title: Nigerian Citizen Admits Fraud Scheme Targeting Plattsburgh Company

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Lotenna Chisom Umeadi, age 35, and a citizen of Nigeria, pled guilty yesterday to two counts of wire fraud. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. Umeadi admitted soliciting and purchasing a webpage from a computer hacker that allowed him to illegally gain access to people’s email passwords. Umeadi used those passwords to gain access to email accounts belonging to employees of a produce exporter in Sri Lanka. Umeadi then sent fraudulent emails, which appeared to legitimately come from the produce exporter but were in fact from an email account set up and controlled by Umeadi, directing payment on the Sri Lankan company’s accounts receivable be made to bank accounts in the United Kingdom, controlled by Umeadi. As a result of the fraudulent emails from Umeadi, on two occasions in 2016, a produce importer in Plattsburgh, New York, wired money, totaling $158,400, to those bank accounts in the United Kingdom. Umeadi was arrested on the charges on September 1, 2024, by authorities in Germany when he arrived there from Nigeria. Umeadi was then extradited from Germany to the United States. At sentencing, scheduled for July 21, 2025, Umeadi faces a maximum term of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The defendant will face removal from the United States after service of his imprisonment term. HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is prosecuting the case with the assistance of the United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs.


title: Manhattan Man Sentenced to 51 Months Following Trial Conviction for Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Keemont Reynolds, age 25, of Manhattan, New York, was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. Reynolds was convicted in November 2024 following a four-day jury trial. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement. The evidence at trial established that on November 1, 2023, law enforcement stopped a Jeep Grand Cherokee in Malone, New York. Tyrece Franklin was driving the Grand Cherokee; Roddrick Ingram was seated in the front passenger seat; and Keemont Reynolds was seated in the backseat. Police located a false compartment built within the front dash of the Grand Cherokee. Within the hidden compartment, police found approximately 424 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 564.89 grams of cocaine, approximately 545.77 grams of cocaine base, and approximately 4.87 grams of heroin and fentanyl. In all, the drugs had an approximate street value of $140,000 in Malone. After three days of testimony, the jury deliberated for five hours before convicting Reynolds of the conspiracy charge but acquitting him of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. The jury acquitted Ingram of both charges. Franklin pled guilty and was sentenced on January 23, 2025, to 120 months in prison. Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after Reynolds is released from prison. HSI and the New York State Police investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Collyer and Jeffrey Stitt prosecuted the case.


title: Albany Felon Arrested for Firearms Possession

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Wright, age 37, of Albany, was arrested today and charged by criminal complaint with possession of firearms as a previously convicted felon. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, made the announcement. According to the criminal complaint, Wright possessed seven firearms (four pistols, a revolver, a rifle, and a shotgun) in his residence, along with ammunition and suspected narcotics. Wright has a prior felony conviction in New York that prevented him from lawfully possessing those firearms. One firearm had been reported stolen in July 2024. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge filed against Wright carries a maximum term of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Wright made an initial appearance today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 25, 2025. ATF and DEA are investigating the case, with assistance from the Colonie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.


title: Broome County Sex Offender Sentenced to 27 Months for Failing to Disclose his Email Address and for Violating the Conditions of his Supervised Release

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Timmy Rifenburg, age 49, of Binghamton, New York, was sentenced yesterday to a total of 27 months in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for failing to register and update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), and for violating the terms of his supervised release imposed as part of his 2020 conviction for failure to register as a sex offender. Rifenburg was required to register as a sex offender as the result of a 2007 federal conviction for possession of child pornography. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement. The imprisonment term consists of 16 months in federal prison on the new criminal offense of failing to register the email account as required under SORNA, and a consecutive imprisonment term of 11 months for the supervised release violations of failing to report to the probation office, moving to a residence that was not approved by the probation office, possessing three unreported internet capable cellphones, viewing adult pornography on the unreported cellphones, and for being unsuccessfully discharged from sex offender treatment. The United States Marshals Service investigated this case and Assistant United States Attorney Tamara Thomson prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Former Postal Letter Carrier Sentenced for Workers’ Compensation Fraud

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Christopher Gleason, age 36, of Auburn, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 3 years’ probation and ordered to pay $14,858.94 in restitution and a special assessment of $400. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General – Northeast Region, made the announcement. During his previously entered guilty plea, Gleason admitted that while he was employed by the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier, he began receiving workers’ compensation benefits administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) for a sprained ankle. While receiving workers’ compensation benefits, Gleason admitted that he was working construction jobs. Gleason had been instructed to report any earnings from employment outside his federal job for the periods where he sought workers’ compensation benefits. Gleason admitted to filing multiple false claims affirming that he had not worked outside of his federal job, when he was working and earning income. As a result of the false statements, Gleason received benefits totaling $14,858.94. The United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General and Department of Labor investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson is prosecuting the case.


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm and Marijuana Charges

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced yesterday to 121 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing a distribution quantity of marijuana. According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Demarcus Letrelle Culberson Jr., 22, possessed a distribution quantity of marijuana in his car and at his residence. At Culberson’s residence, law enforcement also found a loaded firearm. A shell casing found at the scene of an October 2023 shooting was identified as having been fired from the firearm found at Culberson’s residence. Culberson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he is a felon. After completing his term of imprisonment, Culberson will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department. 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 .


title: Des Moines Man Sentenced to 30 years in Federal Prison for Firearms and Drug Charges

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

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for possessing firearms as a felon, possessing a distribution quantity of methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in September 2023, Scott Eugene Smith, 43, led law enforcement on a car chase shortly before 10:15 am. The car chase concluded with Smith jumping out of a moving vehicle in a parking lot of a Des Moines hotel. Smith fired several shots at a Polk County Sheriff Deputy. Smith then hid his loaded pistol and threw away his cell phone. Smith hid inside the hotel office, where he was found and arrested several hours later. Methamphetamine, marijuana, pills containing fentanyl, and a second gun were found in the vehicle Smith drove during the car chase. After completing his term of imprisonment, Smith will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. 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 .


title: Quad Cities Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal Prison for Racketeering and Cocaine Base Charges

