a Federal Officer, Attempted Robbery in Indian Country, Robbery Affecting Commerce, as well as several firearm offenses. Holt also was convicted of First-Degree Murder in Indian Country and Murder Resulting from Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Holt and Tenzsley went on a six-week crime spree that began in September 2022 in Northern Idaho and continued until the Defendants’ arrests in Eastern Washington on October 21, 2022. Over these six weeks, Defendants Holt and Tenzsley committed home invasions as well as a robbery in Northern Idaho, and then took their firearms and much of the stolen property into Eastern Washington, where they shot and killed Gale and Jeremy Neal at about 4:21 p.m. on October 20, 2022, in Keller, Washington. Gale and Jeremy Neal were shot twice inside their trailer during a failed robbery. Eyewitnesses described three armed men wearing masks, who arrived at the trailer in a red sedan. Surveillance video presented at trial showed the red sedan arrive at about 4:19 p.m. and depart two minutes and ten seconds later, at 4:21 p.m., just moments after the murder. Approximately 30 minutes before the murders, Holt and Tenzsley were driving on a dirt road in the Keller area. Holt, who was speeding, swerved to miss a school bus, causing Holt’s vehicle to roll over into a ditch. Minutes later, Holt’s brother, Curry Pinkham, pulled up to give both Holt and Tenzsley a ride. Just before getting into Pinkham’s car, Holt and Tenzsley moved several firearms – including the murder weapon – and thousands rounds of ammunition out of the crashed car and into the red sedan – a 2007 Toyota Camry. Testimony at trial established that Holt was upset about wrecking his car and demanded that Pinkham take them to a location where they could get more drugs and find someone to rob. Pinkham agreed to drive Holt to the home of a known drug dealer in the Keller area. When Holt, Tenzsley, and Pinkham arrived at the residence of the known drug dealer, Holt and Tenzsley put on rubber gloves and masks. Holt, Tenzsley and Pinkham then grabbed firearms out of the red sedan. Rather than go to the main residence, where the purported drug dealer lived, Holt and Tenzsley walked to the back of the property, where Gale Neal’s trailer was located. As Holt and Tenzsley approached, Jeremy Neal came to the door of the trailer. Holt immediately began demanding Neal’s money and property. Moments later, Holt fired two shots, killing Jeremy Neal. Holt then turned to Gale Neal, who leaned back into the couch in fear, and fired two more shots, killing Gale. Throughout, Tenzsley was standing guard, armed with a shotgun and his face covered by a mask. After the robbery and murder, and while law enforcement was responding to the scene, Tenzsley, Holt, and Pinkham drove towards Nespelem, Washington. As Pinkham was driving the getaway car, Holt fired several additional shots – this time at law enforcement, who was attempting stop the red Camry. During the chase, a Colville Tribal Police Sergeant, who was cross-deputized as a federal officer, was hit in the forearm. Several additional bullets hit the Sergeant’s patrol vehicle. After shooting the first officer, Holt opened fire at a second Colville Tribal Police Officer, who also had attempted to stop the red sedan. Evidence at trial established that Tenzsley reloaded firearm magazines as Holt continued to fire at law enforcement to evade apprehension after murdering the Neals. When Holt, Tenzsley, and Pinkham later arrived in the Nespelem area, the three men tried to hide the getaway car under a tarp and fled on foot. They also hid their firearms and ammunition throughout the Nespelem area. When Holt and Tenzsley finally were apprehended the next day, Tenzsley gave a false name. Holt got into fist fight with a concerned citizen, who had called the police just prior to Holt’s arrest. During the investigation into the murders of Jeremy and Gale Neal, Tribal and federal law enforcement identified a series of other crimes that Holt and Tenzsley committed as part of their six-week crime spree and conspiracy. On September 3, 2022, Holt and Tenzsley robbed and severely assaulted a man at gunpoint inside his trailer in Latah County, Idaho. The pair stole ammunition, gun parts, the victim’s car keys, and a safe containing the title to the victim’s camper trailer. As Holt and Tenzsley were fleeing the robbery scene, they exchanged fire with the robbery victim. Additional evidence established that on October 12, 2022, Holt and Tenzsley, who again were both armed, invaded two homes and assaulted multiple victims on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho. The evidence at trial showed that Holt and Tenzsley were again looking for someone to rob when they committed these assaults. During the second home invasion that evening, Holt and Tenzsley shot a dog in the face on the Nez Perce Reservation. Fortunately, the dog survived the gunshot. In the days immediately after the Lapwai assaults, Holt and Tenzsley traveled to Keller, Washington – leading to the tragic deaths of Gale and Jeremy Neal, as well as the attempted murder of one federal officer and the assault of another. The firearm used in the shooting on the Nez Perce Reservation was the same gun Holt and Tenzsley used during the Neal murders, as well as the attempted murder and assault of the two federal officers. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice presided over the trial for Holt and Tenzsley, which began November 18, 2024. Sentencing in this matter is set for February 6, 2025, in Spokane, Washington. “The victims in this case, Gale and Jeremy Neal, were senselessly and brutally murdered by two men on a violent crime spree. Nothing can ever replace what the Neals’ family and loved ones have lost. My office is deeply committed to promoting public safety on Native American Reservations and addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, and this verdict demonstrates that those who commit violence on Tribal lands will be held accountable,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for the attorneys in my office, especially First Assistant United States Attorney Richard Barker and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Ellis who led this significant prosecution, as well as the investigators and agents who worked tirelessly for countless hours to bring justice for the victims in this case.” “As much as any case I have prosecuted, this one demonstrates the incredible tragedy of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Crisis,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Richard Barker, who led the prosecution team for this case. “Our hearts go out to the Neal Family, whose loved ones were taken away from them far too soon. Unfortunately, violence on our Native American Reservations occurs far too often and has resulted in generational trauma that continues to this day. While the United States absolutely will continue to prosecute these cases and take whatever steps to hold accountable those who perpetrate such terrible violence, we cannot fully address the trauma of so many through prosecution alone. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is committed to working with Native American communities to organize listening sessions, outreach events, and doing more to ensure victims and their families are heard. We are so grateful for the many witnesses who came forward in this case to ensure those responsible for Gale and Jeremy Neals’ murders were held accountable. We also cannot understate the exceptional law enforcement response, especially by the officers who put their lives on the line to capture the Neals’ murderers.” “At the heart of our prosecutions is the stories and lives of the victims of crime,” stated Assistant United States Attorney Michael Ellis. “I am very grateful that we were able to amplify the story of the Neal family and bring justice to those who caused such harm and devastation to the Colville Indian Reservation.” “These murders were frightening and tragic events that impacted many people in our community. My prayers go out to the family and friends of the deceased, who I know still grieve today. There is now some comfort in knowing that those who committed these acts of violence have been convicted of serious federal felony offenses,” said the Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Jarred-Michael Erickson. “I want to thank all of the law enforcement officials and agencies who participated in this investigation and in the apprehension of these dangerous criminals, and especially the Colville Tribal Police, who nearly lost one of their own officers when he was shot during this encounter. I also want to thank U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref and the prosecutors in the United States Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Washington for their diligent prosecution of this case. I want to thank the jurors who heard the evidence and returned the verdicts they believed fit the interest of justice. Finally, I want to thank our community on the Reservation, who supported each other and law enforcement as these events unfolded. As dark a chapter as this was for the Colville Reservation, it is heartening to see how many people from different communities and agencies stand together to help each other in a time of crisis.” “Getting these two violent offenders off the streets makes the communities they terrorized safer.” said Gregory L. Austin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Their crimes ranged from robbery to murder and included shooting at law enforcement in an effort to avoid arrest. Reducing violent crime on our state’s Reservations remains a priority for the FBI and our local, state, and federal partners.” This case was investigated by the Colville Tribal Police Department, the FBI, the FBI’s Salish Safe Trails Task Force, Latah County Sherif’s Office, Nez Perce Tribal Police Department, Idaho State Patrol, Spokane Tribal Police Department, Kalispel Tribal Police Department, Grant County Sheriff’s Office, Okanogan Sheriff’s Office, Ephrata Police Department, Soap Lake Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, the ATF, the United States Marshals Service, and the Washington State Patrol. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Barker and Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis. Echo D. Fatsis, a contract Law Clerk with the United States Attorney’s Office, provided critical support during the trial.


