title: Durable Medical Equipment Companies to Pay Millions in False Claims Settlement

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Durable Medical Equipment (DME) companies Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Hill-Rom Company, Inc., Hill-Rom Services, Inc., and Advanced Respiratory Inc. (collectively, Hillrom) have agreed to pay $2.1 million to resolve allegations that the companies violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment to the Medicare, TRICARE, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Medicaid programs. The settlement reached this week resolves allegations that, from January 1, 2011, through December 1, 2019, Hillrom’s Direct to Consumer division sold used Clinitron, TotalCare, and VersaCare beds but billed federal healthcare programs as if they were new beds. Also included in the settlement are allegations that Hillrom sold certain hospital beds and pressure support surfaces to beneficiaries of federal healthcare programs under a miscellaneous code, which sometimes resulted in a higher price paid by the government. The third allegation involves Hillrom’s presenting claims to the federal government and its contractors that mischaracterized travel time as DME repair time in order for it to be reimbursable by federal healthcare programs. Baxter International purchased Hillrom after the allegations involved in the settlement, and the division involved in the alleged fraud is no longer operational. “Millions of citizens depend on programs like Medicare and TRICARE for their healthcare, “ said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Hillrom’s actions damage our federal health programs and impact the families who need them.” “We expect health care providers who serve Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to refrain from harming the integrity of the programs on which their patients rely. Billing in any fashion that results in overpayment from the programs threatens that integrity,” said Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In coordination with fellow law enforcement agencies, HHS-OIG ceaselessly works to examine allegations involving inappropriate billing and HHS beneficiaries.” “Hill-Rom threatened the integrity of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) TRICARE program by attempting to profit from false billing,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, DCIS will continue to thoroughly investigate and hold accountable all those who defraud or attempt to defraud Federal healthcare programs.” The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Jeri Harris, a former employee of Hillrom. The False Claims Act permits private citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Harris v. Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. et al., No. 19-cv-3081 (D. S.C.). The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the United States Defense Criminal Investigative Service with assistance from the Defense Health Agency; and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. This matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy G. Cote of the District of South Carolina. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. ###


title: EDNC Prosecuted 281 Illegal Firearms Offenders and Forfeited 249 Illegal Firearms in 2023

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, United States Attorney Michael Easley announced that over the course of 2023, his office prosecuted 281 illegal firearm offenders resulting in the forfeiture of at least 249 illegally owned, possessed, used, or obtained firearms. Firearms that are criminally forfeited are removed from the possession of a convicted criminal defendant and relinquished to the government for disposal, including potentially the return of stolen firearm to rightful owners. “We are meeting violent crime head on – prosecuting violent offenders and taking guns out of the hands of the most dangerous felons,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Through our strong partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement, our violet crime action plan puts us shoulder to shoulder with local law enforcement to target the serial trigger pullers and armed drug traffickers driving violence in our communities.” Since the start of 2023, EDNC charged approximately 281 defendants with federal firearms offenses, including possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and straw purchasing of a firearm. These prosecutions are a result of close cooperation between prosecutors and partners at federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). EDNC also partners with the State Bureau of Investigation, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, and local police and sheriffs across the District. EDNC’s efforts to seize and forfeit illegal firearms in 2023 was the result of multiple investigative and prosecutorial efforts, including the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) and the Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative which are both collaborative efforts with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community, to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which works to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. “We’ve seen that collaborative efforts to address gun violence can make a significant impact,” said Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Through proactive strategies, cooperative partnerships, and relentless efforts to protect our communities, we’re recovering thousands of firearms each year and addressing violent gun crime with every resource we have available.” “Every day the FBI battles alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners against violent crime in our communities. One way we make our streets safer is to take guns out of the hands of those who cannot legally have them," said Robert M. DeWitt the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. “Driven by greed, these violent criminals’ activities posed a significant threat in our communities,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Division. “The success of these investigations demonstrates that the DEA will use all of its resources to destroy violent drug distribution networks.” “The success of these investigations is a direct result of the collaborative effort between all facets of law enforcement and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina and is a testament to HSI’s tireless efforts to prevent the use of illegal weapons to terrorize communities both domestically and internationally,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. “HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to identifying, investigating and prosecuting organizations involved in these crimes to better safeguard society, as a whole.” Some of the major firearms-related cases prosecuted by EDNC in 2023 include: Violent Fayetteville Pimp and Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 32 Years in Prison for Kidnapping, Drug and Gun Offenses. Yomere Busbee trafficked woman, sold drugs, and possessed firearms, resulting in 32 years in federal prison. (Case No. 5:20-CR-00393-M) Rocky Mount Blood Gang Leader Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and COVID-19 Fraud . Tyrone Foreman aka Ty Nitty was the leader of a violent drug trafficking organization in Rocky Mount that regularly carried firearms. He was sentenced to 30 years. In this operation, more than 20 guns were seized. (Case No. 5:21-CR-289-D-1) Convicted Fayetteville Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison . Jarrell Bordeaux was convicted at trial. He distributed fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant, and then multiple firearms were found in his possession during the execution of search warrants. (Case No.5:20-cr-00428-M) Wendell Armed Robber Targeting Aldi Grocery Stores Sentenced to Nearly 30 Years in Prison. Lionel Robinson got 30 years for targeting and robbing Aldi grocery stores at gun point. (Case No. 5:21-cr-00017-FL) Armed Robber Sentenced to More Than 38 Years in Federal Prison. Frank McCree was sentenced to more than 38 years after a string of robberies in Robeson County. (Case No. 7:17-cr-00134-FL-1) Armed Career Criminal Who Shot Fayetteville Pawn Shop Owner Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison. Armed Career criminal Mario Whitted was convicted by a jury and sentenced to 45 years after he shot a pawn shop owner in Fayetteville. (Case No. 7:21-CR-87-BO) Career Offender Who Led Authorities on a High-Speed Chase on I-95 Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison . A jury convicted Nazeer Vick of gun and drug charges after he led police on a dangerous 30-mile highspeed chase through three counties on I-95. (Case No. 5:20-cr-00485-D) Leader of Craven County Armed Drug Organization Trafficking Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Sentenced To 35 Years . Ivan Medina-Beltran received a 35-year sentence for leading an armed methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking organization. During search warrants, firearms were seized. (Case No. 4:22-cr-00075-D-1) Convicted Murderer Sentenced to 30 Years for Fentanyl Distribution . Aaron Goode was convicted of heroin, fentanyl, and 922(g) offenses. Goode was confirmed to be a large-scale fentanyl supplier. Goode was found with firearms, body armor, currency, and a hydraulic press to package drugs. (Case No. 5:21-CR-334-D) Eight Time Prior Drug Felon Sentenced to 300 Months for Armed Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking . Montrel Rhone was distributing fentanyl, para-fluorofentanyl, and methamphetamine. During a search warrant, agents found two guns. Defendant tried to flush drug evidence down the toilet. Defendant had eight prior felony drug convictions. (Case No. 5:21-CR-280-D-1) Armed Career Criminal Facilitating the Sale of Firearms to Juveniles Sentenced to 18 Years . Braxton Benton and his codefendant, Takara Wilson, were engaged in a straw purchasing scheme that put guns in the hands of juveniles. (Case No. 5:22-CR-153-1D) A copy of this press release is located on our website . 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 the case number. ###


