title: Central Coast Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Pornography Weeks After Release from State Prison

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Santa Barbara County man was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison for receiving thousands of videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) within one month of his parole from California state prison following his conviction for internet-related child sexual exploitation crimes. Giovanni Gonzalez, 34, of Carpinteria, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $24,000 in restitution. Gonzalez pleaded guilty on February 5 to one count of receipt of child pornography. “Within days of his release from state prison for despicable acts he committed against children, this defendant returned to his deplorable ways, obtaining thousands of videos showcasing the sexual exploitation of kids,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Protecting our children is central to my office’s mission and we will continue to use all available tools to prosecute those who participate in this wicked marketplace that traffics in child abuse.” “Sexual exploitation of children is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our society,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “This case underscores the FBI's commitment to investigate all offenders who cause harm to our children, and we will ensure these individuals no longer pose a threat to our communities.” According to his plea agreement, on December 1, 2022, Gonzalez was paroled from California state prison following a sentence of more than 17 years for posing as a teenage girl online and coercing at least eight minor female victims into engaging in sex acts and sending him the images, as well as for possessing and sharing CSAM on the internet. Later that month, Gonzalez sought out and began receiving CSAM from sources, including one on WhatsApp, a computer software application on his mobile phone. On December 28, 2022, Gonzalez knowingly received from one source numerous files of CSAM. Upon receiving this material on WhatsApp, Gonzalez saved them to the memory card of his mobile phone. On January 7, 2023, Gonzalez turned over his mobile phone to his parole officer pursuant to his search conditions. Upon inspection, law enforcement found in Gonzalez’s telephone approximately 2,684 videos containing CSAM, of which several depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct or sexual exploitation of an infant or toddler. The FBI and the Santa Maria Police Department investigated this matter. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy K. Beecher of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Adrian Horton, also known as “Big Guy” and “Fat Boy,” 23, of Toledo, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 40 or more grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack.” According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Monroe Avenue residence in Huntington where Horton was staying. Officers seized over 40 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine. Horton admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances, intended to distribute them, and used the Huntington residence to distributed various kinds of controlled substances. Horton is scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Owen Reynolds and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-5. ###


title: Former Glynn County Public Works supervisor sentenced to prison for fraudulent credit card charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BRUNSWICK, GA: A former supervisor in the Glynn County Department of Public Works has been sentenced to federal prison and ordered to repay money he illegally gained from fraudulent charges to government purchasing cards. William Harold Richards , 51, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Richards to pay $422,168 in restitution to the Glynn County government, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “Taxpayers rightly expect employees of their government agencies to handle public money responsibly,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “William Richards did the opposite by defrauding taxpayers and enriching himself at their expense, and he is being held accountable for his crime.” As described in court documents and testimony, Richards was hired at the Glynn County Department of Public Works in 2010, progressing to a supervisory role that provided him with access to employee purchasing cards and the county’s billing system. In September 2023, the Glynn County Police Department and the FBI initiated an investigation after another Public Works employee noticed suspicious charges on his county purchasing card. Investigators determined that Richards, who was responsible for coding and reconciling purchases made with the department’s purchasing cards, had for more than two years made fraudulent purchases with his own county-issued card and with those of other employees, issuing payments to a fictitious company that he created and then transferring the funds to his own bank account. Richards was arrested on state charges and later indicted in federal court. As part of his guilty plea to the federal charge, Richards acknowledged that he “used the proceeds of this fraudulent scheme to make numerous personal purchases, including the purchase of lottery tickets.” “This type of fraud increases costs for all taxpayers in this country and erodes public trust in government,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is committed to holding corrupt individuals, like Richards, accountable for their greed.” The case was investigated by the Glynn County Police Department and the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.


title: Three Council Bluffs Individuals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Three individuals from Council Bluffs were sentenced to federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine: George Ormond Rolle, Jr., 51, was sentenced on August 28, 2024, to 210 months in federal prison; Joseph Robert Winger, 34, was sentenced on February 23, 2024, to 140 months in federal prison; and Linda Clover Winger, 41, was sentenced on April 25, 2024, to 78 months in federal prison. According to public court documents, Rolle, Joseph Winger, and Linda Winger conspired with each other to distribute methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs metro area in 2023. In July 2023, law enforcement officers received information on a package, containing methamphetamine, that was addressed to a residence in Council Bluffs. Law enforcement officers seized the package and conducted a controlled delivery of the seized package. Rolle and Linda Winger attempted to retrieve the package from the residence and were subsequently taken into custody. Their vehicle was searched and had approximately 76 grams of methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, drug ledgers, and more than $4700. Phone messages confirmed the group was working together to pool their money to buy the methamphetamine for distribution in the Council Bluffs metro area. After completing their term of imprisonment, each individual 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 Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force.


title: Eight Drug Dealers Sentenced To 32 Total Years As Part Of Large-Scale Operation

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DURANGO – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that a large-scale operation to shut down a drug trafficking operation in southwest Colorado has resulted in the conviction and sentencing of eight individuals. In July of 2022, the Montezuma/Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Indian Affairs received information that a drug trafficking organization was bringing significant amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl into Montezuma County, Colorado. More than a kilogram of methamphetamine, 1,000 fentanyl pills, and multiple firearms were recovered and resulted in the following: Crystal Bass, 43, of Cortez, Colorado, plead guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing Methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Douglas Brummett, 34, of Cortez, Colorado, plead guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing Methamphetamine and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. He was sentenced to 34 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Mary Lobato, 41, of Cortez, Colorado, plead guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams and More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine and was sentenced to 28 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Infant Maciel, 29, of Cortez, Colorado, plead guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 42 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Luis Martinez, 44, of Cortez, Colorado, plead guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams and More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 80 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. William Millard, 36, of Dolores, Colorado, plead guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Mixture and Substance Containing Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. He was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cesar Ortiz-Castillo, 33, a citizen of Mexico, plead guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute at Least 40 Grams or More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl. He was sentenced to 72 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Russell Wall, 36, of Cortez, Colorado, plead guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams and More of a Mixture and Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 36 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. “Keeping illicit drugs out of the Four Corners region is a critical part of our public safety efforts there,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “We thank our local, tribal, and federal partners for helping make this complex operation possible and keeping the citizens of Montezuma County safer.” “This investigation represents the Drug Enforcement Administration’s steadfast commitment to the rural communities of Colorado. There is no safe space for drug trafficking organizations to operate, and as demonstrated by a multi-agency effort, the DEA and its partners will identify, investigate, and prosecute those persons who seek to destroy our communities only to enrich themselves,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. “The Montezuma/Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team is committed to fighting the war on dangerous drugs and stopping the flow of illicit narcotics coming into our communities,” said Cortez Police Detective Tom Quinnett. “Our primary goal is to dismantle and destroy drug trafficking organizations within our reach.” “The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Division of Drug Enforcement is committed to combating illegal drug usage, possession, and distribution throughout Indian Country. This long-term investigation displays the results achieved through cooperation with the other Tribal, Local, and Federal agencies,” said Acting/Deputy Associate Director Tom Atkinson. “BIA is devoted to continuing to protect our native communities and is thankful for the partnerships with the DEA, Montezuma Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team, BIA-Ute Mountain Ute Agency, and Ute Mountain Casino Security.” Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the proceedings. The case was investigated in a collaborative effort of the Montezuma/Cortez Narcotics Investigation Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Josh Player and Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecutions. Case Numbers: 22-cr-00358-GPG-JMC, 23-cr-00007-GPG-JMC, 23-cr-00245-GPG-JMC


title: Eighteen Individuals Indicted on Federal Bank Fraud and Money Laundering Charges

