title: Department of Justice awards nearly $975,000 for youth suicide prevention in Pacific County

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) has awarded almost $975,000 to Pacific County organizations to execute a comprehensive youth suicide prevention project. “Tragically, Pacific County has the tenth highest suicide rate in the state,” said U.S. Attorney, Tessa M. Gorman. “Those working with youth in Pacific County have crafted this project to try to combat youth suicide and build community resilience. The Department of Justice supports these efforts with the hope that other communities can learn from these programs.” Pacific County Public Health & Human Services (PCHHS), in collaboration with WestEd’s Justice and Prevention Research Center (JPRC), aim to specifically address the high rates of suicidal ideation and attempt among 8 th – 12 th graders in Pacific County. This project will deliver suicide awareness and prevention training in academic settings, establish a trauma response protocol, conduct comprehensive evaluation of current suicide prevention policies and procedures, and ultimately implement sustainable resilience-building activities in the community. The recipients of the award will utilize a series of evidence-based programs to equip individuals with the necessary skills to identify and effectively respond to signs of mental health struggle and suicidal ideation. By providing a comprehensive education of suicide prevention strategies for young people, this project intends to create a safer and more supportive environment long-term for the youth of Pacific County.


title: St. Louis County Woman Sentenced to 20 years in Prison for Prostituting Minor

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Thursday sentenced a woman who prostituted a minor to 20 years in prison. Beginning as early as 2018, Carrie Little recruited women and had others recruit women to engage in prostitution. Among those recruited was a 17-year-old minor. Little provided the victim with a place to live and placed sexually suggestive and explicit photos of the minor in online ads for commercial sex. Little took calls to arrange sexual encounters and to arrange the price. After the encounters, men paid Little or the victim, who was required to give most of the money to Little. “There was a very toxic combination of verbal abuse, physical abuse, sexual exploitation, neglect, blaming and much more that all resulted in mental strain and the feeling of shame, which a child should never have to feel,” wrote the victim, who is now an adult, in a letter to the court. Little, she wrote, began by having her handle phone calls and post ads for others before bringing her on “dates,” “slowly preparing me for the worst.” “I was sold to many men to perform sexual acts to make money for you. You controlled my every move, money, and everything else. You allowed my innocence and the chance of a normal childhood to be completely taken away for your selfish intentions.” Little, 44, pleaded guilty in August to one count of coercion or enticement of a minor. The St. Louis County Police Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case as part of the FBI St. Louis Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The Hazelwood Police Department also investigated the case. Crisis Aid International and the International Institute of Saint Louis assisted victims associated with the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dianna Edwards and Nathan Chapman prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Boone Man Is Sentenced To Eight Years In Federal Prison For Using The Dark Web To Transport Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jacob Elijah Kilgore, 29, of Boone, N.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release today for using the dark web to transport child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Kilgore was also ordered to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Andy LeBeau of the Boone Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, in February 2023, law enforcement determined that Kilgore was using the dark web to share over 150 videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of children. On February 23, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Kilgore’s apartment, seizing a homemade laptop that contained 11 integrated hard drives. A forensic analysis of one of the seized hard drives revealed that it contained an extensive collection of videos and images of child pornography, with a running time of more than 66 hours for the video files, and approximately 55 gigabytes of storage space for the image files. Some of the videos and images in Kilgore’s library depicted children as young as infants and toddlers being sexually abused. During an interview with law enforcement, Kilgore admitted to accessing the dark web to download child pornography and using a peer-to-peer network to transfer child pornography to others. On December 8, 2023, Kilgore pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In announcing Kilgore’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell said that the public should know that “this kind of conduct leads to long prison sentences.” The investigation was handled by HSI and the Boone Police Department with the assistance of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Cervantes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Federal investigation into meth, fentanyl trafficking on Blackfeet Indian Reservation results in multiple indictments

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BROWNING — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, for the District of Montana, today announced that a six-month-long enforcement initiative led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in cooperation with, federal, tribal and local enforcement, into drug trafficking on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation has resulted in indictments of multiple individuals. U.S. Attorney Laslovich, joined by representatives from the DEA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs, discussed the initiative during a press conference held at the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council offices in Browning, on the Blackfeet Reservation. The DEA-led the enforcement action was initiated under its Operation Overdrive, which is aimed at combatting rising rates of drug-related violent crime and overdose deaths plaguing American communities. The initiative identifies hot spots to devote its law enforcement resources to communities where criminal drug organizations or networks are causing the most harm. The DEA, working in partnership with federal, tribal and local law enforcement agencies, identified the Blackfeet Reservation as a community for Operation Overdrive. “Our office is well aware that the scourge of methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking is devastating to Montana communities and disproportionally harming Indian Country, including the Blackfeet Nation. Drug traffickers attempt to move into reservations and enlist residents to deal drugs and collect the proceeds. Focused enforcement actions, like this operation on the Blackfeet Reservation, not only get violent drug dealers and suppliers off the street, but also send the message that traffickers have no safe place on Montana’s Indian reservations. The progress we’ve made with this operation would not have happened without the cooperation of our federal, tribal, and local law enforcement partners, for which I am sincerely grateful,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “DEA’s Operation Overdrive shows our commitment to areas of the country experiencing high drug cartel activity, and the violence and crime that comes with it,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen. “I send our sincere thanks to the Blackfeet Reservation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana, and commend our tribal, federal, state and local law enforcement partners for their hard work, dedication, and cooperation in bringing criminals to justice.” The DEA initiative on the Blackfeet Reservation ran from approximately May to October and has resulted so far in the indictments of 11 individuals on various federal drug crimes, primarily involving methamphetamine and fentanyl, and firearms crimes. Assisting DEA in the enforcement action were Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office and FBI. XXX