title: Lexington Woman Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Related to COVID-19 Relief

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington woman, Sandybell Fierro, 23, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, for wire fraud and money laundering. According to her plea agreement, on April 5, 2021, Fierro submitted a materially false application to the Small Business Administration (SBA), to obtain an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fierro falsely stated in the application that she established a personal services business, “Sandybell Fierro” in 2018, that the business had 17 employees, that she had sold $94,000 worth of goods in the last 12 months, and that the business had a gross revenue of $197,000. However, no such business existed. As a result of Fierro’s misrepresentations in the application, she was awarded a EIDL in the amount of $206,000, which she used for her own benefit. As part of her sentencing, Fierro was ordered to pay $206,000 in restitution to the SBA. Under federal law, Fierro must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Mattingly Williams and Brittany Dunn-Pirio prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Federal Jury Convicts Heavily Armed Methamphetamine Dealer

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has found Manuel L. Brown, 49, of Indianapolis, guilty of trafficking methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on September 3, 2020, Fishers Police Department officers were on active patrol when they observed a Dodge Caravan commit multiple traffic violations. Officers conducted a routine traffic stop and identified Manuel Brown as the driver. A K9 officer was called to the scene and dedicated the presence of drugs inside the vehicle. Officers searched the van and located a glass smoking pipe with methamphetamine residue in the center console, a loaded .22 caliber revolver, an additional .22 caliber revolver, a loaded Smith and Wesson revolver, a zippered case containing a loaded.45 caliber pistol, multiple plastic bags containing a total of 214 grams of methamphetamine, 20 grams of heroin and fentanyl, and two digital scales, plastic bags for packaging drugs, a night vision rifle scope, multiple boxes of ammunition, and $1,750 in cash. An examination of the data on his mobile phone located numerous messages relating to drug trafficking as well as images of drugs on scales and of one of the seized firearms. At the time of his arrest, Brown had a prior felony conviction for criminal confinement, and was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. “Illegal guns and deadly drugs are a scourge on our neighborhoods, and armed drug traffickers like this defendant will continue to be a priority for federal prosecution,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “The trial conviction here is a testament to the talent and dedication of the officers, agents, and prosecutors who disrupted the defendant’s crimes and ensured that he will be held accountable. Hamilton County is safer today because of them.” The Drug Enforcement Administration and Fishers Police Department investigated this case. U.S District Court Judge James R. Sweeney presided over the trial and will sentence Brown at a later date. Brown faces up to life in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Pamela S. Domash and Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this case.


title: Former New York City Correction Officer Pleads Guilty to Salary and Overtime Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, former New York City Department of Correction (DOC) officer James Internicola pleaded guilty to federal program fraud, admitting that he fraudulently obtained a significant amount of salary and overtime pay by lying about the hours he worked. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto. When sentenced, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. Internicola resigned from the DOC after his arrest. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner, New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), announced the guilty plea. “The defendant defrauded the City of New York by falsely claiming to have worked thousands of hours and fraudulently pocketing more than $170,000, when he was actually at home, vacationing in Aruba or elsewhere,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendant’s greed cost taxpayer’s substantial money and threatens to undermine public confidence in our government institutions. This Office and its law enforcement partners are committed to fighting corruption on Rikers Island.” DOI Commissioner Strauber said, “This defendant, while a New York City Correction Officer, lied about the hours he worked, claiming to be on duty when, in fact, he was at home or on vacation, in order to obtain more than $170,000 of City funds by fraud. The criminal conduct that he has acknowledged today does not reflect the dedication and integrity of the many City employees who show up every day to do their jobs and serve their fellow New Yorkers. I thank our law enforcement partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the New York Office of the FBI for their commitment to protect City resources and to ensure that employees who defraud the City will be held accountable.” According to court documents and facts presented at the guilty plea proceeding, Internicola fraudulently obtained more than $171,000 in salary and overtime pay by lying about the hours he worked from at least July 2021 to January 2023. During this time, Internicola claimed to work large amounts of overtime nearly every week. In fact, based on license plate reader data, E-Z pass toll records and cell site location information, Internicola frequently showed up to work more than two hours late and left work several hours early. In many instances, Internicola claimed to be at work when he actually never showed up to Rikers Island at all, including when he was at his home on Staten Island, visiting the Jersey Shore or vacationing in Aruba. In total, Internicola claimed to have worked more than 2,250 hours more than he actually did in a period of approximately 18 months and he fraudulently received the equivalent of more than a year of his base salary. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Grubin and Philip Pilmar. The Defendant : JAMES INTERNICOLA Age: 56 Staten Island, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-531 (KAM)


title: Billings drug trafficker caught with four pounds of meth sentenced to 10 years in prison