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

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A federal grand jury in Des Moines returned an indictment charging 18 individuals with offenses related to bank fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. As alleged in the Indictment, Defendants orchestrated a nationwide scheme to defraud financial institutions and draw funds from stolen business checks. Defendants, located across the country, first obtained the stolen checks from uncharged co-conspirators. They then registered sham entities with the IRS and state government agencies—including the Iowa Secretary of State—with names which were identical or similar to the legitimate recipients of the checks. After obtaining registration documents and IRS employer identification numbers, Defendants opened or attempted to open accounts at banks and credit unions in the names of the sham entities, intending to deposit the stolen checks. While attempting to open the accounts, Defendants made material misrepresentations to or concealed material facts from the banks and credit unions. The Indictment alleges that once Defendants were able to open the accounts for the sham entities, they deposited or attempted to deposit the stolen checks in the accounts. If the deposit was successful, Defendants withdrew large amounts of cash from the accounts and/or obtained cashier’s or official checks from the accounts. Defendants distributed the proceeds among their co-conspirators. Oftentimes, Defendants obtained cashier’s or official checks written to sham entities that were created for the purpose of laundering stolen check proceeds. Defendants used the money obtained from the stolen business checks for their personal benefit and purposes. The Indictment alleges the Defendants’ conduct affected at least twelve business victims and at least fourteen financial institution victims. Defendants and their co-conspirators attempted to deposit at least $10 million worth of stolen checks into fraudulent accounts and were able to obtain at least $2.1 million in proceeds from their criminal conduct. If convicted, Defendants face a maximum penalty of thirty years in prison on counts alleging bank fraud or bank fraud conspiracy and ten years in prison on counts alleging money laundering or money laundering conspiracy. The Indictment may be viewed at the link below. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the case with assistance from the Postal Inspection Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Secret Service, as well as with assistance from numerous state and local agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Essley, Kristin Herrera, and Joseph Lubben are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Here is the link for the Grand Jury Indictment


title: Supervisor and Employee of City of Trenton Bureau of Environmental Health Charged with Receiving Illegal Overtime Payments

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man and a Mercer County, New Jersey, man made their initial court appearances today on charges of participating in a conspiracy to obtain overtime payments from the city of Trenton for work they did not perform, by fraudulently inflating the overtime hours they claimed to have worked conducting residential lead inspections and meal deliveries to needy Trenton residents, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Martin Moore, 59, of Florence, New Jersey, and Andre Trott, 51, of Ewing, New Jersey, are each charged by complaint with conspiracy to embezzle, steal, and obtain by fraud more than $5,000 in funds belonging to and under the care, custody and control of the city of Trenton. Moore is also charged with making false statements to investigators. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and were each released on $50,000 unsecured bond. According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Trenton’s Department of Health and Human Services (Trenton HHS) is required to provide services to identify lead sources in residential homes in Trenton where children had tested positive for elevated levels of lead in their blood. Beginning in 2018, a New Jersey state grant funded inspections of Trenton properties identified with childhood residents with elevated blood lead levels. Trenton’s Bureau of Environmental Health (BEH), a subdivision of Trenton HHS, was responsible for performing these residential lead inspections. Trenton received federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to provide public services, including a meal program to prepare and deliver meals throughout Trenton to the city’s most vulnerable and needy populations. Members of BEH delivered meals under the CDBG from 2020 to 2021. Moore, a principal registered environmental health specialist for BEH and the entity’s supervisor, and Trott, a senior registered environmental health specialist for BEH, conducted residential lead inspections with other members of BEH from February 2018 through May 2022, and delivered meals with other members of BEH from April 2020 through May 2021. Moore directed members of BEH, including conspirators Trott, Michael Ingram, William Kreiss, and Meraj Fatima, to obtain payments from the city of Trenton for work they did not perform, by fraudulently inflating the overtime hours they claimed to have worked relating to residential lead inspections. Moore also directed Trott, Ingram and Kreiss to inflate their overtime hours submitted for meal deliveries. Moore, himself, also falsely reported overtime exceeding the time it actually took him to complete activities related to lead inspections and meal deliveries. As a result of these fraudulent overtime reports, Moore, Trott, and other members of BEH were paid for overtime work that they did not perform. In May 2022, when the FBI asked Moore about his role in connection with lead inspections, Moore falsely stated that there was no situation where he had purposedly misrepresented his hours and no situation where he had claimed overtime hours for periods of time that he was outside of New Jersey, even though Moore knew at the time he made these statements that they were knowingly and intentionally false. Moore faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and maximum fine of $500,000. Trott faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Ingram and Kreiss pleaded guilty on Nov. 28, 2023, and Fatima pleaded guilty on Feb. 26, 2024, to separate informations charging each with one count of conspiracy to embezzle, steal, and obtain by fraud more than $5,000 in funds belonging to and under the care, custody and control of the City of Trenton. They are awaiting sentencing. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Assistant Inspector General Nicolas L. Evans; and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Vicky Vazquez, with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric A. Boden, Attorney-in-Charge of the Trenton Branch Office. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. mooretrott.complaint.pdf


title: Connecticut U.S. Attorney’s Office Releases Internet Safety PSA

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: New Haven – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut has released a public service announcement alerting parents and caregivers about “sextortion,” a type of blackmail used by offenders to acquire sexual content online, and providing guidance to help protect children from being victimized by this crime. The public service announcement is available at these links: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z75fNrjibo X: https://x.com/USAO_CT/status/1833179358477127968 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/sTNAqFn5uZ73aqad/ To report cases of child exploitation, contact local police, the FBI, or Homeland Security Investigations, or submit a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) at www.cybertipline.com . The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford.


title: Georgetown Woman Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal Investigators

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. —Angel Cooper Vause, 56, of Georgetown, has pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about her role in the 2009 kidnapping, rape, and murder of Brittanee Drexel. After abandoning her previous plea agreement, Vause pleaded guilty to a three-count indictment unsealed in March. The indictment alleged that Vause lied to FBI agents about the events of April 25, 2009. Vause’s previous bond was also revoked, and she was taken into custody. Vause faces a maximum penalty of 24 years in federal prison. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker accepted the guilty plea. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel will sentence Vause after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Newbury Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Newbury man was sentenced today in federal court for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Marc Jacques, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Paul Barbadoro to 60 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to pay $26,500 in restitution. On March 18, 2024, Jacques pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography. Between 2018 and 2022, Jacques’ IP address had been reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in connection with at least 40 CyberTips related to the online sexual exploitation of children. Between November 24 and December 6, 2021, Jacques uploaded 49 files of apparent CSAM to the social media platform Kik. Law enforcement executed a federal search warrant on Jacques’ residence and person in June 2022. Forensic examination of Jacques’ electronic devices revealed the presence of over 200 files of apparent child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as well as chats between Jacques and others related to the sexual exploitation of children and the sharing of CSAM. In at least one chat conversation, Jacques sent videos of CSAM to others. “Survivors of child sexual abuse material suffer from revictimization and live everyday with fear that their abuse is being shared on the internet,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Law enforcement in the District of New Hampshire will continue to utilize every resource available to disrupt the distribution of CSAM and incarcerate offenders convicted of these horrific crimes.” “The defendant’s online behavior was flagged repeatedly by systems designed to detect predators sharing child sexual abuse materials. Today’s sentence is the result of the collaboration of private industry and the dedicated work of law enforcement who work together every day to see justice for the children victimized when these horrific images are produced,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the Nashua Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting 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 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Two Baltimore Men Sentenced To 9 Years And 15 Years, Respectively, In Federal Prison, Relating To Three Armed Carjackings