title: Former California Correctional Officer Sentenced for Accepting Bribes

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Stephen Joseph Crittenden, 44, of Suisun City, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two years and one month in prison for bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Crittenden was a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation correctional officer at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. From 2021 through 2023, he accepted bribes from inmates, totaling more than $45,000, to smuggle cellphones into the California Medical Facility. “Crittenden abused the trust placed in correctional officers by repeatedly taking bribes to smuggle contraband into a prison,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his abuse of trust and should deter other correctional officers from engaging in the same conduct.” “The FBI has no tolerance for corruption by public employees – especially law enforcement officers – who are entrusted to uphold the law and serve the public. No person is above the law,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “This case exemplifies the strong partnership between the FBI and CDCR. The FBI works tirelessly to ensure corrupt public officials are held accountable to preserve the public’s trust in and integrity of these vital positions.” This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg prosecuted the case.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced In Multi-Million Dollar Wire And Tax Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Pablo Isila Euceda-Hernandez (36), a Honduran national illegally present in United States, to 27 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. The court also ordered Euceda-Hernandez to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,214,508. The court also entered a money judgment against Euceda-Hernandez in the amount of $336,029, representing the proceeds of the wire fraud. According to court documents, Euceda-Hernandez established a shell company that purported to be involved in the construction industry. Euceda-Hernandez obtained a workers’ compensation insurance policy in the name of the shell company to cover a minimal payroll for a few purported employees. He then “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance to work crews who had obtained subcontracts with construction contractors on projects in various Florida counties as well as contractors in other states. He sent the contractors a certificate as “proof” that the work crews had workers’ compensation insurance, as required by Florida law. By sending the certificate, Euceda-Hernandez falsely represented that the work crews worked for the shell company. Over the course of the scheme, Euceda-Hernandez “rented” the certificates to dozens of work crews, defrauding the worker’s compensation carrier, typically allowing undocumented illegal workers to be employed unlawfully. As part of the scheme, the contractors issued payroll checks for the workers’ wages to the shell companies and Euceda-Hernandez cashed these checks, then distributed the cash to the work crews after deducting their fee, which was typically about 6% of the payroll. During the scheme, Euceda-Hernandez cashed payroll checks totaling approximately $5 million. Neither the shell company nor the contractors reported to government authorities the wages that were paid to the workers, nor did they pay either the employees’ or the employer’s portion of payroll taxes – including Social Security, Medicare, and federal income tax. According to the IRS, the amount of payroll taxes due on wages collected by Euceda-Hernandez totaled $1,214,508. The scheme also facilitated the avoidance of the higher cost of obtaining adequate workers’ compensation insurance for the numerous workers on the work crews to whom Euceda-Hernandez “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance. The policy that Euceda-Hernandez purchased and then “rented” out was for an estimated payroll of $169,400 and the insurance company issued a policy for a premium of approximately $11,352. Had a workers’ compensation insurance policy been purchased for the actual payroll totaling approximately $5 million, the policy premium would have totaled approximately $591,978. “Under-the-table cash payroll schemes, especially those designed to pay illegal immigrants not authorized to work in the United States, jeopardizes the integrity of the construction industry and undermines the legal framework intended to protect workers and ensure fair business through legal and ethical standards,” said Tim Hemker, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville assistant special agent in charge. “HSI, through our strong law enforcement partnerships, is committed to uncovering the schemes of criminals and ensuring that justice is served for those who seek to exploit the system.” “This defendant cheated. He cheated their employees, the U.S. taxpayers, and most importantly the free-market principles which govern our society,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “By breaking the law, Euceda-Hernandez sought an unfair advantage to all their competitors who played by the rules and will now contemplate their actions from prison. We want to ensure a level playing field for the business owners doing things the right way. To those who think they can get away with this type of behavior, no matter what steps you take to cover your tracks, we will find out, and do everything we can to bring you to justice.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.


title: Federal Inmate Convicted At Trial Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Assault With Intent To Commit Murder

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Shane McMillan (51, Texas) to 25 years in federal prison following jury verdicts finding McMillan guilty of assault with the intent to commit murder and possession of a prohibited object by a federal inmate. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, McMillan was an inmate in the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. On July 9, 2023, McMillan followed another inmate into a cell, closed the door, and then stabbed the victim approximately 10 times with a shank. Another inmate heard screaming and opened the cell door, which allowed the victim to escape. The victim suffered multiple puncture wounds to his neck, chest, and torso. The victim was transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he eventually recovered from the injuries. When interviewed by the FBI, McMillan admitted that he wanted to kill the victim. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.


title: Money Launderer Sentenced, Ordered to Repay $2.3 Million

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who helped launder millions of dollars obtained in fraud schemes to three years in prison and ordered him to repay $2.3 million. Richard Charles Appelbaum III, 40, of Maryland Heights, pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He admitted conspiring with at least six others to move millions of dollars obtained from fraud victims into cryptocurrency. In 2022, Appelbaum was introduced to someone identified in his plea agreement as “E.S.,” who was described as a “big player” in cryptocurrency. E.S. offered to hire Appelbaum as an "investment banker" at Coins2Trade, a cryptocurrency transaction processor. E.S. told Appelbaum he would receive a 3% commission for converting U.S. currency into cryptocurrency. Between August 2022 and October 2022, E.S. trained Appelbaum via WhatsApp messages and phone calls, typically between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. E.S. told Appelbaum to create businesses, open numerous business and personal bank accounts and open accounts at various cryptocurrency exchanges under his own name. Appelbaum was told to provide the information on the accounts to E.S. E.S. also told Appelbaum to never tell bank personnel that he was dealing with cryptocurrency and use the debit cards tied to the accounts at least once per day to make the accounts appear legitimate. Told he could make money by recruiting others, Appelbaum recruited another person to process cryptocurrency transactions. Appelbaum and other co-conspirators formed numerous business entities, falsely claiming on corporate organization documents that the businesses would be involved in auto purchasing consulting, boating supplies, real estate management and life skills consulting when their real purpose was demonstrating apparent legitimacy to financial institutions when the business accounts received large wire deposits. Between February 2022 and April 2023, Appelbaum and the other co-conspirators opened at least 24 business bank accounts at various financial institutions. The accounts were used to receive the proceeds of Business Email Compromise (BEC) wire fraud schemes, where criminal actors infiltrated the victims’ email accounts to divert payments. Between February 2022 and February 2023, at least 36 individuals and entities were defrauded in this way. In one example, on Dec. 12, 2022, a title company in Florida received a fraudulent email with instructions to wire $2.2 million in escrowed funds to one of Appelbaum’s accounts. Appelbaum later lied to the title company’s lawyer and in a deposition in a civil suit, falsely claiming that he was owed the money for consulting services, his plea agreement says. Appelbaum and other co-conspirators then moved the criminal proceeds from the business accounts to personal bank accounts, and then to accounts at cryptocurrency trading platforms, knowing that it was designed in whole or in part to conceal the nature, location, source or control of the proceeds. Appelbaum knew that at least $3.5 million was laundered that way. During the conspiracy, Appelbaum and his co-conspirators received at least 34 wire transfers totaling $8.3 million from victims of the BEC fraud scheme or an online romance fraud scheme, Appelbaum’s plea says. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.


title: Twice Convicted Felon Sentenced To Four Years After Defrauding Employer

body_text: A convicted-felon-turned-CFO who defrauded his company was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Jon Robert Rush, 56, of Keller, TX, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to wire fraud. He was sentenced Wednesday to 51 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who also ordered him to pay $1,062,459.49 in restitution to his victims. Mr. Rush was employed first as the Vice President, and subsequently Chief Financial Officer, of a logistics and transportation company located in the DFW area. The company arranges for the transportation of freight and cargo for the military, defense contractors, disaster relief organizations, and others. According to court documents, from 2016 to 2020, Mr. Rush misappropriated the company’s funds for his own benefit and misdirected funds to pay off his debt. As part of the scheme, Mr. Rush transferred funds from the company’s bank accounts to bank accounts he owned or controlled, then he recorded these transfers in the company’s internal accounting software to conceal the fraud. Mr. Rush disguised the monetary transfers by using the names of vendors with whom company routinely did business. At sentencing, the Court found that losses relevant to the offense extended beyond those just to Mr. Rush’s employer. The majority shareholders provided statements that they were faced with “almost insurmountable debt” to keep the company afloat, employee layoffs, and financial instability that resulted in the closing of one of the related companies. Mr. Rush was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit counterfeit check fraud and wire fraud in 1994. At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, the Court noted that his prior conviction was a factor in the decision to deny a downward variance. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly Chapman is handling the restitution.