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine after getting caught with four pounds of meth was sentenced on Jan. 25 to 10 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Gary Michael Byrd, 52, pleaded guilty in August 2023 to a superseding information charging him with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that in 2023, the Billings Police Department received information that Byrd was trafficking meth from his residence. Law enforcement pulled over Byrd and arrested him on an outstanding warrant. During a search, officers found more than $5,600 cash in his pocket. Officers executed a search warrant at a workshop where Byrd was suspected of storing drugs and recovered approximately four pounds of meth from a toolbox. Four pounds of meth is the equivalent of 14,496 doses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Mandeville Bookkeeper  Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 25, 2024, D EBORAH C. KLOOR , age 60, of Mandeville, pleaded guilty to access device fraud before Chief United States District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown. According to court documents, KLOOR admitted to embezzling money from her Folsom-based employer, identified as “Company A” in the indictment, where she worked as a bookkeeper. KLOOR also stole funds from that business’s owner, “Individual B,” for whom KLOOR worked as a personal assistant. KLOOR admitted to using Company A’s credit cards and Individual B’s bank accounts and Amazon account without authorization, for her own personal benefit. From approximately January 2015 through December 2019, KLOOR admitted to misappropriating $446,324.04 from Company A and from Individual B, without their knowledge or permission. KLOOR faces up to 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000.00 fine or the greater of twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss, and up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment. She would also pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Chief Judge Brown scheduled KLOOR ’ S sentencing for April 25, 2024. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Field Office, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Payne, Senior Litigation Counsel, is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Foreign National Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping and Assaulting U.S. Army Soldiers in Colombia

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Colombian national pleaded guilty today to kidnapping and assaulting two U.S. Army soldiers who were on temporary duty in Bogota, Colombia. According to court documents, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, 36, and his co-conspirators targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogota. On the evening of March 5, 2020, the two victims were in an entertainment district in Bogota. They visited a pub, where Arango and his co-conspirators incapacitated the two victims by putting drugs, including benzodiazepines, in their drinks. They then kidnapped the victims and took their wallets, debit cards, credits cards, and cell phones. Arango and his co-conspirators used one victim’s credit card and the other victim’s debit card to make purchases and withdraw money. The two victims lost consciousness until the following day, by which point they had been separated. Arango pleaded guilty to kidnapping an internationally protected person, conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person, assaulting an internationally protected person, and conspiracy to assault an internationally protected person. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In May 2023, Arango was extradited from Colombia to the United States pursuant to a U.S. extradition request. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogota, and U.S. Marshals Service worked with Colombian law enforcement authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Arango. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement. Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila L. Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.


title: Un ciudadano extranjero se declara culpable de haber secuestrado y agredido a soldados del ejército de EE. UU. en Colombia

body_text: Un ciudadano colombiano se declaró culpable hoy de haber secuestrado y agredido a dos soldados del ejército de EE. UU. quienes estaban rindiendo su servicio temporal en Bogotá, Colombia. Según indican los documentos del tribunal, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, 36, y sus coconspiradores identificaron como objetivo, incapacitaron y secuestraron a dos soldados de EE. UU. en Bogotá. Durante la tarde del 5 de marzo de 2020, las dos víctimas estaban en un distrito de entretenimiento en Bogotá. Ellos visitaron un bar, donde Arango y sus coconspiradores incapacitaron a las dos víctimas poniendo drogas, incluso benzodiacepinas, en sus bebidas. Ellos entonces secuestraron a las víctimas y les quitaron sus carteras, tarjetas de débito, tarjetas de crédito y teléfonos celulares. Arango y sus coconspiradores utilizaron la tarjeta de crédito de una de las víctimas y la tarjeta de débito de la otra víctima para hacer compras y retirar dinero. Las dos víctimas perdieron el conocimiento hasta el siguiente día, momento en el cual ya habían sido separadas. Arango se declaró culpable de secuestrar a una persona protegida internacionalmente, concierto para secuestrar a una persona protegida internacionalmente, agredir a una persona protegida internacionalmente y concierto para agredir a una persona protegida internacionalmente. Aún no se ha establecido una fecha de imposición de sentencia. Un juez del tribunal de distrito federal determinará cualquier sentencia después de considerar las Directrices de Imposición de Sentencias de EE. UU. y otros factores reglamentarios. En mayo de 2023, Arango fue extraditado de Colombia a Estados Unidos de conformidad con una solicitud de extradición de EE. UU. La Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales de la Oficina del Departamento de Justicia, la Oficina del Agregado Judicial de la Sección de Narcóticos y Drogas Peligrosas de la División Penal en Bogotá y el Servicio de Alguaciles de EE. UU. colaboraron con las autoridades del orden público de Colombia para asegurar el arresto y la extradición de Arango. La fiscal general adjunta en funciones Nicole M. Argentieri de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia, el fiscal de EE. UU. Markenzy Lapointe del Distrito Sur de Florida y el agente especial a cargo, Jeffrey B. Veltri de la Oficina de Campo del FBI en Miami hicieron el anuncio. Los abogados litigantes Clayton O’Connor y Elizabeth Nielsen de la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesamientos Especiales de la División Penal y la fiscal auxiliar de EE. UU. Bertila L. Fernández para el Distrito Sur de Florida están procesando el caso.