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Franklin Jay Smith, age 34, of Catonsville, Maryland, to 9 years (48 months for carjacking and 60 months consecutive for use of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence) and 4 years supervised release, and Davon Tramont Dorsey, age 30, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, to15 years and 3 years supervised release. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department; Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler; and Harford County State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey. According to Smith’s and Dorsey’s guilty pleas and evidence introduced at the trial of two codefendants earlier this year, between May and August 2021, the conspirators planned and organized the kidnapping of three victims, J.H. and two employees of check cashing businesses, victims A.T. and A.K. The conspirators carjacked and abducted the victims and used force and threats of force to steal cash. Posing as police officers, using police vests, badges, and a law enforcement-type light bar, the conspirators stopped the victims and/or their vehicles, and brandished firearms and a blow torch during the kidnappings. The three incidents occurred on May 5, 2021, May 15, 2021, and August 2, 2021. Smith admitted that he participated in the two incidents in May, and Dorsey admitted that he participated in the May 15, 2021, incident and the August 2, 2021, incident. As detailed in Smith’s plea agreement and evidence introduced at the trial of two codefendants earlier this year, on May 5, 2021, two of the conspirators followed victim A.T. from the check cashing business where she worked, driving a Ford Fusion supplied by Smith. Smith set up a detour along the route to cause A.T. to turn down a side street where the two conspirators driving the Ford Fusion posed as police and used a law enforcement-type light bar to pull over A.T.’s vehicle. Wearing police vests and badges, the conspirators brandished firearms to remove A.T. from her vehicle, handcuffed her, placed her into the rear of one of their vehicles, blindfolded her, and stole her vehicle. While driving with victim A.T., the conspirators burned victim A.T. with the blow torch in an attempt to get information from A.T. in order to access the check cashing business where she worked, with the intent to remove all the cash from the business. Smith and the other conspirators later placed A.T. back in the rear of her vehicle, still bound, covered the vehicle with a tarp, and left A.T. to make her way out and call for help. Smith and Dorsey both admitted that on May 15, 2021, while driving a Ford Fusion with police-style lights, Dorsey and other members of the conspiracy drove to Edgewood, Maryland to abduct and rob J.H. Dorsey and the others were wearing police-style vests with “police” written on them, masks, and gloves. Around midnight on May 15-16, 2021, J.H. left Edgewood, driving a 2022 Toyota Camry. The members of the conspiracy used the police-style lights to stop J.H.’s vehicle. Dorsey and the conspirators, armed with firearms, approached J.H.’s car and identified themselves as police. The conspirators told J.H. that he had an outstanding warrant, and that he was under arrest. The conspirators put J.H. in handcuffs, put duct tape over his eyes and mouth, bound his feet, and put him in the back of their vehicle. J.H. was then driven away in the Ford Fusion with two of the conspirators while two other members of the conspiracy followed in J.H.’s Camry. While J.H. was in the Ford Fusion, the conspirators demanded $10,000, told J.H. that they knew where he lived and that they would kill his parents if he did not cooperate. At the time J.H. was abducted, Smith was in the White Marsh area of Baltimore County, within minutes of an onramp to Interstate 95, awaiting a call from a conspirator notifying him that J.H. had been abducted. As the Ford Fusion traveled south on Interstate 95, Smith received a call from a coconspirator, and then drove in a separate vehicle and met up with the Ford Fusion, J.H. and other conspirators in Baltimore City. While in the Ford Fusion, one of the conspirators questioned J.H. about money, and used a blow torch to burn his chest when he did not answer questions. The conspirators took J.H.’s necklace, wallet, phone, and car keys. After more than 5 hours of driving and demanding money, the conspirators released J.H. in Baltimore City at approximately 5:20 a.m. Dorsey also admitted that on August 2, 2021, he and two co-conspirators approached victim A.K. as she left the check cashing business where she worked. The conspirators, wearing police vests and badges, brandished firearms to kidnap victim A.K. and placed her into the rear of one of their vehicles equipped with law enforcement-type lights. The driver was holding a blowtorch with a blue fuel canister, and A.K. observed a bottle of bleach on the floor in the back of the car. After A.K. entered the vehicle, the men bound A.K.’s wrists behind her back with zip-ties and used black duct tape to affix a blindfold over her eyes. One of the men stated to A.K., “We don’t burn sisters.” According to Dorsey’s guilty plea, while in the vehicle, the men took A.K.’s wallet, phone, and keys, which included the keys to the check cashing business. The men demanded that A.K. provide access to the check cashing business, including demanding the A.K. provide the men with access codes, safe codes, and the amount of money in the safe at the business. The men demanded information from A.K. for nearly 6 hours, then released A.K. in Edmonson Village in Baltimore City at approximately 1:00 a.m. Before they drove away, the men instructed A.K. not to remove her face covering until they had driven away. In June, a federal jury convicted two codefendants of their roles in the abductions. Dennis Allen Hairston, age 34, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, and Donte Davon Stanley, age 33, of Rosedale, Maryland, were convicted on federal charges of kidnapping and robbery conspiracies; kidnapping; carjacking; robbery affecting commerce. Hairston was also convicted of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson has scheduled sentencing for Stanley for November 4, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. and Hairston for November 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. 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. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Spencer Todd of the Civil Rights and Special Victims Section are prosecuting this case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach .


title: Justice Department Issues New Guidance on Federal Law Regarding Voter Registration