title: Sikeston Man Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU - U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Thursday sentenced Cameron L. Robinson, 31, of Sikeston, Missouri, to 10 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl. Court documents reflect that in March 2023, law enforcement officers responded to Robinson’s residence in Sikeston to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. While on the premises, officers discovered a large bag containing over a half-pound of fentanyl concealed in a barbecue grill on the back porch. At a guilty plea hearing in U.S. District Court in cape Girardeau earlier this year, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and admitted that the fentanyl belonged to him and that he intended to distribute it. After serving the 10-year sentence, Robinson will be placed on supervised release for three years. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Kidnapping of a Rideshare Driver

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Dec. 3, Miguel Alejandro Pastran Hernandez, 24, pled guilty to kidnapping a rideshare driver at gunpoint and forcing the victim to drive the defendant from Texas to South Florida. On or about Aug. 16, at around 10:30 p.m., Victim 1 was working as a driver for a ride sharing application near Arlington, Texas, when Victim 1 picked up Pastran Hernandez. Victim 1 drove Pastran Hernandez to his destination, which was a gas station that appeared to be closed. After a short time, Victim 1 heard the click of a gun being chambered and saw Pastran Hernandez holding what appeared to be a firearm. Victim 1 offered to give Pastran Hernandez the victim’s possessions and leave the vehicle, but Pastran Hernandez told Victim 1 that he was going to tie the victim up and put the victim in the back of the vehicle. Instead of tying up Victim 1, Pastran Hernandez ordered Victim 1 to drive to Florida. Pastran Hernandez used a mobile application on his cellphone to see where law enforcement was located along the drive and instructed Victim 1 to avoid those areas. Pastran Hernandez told Victim 1 that he had other guns in the car, inside his luggage. While driving from Texas to Florida, Pastran Hernandez discovered that Victim 1 had a blue handgun in the vehicle. The firearm was unloaded, with the ammunition stored separately in the vehicle. Pastran Hernandez loaded the ammunition into the firearm and kept it on his person for the duration of the kidnapping. During the journey, Pastran Hernandez brandished that firearm at Victim 1 so that Victim 1 would follow his commands. On or about Aug. 18, Pastran Hernandez and Victim 1 arrived in Miami Beach, Fla., where Pastran Hernandez surveilled the residence of another potential victim (Victim 2). Pastran Hernandez told Victim 1 that Victim 2 was a social media influencer and that Pastran Hernandez intended to kidnap Victim 2 or someone in Victim 2’s family for a $3,000,000 ransom. On or about Aug. 19, Pastran Hernandez made Victim 1 drive to a store in Hialeah, Fla., to buy supplies for the kidnapping of Victim 2. Pastran Hernandez held onto Victim 1’s car keys, while Victim 1 used the restroom. Around that time, police officers arrived at the store and Pastran Hernandez fled the area on foot. Law enforcement located Pastran Hernandez at a park in Hollywood, Fla. a few hours later. On Pastran Hernandez’s person, inside a cross-body bag, was Victim 1’s blue handgun. The firearm was loaded and had a bullet in the chamber. Inside Pastran Hernandez’s backpack, which was in Victim 1’s car, law enforcement later discovered multiple Airsoft or BB guns, knives, a black mask, hat, sunglasses, binoculars, walkie-talkies, zip-ties, and other items. Pastran Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20, 2025, before Chief Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga. He faces up to life in prison, following his guilty plea to charges of kidnapping, carjacking, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the charges. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hannah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . 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 24-cr-20380. ###


title: Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Relief Program Fraud

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Myaika Gross, age 40, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to wire fraud in connection with her defrauding of the COVID-19 relief programs. According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, Gross worked as a United States Postal Employee in Louisiana between May of 2020 and June of 2021. Yet, during that time period she applied for Pandemic Unemployment benefits in five different states (California, Kansas, Indiana, Colorado and Louisiana), claiming she worked in each and had been laid off for COVID-19 related reasons. Additionally, Gross applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan using fraudulent information during this time frame. In total, Gross took $65,928 in pandemic funds she was not entitled to receive. This matter is being investigated by the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill, who also serves as the Deputy Chief of the Economic Crime Unit. Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Cape Girardeau Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU - A man from Cape Girardeau on Thursday and admitted recording his sexual abuse of a child. Steven Lee Brown, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of production of child pornography. According to court documents, last May, the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Brown had sexually abused a 10-year-old child. The child was interviewed and confirmed the abuse. Officers immediately responded to Brown’s residence. During an interview, Brown admitted that he engaged in various sexual acts with the child. Brown further admitted that he used his cell phone to record some of the sexual activity. Officers seized Brown’s phone and discovered several sexually explicit images of the minor child on the device. At his plea hearing, Brown admitted that he used his cell phone to produce the sexually explicit material. Brown’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 6, 2025. He faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years. This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester is handling the prosecution for the Government.


title: U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada Announces Expansion of CASA Program for Federal Defendants Eligible for Rehabilitation

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney Martin Estrada announced today the expansion of the Conviction and Sentence Alternatives (CASA) program, which is being made available to a wider group of defendants by an expansion of admission criteria to include defendants facing federal charges who have demonstrated an ability and willingness to make significant and meaningful changes to their lives. Successful participants in the CASA program have their charges dismissed or receive a recommendation of a non-custodial sentence. The CASA partners – which are comprised of the United States District Court, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Public Defender, and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services – are expanding the program to admit applicants who can benefit from a rigorous, structured program regardless of whether they can demonstrate a substance use or mental health issue that contributed to the underlying federal offense. The expanded CASA admission criteria are posted to the United States Attorney’s Office public website, and prospective applicants are encouraged to refer to them. “The CASA program enhances public safety by guiding low-level offenders through a rigorous rehabilitation program that will reduce recidivism,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “This program has been a major success and a model for the nation, and I am grateful for the hard work of our CASA partners and participants who have brought positive change in their communities.” “I am proud of CASA’s 12-year track record of success in assisting defendants to effectuate a positive trajectory in their lives without incarceration and applaud the U.S. Attorneys’ Office formal embrace of expanded admission criteria that accurately reflect CASA’s mission and objectives,” said Chief United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. “The Federal Public Defender’s Office looks forward to the expansion of CASA,” said Federal Public Defender Cuauhtemoc Ortega. “We will continue to advocate for applicants that are deserving and in need of the resources CASA can provide. Our office remains committed to work together with all the CASA partners to shepherd participants toward graduation and a successful future. CASA is living proof that alternatives to incarceration programs work and have an important role on our criminal justice system.” The CASA program began in 2012 and there are now nearly 400 successful graduates. It is a collaborative, interagency program that enjoys support from the United States District Court, the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office, the Federal Public Defender, and the United States Attorney’s Office. Each agency provides considerable resources to the program throughout the Central District of California – a seven-county area comprised of the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. CASA uses its resources and evidence-based practices to support participants in addressing substance use disorders, mental health challenges, negative peer associations, and other issues which may have contributed to the commitment of the charged federal crime. For suitable applicants, CASA provides an alternative to incarceration aimed at successfully re-integrating federal defendants into families, communities, employment, and a crime-free, drug-free lifestyle. The CASA program includes bi-weekly court sessions, structured straining to help in planning and developing improved decision making, job and work application skills, and, when needed and directed, substance abuse treatment and mental health therapy. The CASA program was initially modeled on state drug-court programs and the Central District of California’s successful Substance Abuse Treatment and Re-Entry (STAR) program. Over time, it was recognized that the CASA program could have utility beyond addressing substance use and mental health issues.