title: Claremore Man Sentenced for Child Coercion and Enticement

body_text: U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jacob William Fairchild, 34, of Claremore for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor in Indian Country. Judge Frizzell ordered Fairchild to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Fairchild will also be required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, in March 2012, Fairchild persuaded a 13-year-old minor child to engage in a sexual relationship with him. At that time, Fairchild was 23 years old. Fairchild will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The FBI and Rogers County Sherriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher, Stacey Todd and Gina Gilmore prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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 Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Moraima Escarlet Vasquez Flores Sentenced for Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on January 25, 2024, Moraima Escarlet Vasquez Flores, 40, of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, was sentenced in United States District Court in Burlington, Vermont, to serve 90 months in prison after her guilty plea to one count of aiding and abetting the receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography (also known as child sexual abuse material, or CSAM). U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered Vasquez Flores to serve a five-year term of supervised release and to pay a $100 special assessment. According to court records and proceedings, Vasquez Flores participated in the production of a video which showed her inflicting sadistic abuse of a prepubescent boy who was known to her. In the video, Vasquez Flores slapped and hit the boy, whose arms and legs were bound. She placed her fully clothed genital area over the boy’s face and bounced on it. She also held her hands over his mouth and nose and appeared to suffocate him. By the end of the video, it appeared that the child was unconscious. Vasquez Flores made the video knowing that it would be sent to a sexual sadist who would use the video for sexual stimulation. A link to the video was sent on October 13, 2018, to Sean Fiore, Vasquez Flores’ co-defendant. On March 25, 2022, Judge Reiss sentenced Fiore to serve 27-years in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, following his guilty plea to murder for hire, conspiracy to kidnap and murder a person overseas, conspiracy to produce child pornography (CSAM), and possession of child pornography (CSAM). Judge Reiss also ordered Fiore to pay restitution to the victims of his offense conduct. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in the investigation of Vasquez Flores and Fiore. Barbara A. Masterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Vermont, Patrick Jasperse, Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and Eduardo Palomo, Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, represented the government. Sara Puls and Steven Barth of the Office of the Federal Public Defender represented Vasquez Flores. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Vasquez Flores. 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (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.justice.gov/psc .


title: Tulsa Man Sentenced for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country

body_text: Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Daijon Marque Welch, 27, of Tulsa for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Welch was sentenced to 156 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. “This deadly act of violence at the hands of Daijon Welch changed the family of Cameron Wilson forever and seriously injured another man,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office will continue to pursue violent crime whether in Tulsa or in rural Oklahoma. There are no higher priorities than keeping our communities safe and fighting for victims of violent crime.” According to court documents, Welch plead guilty to intentionally shooting Cameron Wilson several times. On April 22, 2020, Tulsa Police Department responded to a 911 call of a shooting at 8201 E. Skelly Drive. Witnesses reported that they heard several gun shots and witnessed Welch fleeing the area. One victim was shot in the face, forearm, and abdomen. The second victim, Cameron Wilson was pronounced deceased at the scene. Officers canvased the area, found Welch and the semi-automatic black pistol he attempted to hide. Welch is a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin G. Bish prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Former Lafayette Educator Enters Guilty Plea on Child Pornography Charge

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Angel Rafael Cardona , 35, of Youngsville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today to one count of use of a facility to cause a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. United States District Judge David C. Joseph presided over the hearing today. According to information presented in court, in June 2023, Cardona began communicating through Whisper, an online chat application, with a user who identified as a 13-year-old female. Unbeknownst to Cardona, the user was an undercover law enforcement agent. Cardona sent a direct message to the user inquiring about a post she had made about summer school. Two days later, Cardona asked the user if they had an account on another online chat site and the agent responded that they did have a Kik account. Cardona then contacted the undercover minor female through the Kik application. These communications between the two continued from June 8, 2023, to July 10, 2023, at which time the user told Cardona that the Kik application kept crashing and to contact her through text message and provided a phone number. These text messages continued through July 24, 2023. From the time the conversations between the undercover agent and Cardona began, Cardona initiated conversations about sex, sexual experiences, and the undercover agent’s body. On numerous occasions, the undercover agent made reference to her age of 13. The conversations regarding her sexual inexperience increased over time becoming more graphic and detailed. Over time, Cardona began asking the undercover agent for pictures of herself and eventually, asked for images containing sexual material. On July 11 and 13, 2023, Cardona specifically and explicitly asked for the undercover agent to produce and send him child pornography. The undercover agent gave excuses of her mother’s presence in the home for not complying and Cardona instructed her to be sneaky about it in order to create the images. Cardona brought up the idea of meeting in person on numerous occasions and eventually they agreed to meet at Veterans Park in Lafayette on July 24, 2023. The defendant agrees and admits that he intended to meet the person he believed to be a minor female for the purpose of engaging in some form of sexual activity that would be a crime under the laws of the state of Louisiana. Cardona faces a sentence of not less than 10 years in prison and up to life in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing has been set for April 25, 2024 at 10:00. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Luke Walker. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines 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 . # # #


title: Illegal Possession of Machine Gun Leads to Federal Prison for Shreveport Man

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

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Juhntrayvious J. White , 20, of Shreveport , was sentenced today for illegally possessing a machine gun. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced White to 60 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to information presented in court, on September 9, 2022, a Shreveport Police Department officer stopped White for a traffic violation on Hearne Avenue. As the officer approached the vehicle, White took off at a high rate of speed, reaching a speed of over 100 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone. The car stopped and White fled from the scene on foot and escaped. Officers found an Anderson Arms AM-15 equipped with an auto sear and White’s cell phone in the vehicle. White was later apprehended by law enforcement officers and admitted that he obtained the auto sear and converted the Anderson Arms AM-15 into a machine gun. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn . # # #


title: Defendant pleads guilty in dark web narcotics case involving largest cryptocurrency seizure of $150 million in drug proceeds