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has published a new guidance addressing limits on when and how jurisdictions may remove voters from their voter lists. The guidance document reflects the department’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible voter can exercise their right to vote free of discrimination or voter intimidation. “Ensuring that every eligible voter is able to vote and have that vote counted is a critical aspect of sustaining a robust democracy, and it is a top priority for the Justice Department,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we approach Election Day, it is important that states adhere to all aspects of federal law that safeguard the rights of eligible voters to remain on the active voter lists and to vote free from discrimination and intimidation.” In its guidance, the department reminds states that efforts to ensure accurate and current voting rolls must be accomplished in compliance with federal law and in a nondiscriminatory manner. Specifically, the department explains important limits imposed by federal law on the rules and procedures states may adopt regarding their voter registration lists. For example, list maintenance efforts must be uniform and nondiscriminatory, and a program to systematically remove ineligible voters must not be done within 90 days of a federal election. There also are specific rules about how to remove registered voters because they have moved. Importantly, these federal protections apply whether the process is initiated by the state or is responsive to third-party submissions. The department also released a fact sheet as a resource for jurisdictions and provides information on certain civil provisions of federal law that protect the right to vote. Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act: Federal law broadly prohibits intimidation, threats and coercion — or attempts to do so — throughout every stage of the voting process, including registering to vote, casting a ballot and counting votes. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act: Federal law also prohibits discrimination in voting because of race, color or membership in a minority language group, defined to include American Indian, Asian American, Alaskan Native and Spanish heritage citizens. Section 208 of the Voting Rights Act: For voters with disabilities and those unable to read or write, federal law guarantees voting assistance in all aspects of the voting process by a person of the voter’s choice subject to only two exceptions barring assistance by the voter’s employer or union. And, under the Americans with Disabilities Act , state and local governments must ensure people with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act: The fact sheet explains that some jurisdictions , as determined by the Census Bureau, are required to provide all election information that is available in English in the covered minority language. In April, the department announced an updated website, www.justice.gov/voting , a one-stop resource for information on voting and elections. This website includes guides on a range of topics to inform voters and state and local election officials. It includes, among other topics, information about Voting Protections for Language Minority Citizens under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act , state-by-state rules regarding voting after a criminal conviction , the voting rights of members of the armed services and U.S. citizens living overseas , and information related to post-election audits , including the requirements under federal law that state and local election officials “retain and preserve” voting-related records. More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931. The www.justice.gov/voting website also provides information on the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which leads the department’s efforts to address violence against election workers and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. You can report suspected criminal activity regarding voting to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by filing an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov . You can also contact local law enforcement. If at any time you are in imminent danger, call 911.


title: El Departamento de Justicia emite un nuevo documento de orientación sobre las leyes federales de inscripción electoral

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció ayer que ha emitido un documento de orientación sobre los límites en cuanto a cuándo y cómo las jurisdicciones pueden remover a votantes de sus listas de votantes. El documento de orientación es reflejo del compromiso del departamento a asegurar que cada votante elegible pueda ejercer su derecho al voto libre de discriminación o intimidación. “Un aspecto fundamental del mantenimiento de una democracia robusta, y una prioridad de primer orden del Departamento de Justicia, es asegurar que cada votante elegible pueda votar y que su voto sea contado,” afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Según se acerca el Día de las Elecciones, es importante que los estados cumplan con todos los aspectos de las leyes federales que salvaguardan el derecho de los votantes elegibles a permanecer en las listas de votantes activos y que voten libres de discriminación o intimidación.” En el documento de orientación, el departamento les recuerda a los estados que los esfuerzos para mantener las listas de votantes precisas y actualizadas deben realizarse en cumplimiento con las leyes federales y no de manera discriminatoria. En concreto, el departamento explica los importantes límites impuestos por ley federal a los procedimientos y reglas que los estados puedan adoptar en cuanto a sus listas de votantes inscritos. Por ejemplo, los esfuerzos de mantenimiento de listas deben ser uniformes y no discriminatorios, y un programa que sistemáticamente remueve a los votantes inelegibles no debe llevarse a cabo durante los 90 días antes de unas elecciones federales. También hay reglas específicas sobre cómo remover a votantes inscritos que se han mudado. Es importante señalar que estas protecciones federales se aplican tanto si el proceso es iniciado por el estado como en respuesta a solicitudes de terceras partes. El departamento también ha emitido una hoja informativa para las jurisdicciones que proporcione información sobre ciertas leyes federales civiles que protegen el derecho al voto. Sección 11(b) de la Ley de Derechos Electorales: La ley federal ampliamente prohíbe la intimidación, amenazas y la coerción – o los intentos de lo mismo – a través de cada etapa del proceso electoral, incluyendo la inscripción para votar, la emisión del voto y la tabulación de los votos. Sección 2 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales : La ley federal también prohíbe la discriminación en la votación por motivos de raza, color o pertenencia a un grupo de minoría lingüística, lo cual, según la definición en la ley, se extiende a ciudadanos amerindios, de ascendencia asiática, nativos de Alaska o de herencia hispana. Sección 208 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales : Para votantes con discapacidades y aquellos que tienen dificultades para leer o escribir, la ley federal les garantiza asistencia en todos los aspectos del proceso electoral por parte de una persona que ellos mismos elijan, sujeto a solamente a dos excepciones que prohíben que el empleador del votante o un representante de su sindicato laboral le ayuden. Y, en virtud de la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades , los gobiernos estatales y locales deben asegurar que las personas con discapacidades tengan una oportunidad plena e igualitaria de votar. Sección 203 de la Ley de Derechos Electorales: La hoja informativa explica que algunas jurisdicciones, según identificadas por la Oficina del Censo, tienen la obligación de proporcionar toda la información electoral disponible en inglés en el idioma minoritario lingüístico cubierto. En abril el departamento anunció un sitio web actualizado, www.justice.gov/voting , un punto único de recursos con información sobre la votación y las elecciones. Este sitio web incluye guías sobre una variedad de temas para informar a los votantes y a los funcionarios electorales estatales y locales. Incluye, entre otros temas, información sobre las protecciones electorales para los ciudadanos de grupos lingüísticos minoritarios en virtud de la sección 203 de la ley de Derechos Electorales , reglas (por estado) sobre el derecho al voto tras una condena penal , el derecho al voto de los miembros de las Fuerzas Armadas y de ciudadanos de los EE. UU. que residen en el extranjero e información sobre las auditorías después de las elecciones , incluyendo los requisitos en virtud de la ley federal de que los funcionarios electorales estatales y locales «mantengan y conserven» registros relacionados con las elecciones. Información adicional sobre la votación y las elecciones está disponible en el sitio web del Departamento de Justicia en www.justice.gov/crt/voting/ . Aprenda más sobre la ley de Derechos Electorales y otras leyes federales electorales en www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Querellas relacionadas con posibles vulneraciones de las leyes federales de derechos electorales pueden presentarse mediate el formulario en línea de la División de Derechos Civiles en https://civilrights.justice.gov/ (disponible en español) o por teléfono al 1-800-253-3931. El sitio web www.justice.gov/crt/voting/ también brinda información sobre el grupo de trabajo conjunto para combatir a las amenazas en las elecciones, el cual encabeza los esfuerzos del departamento para enfrentar a la violencia contra funcionarios electorales y asegurar que todos los trabajadores electorales – ya sean electos, nombrados o voluntarios – puedan hacer su trabajo libres de amenazas e intimidación Usted puede denunciar sospechas de actividad delictiva relacionada con las elecciones al FBI al 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) o presentar una querella en línea en tips.fbi.gov (solo en inglés) o Contactar – FBI . Puede también ponerse en contacto con las agencias del orden público locales. Si usted está en peligro inminente, llame al 911.


title: Three Individuals Sentenced for Child Neglect, Endangerment on the Red Lake Reservation