title: Leader of Southwest Virginia Methamphetamine Conspiracy  To Serve 20 Years in Federal Prison Following His Release from Prison in Georgia

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – The leader of a 20-member conspiracy that distributed numerous kilograms of methamphetamine throughout southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee was sentenced today in federal court. Christopher “CJ” Johnson, 47, of Bristol, Tennessee, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Today he was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, which he will serve following his release from the Georgia Department of Corrections. According to court documents, in 2020 Johnson and Noah Bryan Horn were arrested in Georgia with four kilograms of methamphetamine, two pistols, and heroin. As a result, Johnson received a 25-year prison sentence in the Georgia Department of Corrections. But, by mid-2022, Johnson had launched another methamphetamine conspiracy. From prison in Georgia, Johnson used a contraband cell phone to communicate with people outside of prison to coordinate his multi-state drug trafficking scheme. Co-conspirators would travel to Georgia to collect large amounts of methamphetamine from Johnson’s designated sources, send payments to Johnson via CashApp and other means, and then bring the drugs back to southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee for further distribution. Johnson also coordinated deliveries of fentanyl and ecstasy during the conspiracy. At one point, Johnson was responsible for a large percentage of the overall methamphetamine market in both the Bristol, Virginia and Bristol, Tennessee areas. Others who have previously pleaded guilty as part of the conspiracy included individuals from Virginia and Tennessee: Noah Bryan Horn, Nicholas Alexander Courtney, Michael Paul Brown, Jeremy Wayne Maxfield, Kenneth Lee Trivette, Olivia Abigail Coleman, Kayla Cheyanne Winebarger, Sheenah Amber Rogers, Joey Dean Webb, Diamond Snow Booher, Amber Leigh Phipps, Morgan Paige Perry, Eric Dale Whisman, Kedrick Lee Dingus, Christopher Michael Sullivan, Woodrow America Ritchie, Ashley Lynn Young, Patricia Ann Smoot, and Tabitha Nichole Satterfield. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Bristol (Virginia) Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies in Georgia and Tennessee investigated the case, including Tennessee’s Bristol Police Department, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, and 2nd Judicial Drug Task Force as well as the Georgia State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Hall and Whit Pierce are prosecuting the case.


title: Buckhannon Man Admits to Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – David Walter McCauley of Buckhannon, West Virginia, has pleaded guilty to possessing images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit acts, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced. McCauley, age 66, appeared in federal court today and entered a plea of guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, McCauley enticed a 17-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct for photo and video production. Investigators searched McCauley’s residence and office and seized electronic devices containing illegal images and videos of the minor engaged in sexual acts with McCauley. McCauley faces up to 10 years in prison, and the United States Attorney’s Office will recommend that McCauley receive the maximum sentence. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “Manipulating a child to produce pornographic images is a despicable crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “I’m grateful for the hard work of our law enforcement partners to ensure that David McCauley will no longer pose a threat to the community.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pittsburgh Police Department, and the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.


title: Two Members of Reading-Based Violent Drug Gang Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder, Kidnapping, Drug Trafficking

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Dewayne Quinones, 30, and Mayco Alvarez-Jackson, 27, both of Reading, Pennsylvania, were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Juan R. Sánchez to life in prison for murder, kidnapping, drug distribution, and firearms offenses, crimes committed as members of a violent Reading-area drug trafficking organization (DTO). The Trinidad DTO was responsible for multiple homicides, kidnapping, and conspiracies to kidnap in 2017 and 2018, including a quadruple homicide on January 28, 2018. In October 2022, Quinones, Alvarez-Jackson, and DTO leader Jesus Feliciano-Trinidad were convicted at trial of federal murder and weapons charges relating to the quadruple homicide, with Feliciano-Trinidad sentenced to life in prison last December. More than 15 defendants were charged in a series of indictments resulting from a years-long investigation into the Trinidad DTO’s receipt, processing, and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine. The indictments detailed the defendants using a number of buildings, residences, firearms, and acts of violence to further their drug dealing efforts in and around Reading, including kidnapping and/or shooting multiple individuals in 2017 and 2018; conspiring to shoot and kill Miguel Reyes on December 13, 2017; kidnapping, shooting, and killing Hector Gonzalez-Rivera on January 24, 2018; and shooting and killing Jarlyn Lantigua-Tejada, Juan Rodriguez, Nelson Onofre, and Joshua Santos on January 28, 2018. “The Trinidad organization thoroughly terrorized the Reading area for years,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Through remorseless violence they controlled their turf, to keep pushing their poison and making their money. As this case shows, my office, the FBI, and our local law enforcement partners will never cede control of our communities to violent drug gangs. We’ll continue to work on the public’s behalf to lock up these dangerous offenders who shatter folks’ sense of security and quality of life.” “From murder and kidnapping to drug distribution and firearms offenses, gangs like these inflict fear and harm on our communities,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “These sentences serve as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our Allentown Resident Agency and our law enforcement partners in investigating, dismantling, and holding these violent offenders accountable for their actions.” “The life sentences imposed by the Federal District Court after the successful prosecution of this violent Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) by the U.S. Attorney’s Office ensure that these defendants will never again be a threat to our community,” said Berks County District Attorney John Adams. “These sentences should send a message that we will not tolerate violence or drug trafficking and we’ll work with our state and federal partners to combat this type of activity in our community. We appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the prosecution of this violent DTO.” The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Allentown Resident Agency, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office, the Berks County Detectives, and the Reading Police Department, with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police and the Montgomery County Detectives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly A. Lewis Fallenstein, Assistant United States Attorney Rosalynda M. Michetti, and Assistant United States Attorney Vineet Gauri.