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Indian national pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to running a dark web narcotics conspiracy that moved hundreds of kilograms and tens of thousands of pills of controlled substances throughout the United States and established a multi-million-dollar drug enterprise. According to the DEA, this case involves the largest single cryptocurrency and cash seizure in DEA history; the defendant has forfeited cryptocurrency accounts that ultimately became worth $150 million. Specifically, Banmeet Singh, 40, of Haldwani, India, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Singh created vendor marketing sites on dark web marketplaces such as Silk Road 1, Silk Road 2, Alpha Bay, Hansa and others, to sell controlled substances, including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, Ketamine and Tramadol. Customers ordered controlled substances from Singh using the vendor sites and by paying with cryptocurrency. Singh then personally shipped or arranged the shipment of controlled substances from Europe to the United States through U.S. mail or other shipping services. From at least mid-2012 through July 2017, Singh controlled at least eight distribution cells within the United States, including one in Columbus. Other distribution cells were in Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota and Washington. Individuals in those distribution cells received drug shipments from overseas and then re-packaged and re-shipped the drugs to locations in all 50 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Singh was arrested in London in April 2019 and the government secured his extradition to the United States in 2023. Singh is one of eight defendants who were members of this drug trafficking organization who have been convicted of drug trafficking charges throughout the United States. “In the Singh organization’s drug orders, the members frequently used the vendor name ‘Liston’ and signed off with the signature phrase, ‘I’m still dancing.’ Today, with Banmeet Singh’s plea of guilty, the dance is over,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Banmeet Singh and traffickers like him think they can operate anonymously on the dark web and evade prosecution,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty plea, which includes forfeiture of approximately $150 million in cryptocurrency, demonstrates that the Justice Department will hold criminals who violate U.S. law accountable no matter how they conceal their activity. Together with our international partners, we will continue to find criminals lurking in the darkness and bring their crimes to light.” “Banmeet Singh is designated as a Consolidated Priority Target, which makes him one of the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. “He is responsible for shipping massive quantities of deadly drugs throughout the United States, mostly purchased on the internet and sent through the mail. His criminal enterprise has caused untold suffering to perhaps tens of thousands of people throughout the country. Along with our global network of law enforcement partners, the investigation into his associates will continue, wherever they operate, until the threat to our communities has been stopped.” Parker, Argentieri and Greene were joined by Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the IRS’ Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit Field Office, Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Pittsburgh Division, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin, Upper Arlington Police Chief Steve Farmer, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and officials with the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center in announcing today’s guilty plea. The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Central Authority (UKCA) provided significant assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Singh from the UK. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Hunter of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Emily Cohen of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section are prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. # # #


title: Four time felon going back to prison on new drug and gun charges

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Ivan Morales, 48, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra. Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis A. Testani and Casey Chalbeck, who handled the case, stated that on October 13, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Morales’s Ideal Street residence and seized suspected marijuana, a digital scale, and approximately $2,546.00 in U.S. currency. They also searched a Shanley Street apartment associated with Morales and seized approximately 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 12 clear bags containing cocaine, suspected MDMA pills, eight firearms, numerous magazines and ammunition, drug paraphernalia, and 250 $100 bills, for a total of $25,000.00 in U.S. currency. In 1998, 2004, 2006, and 2020, Morales was convicted of felonies in state and federal court and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia. # # # #


title: Justice Department Secures Settlement Agreement with State of New York Executive Chamber to Resolve Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims Under Title VII

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has signed an agreement with the State of New York Executive Chamber (Executive Chamber) to resolve the department’s claims that the Executive Chamber under former Governor Andrew Cuomo engaged in a pattern or practice of sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agreement memorializes the reforms already carried out by current Governor Kathy Hochul as well as additional reforms aimed at preventing sexual harassment and retaliation in the Executive Chamber. Title VII is a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Title VII also forbids employers from retaliating against current and former employees for complaining about workplace discrimination or otherwise asserting their Title VII rights. The department’s investigation, conducted jointly by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, found that the Executive Chamber under former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (1) subjected female employees to a sexually hostile work environment; (2) tolerated that environment and failed to correct the problem on an agency-wide basis and (3) retaliated against employees who spoke out about the harassment. Former Governor Cuomo and many complicit senior staff left the Executive Chamber in 2021. Since the department’s investigation began in August 2021, the Executive Chamber has implemented changes to its policies and practices intended to prevent and address the alleged misconduct. The agreement announced today memorializes these efforts and calls for additional reforms, including: Expanding the Executive Chamber’s Human Resources Department; Creating new policies and procedures for the external reporting, investigation and resolution of complaints involving high-level Executive Chamber employees, including the Governor; Developing and implementing robust training and anti-retaliation programs and Creating mechanisms to assess the reforms’ effectiveness on a systemic basis. “Executive Chamber employees deserve to work without fear of sexual harassment and harsh reprisal when they oppose that harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The conduct in the Executive Chamber under the former governor, the state’s most powerful elected official, was especially egregious because of the stark power differential involved and the victims’ lack of avenues to report and redress harassment. With this settlement agreement, the Executive Chamber under Governor Hochul is undertaking additional actions that will address system failures of the past while helping prevent the recurrence of systemic sexual harassment and retaliation in the future.” “We appreciate the Governor’s stated determination to make sure that sexual harassment does not recur at the highest level of New York State government,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “We share that goal and enter into this agreement to advance our common goal of creating clear, comprehensive and, most importantly, enduring policies preventing sexual harassment in the Executive Chamber.” The enforcement of Title VII and other federal laws against employment discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. This agreement is part of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative, which seeks to eradicate sexual harassment in state and local government workplaces. It focuses on litigation, outreach and developing effective remedial measures to address and prevent sex discrimination and harassment. More information about the work of the Civil Rights Division, the division’s Employment Litigation Section and civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is available at www.justice.gov/crt , www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section and www.justice.gov/usao-edny/civil-rights .


title: Dark Web Vendor Pleads Guilty to Distributing Narcotics and Forfeits $150M