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Three individuals living on the Red Lake Indian Reservation have been sentenced for felony child neglect and felony child endangerment, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between February 2022 and January 2023, Robin John Roy, 55, Nicole Robyn Roy, 29, and Harrison Edwin Dudley Sr., 36, willfully deprived minor victims of necessary food, health care, and supervision despite their reasonable ability to make the necessary provisions, resulting in substantial harm to the minor victims’ physical, mental, and emotional health. Trial evidence established that one of the minor victims suffered from severe anemia as a result of malnourishment, and despite repeat efforts by health care providers to intervene in the child’s condition, the child nearly died as a result of the defendants’ collective failure to provide needed care. Trial evidence also established that both children suffered from prolonged lice infestations that progressed to life-threatening scalp infections. On February 16, 2024, following a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel, all three defendants were found guilty of felony child neglect. Nicole Roy and Dudley were also found guilty of felony child endangerment. All three defendants were sentenced on September 5, 2024, by Judge Brasel. Robin Roy received 24 months of probation, Nicole Roy received 12 months and a day in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and Dudley received four months in prison. In handing down the sentences, Judge Brasel stated she had balanced the relative culpability and the relative nature and circumstances of each defendant. She emphasized that the neglect the children had suffered was “no less serious than an act of assault” because “the injuries that resulted were certainly life threatening,” the neglect went on for a long time, there were “relatively easy” steps the caretakers could have taken, and the caretakers nonetheless willfully failed to take action for the children’s basic needs. Judge Brasel remarked, “The children in this case, and all of the children like them, deserve better.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Middlecamp and Rachel L. Kraker prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Jacksonville Sex Offender Indicted For Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material Over The Internet

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced that Alexander James Koby (39, Jacksonville) has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Jacksonville for knowingly receiving child sexual abuse material over the internet. If convicted, Koby faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison, and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Koby is a convicted child sex offender, having been convicted of a federal charge of knowingly possessing child sexual abuse material in 2014. Koby will make his initial appearance court in this case on September 10, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Samuel J. Horovitz at the United States Courthouse in Jacksonville. 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 Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Divisio’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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Cape Coral Man Sentenced To Over 3 Years In Federal Prison For COVID Relief Fraud

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Diop McKenzie (30, Cape Coral) to 45 months in federal prison for bank fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court ordered McKenzie to pay restitution to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $117,832, the proceeds of the bank and wire fraud. McKenzie pled guilty on June 11, 2024. According to court documents, in May 2020, McKenzie submitted a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application to a financial institution that is federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). McKenzie fraudulently applied for the PPP loan through the SBA in the amount of $20,832 using the name of another individual, and McKenzie falsely represented that he had a business located in Cape Coral, Florida. McKenzie fraudulently represented in his application that the proceeds of the PPP loan would be used for payroll costs and for rent for the business. McKenzie’s false and fraudulent representations caused the financial institution to approve and fund the PPP loan for his business, but the investigation revealed that the loan proceeds were not used for business related purposes. Instead, McKenzie used the PPP funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal benefit. In July 2020, McKenzie submitted a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application to the SBA for a $97,000 loan using the name of another individual and using the other person’s social security number. Further, McKenzie falsely represented the revenue for his purported business and falsely represented the cost of goods sold for the twelve months prior to the date of the disaster. McKenzie used, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person. He used another individual’s name, social security number, and date of birth in a fraudulent loan application that was submitted to the SBA. The investigation revealed that the individual had not applied for the EIDL loan fraudulently obtained in his name, nor had the individual received any funds from the loan. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program was designed to provide economic relied to small businesses that were experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds could be used for payroll expenses, sick leave, production costs, and business obligations, such as debts, rents, and mortgage payments. If an applicant also obtained a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds could not be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Cape Coral Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Series of Armed Carjackings Targeting Elderly

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Alex Askew, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Timothy J. Savage to 21 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, restitution of $36,183.61, and an $800 assessment in connection with a series of armed carjackings targeting mainly elderly victims in Philadelphia and Upper Darby in September of 2022. Askew was charged by superseding indictment in April of 2023, and on February 21, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit carjacking, three counts of carjacking, three counts of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of attempted carjacking. The defendant and others committed three carjackings and one attempted carjacking, all with firearms, during the course of the conspiracy that took place between September 6, 2022, and September 12, 2022. The incidents detailed are as follows: On September 6, 2022, in the afternoon, Askew and two others committed two carjackings within minutes of one another and blocks away. In the first carjacking, Askew was one of three people to brandish a firearm at three victims aged 60 to 80 years old parking their vehicle on the 800 block of North 26 th Street in Philadelphia. In the course of stealing their Mitsubishi SUV, Askew and others threatened to kill them. The same group used the stolen Mitsubishi to drive to the 2600 block of Brown Street minutes later where they pointed a black firearm at a woman parking her Kia Sportage. They demanded her keys before fleeing in both stolen cars. The next day in the evening, on September 7, 2022, Askew and others threatened a 66-year-old woman at gunpoint in the course of stealing her Acura SUV. The victim had just parked in front of her home on Wilde Avenue in Upper Darby late at night when a male with a firearm pointed a gun at her and demanded her keys. The offenders stole the victim’s purse and fled in her vehicle. In the late afternoon of September 11, 2022, Askew and others threatened a 71-year-old woman at gunpoint as she parked in the alleyway behind her home on Brunswick Avenue in Upper Darby. Askew and another male demanded the keys but fled the scene without her vehicle when the victim screamed and ran towards her home. “Alex Askew is 20 years old and was just sentenced to 21 years in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Anyone who’s out there committing carjackings, or even contemplating it, needs to think long and hard about whether stealing a car for a few hours or days is worth spending decades of your life behind bars. The public shouldn’t have to fear being ambushed by armed criminals every time they get in or out of their car. That’s why we and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting these violent crimes and why they carry such significant sentences.” “Carjacking is a serious and dangerous crime, and as this case shows, even a youthful offender like Askew can be sentenced to serious federal prison time for carjacking,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “The fact that the defendant and accomplices targeted vulnerable elderly community members makes their crime spree even more reprehensible. Preventing and prosecuting carjacking remains a high priority, and as in this case, we will work with our partners in the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force to track down the perpetrators across jurisdictions, whenever and wherever they act.” “I want to thank U.S. Attorney Romero for her collaborative efforts to hold violent criminals accountable by bringing them to justice.” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. “In Delaware County, our Project Safe Neighborhoods partnership is a force multiplier for the men and women of law enforcement working courageously every day to keep our communities safe.” “We will not tolerate violent crime in our community,” said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt. “Alex Askew’s actions were not only dangerous but unacceptable, and we remain committed to hold accountable anyone who threatens the safety of our residents. We extend our gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, particularly U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, for their partnership and dedication in prosecuting this individual. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work tirelessly to protect our town and ensure that those who commit crimes face justice.” “The sentence handed down today serves as a powerful reminder that the Philadelphia Police Department, alongside our law enforcement partners, will not tolerate violent crime in our city, especially crimes that target our most vulnerable citizens,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “These brazen carjackings were not only a threat to public safety but also a violation of the sense of security every individual deserves. I commend the dedication of our officers - and the collaboration across our partner agencies - that brought this individual to justice. We remain committed to ensuring the safety of all Philadelphians through decisive and strategic actions.” 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. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, the Upper Darby Township Police Department, and the Philadelphia Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Doherty and Sandra M. Urban.