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Quad Cities Man was sentenced on March 13, 2025 to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy and possession of a distribution quantity of cocaine base. According to public court documents and evidence presented at trials and sentencing, Timothy Justin Beaver, 30, was a Fifth Street gang member. The Fifth Street gang is also known as the Arsenal Courts Posse, Zone Fifth, Fifth Street Mafia, Rock Town Money Getters (RTMG), and Money Team.” The Fifth Street gang engaged in a years-long pattern of violence, including murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking in the Davenport and Rock Island area. Evidence at trial demonstrated the criminal enterprise was connected to dozens of shooting investigations and at least seven homicides over the course of two decades . After completing his term of imprisonment, Beaver will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On January 23, 2025, co-defendant Ricky Lee Childs, Jr., 40, of Peoria, Illinois, was sentenced for his role in the racketeering conspiracy. He received a 160-month prison sentence, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. On February 10, 2025, co-defendant Rasheem Damonte Bogan, 33, of the Quad Cities, also known as “Sheem,” plead guilty to racketeering conspiracy and felon in possession of a firearm. Bogan is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2025. Bogan faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. On February 20, 2025, following a six-day jury trial, a jury found co-defendant Kylea Dapri Cartwright Jr., 28, of the Quad Cities, guilty of racketeering conspiracy and possessing ammunition as a felon. Cartwright is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport and Rock Island Police Departments, with assistance from the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Cleveland Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

body_text: Oxford, MS – A Cleveland man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. According to court documents, Bryant Antonio Hester, 55 previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl as well as possession of one or more firearms by a prohibited person. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Hester today to 180 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Hester was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing. “This defendant is a convicted felon who has once again committed crimes, and he has more than earned his sentence today,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We will continue working alongside our law enforcement partners to remove criminals from our streets and prevent them from illegally possessing firearms.” “The ATF is working closely with local and state police agencies to address firearm trafficking by convicted felons and the scourge of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, flooding our communities,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF is dedicated to pursuing and combating these criminals to prevent them from doing harm to our communities and neighborhoods.” “Great work by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and all other agencies involved in bringing this case to justice,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “Thanks to these combined efforts, this dangerous criminal is off of our Mississippi streets.” This case was investigated by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Bolivar County Sheriff’s Office, Cleveland Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Grand Island Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matt Molsen announced that Jolene Armentrout, 50, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced March 20, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Armentrout to 94 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Armentrout is released from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On January 30, 2024, Armentrout and co-conspirator Lonnie Mason flew from Omaha to Los Angeles, California, and purchased 25 pounds of methamphetamine. Meanwhile, co-conspirator Robert Burkhardt drove Mason’s car from Omaha to Las Vegas, Nevada, with co-conspirator Stephanie Cummings. Burkhardt and Cummings met Armentrout and Mason in Las Vegas. Mason and Cummings then flew back to Nebraska while Armentrout and Burkhardt drove to California from Las Vegas and picked up the 25 pounds of methamphetamine purchased by Armentrout and Mason. Armentrout and Burkhardt then drove the 25 pounds of methamphetamine back to Nebraska and arrived on February 4, 2024. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and located the 25 pounds of methamphetamine contained in a hidden compartment. Burkhardt has been sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. Cummings pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and sentencing is scheduled for April 9, 2025. Mason pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and is scheduled for sentencing on May 7, 2025. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Grand Island Police Department. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Fremont Man Sentenced to 97 months’ for Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matthew Molsen announced that Robert Blessing, 28, of Fremont, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 20, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for distribution of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Blessing to 97 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Blessing’s release from prison, he will begin a six-year term of supervised release. Blessing was also ordered to pay restitution of $3,500 to each of four identified victims. On August 14, 2023, Medialab/KIK (KIK) made a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating a KIK user uploaded a video depicting child pornography on or about June 29, 2023. The IP address associated with the CyberTip resolved to a Fremont, Nebraska, residence belonging to Robert Blessing. A Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) investigator obtained a search warrant for Blessing’s KIK account and, in reviewing the KIK account’s contents, learned Blessing sent the child pornography video reported in the CyberTip to another KIK user on June 29, 2023. On October 5, 2023, NSP served a search warrant at Blessing’s residence and seized his electronic devices for forensic examination. Investigators forensically extracted and analyzed Blessing’s electronic devices. The content of Blessing’s KIK account and his device extractions revealed he possessed at least 1,917 child pornography image files and 26 child pornography video files. The files included pornographic images and videos involving prepubescent children, including infants and toddlers, adults having sex with children, and depictions of sadomasochism. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: California Woman Sentenced to more than 14 Years’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matt R. Molsen announced that Elicia Grigsby, 54, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced March 20, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after having pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Grigsby to 170 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Grigsby’s release from prison, she will begin a five-year term of supervised release. On October 26, 2023, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration personnel received information from the Omaha United States Postal Inspection Service regarding an inbound mail parcel destined for an Omaha residence. Investigators served a court-authorized search warrant on the parcel, opened it, and discovered it contained approximately 119 grams of fentanyl pills and approximately 464 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators then repackaged some of methamphetamine into the parcel for the purposes of a controlled delivery operation at the intended delivery residence. On the same date, investigators delivered the subject parcel to the residence where it was accepted by codefendant Shawn Robbins. Thereafter, investigators served a court-authorized search warrant on the residence, found the package, and arrested Robbins and Grigsby who were both found inside the residence. In a post-Miranda interview Grigsby admitted to her involvement in the delivery of the parcel and knew it contained approximately (2) pounds of methamphetamine. Grigsby also admitted to previously accepting multiple packages containing narcotics. Robbins is scheduled to plead guilty at a later date. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Omaha Police Department.