body_text: An Indian national pleaded guilty today to selling controlled substances on dark web marketplaces and agreed to forfeit $150 million. According to court documents, Banmeet Singh, 40, of Haldwani, India, created vendor marketing sites on dark web marketplaces, such as Silk Road, Alpha Bay, Hansa, and others, to sell controlled substances, including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, Ketamine, and Tramadol. Customers ordered controlled substances from Singh using the vendor sites and by paying with cryptocurrency. Singh then personally shipped or arranged the shipment of controlled substances from Europe to the United States through U.S. mail or other shipping services. “Banmeet Singh and traffickers like him think they can operate anonymously on the dark web and evade prosecution,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s guilty plea, which includes forfeiture of approximately $150 million in cryptocurrency, demonstrates that the Justice Department will hold criminals who violate U.S. law accountable no matter how they conceal their activity. Together with our international partners, we will continue to find criminals lurking in the darkness and bring their crimes to light.” “In the Singh organization’s drug orders, the members frequently used the vendor name ‘Liston’ and signed off with the signature phrase, ‘I’m still dancing’,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “Today, with Banmeet Singh’s plea of guilty, the dance is over.” From at least mid-2012 through July 2017, Singh controlled at least eight distribution cells within the United States including cells located in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota, and Washington, among other locations. Individuals in those distribution cells received drug shipments from overseas and then re-packaged and re-shipped the drugs to locations in all 50 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Banmeet Singh operated a global dark web enterprise to send fentanyl and other deadly and dangerous drugs to communities across America — in all 50 states — as well as Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “DEA is proud to have worked with its law enforcement partners in the United States and the United Kingdom to dismantle this enterprise, protect the American people, and bring Singh to justice.” “The guilty plea serves as a reminder that IRS:CI special agents will uncover illegal activity here and abroad, pierce the perceived veil of anonymity provided by cryptocurrencies, and bring those responsible for laundering drug proceeds to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) Cincinnati Field Office. “IRS will continue to push the agency to the forefront of complex cyber and money laundering investigations and work collaboratively with our law enforcement partners to protect the American public.” Over the course of the conspiracy, the Singh drug organization moved hundreds of kilograms of controlled substances throughout the United States and established a multimillion-dollar drug enterprise which laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds into cryptocurrency accounts, which ultimately became worth approximately $150 million. In April 2019, Singh was arrested in London, and the United States secured his extradition in 2023. “Dismantling online marketplaces that seek to poison our communities is a top priority for Homeland Security Investigations,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. “Capitalizing on our international footprint and our law enforcement partnerships, we will do everything we can to safeguard Ohio communities against drug traffickers. Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of years of hard work across multiple jurisdictions both here in the United States and internationally.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to keeping employees and customers of the U.S. Postal Service safe from dangerous substances in the mail,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). “Furthermore, we will continue to take all necessary actions to combat and remove dangerous and illicit drugs from the mail stream and the dark web. The charges against this individual proves the resolve of postal inspectors and our law enforcement partners to pursue these organizations with every resource at our disposal, and to ultimately see that justice is served.” Singh pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He faces an agreed upon sentence of eight years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. DEA, IRS:CI, HSI, USPIS, and Upper Arlington and Colombus, Ohio Police Departments are investigating the case. The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and U.K. Central Authority (UKCA) provided significant assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Singh from the United Kingdom. Trial Attorney Emily Cohen of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Hunter for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for Charges Related to the Sexual Exploitation of Minors

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced John W. Balch, age 76, of Jacksonville, Florida, to 60 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Balch had previously pleaded guilty to those charges and further admitted to the sexual exploitation of six minor victims, including prepubescent minors. On January 23, 2024, Chief Judge Bredar sentenced co-defendant Jane Ellen Campbell, age 35, of Hagerstown, Maryland, to 210 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for distribution of child pornography, related to one of the victims. Chief Judge Bredar also ordered that, upon their release from prison, the defendants will be required to register as sex offenders in the places where they reside, where they are employees, and where they are students, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). The sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge James C. Harris of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Paul Joey Kifer, Chief of the Hagerstown Police Department; and Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III. According to Balch’s guilty plea and other court documents, between 2017 and 2022, Balch sexually exploited six minors between the ages of 3 and 15 years old. Balch paid the victims’ mothers to produce images and videos of the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The exploitation also included paying the victims’ mothers to perform sex acts on their prepubescent children, record the abuse, and send the files to Balch. Balch also admitted that he paid one of the mothers to transport her 15-year-old daughter to engage in sex acts with Balch in a hotel room. As detailed in Campbell’s plea agreement, Campbell and Balch met in approximately 2007. In recent years, Campbell drove various women to have commercial sex with Balch in hotels when Balch traveled to Maryland from his home in Florida. In 2017, Balch asked Campbell multiple times to produce naked images of Minor Victim 1, who was nine years old at the time. Campbell admitted that she sent Balch three sexually explicit images of Minor Victim 1 in July 2017. Beginning in 2021, Balch initiated conversations directly with Minor Victim 1. According to Campbell’s plea agreement, Balch paid Campbell $3,245, between November 23, 2020, and August 5, 2022. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the HSI, the Hagerstown Police Department, and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation. U.S. Attorney Barron also recognized the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of West Virginia and the Middle District of Florida, and the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office for their assistance in the Balch case. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who are prosecuting the 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/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Winter Haven Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Floyd Hintteon Green, Jr. (62, Winter Haven) to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Green was found guilty on September 6, 2023, following a bench trial. According to court documents, on December 28, 2022, detectives with the Winter Haven Police Department pulled over Green’s vehicle for a window tint violation. During a consensual search of the vehicle, detectives found a black toiletry bag containing 442 grams of high-purity methamphetamine. Green admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and that he sold it for about $2,600 per pound. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Winter Haven Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha J. Newman.


title: Shiprock Man Charged with Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Tyrell Jordan Benally appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Benally, 25, of Shiprock, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain in custody pending trial. According to the indictment, on January 1, 2024, Benally assaulted Jane Doe and the assault resulted in serious bodily injury. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Benally faces up to 10 years in prison. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jena Ritchey is prosecuting the case. # # # 24-37


title: Convicted Felon Charged With Possession Of A Firearm

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Byron Louder (34, Orlando) with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Louder faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Louder that the United States intends to forfeit a Sig Sauer firearm, which is alleged to be involved in the offense. According to the indictment, on December 25, 2022, Louder possessed a firearm. At the time of the alleged offense, Louder had prior felony convictions for delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 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 case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Honduran National Pleads Guilty To Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Duglas Hernandez Valladares (38, Honduras) has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Valladares faces a penalty of two years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, E-Verify is a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. E-Verify is administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The SSA and USCIS check submitted information against the records of actual persons who are authorized to work in the United States. E-Verify is a voluntary program for employers and requires documents such as a Social Security number and photo identification of a prospective employee. From at least 2021 through October 2022, Valladares used another person’s means of identification in order to defeat the E-Verify system and to commit the felony offenses of misuse of a Social Security number and making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Transportation–Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor–Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.