title: Othello Man Indicted for Rolling Back and Replacing Odometers

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an indictment charging Reynaldo Valdez Garza Jr., age 52, of Othello, Washington, with five counts of Odometer Tampering. Garza made his first appearance in Federal Court on September 9, 2024. The indictment alleges that beginning in May of 2023, Garza carried out a scheme to acquire used cars with high mileage, tamper with or replace the odometers in the vehicles to make the cars mileage appear much lower, then advertise and sell the vehicles to unsuspecting buyers for an inflated price. According to the indictment, in some cases, Garza caused odometers to be rolled back more than 100,000 miles. The indictment further alleges that in some instances Gaza would wait for the buyer to sign their section of the Bill of Sale paperwork, then fill in the “seller” section with different information than what was represented to the buyer regarding the identity of the seller and mileage. “The purchase of a vehicle is often one of the largest financial commitments people make. It is important that buyers have confidence in the information they receive when deciding which vehicle to purchase,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “My office is committed to protecting consumers from fraudsters who seek to cheat the system for their own gain.” This case was investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devin Curda. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Philadelphia Man Who Scarred, Nearly Blinded Ex-Girlfriend in Public Chemical Attack Convicted at Trial

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Victor Ortiz, 47, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted Friday at trial of stalking, seriously injuring, and permanently disfiguring a woman with whom he had a previous relationship. On the morning of May 4, 2022, the defendant had pursued his ex-girlfriend as she walked to her office in Philadelphia. Before she reached the building, the defendant threw soda ash, a caustic substance, on the victim’s face and torso. His attack temporarily blinded her in the left eye and caused severe pain and permanent scarring on her body. Investigators subsequently found that the defendant had attached a GPS device to the victim’s vehicle so that he could monitor her location and follow her. After law enforcement officials discovered the device, the defendant was caught on camera attempting to install a second GPS device on the victim’s vehicle in July 2022. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17 and faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years’ incarceration. “Victor Ortiz needed to take ‘no’ for answer,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “But rather than moving on when a relationship ended, he targeted, stalked, and viciously assaulted his ex-partner, causing horrendous physical pain and emotional trauma. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement colleagues to get justice for stalking victims and take the dangerous offenders who terrorized them off the street.” “HSI is dedicated to protecting individuals from dangerous predators such as Victor Ortiz,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Sara Bay. “Our excellent partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania allows us to hold these criminals responsible for their crimes and obtain justice for their victims.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Miller and Angella Middleton.


title: Justice Department Begins Second Distribution of Forfeited Funds to Compensate Victims of Fraud Scheme Facilitated by Western Union

component: Asset Forfeiture Program

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that the Western Union Remission Fund began its second distribution of approximately $18.5 million in funds forfeited to the United States from the Western Union Company (Western Union) to approximately 3,000 victims located in the United States and abroad. These victims stand to recover the full amount of their losses. This is the second distribution of the second phase of the Western Union Remission. The first distribution of the second phase paid approximately $40 million to over 25,000 victims. Through two phases, the Western Union Remission Fund has distributed over $420 million to more than 175,000 victims who received full compensation for their losses. The second phase of the Western Union Remission was opened in March 2022 to provide victims who had not filed petitions in the first phase of distributions an opportunity to file for remission. The Justice Department continues to review petitions for remission and reconsideration request forms from those victimized by the scheme. The Justice Department anticipates authorizing more distributions for victims in the coming months. “Western Union aided and abetted fraud schemes that collectively caused thousands of victims to lose hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Justice Department has now returned more than $420 million forfeited from Western Union to more than 175,000 victims, who have received full compensation for their losses. The sixth distribution from the Western Union Remission Fund demonstrates yet again that the Criminal Division is committed to using all of its authorities to make crime victims whole.” “The latest distribution of $18.5 million to approximately 3,000 victims again highlights the commitment of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “Western Union allowed fraudsters to carry out schemes against the most vulnerable people in our society, and we are proud to uphold accountability for those involved in these schemes and ensure proper compensation for the harm that victims suffered.” “This $18.5 million disbursement to approximately 3,000 victims represents the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to the American people and the many victims of financial fraud,” said U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Philadelphia Division. “The Western Union Remission process has now disbursed over $420 million to approximately 175,000 victims. This accomplishment reflects our continued efforts with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to provide financial reimbursement to those victimized by a large scale and sophisticated mass marketing fraud.” In 2017, Western Union entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the United States. Pursuant to the DPA, Western Union acknowledged responsibility for its criminal conduct, which included violations of the Bank Secrecy Act and aiding and abetting wire fraud, and agreed to forfeit $586 million, which has been made available to compensate victims of the international consumer fraud scheme through the remission process. Western Union simultaneously resolved a parallel civil investigation with the Federal Trade Commission. In this scheme, fraudsters targeted consumers, including seniors, through multiple scams. Three specific scams directed towards seniors include the grandparent scam, where the fraudster would pose as the victim’s relative in need of immediate money to avoid personal harm, lottery, or sweepstakes scams; where the fraudster would tell the victim that they had won a large cash prize but had to pay fees such as taxes to claim the prize; and romance scams, where the fraudster would pose as an online love interest and request funds for a visit or for another purpose. In each of these scams, the fraudsters convinced their victims to send money through Western Union. Certain owners, operators, or employees of Western Union agent locations were complicit in the schemes. Western Union aided and abetted the fraud scheme by failing to suspend or terminate complicit agents and by allowing them to continue to process fraud-induced monetary transactions. Western Union fulfilled its obligations under the DPA and the court granted the motion to dismiss the information. The Justice Department, through the Asset Forfeiture Program, works diligently to restore lost funds to victims of crime and acknowledges the significant assistance of the USPIS Philadelphia Division’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Office in the Western Union remission. The victim compensation payments in the Western Union case would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Central District of California, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Southern District of Florida. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia, Federal Reserve Board and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General, and Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General provided valuable assistance. More information about the Western Union Remission Fund and its compensation to victims is available at www.WesternUnionRemissionPhase2.com. Further questions may be directed to the Western Union Remission Administrator by phone at (855) 786-1048 or by email at info@WesternUnionRemissionPhase2.com .


title: Foreign National Extradited from Colombia to the United States for Kidnapping and Assaulting Members of the U.S. Military

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Colombian national was extradited to the United States on Friday to face charges related to kidnapping and assaulting two members of the U.S. military who were on temporary duty in Bogotá, Colombia. Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran, 35, of Bogotá, made her initial court appearance today in Miami, Florida, before Magistrate Judge Eduardo Sanchez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. According to court documents, Uribe Chiran and her co-conspirators targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogotá in order to rob them of their valuables. Uribe Chiran is charged with 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. Uribe Chiran is the last of the three co-defendants to be extradited to the United States. Arango Castellanos was extradited in May 2023 from Colombia to the United States, pleaded guilty in January to the charges in the indictment, and was sentenced in May to 48 years and nine months in prison. Silva Ochoa was extradited in April from Chile to the United States and is currently scheduled for trial in November. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head 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. The FBI is investigating the case, and the U.S. Marshals Service escorted Uribe Chiran from Colombia to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Miami Field Office, the Office of the Legal Attaché Santiago, and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Uribe Chiran. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance. 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 Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Participating in International Money Laundering Scheme Involving More Than $3 Million in Fraud Proceeds