title: Winnebago Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matt R. Molsen announced that Gabriel Lee Rice, 36, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 20, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a spouse or intimate or dating partner. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Rice to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Rice’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. In July 2022, Rice assaulted a woman known to him, pinning her against a wall, then covering her mouth and nose with his hand. Rice restricted the victim’s breathing to the point that the victim could not breathe at all and fell unconscious. The assault occurred in front of a child. This case was prosecuted in federal court because the offense was a felony and occurred on the Winnebago Indian Reservation in Nebraska. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matt Molsen announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 17 unsealed Indictments charging 19 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Deaviea Brown , age 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Brown with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person beginning on or about December 19, 2024, and continuing to on or about January 14, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Brown with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute beginning on or about December 19, 2024, and continuing to on or about January 14, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 2 years, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Brown with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime beginning on or about December 19, 2024, and continuing to on or about January 14, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years’ to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Jermaine Cobb , age 33, of Auburn, Nebraska, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about February 27, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years, and a $100 special assessment. Jorge E. Morrison , age 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about November 7, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Oswaldo Molina Cisneros , age 20, of Bellevue, Nebraska, and Victor Molina Morales, age 22, of Bellevue, Nebraska, are charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about October 22, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. Steven Jones , age 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Jones with attempted production of child pornography beginning on an unknown date and continuing through on or about September 30, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than 5 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Jones with distribution of child pornography beginning on or about September 1, 2022, and continuing through on or about September 30, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than 5 years and up to life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Chloe Johnson , age 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with threatening to assault a United States Representative, a Member of Congress, on or about February 24, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 6 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Dontae D. Orduna , age 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Bruce J. Dortch, age 30, of Omaha, Nebraska, are charged in a five-count Indictment. Count I charges Orduna and Dortch with conspiracy to commit bank robbery between on or about January 1, 2025, through March 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3- year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Orduna and Dortch with bank robbery on or about January 14, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Orduna and Dortch with brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence on or about January 14, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 7 years and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 5-year term of year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges Orduna and Dortch with attempted bank robbery beginning on or about March 1, 2025, and continuing through March 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges Orduna with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about March 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release. The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States: Genaro Barriente, age 46 Wilson Hamilton Chinchilla-Ruiz, age 38 Eber David Flores-Gomez , age 27 Oscar Gabino-Maganda , age 37 Jose Vicente Diaz-Sorto , age 55 Christian Fernando Alvarado-Nieto , age 30 Jesus Eduardo Nunez-Alvarez , age 28 Gabriel Zarza-Estrada , age 32 The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following an aggravated felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States: Marco Mejia , age 50 Javier Banderas Guevara , age 39 The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.


title: Broken Arrow Resident Pleads Guilty To Failure To Register As A Sex Offender

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dale Lynn Taylor, age 59, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender. The Indictment alleged that Taylor was convicted of Rape—Second Degree in the State of Oklahoma on May 28, 2014, and was required to register as a sex offender. From April 2, 2019, until July 8, 2024, Taylor failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force. 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. Taylor will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.


title: Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Laura Gema Carroll, age 36, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The Indictment charged Carroll with knowingly possessing one .380ACP caliber, semi-automatic pistol and five rounds of .380ACP caliber ammunition on June 12, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tahlequah Police Department. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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. Carroll will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Geizura and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: Okmulgee Resident Pleads Guilty To Robbery, Transporting A Stolen Vehicle And Assault

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Vincent Jerome May, age 37, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Robbery in Indian Country, one count of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Vehicle, and one count of Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that on March 4, 2023, May took and attempted to take, by force, violence and intimidation, items of value from the victim, that May knowingly transported a stolen vehicle from Oklahoma to Colorado, and that May assaulted an intimate partner, causing substantial bodily injury. The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Okmulgee Police Department. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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. May will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.


title: Three Dominican Men Arrested for Trafficking Cocaine and Crack Cocaine in Nashua

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Three Dominican men were arrested this morning in connection with their roles in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine in Nashua, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Elizardo Escaria Delison, 32, Belisario Luis Delison, 49, and Rayddy Delison De Aza, 28, were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, specifically cocaine and crack cocaine. They will appear in federal court today. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, during the course of the conspiracy, the defendants sold controlled substances, namely cocaine and crack cocaine, to law enforcement on more than 10 occasions. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Nashua Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Pandemic Relief Loan Fraud and Commercial Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Andra Shirone Thompson, 48, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to a year and a day for two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Thompson pled guilty to conspiring to defraud Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act loan programs and his role in a years-long scheme to defraud commercial equipment financing companies. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised released and ordered to forfeit $847,280, and pay $813,363.01 in restitution to the victims of his schemes. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, made the announcement with Supervisory Official Matthew Galeotti, Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C., Field Office; Jeffrey D. Pittano, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Region; Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite, Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region; and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office. According to his guilty plea, Thompson admitted to participating in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of companies he controlled. The companies included Alpha Bravo Tango LLC., Senergy Consulting Group Inc., and Novus Ordo Seclorum LLC. Through the scheme, Thompson fraudulently obtained $716,375. He spent a portion of the proceeds on vehicles, including a 2014 Lamborghini Aventador, and on renovating a home in North Carolina. Thompson also joined a conspiracy to defraud equipment financing companies by submitting fraudulent invoices that falsely showed the sale of substantial quantities of computer servers and related equipment. Thompson and his co-conspirators caused borrowers to submit fraudulent invoices to lenders to support their loan applications to purchase items. After approval, lenders deposited loan proceeds into accounts controlled by Thompson and his co-conspirators. The lenders were unaware that the sales on the invoices never occurred. Thompson and his co-conspirators typically “kicked back” a portion of the proceeds to the borrower who submitted the application and kept the rest for themselves. Thompson personally participated in three executions of this scheme, causing approximately $813,362 in fraudulently induced lending. Additionally, the co-conspirators caused more than $60 million of fraudulently induced lending across more than 350 separate loans through this scheme. Thompson’s principal co-conspirator, Craig David Davis, 49, of Venice, California, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and was sentenced earlier this month to 93 months incarceration. Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses, through the PPP, administered through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA also offered an EIDL and/or an EIDL advance to help businesses meet their financial obligations. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 . U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-CI, FDIC-OIG, SBA-OIG, and the FBI who investigated the case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wenner, along with Trial Attorney David A. Peters from the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, who prosecuted the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Jamaican National Charged With Illegal  Reentry By A Previously Deported Alien

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Garville Gary Gayle (36, Jamaica) with illegal reentry by a previously deported or removed alien. If convicted, Gayle faces up to ten years in federal prison. According to the complaint, Gayle is a Jamaican citizen and national who was previously removed from the United States on November 19, 2009, and again on May 26, 2016. Prior to being removed from the United States, he was convicted of felony offenses, including illegal reentry by a previously removed alien. He has never applied to the Attorney General of the United States and/or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for permission to re-enter the United States. On April 29, 2024, Gayle was found voluntarily back in the United States. A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO), the Orlando Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Del Mastro. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Roanoke Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years on Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who agents found in possession of more than 3,800 images of child pornography, was sentenced this week to 210 months in federal prison. Joshua Jennings, 43, pled guilty in September 2024, to one count of knowingly receiving child pornography. In addition to prison time, Jennings was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release following his release from prison. According to court documents, in February 2024 agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) determined that Jennings’s IP address was sharing child pornography on the Internet. Agents subsequently learned that Jennings was a registered sex offender with two prior state convictions for possessing child pornography. On February 26, 2024, agents with HSI executed a search warrant at the home address associated with Jennings’ IP address and seized a HP laptop computer belonging to Jennings. A forensic review of the laptop revealed more than 3,800 images and video files of identified child victims of abuse from more than 300 known child pornography series. Search history on the laptop showed Jennings conducted multiple searches related to his sexual interest in children, including “CP,” “PTHC,” and “CP dog.” Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and ICE Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck made the announcement. The Department of Homeland Security- Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Valuable investigative assistance was provided by the Albemarle County Police Department, the Virginia State Police, Virginia Probation & Parole, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Parkersburg (West Virginia) Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .


title: Former Colombian Navy Personnel Extradited To The United States For Their Role In Selling Locations Of Colombian Navy Drug Interdiction Vessels To International Drug Traffickers

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announced the extraditions of Jair Alberto Alvarez Valenzuela (54) and Luis Carlos Diaz Martinez (32), both from Colombia, to stand trial on an indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine having reasonable cause to believe it would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Alvarez Valenzuela and Diaz Martinez were extradited to the United States on March 13, 2025, from Colombia. If convicted, both defendants face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. According to the indictment, Alvarez Valenzuela and Diaz Martinez were former employees of the Colombian Navy. In exchange for money from drug traffickers they recruited active-duty members of the Colombian Navy to secretly plant global positioning system (GPS) tracking devices in Colombian Navy vessels. Transnational Criminal Organizations used the location data derived from these tracking devices to direct vessels filled with cocaine bound for the United States around Colombian Navy ships and patrols. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigation. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of these defendants. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Stoia.


title: Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Reserve Township Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2025, to a charge of bank robbery, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Mark Laughner, 38, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Indictment before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on May 16, 2024, Laughner entered a Reserve Township bank wearing a baseball cap and neck gaiter that covered his mouth and nose and instructed the teller to give him all of her large bills. After the teller handed over the $100 and $50 bills from her cash drawer, the defendant demanded the teller provide more cash quickly or he would shoot her in her face. Laughner left the bank with $1,370 in U.S. currency and was ultimately identified through the utilization of surveillance recordings as well as witness interviews. Allegheny County Police Department (ACPD) detectives obtained a warrant for Laughner’s arrest, and, on May 20, 2024, attempted to apprehend the defendant when detectives observed Laughner in the passenger seat of a vehicle outside of a Pittsburgh fire station. As detectives converged on the vehicle with their emergency lights activated, the driver exited the vehicle and Laughner jumped from the passenger side of the vehicle into the driver’s seat, where he began fleeing detectives by driving in reverse at a high rate of speed. Ignoring multiple verbal commands to stop, Laughner came within inches of striking two ACPD detectives before stopping and exiting the vehicle in the middle of the street and fleeing on foot. Using a police K-9 unit, law enforcement apprehended Laughner after finding him hiding in thick brush. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for July 22, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Allegheny County Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Laughner. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Aliquippa Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Charge

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on March 18, 2025, to a federal firearm charge, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Tyland Witherspoon, 28, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV to one count of felony possession of a firearm and ammunition. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on June 19, 2024, Witherspoon—who was previously convicted of a felony—was found to be in possession of a firearm and ammunition while the sole occupant of a vehicle in the Northview Heights area of Pittsburgh. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Stickman scheduled Witherspoon’s sentencing for July 28, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Witherspoon remains detained pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Witherspoon.


title: Nigerian National Charged with Theft of Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A Nigerian national residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of theft of government property, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The one-count Indictment named Funke Iyanda, 43, with no U.S. status, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, from May 27, 2020, to May 24, 2021, Iyanda prepared and submitted a false application and claim for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in the name of another person to the PA Department of Labor, for which Iyanda received approximately $40,980 in unemployment benefits to which Iyanda was not legally entitled. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General and Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: U.S. Attorney announces immigration case updates for the Eastern District of Virginia

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today significant case updates on six immigration cases in the district. On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States. Carlos Alberto Sosa Horellana, a Honduran national, was removed from the United States in 2004. On Nov. 13, 2009, Sosa Horellana was removed again after reentering the United States and being convicted for an aggravated criminal felony in 2007 on two counts of rape with a child under age 13 as the victim. On Feb. 4, Sosa Horellana was arrested in Stafford, and a federal grand jury returned an indictment on March 4 charging him with illegally reentering the United States after removal for an aggravated felony conviction and failing to register as a sex offender. (Case No. 1:25-cr-48) On Oct. 2, 2023, Mario Ernesto Ortiz Escobar, a Salvadoran national, was convicted in the Southern District of Texas for illegally reentering the United States after a felony conviction and on Oct. 27, 2023, he was removed. Ortiz Escobar returned, however, and on Feb, 24 pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5. (Case No. 3:25-cr-31) Mayron De Jesus Salazar-De La Rosa, a Guatemalan national, was removed on April 3, 2014. Salazar-De La Rosa subsequently returned and was found in Alexandria. On Feb. 27, he pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States. Salazar-De La Rosa is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29. (Case No. 1:25-cr-11) Jose Charles Medrano, a Mexican national, first entered the United States illegally in 2008. After voluntarily departing the country, Medrano illegally reentered the United States and on July 2, 2014, was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI). He was removed to Mexico on July 31, 2014. After illegally reentering the United States in January 2015, Medrano was convicted on March 21, 2016, of making terroristic threats in Houston, Texas. Medrano was removed to Mexico on March 29, 2016. When Medrano reentered the United States again, immigration officials located him and immediately removed him to Mexico on May 31, 2016. On April 22, 2023, Medrano was arrested in Henrico County for DUI and felony child abuse/neglect. On June 28, 2023, Medrano pled guilty to DUI and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and on Oct. 10, 2023, was removed again to Mexico. On August 17, 2024, Medrano again was arrested in Henrico County, this time charged with assault and battery of a family member and abduction. On Jan. 24, 2025, he was convicted of assault and battery of a family member. On March 5, Medrano pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20. (Case No. 3:24-cr-175) On July 8, 2019, Brayan Josue Flores-Torres, a Salvadoran national and MS-13 member, was arrested in Prince William County and charged with aggravated malicious wounding. On April 23, 2020, Flores-Torres pled guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of illegal alcohol, and assault and battery by mob. On Aug. 14, 2020, Flores-Torres was removed to El Salvador. On Dec. 13, 2022, Chesapeake Police responded to a report of a stabbing in which the victim, who was dating Flores-Torres’ ex-girlfriend, identified Flores-Torres as the person who stabbed him. Flores-Torres was arrested following a high-speed chase. On March 21, 2024, Flores-Torres pled guilty to eluding police and failing to identify himself. On Nov. 7, 2024, Flores-Torres pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States. He was sentenced on March 11 and is subject to removal. (Case No. 2:23-CR-59) Melvin Mauricio Valencia Gil , a Salvadoran national, first illegally entered the United States before 2017. On Aug. 20, 2018, Valencia Gil was convicted in Nassau County, New York, of attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and reckless endangerment. On Nov. 26, 2021, Valencia Gil, a member of the Latin Kings gang, was removed to El Salvador. Less than a week after his removal, Valencia Gil left El Salvador and illegally reentered the United States. After being involved in a car accident in Virginia, Valencia Gil was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 2, 2023, for illegal reentry. He pled guilty on Sept. 23, 2024, and was sentenced on March 18 to three years in prison. (Case No. 3:23-CR-54) Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.