title: Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that James S. Burland, age 69, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to possession of child pornography. Burland was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Office pending sentencing. His conviction is punishable by a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to a lifetime period of supervised release which includes sex offender registration requirements. According to admissions made during his plea, on November 11, 2022, Burland uploaded a file containing an image of child pornography to his internet-based cloud storage account. A subsequent investigation identified that between that date and April 9, 2024, Burland possessed at least 150 additional files containing images of child pornography in his internet-based cloud storage account and on some of his personal computers and storage devices. Some of the images of child pornography depicted prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Lebanese Man Sentenced for Participation in International Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lebanese man was sentenced yesterday for his for his participation in a money laundering conspiracy. Andres Rached Farah, 55, a Lebanese citizen who resided in Colombia, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 52 months in prison. In August 2024, Farah pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions. Farah was charged in a 50-count indictment along with 19 other individuals in March 2022. Farah was arrested in Colombia in April 2022 and extradited to the United States in September 2023. Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, law enforcement conducted an investigation into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. An undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia. Specifically, the money would be sent either through the Black Market Peso Exchange – a common method of trade-based money laundering used to repatriate the proceeds of drug trafficking to Colombia – or through business accounts that could layer the proceeds in other transactions to conceal the original illegal source. Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would allegedly contact the undercover and arrange meetings for the undercover and the undercover’s purported associates to collect bulk cash throughout the world. Members of the money laundering organization allegedly directed where the money was to be sent, and facilitators, such as Farah, would facilitate the payout of the laundered proceeds in Colombia for the benefit of the drug suppliers. Over the course of the conspiracy, Farah was responsible for the laundering of at least $591,000 in drug proceeds. Farah is the ninth defendant to be sentenced in the case. Four other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Two additional defendants have filed notice of their intent to plead guilty. The case is pending as to the remaining defendants. United States Attorney Joshua R. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota provided critical assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Farah. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Camden Registered Sex Offender Sentenced To 260 Months In Prison For Sex Trafficking Minors

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man was sentenced today to 260 months in prison for trafficking three minors to engage in commercial sex acts, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Semaj A. Gilmore, 34, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to three counts of a superseding indictment charging him with sex trafficking minors. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From September 2020 to April 2021 Gilmore transported, at various times, three minor victims from Philadelphia to New Jersey knowing they would engage in a commercial sex act at Gilmore’s direction. Each of the victims was under age 18 at the time. During that time period, Gilmore had been required to register as a sex offender as a result of a prior conviction. In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Gilmore to 10 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked members of the Mount Laurel Police Department and the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.


title: James Mailhiot, Jr. Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that James Mailhiot, Jr., 56, of Rutland, Vermont, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court in Rutland to a charge of federal income tax evasion. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier released Mailhiot on conditions pending sentencing, which is scheduled for March 27, 2025. On November 14, 2024, the United States Attorney filed a one-count information charging Mailhiot with evading a significant portion of the income taxes he owed to the United States for Tax Years 2019 through 2022. Yesterday, Mailhiot pleaded guilty to that information. According to the information, Mailhiot owned and operated a roofing business that generated approximately $1.6 million in gross revenues between 2019 and 2022. Mailhiot used an out-of-state accountant to prepare his federal income tax returns. To enable the accountant to prepare each return, Mailhiot sent the accountant records of revenues earned and expenses incurred on the various roofing jobs he completed that year. In fact, the records Mailhiot gave to the accountant were very incomplete, resulting in a very substantial understatement of the taxable income he earned each year, and very substantial underpayments of the taxes he owed to the Internal Revenue Service. According to the information, Mailhiot’s underpayments for years 2019-2022 totaled $296,000. Mailhiot faces up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Mailhiot is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.


title: Federal Inmate And His Sister Charged With Cyberstalking And Conspiring To Extort Victims By Threatening To Release Sexually Explicit Materials

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging FRED MASTROIANNI and DOREEN MASTROIANNI with cyberstalking, extortion, and conspiracy to commit extortion. DOREEN MASTROIANNI and FRED MASTROIANNI will be presented in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik on December 11, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Fred and Doreen Mastroianni have cyberstalked and conspired to extort victims by threatening to release compromising images of them to the public, allegedly engaging in this conduct even though Fred is already serving a 35-year prison sentence for receiving, distributing, and producing child pornography. This Office will continue to protect the community from those who repeatedly try to harm and exploit vulnerable citizens.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “The Mastroianni siblings allegedly preyed on individuals who were victimized by Fred Mastroianni; stalking and conspiring to extort them for the siblings’ financial benefit. Victimization by sexual exploitation is beyond appalling and will not be tolerated. FBI New York will work tirelessly to hold accountable anyone attempting to utilize stalking and extortion for financial gain." As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today: [1] FRED MASTROIANNI (“FRED”) is currently serving a 35-year sentence imposed by the Honorable Philip M. Halpern, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, on August 15, 2024, for receiving and distributing child pornography and for the sexual exploitation of a minor. DOREEN MASTROIANNI (“DOREEN”) is FRED’s sister. Since at least October 2024, FRED and DOREEN have engaged in a plot to extort victims by threatening to release sexually explicit images and videos of the victims that FRED has saved. The extortion attempts are designed to compel victims to contribute money to FRED’s commissary account in prison and to fund the purchase of an insurance policy against DOREEN’s life for the benefit of FRED. FRED has used another inmate’s email account to send DOREEN draft extortion threats in furtherance of this scheme. At FRED’s direction, DOREEN has forwarded those extortion threats to victims on FRED’s behalf. There may be more victims of this alleged conduct. If you have information to report, contact the FBI through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov. * * * FRED, 54, formerly of White Plains, New York, and DOREEN, 69, of Yorktown Heights, New York, are each charged with one count of cyberstalking, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of interstate extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the work of the FBI’s Westchester Safe Streets Task Force. This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Margaret N. Vasu, and Courtney Heavey are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Recognizes Law Enforcement With its 2024 Law Enforcement Excellence Awards

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – United States Attorney Carlton S. Shier, IV honored several federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals on Wednesday, for their outstanding contributions to investigations and prosecutions in the Eastern District of Kentucky. The Office’s 2024 Law Enforcement Excellence Awards were presented during a ceremony at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lexington, and recognized exceptional work in a number of cases involving Office priority areas, including violent crime, drug trafficking, overdose deaths, elder fraud, COVID fraud, government fraud, public corruption, and child exploitation. “We simply cannot effectively prosecute federal crimes without the dedicated and difficult work of our investigative partners in law enforcement,” said United States Attorney Shier. “These recipients were each nominated by our prosecutors, for their tireless, invaluable, and noteworthy efforts in a number of significant, complex, and difficult cases. We are pleased to recognize their exceptional efforts; we commend them for their dedication to public safety; and we sincerely thank them for their critical assistance in helping us successfully prosecute these impactful cases.” The following law enforcement officers and organizations were honored: Jeff Price, Special Agent, ATF Bill Brislin, Detective, Georgetown Police Department; Task Force Officer, DEA Steve McCown, Detective, Lexington Police Department; Task Force Officer, ATF Paul Megilligan, Detective, Danville Police Department Mike Hughes, Diversion Investigator, DEA Jared Sullivan, Special Agent, DEA Chelsea Holliday, Special Agent, FBI Zachary Bryson, Detective, Kentucky State Police; Task Force Officer, FBI Eric Long, Forensic Examiner, Kentucky Office of Attorney General; Task Force Officer, U.S. Secret Service Jason Jarvis, Special Agent, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Remington Schilling, Special Agent, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General – END –


title: Richmond man sentenced to nine years in prison after firing a rifle near a neighborhood playground