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 9, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Juan Pablo Prada Bernal of Colombia was sentenced in federal court today to 40 months in prison for participating in an international money laundering conspiracy involving more than $3 million in proceeds obtained through phone scams. At today’s hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew G. Schopler also ordered Bernal to pay $327,040.72 in restitution to 27 victims of the offense. According to his plea agreement, between June 2018 and March 2020, Bernal was a member of an international conspiracy that laundered large amounts of money. The conspiracy involved two sides: Those responsible for contacting victims by phone and tricking them into sending thousands of dollars to U.S.-based bank accounts, and those responsible for laundering the proceeds through those bank accounts. The money launderers received and transferred the ill-gotten gains to their co-conspirators in Colombia and the United States, and in the process concealed the nature, source, location, ownership and control of the proceeds. The money launderers opened bank accounts at various financial institutions using false mailing addresses. Shortly after the accounts were opened, the phone scammers – many of whom lived in Colombia – made unsolicited phone calls to victims in the United States using spoofed phone numbers. This allowed callers to conceal their identity and make it appear as if the calls originated from locations in the United States, such as a police station where the victim lived or had lived in the past. During calls with victims, the scammers impersonated federal and local law enforcement officers and made the victims believe they were implicated in a crime. Using this as leverage, the conspirators coerced victims to make large wire transfers or other payments to purportedly resolve their criminal liability. The scammers instructed victims to wire funds to the various bank accounts opened by the money launderers. Once the money was deposited into the accounts, the money launderers quickly moved to withdraw the funds, purchase cashier’s checks to send to other conspirators, and drain the balance of the accounts before the funds could be frozen. According to the United States’ sentencing memorandum, Bernal opened bank accounts at 10 different financial institutions to carry out the money laundering scheme. In many instances, Bernal received the fraud proceeds shortly after he opened the bank accounts and drained the balance of the accounts in a matter of days. After banks stopped allowing Bernal to open new accounts, he began to receive and launder cashier’s checks sent from his co-conspirators that were purchased with fraud proceeds obtained from other victims. To carry out this new role, Bernal and his co-conspirators traveled to multiple Moneytree locations in the same day for the purpose of laundering large amounts of fraud proceeds over a short period of time. Over the course of approximately two years, Bernal received and laundered fraud proceeds more than 30 times from 27 different victims, including varying amounts of cashier’s checks from 14 of his co-conspirators, totaling an amount of $327,040.72. “These scammers are sophisticated and will prey on emotion and fear,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This defendant turned deceit into profit, so we turned his profit into a conviction.” “FBI Los Angeles works closely with our law enforcement partners to combat money laundering in our communities. Mr. Bernal’s sentence should serve as a deterrent to those who seek to prey on innocent victims” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI reminds the public to be vigilant and never send money, gift cards, or share personal identifying information with a caller and to verify that the caller is a legitimate business or organization. The public is urged to report these calls to 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.” “The U.S. Border Patrol is an all-threats agency, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our citizens from any and all threats,” said Chief Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “I couldn’t be prouder of the work done by these agents to secure a significant and successful prosecution.” This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan. DEFENDANT Case Number 23-cr-1483-AGS Juan Pablo Prada Bernal Age: 24 Columbia SUMMARY OF CHARGES Money Laundering Conspiracy - Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h) Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction INVESTIGATING AGENCIES U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Border Patrol Federal Bureau of Investigation Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force U.S. Secret Service


title: Four Delaware Men Charged with International “Sextortion” and Money Laundering Scheme

body_text: Between Aug. 20 and Sept. 5, four Delaware men were arrested and/or self-surrendered in Delaware on federal charges relating to an alleged international “sextortion” scheme that targeted thousands of victims throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. According to a superseding indictment unsealed today, Sidi Diakite, 30; Almamy Diaby, 22; Abdul Aziz Sangare, 26; and Abdoul Aziz Traore, 31; all residents of Wilmington, and other co-conspirators allegedly operated an international, financially motivated “sextortion” and money laundering scheme in which the conspirators engaged in cyberstalking, interstate threats, extortion, money laundering, and wire fraud. As part of the scheme, the conspirators, utilizing multiple payment methods, attempted to extort approximately $6.9 million from thousands of potential victims, and they successfully extorted approximately $1.9 million from these victims through CashApp and Apple Pay alone. The superseding indictment also charges Hadja Kone, 28, of Wilmington, Delaware, who was previously arrested in April; and Siaka Ouattara, 22, of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, whom the Ivorian authorities separately arrested in February in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on Ivorian charges stemming from the same scheme. As alleged in the superseding indictment, the conspirators posed as young females online and initiated communications with thousands of potential victims, who were primarily young men and included minors from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The conspirators allegedly offered to provide and/or provided victims with sexual photographs, video recordings, and/or “web cam” or “live video chat” sessions depicting what they falsely portrayed to be a young female, when in fact the conspirators were the ones operating the accounts. Unbeknownst to the victims, during the web cam/live video chats, the conspirators surreptitiously recorded the victims as they exposed their genitals and/or engaged in sexual activity. The conspirators thereafter sent the victims copies of the victims’ fraudulently obtained sexual images and threatened to distribute the victims’ sexual images to the victims’ friends, family members, significant others, employers, and co-workers, and to publish the victims’ sexual images widely online, unless the victims transferred funds to designated recipients. Ouattara, Kone, Diakite, Diaby, Sangare, Traore, and others also operated infrastructure to transfer the funds illegally obtained from the victims to conspirators located in Côte d’Ivoire and elsewhere overseas. Diakite, Diaby, Sangare, Traore, Kone, and Ouattara are each charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and to send interstate threats, conspiracy to engage in money laundering, money laundering, and wire fraud. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each conspiracy count and money laundering count, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss for the District of Delaware, and Acting Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs and the government of Cote d’Ivoire. Trial Attorney Austin M. Berry of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Knox for the District of Delaware are prosecuting the case. If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office , call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) . Additional resources can found at Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI . For more information about this particular financially motivated sextortion case and if you believe you are a victim in this particular case, please also visit justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-hadja-fanta-kone-siaka-ouattara-sidi-diakite-almamy-moustapha-diaby. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Sentenced For Third Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Cornelius Jeremih Pruitt, 28, of Daphne, Alabama, was sentenced today on his third conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Court documents show that Pruitt was under federal supervision through the United States Probation Office for two prior federal convictions for felon in possession of a firearm when he was apprehended in July of 2023. Bay Minette police responded to a report of a man in a silver vehicle brandishing a weapon while driving in front of a residence. Officer began a patrol of the area an observed a silver vehicle parked in the middle of Means Avenue in the dark with no headlights on. Pruitt was the driver and sole occupant. As a result of the ensuing investigation, officers discovered a gun under his seat loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition. Pruitt told the police it was over for him, and admitted he was a convicted felon. Pruitt pled guilty to the charge in May of 2024. Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock sentenced Pruitt to 30 months in prison on the new charge, and ordered that Pruitt serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The judge further ordered that Pruitt’s supervised release term from his two prior felon in possession charges be revoked and that he serve 24 months imprisonment for his violation of that supervision. The judge ordered that Pruitt would be subjects to standard conditions of supervised release, as well as certain special conditions, including mental health counseling and treatment, drug and alcohol testing and treatment and the model search provision, which permits a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion that he has violated his supervision. He was also ordered to pay $100 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed but the firearm and ammunition seized from Pruitt was ordered forfeited to the United States. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bay Minette Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Federal Drug Conspirators Sentenced