title: Jennifer LaBonte Imprisoned For Embezzling From Employer

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Jennifer LaBonte, 45, of Essex Junction, was sentenced on Monday in United States District Court in Rutland to four months of imprisonment following her guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier also ordered that LaBonte serve a one-year period of supervised release following completion of her prison sentence. She also ordered LaBonte to pay $192,675 in restitution and a $7500 fine. The court noted that, prior to sentencing, LaBonte had paid in full her restitution obligation. LaBonte must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on May 6 to begin serving her sentence. Last October, the United States Attorney filed an information charging LaBonte with a single count of wire fraud. That is the charge to which she pleaded guilty. According to the information, between 2001 and January 2024, LaBonte was employed by automobile dealerships located in Burlington. From about 2012 until her termination, LaBonte served as office manager for the dealerships, a position that gave her oversight over all accounting matters. LaBonte had check-signing authority. The information charged that, beginning no later than 2013, LaBonte began embezzling from the dealerships. For the most part, LaBonte stole cash receipts that had been paid over by dealership customers, but she also issued checks to herself for non-business-related purposes. LaBonte tried to cover up her thefts by manipulating and falsifying entries about individual transactions in the dealerships’ computerized accounting systems. An officer at the dealerships uncovered the fraud in January 2024 and LaBonte was immediately fired. The total loss resulting from her embezzlement was about $192,000. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. LaBonte is represented by Brooks McArthur, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.


title: Justice Department Announces Actions to Combat Cost-of-Living Crisis, Including Rescinding 11 Pieces of Guidance

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department today announced that it is taking action in response to President Trump’s Presidential Memorandum “ Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families and Defeating the Cost-of-Living Crisis .” First, the Department is withdrawing 11 pieces of guidance to streamline Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance resources for American businesses. Next, the Department is raising awareness about tax incentives for businesses related to their compliance with the ADA. The Jan. 20 Presidential Memorandum described the regulatory demands put in place by the prior administration and called on the heads of all executive departments and agencies to take appropriate actions to lower the cost of living throughout the country. Today’s withdrawal of 11 pieces of unnecessary and outdated guidance will aid businesses in complying with the ADA by eliminating unnecessary review and focusing only on current ADA guidance. Avoiding confusion and reducing the time spent understanding compliance may allow businesses to deliver price relief to consumers. In addition, to further the goals of the Presidential Memorandum and to aid businesses during tax season, the Department is highlighting tax incentives available for businesses to help cover the costs of making access improvements for customers or employees with disabilities. The Department expects that small businesses will find this reminder helpful in reducing costs, especially as they prepare their tax filings. An explanation of these tax incentives is featured prominently on the ADA.gov website. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that businesses and members of the public can easily understand their rights and obligations, including the tax incentives that are available to help businesses comply with the ADA,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Putting money back into the pockets of business owners helps everyone by allowing those businesses to pass on cost savings to consumers and bolster the economy.” The Department has identified the following 11 pieces of guidance for withdrawal: COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Can a business stop me from bringing in my service animal because of the COVID-19 pandemic? (2021) COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Does the Department of Justice issue exemptions from mask requirements? (2021) COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Are there resources available that help explain my rights as an employee with a disability during the COVID-19 pandemic? (2021) COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Can a hospital or medical facility exclude all “visitors” even where, due to a patient’s disability, the patient needs help from a family member, companion, or aide in order to equally access care? (2021) COVID-19 and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Does the ADA apply to outdoor restaurants (sometimes called “streateries”) or other outdoor retail spaces that have popped up since COVID-19? (2021) Expanding Your Market: Maintaining Accessible Features in Retail Establishments (2009) Expanding Your Market: Gathering Input from Customers with Disabilities (2007) Expanding Your Market: Accessible Customer Service Practices for Hotel and Lodging Guests with Disabilities (2006) Reaching out to Customers with Disabilities (2005) Americans with Disabilities Act: Assistance at Self-Serve Gas Stations (1999) Five Steps to Make New Lodging Facilities Comply with the ADA (1999)


title: Former Employee of Marshall Mathers, AKA Eminem, Charged with Criminal Infringement of a Copyright and Interstate  Transportation of Stolen Goods

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Joseph Strange, 46, of Holly, Michigan and a former employee of Marshall Mathers, AKA Eminem, was charged in a criminal complaint with criminal infringement of a copyright and interstate transportation of stolen goods in connection with the sale of unreleased music created by Eminem, announced Acting United States Attorney Julie Beck. Beck was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Detroit Field Office (Michigan). According to the criminal complaint, on or about January 16, 2025, the FBI was contacted by employees of Mathers’s music studio in Ferndale, Michigan who recently discovered unreleased music created by Mathers that was available on the internet. This music was still in the process of being developed by Mathers. The employees obtained an image of a list of the music that Mathers had created, but not released, and was for sale through various internet sites. The employees recognized this as an image taken directly from a hard drive in the Ferndale studio. The FBI was able to identify and locate multiple individuals that purchased the unreleased music. These individuals identified Joseph Strange as the person who was selling the music. Strange was an employee of Marshall Mathers from approximately 2007 until 2021. “Protecting intellectual property from thieves is critical in safeguarding the exclusive rights of creators and protecting their original work from reproduction and distribution by individuals who seek to profit from the creative output of others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Beck. “This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding artists' intellectual property from exploitation by individuals seeking to profit illegally," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Thanks to the cooperation of Mathers Music Studio, FBI agents from the Oakland County Resident Agency were able to swiftly enforce federal laws and ensure Joseph Strange was held accountable for his actions." If convicted on the charge of criminal infringement of a copyright, Strange faces a statutory maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A conviction on of the charge of interstate transportation of stolen goods, carries a statutory maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment. This case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Wyse and Alyse Wu.