title: Wyoming man sentenced to 12 years in prison for meth trafficking in Miles City area

body_text: BILLINGS — A Wyoming man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the Miles City area was sentenced today to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Elmer Richard Petersen, 45, of Gillette, Wyoming, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that in October 2021, law enforcement stopped Petersen in Miles City upon information that he was trafficking drugs. He was released from the scene and his car was seized. Officers executed a state search warrant on the car and recovered a 9mm pistol, approximately three pounds of meth and $10,000 cash. In December 2021, police received a tip that Petersen was back in Miles City. Officers located Petersen at a local hotel and attempted to arrest him on a warrant from Wyoming. Petersen fled but was arrested after a short foot chase. The arresting officer located a .380-caliber pistol in Petersen’s pocket. Petersen was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction in Wyoming. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Montana Highway Patrol and Miles City Police Department conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Man Who Laundered Over $300,000 in Drug Trafficking Proceeds to Colombian Organization Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Venezuelan man was sentenced yesterday for laundering drug trafficking proceeds from around the world. Manuel Calderin Calderin, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 27 months in prison and one year of supervised release. In October 2023, Calderin Calderin pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions. According to court documents, beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an undercover investigation began into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. An undercover investigator infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer who could pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the Black Market Peso Exchange – a common method of trade based money laundering used to repatriate the proceeds of drug trafficking to Colombia. Calderin Calderin was a business owner in Colombia who used his business bank account to receive drug proceeds in Colombia. During the course of the conspiracy, Calderin Calderin received over $300,000 in wire transfers to his account. After receipt, Calderin Calderin withdrew the funds from his account to pay out the money in Colombia to the owners. Calderin Calderin also created fake invoices to mask the true source of the funds and evade anti-money laundering protocols. Acting United States Attorney Joshua R. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 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 . The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tampa Man Pleads Guilty To Methamphetamine Possession And Distribution Charges

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert Jones IV, a/k/a “Klout,” (24, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to deliver. Jones faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each distribution count and up to 40 years in federal prison for the possession with intent to distribute count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, in February and March 2023, Jones sold methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. During each of the transactions, Jones hid the methamphetamine inside the gas cap of his vehicle. He then drove to a pre-determined meeting location in St. Petersburg, where the drugs were retrieved as Jones remained inside his vehicle. During a search of Jones’s residence, law enforcement officers recovered assorted drug paraphernalia including a digital scale, plastic resealable bags, a heat seal, and distribution quantities of methamphetamine. Jones later admitted to selling drugs from his home and took ownership of the methamphetamine found in the residence. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Michael Kenneth.


title: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Receive 24 Kilos of Cocaine from a Mexican Drug Cartel Source

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man has pleaded guilty to attempting to receive 24 kilograms of cocaine intended for distribution. Eddy Javier Guerrero, 31, pleaded guilty on Jan. 19, 2024 to one count of attempt to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for April 23, 2024. Guerrero was arrested and charged in July 2022. In June 2022 in El Paso, Texas, a confidential source received 23.9 kilograms of cocaine from a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) based in Mexico. A member of the Mexican DTO subsequently instructed the confidential source to transport the cocaine to Massachusetts. However, the drugs were intercepted by law enforcement and replaced with “sham” cocaine for the delivery to the Massachusetts recipient – later identified as Guerrero. On July 1, 2022, in Boston, Guerrero arrived to receive the cocaine delivery, for which he provided an envelope containing $15,100 in exchange. He was immediately taken into custody. The charge of attempt to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Jacksonville Man Sentenced To More Than 5 Years For Distributing Illegal, Unregistered Firearms

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Lucas Shirley II (28, Jacksonville) to five years and five months in federal prison for transferring unregistered short-barreled rifles. Shirley pleaded guilty on August 17, 2023. According to court documents, on January 4, 2023, an undercover (UC) agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and a confidential informant (CI) went to Shirley’s home in Jacksonville posing as leaders of a motorcycle gang. Shirley sold the CI three privately manufactured rifles (to include a machinegun, a short-barreled rifle, and a combination machinegun short-barreled rifle) and a firearm silencer. None of the firearms were registered in the National Firearms Registrations and Transfer Record, as required by law. Inside the home, the UC saw various tools and machines suitable for manufacturing firearm components and accessories. In the weeks that followed, the CI, UC, and Shirley spoke on the phone and exchanged text messages about firearms Shirley was manufacturing. Shirley told the CI he had armor-piercing ammunition and the firearms he was building were like the ones that U.S. Navy SEALs carry in battle. Through text messages, Shirley also sent the UC photographs of short-barreled rifles and firearm silencers. On January 24, 2023, the UC went to Shirley’s home and bought four short-barreled rifles equipped with firearm silencers. Shirley confirmed that two of the rifles were machineguns. These silencers and rifles were again not registered in the National Firearms Registrations and Transfer Record. Shirley also gave the UC three privately manufactured derringer-style pistols with the understanding the UC would pay for them at a later date. On February 2, 2023, the UC and other agents arrested Shirley and executed a federal search warrant. During the search, they found a privately manufactured pistol, a privately manufactured rifle equipped with a silencer, over 200 rounds of ammunition, approximately 12 machinegun conversion devices, a template for manufacturing machinegun conversion devices, two bags containing methamphetamine and marijuana, a pipe suitable for smoking methamphetamine, and various firearm accessories and parts, including components that had been created using 3D printers. They also found tools, raw materials, and equipment, including a 3D printer, which can be used to manufacture firearms, silencers, and machinegun conversion devices. Shirley has never been licensed to manufacture or sell firearms. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. 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: Second KDY Crew Member Pleads Guilty to Violent Crime Spree of Multiple Carjackings and Armed Robberies

body_text: WASHINGTON – Azriel Ethan Echavarria, 22, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to committing a string of armed carjackings and violent armed robberies with two co-defendants in the District and Suburban Maryland during 2022. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police (MPD); ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Washington Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and Chief Marcus G. Jones, of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department. Echavarria pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce, also known as a Hobbs Act robbery; conspiracy to commit carjacking; and armed robbery. According to the plea paperwork, Echavarria admitted to personally participating in the armed robberies of six individuals, five businesses and/or their employees, and two armed carjackings. The Honorable Beryl A. Howell scheduled Echavarria’s sentencing for May 10, 2024. One of Echavarria’s co-conspirators, Tyrell Jordan Stewart, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison on January 12, 2024, after pleading guilty in the same spree of carjackings and violent armed robberies. Had the case gone to trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Echavarria conspired his two charged co-defendants to commit a spree of robberies and carjackings of individuals and businesses in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Specifically, Echavarria and his two co-defendants committed five commercial robberies, two armed carjackings, and at least 12 armed robberies over the course of their conspiracy. According to the government’s evidence, Echavarria and his co-defendants are members of the Kennedy Street Crew or KDY, a violent street gang that operates in the Kennedy Street neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C. KDY is among the largest crews in the District based on both territory and its vast membership. The trio’s violent spree occurred during the first three months of 2022. The men typically planned their robberies the night before and executed early in the morning. To avoid detection from law enforcement, the trio typically began a day’s robberies by stealing a vehicle to use in their subsequent robberies. If the vehicle was occupied or if the owner was close by, the men used firearms, force, and intimidation to carjack it. After the sprees, the men sold the vehicles for added profit. A hallmark of the defendants’ robberies was the use of force and/or violence against their victims. On February 8, 2022, for instance, Echavarria and his co-defendants traveled from Northeast Washington to Chevy Chase, Md., to steal a Toyota Rav4. After stealing the SUV, the trio traveled to a convenience store on the 8100 block of Fenton St., in Silver Spring. At the store, Echavarria approached a delivery man making a scheduled drop off while armed with a handgun. As a co-defendant waited in the Rav4 as the getaway driver, Echavarria and his other co-defendant punched the delivery man and then pistol whipped them with his weapon. A co-defendant then took the delivery man’s wallet and cases of product from the delivery truck. After completing the robbery, the trio fled the scene. On February 20, 2022, Echavarria and his co-defendants stole a Honda Ridgeline truck in Silver Spring, Md., shortly before 6 a.m. Less than an hour later, police received multiple reports of suspects in a black Ridgeline truck who were attempting to break into other vehicles. That same morning, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) officers responded to a convenience store on the 3500 block of University Boulevard West, in Kensington, Md. Victims reported that three armed men had entered the store and robbed the cashier of currency and a cell phone. While a co-defendant robbed the register, Echavarria placed a customer in a chokehold. When the customer resisted, the co-defendant fired a round to intimidate the customer into complying with their demands. On the way out, Echavarria stopped another customer, held a pistol to the customer’s right temple, then grabbed the customer’s car keys from his left pants pocket. The three armed men fled in the customer’s Lexus SUV. That same morning, MCPD officers separately responded to an armed robbery of a mini market on the 4800 block of Boiling Brook Parkway, in Rockville, Md. Again, a co-defendant discharged his firearm to intimidate the cashier into complying with his demands. All three armed men fled the store in what appeared to be the same stolen Ridgeline used earlier. At 7:25 a.m., an MCPD officer spotted the stolen Ridgeline and stolen Lexus SUV and pursued the vehicles southbound on 16th Street towards the District at speeds topping 100 m.p.h. The MCPD officer ultimately lost sight of both vehicles. That same morning, Echavarria and his co-defendants committed an armed robbery of someone waiting at a bus stop in the 7700 block of Georgia Avenue NW, one block from the D.C./Maryland line. One of the armed men placed the victim in a chokehold. The other pistol-whipped the victim in the face. The two stole the victim’s wallet and fled. Additional carjackings and violent robberies followed. Early on the morning of March 2, Echavarria and his co-conspirators drove a black Dodge Charger with stolen plates from Northeast Washington to Maryland. On the 6000 block of 64th Ave., Riverdale, the conspirators spotted a driver inside of a black Audi A6 sedan in a commercial parking lot and boxed the Audi in with the Charger. Two of the gunmen exited the Charger with firearms pointed at the driver. The driver handed over their keys and their wallet. The gunmen fled in the stolen Audi back towards the District. Soon thereafter, Echavarria and his co-defendants entered a convenience store on the 11000 block of Georgia Ave., in Silver Spring, and robbed the counter clerk at gunpoint of $500 and lottery tickets. Echavarria was arrested February 6, 2023, in Washington D.C. The prosecution of Echavarria, along with his two codefendants, are part of an ongoing coordinated law enforcement investigation into the Kennedy Street Crew, also known as “KDY.” The multi-year investigation reflects the efforts of nearly every federal law enforcement agency in the District of Columbia, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division. The above efforts are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department and the Prince George’s County, Md., Police Department, and ATF’s Washington Field Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was also provided by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lynch.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Felon of Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition While on Federal Supervised Release

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was convicted yesterday for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, specifically a loaded Taurus 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number. At the time of the offense, the defendant was on supervised release after serving a federal prison sentence for firearm and drug convictions. Tevin Abercrombie, 29, was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2024. Abercrombie was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. In April 2020, Abercrombie possessed a black Taurus 9mm pistol with an obliterated serial number, loaded with one round in the chamber and an additional 7 rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine. In 2016, Abercrombie was convicted in federal court of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, cocaine and heroin and sentenced to 60 months in prison. Abercrombie was on federal supervised release at the time of this offense. The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Dawley and Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jesus Hector Lagarda-Gil, 45, of Mexico, was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release. The court also ordered that Lagarda-Gil forfeit a 2018 Mazda CX5 automobile and $148,000 in United States currency. Lagarda-Gil pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine on September 21, 2023. A co-defendant, Jesus Omar Encincas-Burruel, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release on December 1, 2023. Lagarda-Gil negotiated and coordinated the delivery of over 300 pounds of methamphetamine to undercover agents during a four-month period in 2022. On March 29, 2022, Lagarda-Gil met with an undercover agent in Las Vegas, Nevada, and personally delivered 45 pounds of methamphetamine to the agent after receiving the methamphetamine from Encinas-Burruel. In June of 2022, Lagarda-Gil traveled to Las Vegas again and delivered another 61 pounds of methamphetamine to the undercover agent. On July 1, 2022, Lagarda-Gil was arrested after delivering 217 pounds of methamphetamine to agents. 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. Homeland Security Investigations – Tucson office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tucson office conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1607-TUC-SHR RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-009_LaGarda-Gil # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.