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

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on February 11, 2024, Richmond Police heard two gunshots near a Fairfield Court neighborhood playground. The officers observed two individuals fleeing and began a foot pursuit. One of the individuals, later identified as Bobby Nathaniel Scott, 39, tripped and fell near a set of trashcans and dropped a rifle on the sidewalk. The officers quickly apprehended Scott and recovered the rifle, which was loaded with a 20-round magazine. Scott has ten prior felony convictions, including for, among other crimes, domestic assault, grand theft auto, possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, distribution of cocaine, and eluding the police. Scott was on active probation at the time of his arrest and faces pending charges in Prince George County for robbery, strangulation, and malicious wounding. As a convicted felon, Scott cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Colette Wallace McEachin, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Richmond; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Groover, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-72.


title: Marion County Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Distributing Methamphetamine And Fentanyl

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Terrance Maurice Washington (42, Marion County) to 14 years in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine and fentanyl) with intent to distribute it. Washington entered a guilty plea on June 26, 2024. According to court documents, on multiple occasions between October 2023 and January 2024, Washington distributed methamphetamine and/or fentanyl to a confidential source who was working with law enforcement. The drugs provided by Washington during the transactions ranged from gram quantities to upwards of a pound or more of methamphetamine. Washington bragged that the type of fentanyl he distributed was “dropping people.” After law enforcement arrested Washington, a search of his residence revealed another two pounds of methamphetamine intended for distribution. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: Hartford Man Admits Trafficking Crystal Meth

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GODFREY SMITH, also known as “Mike” and “Mikey,” 41, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to a methamphetamine trafficking charge. According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Middletown Police Department made a controlled purchase of approximately 53 grams of crystal methamphetamine from an individual in Middletown. During the transaction, investigators identified Smith as the source of the drugs. On August 22, 2024, investigators made a controlled purchase of approximately 240 grams of crystal methamphetamine from Smith in Hartford. Smith was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on September 4, 2024. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement seized from Smith approximately 27 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 44 grams of cocaine, 32 grams of crack cocaine, $3,200 in cash, and a box of .45 caliber ammunition. Smith pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, five grams or more of methamphetamine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on February 28. Smith is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing. The DEA’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham.


title: Founder Of Beverage Company Charged With Defrauding Investors Of Millions Of Dollars

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The founder and executive chairman of a beverage company appeared in court for lying to solicit investments in his company, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Todd O’Gara, 44, of Austin, Texas was charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud and appeared in court today to before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell in Austin federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: O’Gara, who founded and managed a beverage company, Wanu Water, Inc., raised at least $3.4 million dollars from individual victim investors. O’Gara repeatedly lied to solicit those investments and to encourage investors to maintain their investments. Among other things, O’Gara lied about the size of purchase orders from retailers and about major investments from private equity firms. As part of this fraudulent scheme, O’Gara sent investors fake documents including doctored emails and forged term sheets. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger added that the investigation is continuing. If you believe you are a victim of or otherwise have information concerning this scheme, please contact the FBI at newark-victim_assistance@fbi.gov. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, Newark Field Division, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron L. Webman and Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. ogara.complaint.pdf


title: South L.A. Man Arrested on Complaint Alleging Armed Robbery Spree, Including One Incident in Which He Twice Shot Victim

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A South Los Angeles man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he committed a series of armed robberies in parking lots in Los Angeles and Orange counties, including one incident in which he shot a victim twice outside the South Coast Plaza shopping mall in Costa Mesa, the Justice Department announced today. Oshae Pollard, 21, of the Manchester Square neighborhood of Los Angeles, is charged with interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He was arrested Wednesday. Pollard is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. “The violence alleged in this complaint shocks the conscience,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “It is essential that we hold perpetrators of violence accountable for victimizing our community. My office – through the Operation Safe Cities initiative – is collaborating with local law enforcement and using powerful federal tools to target the worst offenders of violent gun crime.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, from August 25 to September 22, Pollard targeted victims in parking lots in Southern California in a series of crimes – at least three armed robberies and one attempted armed robbery. The first robbery occurred late at night on August 25, 2024, at the Hustler Casino parking lot in Gardena, where Pollard ran toward the victim and pushed her to the ground. The victim held onto her purse and yelled for help. Pollard began pulling on the victim’s purse and pulled out a black semi-automatic pistol, placed it into the victim’s mouth – breaking her teeth in the process – and said, “If you yell again, I’ll kill you.” A witness began yelling and Pollard grabbed the victim’s purse – stealing between $1,000 and $2,000 – retreated to a car and drove away. During the early morning of August 26, Pollard and an accomplice robbed a taxi driver sitting inside his cab in the parking lot of a Winchell’s Donut House in Carson, struck the victim in the face, entered his car, and held the victim at gunpoint until he handed them his wallet and Samsung cellphone. Late night on the same day, Pollard and an accomplice approached two victims standing near their Rolls-Royce and Ferrari vehicles in the parking lot of the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach. Pollard pointed a semi-automatic pistol at the victim standing near the Rolls-Royce and demanded all the victim’s cash. The victim handed over a luxury watch, a wallet, and the keys to the Rolls-Royce. When the other victim started the Ferrari and attempted to drive away, Pollard ran to the driver’s door of the Ferrari and fired one round from his pistol into the car, barely missing the victim. The victim drove to a nearby gas station and asked the gas station clerk to call police, who later recovered one 9mm shell casing from the scene. The total value of the items stolen was approximately $44,000. On September 22, Pollard approached a victim who was entering his car parked in the parking lot of the South Coast Plaza shopping mall in Costa Mesa, and demanded, “Give me the watch. Give me the ring. Give me the car,” and later threatened to shoot the victim, according to the affidavit. When the victim didn’t comply, Pollard shot the victim in the left hand, then pointed his pistol at the victim’s chest and said, “You’re a dead man.” Pollard then shot the victim in the left thigh as the victim began to remove his watch. The victim then kicked Pollard, who fell to the ground. The victim then kicked Pollard several times, fought with him for up to 15 seconds, then got back into his car and drove away. Pollard ran to a Kia Forte and fled the scene. The victim survived the gunshot wounds. “Reducing violent crime in our community and throughout our country is a priority of the ATF,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bombardiere. “I could not be more pleased with the outcome of this investigation by the ATF Orange County Violent Crime Task Force. Cases like this highlight the importance of authentic relationships between law enforcement agencies to keep our communities safe. This arrest illustrates the task force’s unrelenting resolve to hold accountable anyone who engages in violent criminal activity.” “These are crimes of violence that not only terrorize the intended targets, but our community as a whole, making shoppers think twice about whether a trip to the mall will erupt in gunfire,” said Kimberly Edds, Director of Public Affairs for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. “As a result of the unrelenting pursuit of justice by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, this arrest continues to send a strong message that crime doesn’t pay in Orange County.” A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted of all charges, Pollard would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Orange County Violent Crime Task Force is investigating this case. This task force is comprised of federal and local law enforcement agencies, which include ATF, the Brea Police Department, the Placentia Police Department, the Fullerton Police Department, the Santa Ana Police Department, and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with the assistance of the Newport Beach Police Department and the Costa Mesa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Jena A. MacCabe and Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Fraud Ringleader and Former Fugitive William Mize Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison, Ordered to Pay $7.1 Million in Restitution