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Five members of a federal drug conspiracy were sentenced on September 6 in federal court. Eric Maurice Moseley, 37, of Grand Bay, Alabama; Hardy Devan Forrest, 35, also of Grand Bay; Markell Durrell Moore, 36, of Mobile; Zyshonne Osilk Smith, 25, of Grand Bay; and Bryan Dion Campbell, 30, of Mobile, each appeared before United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose in separate sentencing hearings. Moseley pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in November of 2023. In October of 2023, Forrest pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking felony, and felon in possession of a firearm. Moore pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in December of 2023. Smith pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking felony in August of 2023. Otis Sanders, Jr., was alleged to be the organizer and manager of the drug distribution conspiracy. Sanders and two other members of the conspiracy were convicted in April of 2024 by a jury of multiple counts involving conspiracy and drug trafficking, including specific instances of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Evidence from that trial established that Sanders operated a large, interstate distribution organization in which he obtained methamphetamine from suppliers in Texas for distribution in Mobile County. Sanders hired couriers to get money to Texas and return to Mobile with the drugs. The evidence showed that some of the couriers rode commercial buses for that round trip, and others used private vehicles for their transportation. Drugs were stored residences in Moss Point, Mississippi, and in south Mobile County until they were packaged into smaller amounts for distribution to local dealers. Investigators made controlled buys of methamphetamine from Sanders and other members of the organization, including Smith, Campbell and Forrest. Search warrants were executed at their residences where additional amounts of drugs were seized. Investigators also found and seized guns at Smith’s residence and Forrest’s residence. Court documents show that in August of 2022, Moseley was arrested with another conspirator in a vehicle by St. Tammany Parish sheriff’s deputies traveling from New Orleans to Mobile with 4 kilograms of methamphetamine ice and a pistol in their vehicle. Additional amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine were seized at Moseley’s residence in Mobile shortly after his arrest. Moore was arrested on June of 2023 at his residence where investigators seized two firearms. Other members of the conspiracy, including Sanders, were arrested that date. Numerous firearms and additional quantities of methamphetamine were seized during the arrests. One firearm seized was a Glock handgun equipped with a machine gun conversion device, which illegally converts a semi-automatic handgun into a machine gun. Sanders was also identified as the instigator in a drive-by shooting on Ramsay Road in south Mobile County. Evidence from Sanders’ trial established that the shooting resulted after Sanders did not pay one of his couriers for the delivery a shipment of 10 or 20 kilograms of methamphetamine to Mobile. Sanders drove by a residence associated with the courier and Zyshonne Osilk Smith, who was one of his distributors, on Ramsay Road, and fired shots at them in the yard. A gun battle ensued. Mobile County sheriff’s deputies responded when a complainant notified them that one of the bullets had penetrated her trailer and lodged in the wall above her bed, where she was lying when she heard the shots. Sanders abandoned his silver Suburban in the road near the intersection with Highway 188. The deputies impounded the vehicle and seized shell casings inside the vehicle, establishing that Sanders had fired shots from the interior of the vehicle. Sanders attempted to have Bryan Dion Campbell tow the vehicle before law enforcement arrived, but they were already present and investigating at that location when the wrecker driver arrived. Photographs of the Suburban were introduced into evidence at Sanders’ trial, showing the vehicle had been struck by numerous bullets and the tires on the driver’s side were shredded by gunshots. Sanders was convicted by a jury on 12 counts and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in July of 2024. Court documents established that Forrest, Campbell, Moore, Moseley and Smith were distributors for Sanders, and Forrest and Moseley stored larger quantities of methamphetamine for Sanders at their residences at his instruction. Moseley also acted as one of Sanders’ couriers to bring shipments of methamphetamine from Houston, Texas, to Mobile for further distribution here. Judge Dubose sentenced Moseley to 75 months in prison on both counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Moseley will also serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. The judge ordered that Moseley would be subjects to standard conditions of supervised release, as well as certain special conditions, including drug and alcohol testing and treatment and the model search provision, which permits a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion that he has violated his supervision. He was also ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. The judge sentenced Forrest to 150 months imprisonment on the drug counts and the felon in possession count with those sentences to run concurrently. Forrest was sentenced an additional 5 years on the gun charge, which was ordered to run consecutively. The judge ordered Forrest to serve 5 years of supervised release following his release from imprisonment. The same conditions as those imposed for Moseley’s supervision were likewise imposed for Forrest. Forrest was ordered to pay $400 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. Moore was sentenced to 120 months in prison on the drug count and 90 months imprisonment on the felon in possession charge, with the sentences to run concurrently. Moore will also serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. Moseley will also be subject to the same conditions as those imposed for his codefendants. He was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. Campbell was sentenced to 105 months in prison on both counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Campbell will also serve 5 years of supervised release following his imprisonment. Campbell will also be subject to the same conditions as those imposed for his codefendants. He was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. Smith was sentenced to 90 months in prison, consisting of 30 months on the drug count and 60 onths on the gun count, which will run consecutively. The judge ordered that Smith will serve a 5 year term of supervised release to follow his imprisonment. Smith will be subject to the same conditions of supervised release as the other defendants. He was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments. No fine was imposed. The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, the Beaumont Police (Texas) Department, the St. Tammany Parish (Louisiana) Sheriff’s Office, and the Mobile Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organization 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.


title: Jury convicts RGV man for illegally transporting non-U.S. citizen

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 45-year-old Pharr resident has been convicted of unlawfully transporting an undocumented alien, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. The jury deliberated for approximately one hour before finding Benjamin Ramirez guilty following a one-day trial. The jury heard that Ramirez drove to the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint with a passenger in the front seat. Law enforcement conducted a routine immigration inspection and determined the passenger was illegally present in the United States. At trial, Ramirez claimed that he had no idea the passenger was illegally in the country and that they were traveling to perform mechanical work in San Antonio. The jury did not believe defense claims and found Ramirez guilty as charged. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 4, at which time Ramirez faces up to five years in federal prison. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.


component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Colombian national was extradited to the United States on Friday to face charges related to kidnapping and assaulting two members of the U.S. military who were on temporary duty in Bogotá, Colombia. Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran, 35, of Bogotá, made her initial court appearance today in Miami, Florida, before Magistrate Judge Eduardo Sanchez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. According to court documents, Uribe Chiran and her co-conspirators targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogotá in order to rob them of their valuables. Uribe Chiran is charged with 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. Uribe Chiran is the last of the three co-defendants to be extradited to the United States. Arango Castellanos was extradited in May 2023 from Colombia to the United States, pleaded guilty in January to the charges in the indictment, and was sentenced in May to 48 years and nine months in prison. Silva Ochoa was extradited in April from Chile to the United States and is currently scheduled for trial in November. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case, and the U.S. Marshals Service escorted Uribe Chiran from Colombia to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI Miami Field Office, the Office of the Legal Attaché Santiago, and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Uribe Chiran. The United States also thanks Colombian law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20474. ###