title: Madison Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Deonte L. Turner, 32, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 63 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Turner pleaded guilty to this charge on September 4, 2024. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. In September 2023, law enforcement found a loaded Sig Sauer handgun along with an extended magazine containing 21 rounds of ammunition in a backpack in a parked vehicle. Turner initially denied riding in the vehicle or possessing the backpack, but surveillance video showed Turner getting out of the vehicle, and Turner was further connected to the gun through DNA testing. At the time of this offense, Turner was on supervised release following a 2020 federal conviction for illegally possessing a firearm. At sentencing, Judge Peterson expressed his disappointment that Turner had not used the resources afforded by federal probation to turn his life around and had quickly reoffended by committing a highly similar crime. Judge Peterson also noted the danger Turner’s illegal firearm possession posed to Turner and his family, as well as the community, amplified by the fact that Turner possessed the gun while dealing drugs. The charge against Turner was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consisting of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. United States Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea and Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Stelljes prosecuted this case. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.


title: Pittsburg County Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jerry Brandon Pearce, age 55, of Indianola, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea of one count of possessing an unregistered explosive device. The Indictment alleged that on September 5, 2023, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Pearce knowingly possessed a destructive device not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Pearce was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Lorenz and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.


title: Wilburton Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Henry Lawrence, age 57, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of illegally possessing a firearm. The Indictment alleged that on November 11, 2022, Lawrence knowingly possessed a revolver and a rifle after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The charges arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Lawrence will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.