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – On December 5, 2024, United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced William Oldham Mize to 144 months in federal prison in connection to a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving false and fabricated insurance claims. Judge Rice also imposed 3 years of supervised release and $6,657,209.00 in restitution to insurance companies and $436,399.00 in restitution to the IRS. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Mize was the ringleader of a massive insurance fraud scheme to intentionally cause automobile and boat collisions as well as staged home “accidents” in order to file false and fraudulent insurance claims and collect the proceeds. According to court documents, the scheme took place between 2013 and 2018, involved numerous staged collisions in Washington and Nevada, and obtained more than $6 million, most of which was kept by Mize. The United States seized and forfeited more than $2 million in assets – including numerous houses, cars, boats, and cash – from Mize and his co-conspirators and has returned that money to the victims of his crime. Mize originally appeared in federal court on his indictment on January 9, 2019. Following his initial appearance, he was released pending trial. In July 2019, Mize fled from supervision and became a fugitive, living under a number of false identities. On November 28, 2023, the U.S. Marshals apprehended Mize in Jacksonville, Florida based on a lead that Mize, using a false identity, was attempting to sell a yacht in which was living in the Jacksonville area. Mize was then located and arrested at a marina in central Florida and transported to Eastern Washington, where he has remained in custody. “For many years Mr. Mize recruited, directed, and elaborately staged automobile and boat collisions as well as other injury accidents to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars. Not only did this scheme cause serious physical harm to his co-conspirators, including his wife and children, but it placed the community in significant danger. Furthermore, Mr. Mize defrauded the public out of more than $400,000 by cheating on his taxes. When indicted by prosecutors in my office, Mr. Mize fled, to avoid accountability for his crimes,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “I am grateful for the dedication of the U.S. Marshals who located and returned Mr. Mize to the Eastern District and prosecutors and investigators who worked many hours over the years to achieve justice in this case.” “I want to commend and express special thanks for the exceptional investigative work done by the talented agents and investigative professionals with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Marshals Service. Their close collaboration and partnership, and their persistence and hard work throughout a complex and lengthy investigation, are what made this result possible. We look forward to continuing to work with our law enforcement partners to strengthen and safeguard Eastern Washington,” said Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter. “Mr. Mize spent years living off the misery he caused.” said Gregory L. Austin, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “While he enriched himself, his co-conspirators, which included family members, were left with physical injuries and jail sentences. To make matters worse, rather than answer for his crimes, he became a fugitive for almost five years. I would like to commend our investigators, partners, and specifically the US Marshals Service, who ultimately tracked him down and took him into custody.” “Mr. Mize endangered his family and the public for money,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “As long as money is a motivation for crime, we will assist our law enforcement partners with investigations like this one.” “The elaborate fraud schemes that William Mize orchestrated not only caused financial injury to various insurance companies, but these crimes add to the cost for responsible citizens to have insurance. It should also not be forgotten that the collisions, and physical injuries to those participating in the schemes, were acts of unconscionable violence and added risk to the public. Mize fled after his original appearance in federal court, which led to a long and protracted fugitive investigation,” said Craig Thayer, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington. “The partnership and teamwork between local, state, and federal agencies including the IRS and FBI was instrumental in the eventual arrest of Mize. Judge Rice has now made Mize accountable with today’s sentence and order for restitution.” The FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter, Jeremy J. Kelley, and Brian M. Donovan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. 2:18-cr-00232-TOR


title: Nebraska Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-Million Dollar “Cryptojacking” Case

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Charles O. Parks III, also known as “CP3O,” pleaded guilty to wire fraud for operating a large-scale illegal “cryptojacking” operation. As part of the scheme, Parks defrauded two well-known providers of cloud computing services out of more than $3.5 million worth of computing resources in order to mine cryptocurrency worth nearly $1 million. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Cheryl L. Pollak. When sentenced, Parks faces up to 20 years in prison. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea. “Through fraud and deceit, Parks acquired powerful computing resources worth millions of dollars to fuel his illegal cryptomining operation,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s guilty plea underscores our strong commitment to prosecuting criminal actors who enrich themselves through sophisticated cryptocurrency frauds and other complex cyber schemes.” Mr. Peace also thanked the FBI’s New York Cyber Crimes Task Force for their assistance on this case. “This guilty plea serves as a reminder to potential cybercriminals that experienced law enforcement officers are well-equipped to detect, investigate, and put an end to financial exploitation schemes carried out in the digital world,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “I commend our NYPD detective who worked this case, as well as our partners at the FBI and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, for their skill and unwavering dedication to their work, as evidenced by today’s outcome.” “Cryptojacking,” also referred to as malicious cryptomining, is the unauthorized use or hijacking of another party’s resources, such as electricity, hardware or computing power to mine cryptocurrency. According to court filings and facts presented at today’s plea hearing, from in or about January 2021 through August 2021, Parks created and used a variety of names, corporate affiliations and email addresses, including emails with domains from corporate entities he operated called “MultiMillionaire LLC” and “CP3O LLC,” to register numerous accounts with the cloud providers and to gain access to massive amounts of computing processing power and storage that he did not pay for. Parks used those fraudulently obtained resources to mine various cryptocurrencies including Ether, Litecoin and Monero. Parks tricked the providers into approving heightened privileges and benefits, including elevated levels of cloud computing services and deferred billing accommodations, and deflected inquiries from the providers regarding questionable data usage and mounting unpaid subscription balances. Parks converted and laundered the cryptocurrency proceeds through cryptocurrency exchanges, a non-fungible token marketplace, an online payment provider and traditional bank accounts in order to disguise the audit trail and disassociate the funds from the fraud. Parks also structured various money movements to avoid transaction reporting requirements under federal law. After converting the ill-gotten cryptocurrency into dollars, Parks used the proceeds of the scheme to make extravagant purchases, including a Mercedes Benz luxury car, jewelry and first-class hotel and travel expenses. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Reich and Artie McConnell are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : CHARLES O. PARKS III (also known as “CP3O”) Age: 45 Omaha, Nebraska E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-105 (EK)


title: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Multiple Restaurant Robberies