title: Pittsburgh Resident Indicted on Fentanyl Trafficking Charge

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal narcotics law, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The one-count Indictment named Marc Anthony Smith, 36, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on or about November 9, 2024, Smith knowingly possessed with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Raleigh Armed Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Darius Donte Privette, a/k/a “Heavy,” a 31-year-old resident of Zebulon, N.C. was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for trafficking fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine hydrochloride, and methamphetamine while armed in the Raleigh, Louisburg, and Zebulon areas. Privette pled guilty on November 12, 2024. According to the court documents and other information presented in court, the investigation began on January 19, 2023, when officers with the Raleigh Police Department (RPD), stopped Privette on an outstanding warrant for his arrest. While conducting a search incident to his arrest, law enforcement located and seized a large sum of money and a key to his car. A search of Privette’s car resulted in the seizure of the following items: 13 round blue tablets labeled as Percocet but containing fentanyl and ANPP, a fentanyl precursor, with a total weight of 1.43 grams of fentanyl; 22 MDMA pills with a total weight of 8.55 grams; 5.88 grams of crack cocaine; 9.94 grams of cocaine; 48.2 grams of marijuana; a 9mm firearm; various ammunition; various drug paraphernalia including digital scales and rolling papers; and a total of $1,886.00 in U.S. currency. In an unrelated investigation, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office in Louisburg, North Carolina conducted three controlled purchases of crack cocaine from Privette in October and November 2023. During each buy, Privette sold a confidential informant approximately one gram of crack in exchange for $100. Law enforcement then executed a search warrant on Privette’s home on November 9, 2023. In the upstairs bedroom, officers seized a large amount of marijuana, U.S. currency, and a firearm. On the back porch, law enforcement found a drum-style large-capacity magazine inside a children’s backpack. In total, law enforcement recovered 3 firearms, 1 large-capacity magazine; approximately 348.8 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, 898.11 grams of marijuana, a drug ledger, and a total of $5,020.00. The investigation further revealed that Privette had been previously convicted of Possessing Marijuana, Carrying a Concealed Firearm, Fleeing Law Enforcement with a Motor Vehicle, and Possession with Intent to Sell Cocaine. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Raleigh Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and Nash County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:24-CR-00199-D-001. ###


title: Dublin man pleads guilty to 3 armed bank robberies

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A central Ohio man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to federal crimes related to three separate armed bank robberies. Hussein A. Mohamed, 27, of Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of committing bank robbery, three counts of conspiring to commit bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Mohamed admitted to committing three armed bank robberies in Columbus within a week in April 2024. According to court documents, on April 11, 2024, Mohamed robbed the Telhio Credit Union on North Hamilton Road. He wore a dark Patagonia sweatshirt, light ripped jeans, white covid mask and black winter hat. Mohamed showed the bank teller a note on his cell phone that demanded cash and indicated he had a gun. On April 16, 2024, Mohamed committed two separate armed robberies. First, at approximately 4pm, he robbed a Fifth Third Bank on Bethel Road. He wore a red sweatshirt, light jeans, blue covid mask and black New Balance shoes. Again, he showed the teller a note on his phone demanding money and indicating he had a gun. About 45 minutes later, he committed another bank robbery, this time at Huntington Bank on North High Street. Mohamed had changed clothes between the robberies. At this final robbery, Mohamed showed his phone to one bank teller, who provided him with cash. He then told another teller to empty her drawer. When that victim told Mohamed she did not have any money in her drawer, Mohamed pulled a black firearm from the waist area of his pants, racked the slide on the handgun, and forced the tellers into the vault room while making threats. For reach of the three robberies, Mohamed conspired with another individual who was present in the vehicle used to travel to and from the robberies. Law enforcement officials recovered the clothing that Mohamed wore at each robbery, a loaded handgun, Mohamed’s wallet and identification at an apartment on Merriwick Crossing Drive in Columbus. He was arrested in May 2024. Bank robbery is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Conspiring to commit bank robbery carries a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison. Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a mandatory seven years and up to life in prison, to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter While Armed for a Murder at a Gender-Reveal Party

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – A Superior Court Jury found Nyjell Outler, 22, of Washington, D.C., guilty, yesterday, of voluntary manslaughter while armed for the March 2021 shooting death of 21-year-old Demetris Johnson on Madison Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition to the manslaughter charge, the jury found Outler guilty of aggravated assault while armed for the shooting of Daloni Williams. Superior Court Judge Jason Park scheduled sentencing for May 30, 2025. According to the evidence presented at trial, on March 20, 2021, Outler arrived at a gender-reveal party with an AK-style rifle (known as a “Draco”) in a backpack. He was at the party for a little more than a half hour before the shooting. After interacting with different guests throughout the evening, at approximately 7:43 p.m., he stepped away from the driveway of the home where he had been hanging out, pulled the Draco out of his backpack, held it at his right side, and returned to the driveway where Demetris Johnson, Daloni Williams, and another young man were standing. With dozens of other guests inside the house and in the fenced-in area just off the driveway, Outler approached with the gun. When Daloni Williams took a couple steps toward the defendant with his arm extended, as if to say, “put that away” the defendant raised the Draco and shot Daloni Williams twice, from point-blank range. The defendant then pivoted and pulled the trigger two more times as Demetris Johnson and the other young man on the driveway were trying to run away. One of the shots hit Demetris Johnson in the back. Outler then ran from the area. Demetris Johnson died in the backyard of the house hosting the gender reveal party. Daloni Williams spent nine days in the hospital after emergency surgery to save his leg and had to undergo months of physical therapy. At the time of the shooting, the defendant was wearing a GPS monitor due to an arrest for possessing another Draco in February 2021. About 2 hours after fleeing from 1 Madison St., he cut off his GPS. He was on the run for 11 months and was placed on the U.S. Marshal Service’s Top 15 most wanted list. Finally, in February 2022, the defendant was arrested in Florida following an anonymous tip. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They thanked the U.S. Marshals Service and its task force officers for their diligent work in capturing the defendant. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Mabry Johnson and Sharon Newman, Victim/Witness Advocate Latrice Washington-Williams, Victim/Witness Service Coordinators Katina Adams Washington and Shanika McCullough, and Investigative Analyst Zach McMenamin. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Clark, Kristian Hinson, and Yasmin Emrani, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Former Art Advisor Lisa Schiff Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Defrauding Clients

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LISA SCHIFF, a Manhattan-based art advisor focused on contemporary art, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken for perpetrating a multi-year scheme in which she defrauded the clients of her art advisory business of approximately $6.5 million in connection with the purchase and sale of approximately fifty-five artworks. Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “For five years, Lisa Schiff breached the trust of her art advisory clients by diverting millions of dollars to pay her own business and personal expenses, and to fund a lavish lifestyle. Because of Schiff’s lies, and her illusory art advisory scam, Schiff will now serve a substantial sentence in prison.” According to the Information, plea agreement, and statements made in court: From 2018 through May 2023, SCHIFF engaged in a scheme to defraud clients of her art advisory business, Schiff Fine Art (“SFA”) by diverting her clients’ funds—profits from the sale of her clients’ artworks or payments they made to purchase artwork—to pay her own personal and business expenses. SCHIFF advised clients regarding the purchase and sale of artworks and bought and sold artworks on behalf of clients in exchange for a commission. In her role as an art advisor, SCHIFF acted as an intermediary between art galleries and auction houses, and her clients, who were art collectors. Typically, when SCHIFF’s clients bought or sold artworks, payments were routed through SCHIFF’s business, SFA. In addition, when SCHIFF sold artworks on behalf of a client, she often had custody or control of the artworks to coordinate the sale. At times, SCHIFF, through SFA, also sold artwork on consignment on behalf of artists and other galleries. Starting in about 2018, SCHIFF began defrauding her clients in two ways: not remitting payments to her clients when she sold their artwork while not disclosing to her clients that their artworks had, in fact, been sold; and not purchasing artworks on behalf of clients despite representing to her clients that she would purchase certain artworks on their behalf using their funds. Instead of using client funds as promised, SCHIFF diverted her clients’ money to pay her business and personal expenses. SCHIFF lied to her clients and galleries in furtherance of her fraud scheme. For example, when defrauding clients in connection with selling their artwork, SCHIFF at times lied to clients, claiming she had not sold the artwork, or the buyer was delayed in making the payment and SCHIFF still had custody of the artwork when, in fact, SCHIFF had sold the artwork, received payment from the buyer, and delivered the artwork to the buyer. When defrauding clients in connection with purchasing artwork on their behalf, SCHIFF lied to galleries from which she was supposed to purchase artwork on behalf clients, blaming delays in payment on clients when, in fact, clients had already paid SCHIFF for the purchase of the artwork and she had diverted the funds for her own use. In 2020, SCHIFF considered admitting to at least two of her victims that she had stolen millions from them, drafting letters of confession to them, but she never sent the letters and instead continued to defraud these two victims and others for three more years. Over approximately five years, SCHIFF defrauded at least 12 clients, one artist, the estate of another artist, and one gallery, collectively, of at least approximately $6.5 million. During her fraud, SCHIFF lived lavishly and incurred substantial debts, which she paid in part using her victims’ diverted funds. In about May 2023, SCHIFF could no longer conceal her scheme due to mounting debts. SCHIFF confessed to several clients that she had stolen their money. * * * SCHIFF, 54, of New York, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. SCHIFF was further ordered to pay forfeiture of $6,408,538.20 and restitution of $9,147,789.26. Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Art Crime Team. This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia Vogel and Jennifer Ong are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Indian National Found Guilty of Possession with Intent to Distribute More than 170 Pounds of MDMA in Eastern Washington

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced today that a jury returned a verdict in the federal trial of Jaskaran Singh, age 31, who is a native of Punjab, India. Singh was found guilty of Possession with Intent to Distribute 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), which is more commonly known as “Ecstasy” or “Molly.” United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice presided over Singh’s trial, which began March 17, 2025. At sentencing, which is set for June 25, 2025, Singh faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years. He may also face removal from the United States. The evidence presented at trial established that on April 29, 2023, at approximately 10:00 p.m., three unknown individuals tripped motion sensor cameras in a remote area just south of the U.S.-Canada border, approximately one-half-mile west of the Danville, Washington port of entry. U.S. Border Patrol officials at the Curlew Border Patrol Station saw images of these individuals, who had crossed into the United States from Canada and were carrying backpacks and a suitcase. From the U.S. side of the border, the only route to drive into or out of this area is an unestablished dead end, dirt road known as Fourth of July Creek Road. Minutes later, Border Patrol observed a 2014 Honda Odyssey traveling east on Fourth of July Creek Road. Border Patrol Agents responded to the area and stopped Singh, who was driving the rented Honda Odyssey away from the U.S. Canada border. From outside the van, Border Patrol agents observed backpacks and suitcase in the rear cargo area of the Odyssey. The backpacks and suitcase were same as those carried across the border by the three individuals, who tripped the motion sensor cameras just a few minutes earlier. Border Patrol Agents obtained authorization to search the van and seized 173.7 pounds of MDMA stored inside the backpacks and suitcase. Investigators later located a map of the area on Singh’s phone and messages detailing where Singh should go, when he should arrive, and directing him to “leave the back hood open.” Testimony at trial established that the three men transported the MDMA from the Canadian side of the border by carrying the backpacks and suitcase through approximately 300 yards of remote wilderness to where Singh had parked the rented Odyssey van. The three men then returned to the Canadian side of the border, escaping apprehension by law enforcement. Just one day before the massive seizure, Singh traveled from Northern California to Washington State. Singh had purchased his ticket just prior to the flight and then rented a car in Seattle, before driving to the remote area where the drugs were smuggled across the U.S.-Canada border. “Mr. Singh trafficked more than 170 pounds of illegal drugs across our northern border into the United States,” stated Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker. This seizure, which was one of the largest ever in Eastern Washington, had a street value exceeding $7.8 million. Today’s guilty verdict sends a clear message that those who seek to exploit our nation’s borders by flooding our communities with dangerous controlled substances will be held accountable for their crimes.” “The transnational drug trafficking organization for whom Singh worked had identified the ideal, isolated location in rural Washington to smuggle illegal drugs across the northern border,” continued Acting United States Attorney Barker. “Fortunately, our team of experienced Border Patrol agents were ready, and they intercepted this poison before it could harm communities in Eastern Washington.” “International drug traffickers like Mr. Singh profit by flooding our country with illicit, dangerous drugs that harm our citizens,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “I am gratified that we, at the Drug Enforcement Administration, can stand with our partners in the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold people like Mr. Singh accountable for their crimes.” “Spokane Sector agents are vigilantly safeguarding our borders, swiftly detecting, and interdicting cross-border smuggling activities. This conviction highlights the Spokane Border Patrol Sector’s unwavering commitment to protecting communities from illicit drugs and those who attempt to smuggle them across our borders,” said Jason Liebe, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Spokane Sector for the U.S. Border Patrol. This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alison L. Gregoire and Dan Fruchter. 2:23-cr-00052-TOR


title: Longtime Rollin’ 60s Crips Leader and Show Business Entrepreneur Charged in Federal Complaint Alleging Racketeering Crimes

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A longtime leader of the South Los Angeles-based Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips street gang – who also is an entertainment entrepreneur and a self-proclaimed community activist – has been charged in a federal complaint alleging he ran a criminal enterprise that committed a series of racketeering crimes, including extortion, human trafficking, fraud, and the 2021 murder of an aspiring rap musician, the Justice Department announced today. Eugene Henley Jr., 58, a.k.a. “Big U,” of the Hyde Park neighborhood of South Los Angeles, is charged in the complaint with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Two other alleged members of the criminal enterprise – Sylvester Robinson, 59, a.k.a. “Vey,” of Northridge, and Mark Martin, 50, a.k.a. “Bear Claw,” of the Beverlywood area of Los Angeles – were arrested today on the same criminal complaint in which Henley is charged. Robinson, and Martin are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Henley is considered a fugitive. “The allegations in the complaint unsealed today reveal a criminal enterprise that engaged in murder, extortion, human trafficking, and fraud – all led by a supposed anti-gang activist and purported music entrepreneur who was nothing more than a violent street criminal,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Eliminating gangs and organized crime is the Department of Justice’s top priority. Today’s charges and arrests target the leadership of this criminal outfit and will make the neighborhoods of Los Angeles safer. I am grateful for the work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners.” “The lead defendant and others in this case have for too long gotten away with violent acts and stealing money from taxpayers and well-intentioned donors whether they use intimidation tactics or wield influence as purportedly rehabilitated original gangsters,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI and our partners have worked for four years to bring justice in this case and will continue to root out this kind of criminal behavior plaguing the streets of Los Angeles.” In total, law enforcement in the last 24 hours arrested 10 Rollin’ 60s members and associates who are charged with various federal crimes, including drug trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and firearms offenses. Four defendants already were in custody. Law enforcement is seeking the whereabouts of five other defendants – three of whom are expected to be in custody shortly. Two defendants, including Henley, are considered fugitives. According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint filed Monday and unsealed today, from 2010 to the present, Henley’s criminal group – identified in court documents as the “Big U Enterprise” – operated as a mafia-like organization that utilized Henley’s stature and long-standing association with the Rollin’ 60s and other street gangs to intimidate businesses and individuals in Los Angeles. Henley is widely regarded as a leader within the Rollin’ 60s and rose to prominence in the street gang during the 1980s. While the Big U Enterprise at times partnered with the Rollin’s 60s and other criminal elements for mutual benefit, the Big U Enterprise is a distinct and independent criminal enterprise engaged in criminal activity including murder, extortion, robbery, trafficking and exploiting sex workers, fraud, and illegal gambling. For example, in January 2021, Henley murdered a victim – identified in the affidavit as “R.W.” – an aspiring musician signed to Uneek Music, Henley and Martin’s music label. Shortly before R.W.’s murder, Henley and Uneek Music paid for R.W. to travel to Las Vegas to record music at a Grammy Award-winning music producer’s studio. But R.W. did not record at the agreed-upon rate and instead recorded a defamatory song about Henley, causing Henley and Robinson to travel to Las Vegas to confront him. Henley allegedly drove R.W. to North Las Vegas, shot him in the head, and dragged the victim’s body off Interstate 15 into the desert and left it in a ditch. Henley returned to Los Angeles with Robinson and ordered studio workers to leave while his associate removed security surveillance footage from the studio. Henley allegedly later ordered witnesses to not speak with law enforcement about R.W.’s murder. Not only did the enterprise expand its power through violence, fear, and intimidation, but it also used social media platforms, documentaries, podcasts, interviews, and Henley’s reputation and status as an “O.G.” (original gangster) to create fame for – and stoke fear of – the Big U Enterprise, its members, and its associates. In furtherance of the enterprise, Henley allegedly submitted a fraudulent application for a COVID-19 pandemic relief loan in which he claimed that Uneek Music was operating at a $200,000 profit in 2019 despite operating at a $5,000 loss that year, which should have disqualified it from loan eligibility. The enterprise also enriched itself by defrauding donors to nonprofit entities under the control of the Big U Enterprise, including Henley’s charity, Developing Options, a Hyde Park-based nonprofit. Henley marketed Developing Options as giving South Los Angeles youth alternative choices to gang violence, drugs, and other criminal activity. But the Big U Enterprise allegedly used it as a front for fraudulent purposes and to insulate its members from suspicion by law enforcement. Henley allegedly embezzled large donations that celebrities and award-winning companies made to Developing Options, which Henley immediately converted to his personal bank account. According to the complaint, Developing Options is primarily funded through the City of Los Angeles’s Mayor’s Office through the Gang Reduction Youth Development (GRYD) Foundation, portions of which receive federal funding, but also receives donations from prominent sources, including NBA players. “The RICO charges against Mr. Henley and his associates reflect a pattern of crimes that runs the gambit from extortion to tax evasion, all under the umbrella of a well-organized criminal organization led by Mr. Henley,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Additionally, Mr. Henley allegedly duped the County of Los Angeles by running a charitable organization that promoted anti-gang solutions while continuing criminal activity that was directly contrary to his charity. IRS-CI is proud to partner with fellow law enforcement organizations to investigate these criminal organizations to protect our communities from further harm.” “From day one, the Los Angeles Police Department has been proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with the FBI in this critical investigation,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. “The invaluable expertise provided by the Operations South Bureau FBI Task Force on the Rollin’ 60’s criminal street gang has played a pivotal role in securing these charges. This is a major step forward in our ongoing fight against gang violence, and it brings hope and relief to a community that has endured far too much. Together, we will continue to protect and serve, working tirelessly to ensure the safety of our neighborhoods.” Criminal complaints and indictments contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Henley would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. If convicted, Robinson, and Martin would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs; IRS Criminal Investigation; the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General; the Los Angeles Police Department; and the North Las Vegas Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.