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man who robbed three restaurants and tried to rob a fourth to 27 years in prison. Evidence and testimony presented at the trial of Kammeron Davis in May showed that Davis robbed a Penn Station restaurant at gunpoint in St. Louis on Sept. 13, 2020, less than a month after he was released from parole for his 2009 robbery of a Penn Station. On Sept. 16, 2020, an armed Davis tried to rob a Subway restaurant in Maplewood but was chased off by a broom-wielding employee. About 15 minutes later, he robbed a Subway in St. Louis by leaping over the counter and stealing money from the cash register. On September 20, Davis and another person robbed a different Subway in St. Louis. The robberies were captured on video, as was the car Davis used. Three people also identified Davis as the robber in court. Jurors found Davis, 33, guilty of three counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Clark also ordered Davis to pay restitution of $4,788 to three of the restaurants and two employees. The FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Maplewood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Extradited Nigerian National Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Business Email Compromise Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Okechuckwu Valentine Osuji, 39, a Nigerian national, was sentenced yesterday in New Haven, Connecticut, to eight years in prison for operating a business email compromise scheme out of multiple countries, including the United States. According to court documents and statements made in court, Osuji and his co-conspirators targeted specific individuals and businesses by masquerading as trustworthy entities in electronic communications to obtain money. They used witting and unwitting “money mules” to receive fraud proceeds in their bank accounts and then either transferred those funds from the money mule accounts to accounts under the co-conspirators’ control or converted the stolen proceeds to cash for further transfer. Over the years-long operation of the scheme, numerous victims were tricked into transferring funds into bank accounts the victims believed were under the control of legitimate recipients as part of normal business operations. In reality, the bank accounts were controlled by Osuji and his co-conspirators. The victims included a Connecticut-based financial company, a Colorado-based lending company, an Alaska-based nonprofit performing arts organization, a New York-based food and beverage company, and many others. The scheme also involved the exploitation of elderly individuals through romance scams to serve as some of the unwitting money mules, including one woman who testified at trial that she was duped into sending her own personal savings and income, including Social Security checks, to an individual she believed to be her romantic partner, but who was in fact one of Osuji’s co-conspirators. The scam resulted in the near-total depletion of her life savings, caused her to declare bankruptcy, and led to the repossession of her house. Her personal bank account was also used to facilitate the fraud against one of the companies targeted by Osuji. Osuji was arrested in Malaysia and extradited to the United States in 2022. On May 1, 2024, a jury in New Haven found Osuji guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. As a result of the scheme, losses and intended losses totaled over $6 million. At his sentencing hearing, Osuji was ordered to pay restitution to his victims. Osuji’s alleged co-conspirator, John Wamuigah, remains in Malaysia and is pending extradition proceedings. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Wamuigah is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Another co-conspirator, Tolulope Bodunde, also a citizen of Nigeria, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Oct. 16 to two years in prison. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery for the District of Connecticut; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Fuller of the FBI New Haven Field Office made the announcement. The FBI New Haven Field Office and the Stamford Police Department investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Royal Malaysia Police, and Malaysian Attorney General’s Chambers provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Osuji. Trial Attorney Lydia Lichlyter of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel for the District of Connecticut are prosecuting the case. To learn more about business email compromise scams, please visit www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/business-email-compromise and www.ic3.gov/CrimeInfo/BEC .


title: Kings County Man Charged with Receiving and Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material on Phone

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Quentin Nelson, 32, of Corcoran, charging him with receiving and possessing prepubescent child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on Dec. 25, 2020, Nelson received and attempted to receive child pornography. Nelson also possessed numerous images and videos of prepubescent child sexual abuse materials on a phone and an SD card. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin F. Scott is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Nelson faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Young drug dealer admits to having weapon for “protection”

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – An 18-year-old Alamo resident has pleaded guilty to utilizing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. On May 29, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Emiliano Cabriales was a passenger. During a subsequent search, law enforcement discovered a firearm concealed beneath the seat where Cabriales had been sitting. Further investigation revealed approximately 14 grams of cocaine, packaged in individual baggies, hidden inside Cabriales' pants. He admitted to possessing the cocaine. He further admitted he had the firearm in case he had to protect himself and the drugs. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing March 11, 2025. At that time, he faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Cabriales has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Alamo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan is prosecuting the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN ) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.


title: Chelsea Man Sentenced for Selling Fake Social Security Cards and Green Cards

body_text: BOSTON – A Chelsea man was sentenced today for selling fraudulent Social Security cards and Legal Permanent Resident cards, often referred to as “Green Cards.” Wilberto Sandoval Mazariego, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to one month in prison, followed by six months of home confinement. In July 2024, Sandoval Mazariego pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature. In October 2023, Sandoval Mazariego was arrested and charged by criminal complaint and later indicted by a federal grand jury. During an investigation into Tomas Xirum for selling fraudulent Green Cards and fraudulent Social Security cards, Sandoval Mazariego was identified as the creator of the fraudulent documents Xirum was selling. Following Xirum’s arrest in August 2022, a text message string was discovered between Xirum and Sandoval Mazariego that contained approximately 568 attachments. Xirum would regularly text Sandoval Mazariego pictures of unknown persons along with a name, date of birth and country of birth – to which Sandoval Mazariego would later respond with pictures of Social Security cards and/or Green Cards with a person’s photo and information that Xirum provided. On Aug. 17, 2023, Sandoval Mazariego sold a fraudulent Green Card and a fraudulent Social Security card to an undercover agent. On Oct 3, 2023, Sandoval Mazariego was arrested after leaving his Chelsea residence. During a search of his residence, all items necessary to produce counterfeit forms of identification were found, including two laminators, card stock paper, photo paper, glue, trimmers and printers. Also recovered were nine Legal Permanent Resident cards, six Social Security cards and five driver’s licenses. Five of the recovered Social Security cards contained the names provided by the undercover agent to Sandoval Mazariego as part of the investigation. A total of $17,095 in cash was also recovered from the residence. On Aug. 21, 2023 , Xirum pleaded guilty to three counts of unlawful transfer of document or authentication feature and three counts of unlawful production of document or authentication feature. In January 2024, Xirum was sentenced to 18 months in prison. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.


title: Connecticut Real Estate Agent Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Clients in Long Running Short Sale Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – The manager of a real estate agency was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a multi-year scheme to defraud his clients by engaging in fraudulent short sales of government and bank-owned properties to straw buyers acting at the direction of the defendant. James Macchio, 46, of Glastonbury, Conn., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 42 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Macchio was also ordered to forfeit $621,579 and to pay at least $2,567,154 in restitution. In May 2024, Macchio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Macchio and another real estate agent, Sheldon Haag, used straw buyers to acquire properties owned by the clients of Macchio’s brokerage, which included banks, federal agencies, bankruptcy trustees and other mortgage holders. The straw buyers included a shell company set up by a co-conspirator as a purported construction company. Macchio and his co-conspirators hid their involvement as the de facto buyers of short sale properties from their clients, the owners of the properties, and used their inside knowledge as the owner’s broker to minimize sale prices in order to maximize their gain from later “flipping” the properties. While perpetrating the “flipping scheme,” Macchio and his co-conspirators further defrauded clients by submitting fraudulent renovation bids from contractors to their own clients, including from a fake construction company they controlled through a co-conspirator. Once their clients accepted a fraudulent bid, Macchio and his co-conspirators hired different contractors at much lower cost and pocketed the difference between the fraudulent bid and the actual cost of the property repairs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Macchio and co-conspirators defrauded the Small Business Administration by obtaining pandemic relief loans to fund their ongoing real estate fraud scheme. Sheldon Haag previously pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy and, in October 2024 , was sentenced to one year and one day in prison to be followed by supervised release. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Orleans Parish Man Indicted For Bank Robbery

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – JUAN K. SIMPSON (“SIMPSON”) , age 30, of New Orleans, was indicted for bank robbery, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to the indictment, on November 25, 2024, SIMPSON robbed a Capital One Bank located on South Claiborne Avenue, in New Orleans. If convicted, SIMPSON faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. SIMPSON also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit.