title: Springfield Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm. Walter Tyndal, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Tyndal was sentenced as an armed career criminal due to his prior felony convictions. The court ordered this federal sentence to be served consecutively to any sentence for the revocation of his parole in an unrelated state case. On Dec. 14, 2023, Tyndal pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Tyndal was arrested on an active warrant for a parole violation on Nov. 23, 2021. At the time of his arrest, Tyndal had a Bearman 9mm Derringer pistol in the back left pocket of his pants and a bag of marijuana in his front pocket. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Tyndal has three prior felony convictions for armed criminal action, three prior felony convictions for robbery, two prior felony convictions for stealing, two prior felony convictions for burglary, and a prior felony conviction for possessing marijuana in a correctional facility. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Bissonnet trafficker heads to prison for forcing minors to engage in sex acts

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 35-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for sex trafficking of a minor on the “track,” announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jerreck Michael Hilliard aka Jmoney pleaded guilty Oct. 12, 2022. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now sentenced Hilliard to 292 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that Hilliard had offered to teach another person the “pimp game” who then allegedly turned around and victimized numerous vulnerable young girls and women using violence and manipulation. In handing down the prison term, the court stated that the Hilliard was “every parent’s worst nightmare.” The court also noted that Hilliard destroyed the young victims’ lives for “nothing more than money” and that their lives would never again be the same. Hilliard was also ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hilliard will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date. “No little girl dreams of growing up and selling her body for money,” said Hamdani. “Heinous things have happened to these victims that ultimately led them into the sights of the criminals who target and prey on them. What Hilliard did was reprehensible. It is no defense that a victim may have previously been involved in prostitution. Today, this victim blaming stops.” From April 2019 to February 2020, Hilliard and others were involved in a sex trafficking conspiracy occurring on the Bissonnet “blade.” The “blade” or “track” is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex. Hilliard and co-conspirators recruited young teenage girls and forced them to engage in sex acts with clients for money in cars and hotels around the blade. Co-conspirators also passed around or reassigned victims amongst one another, coached each other on the “pimp game” and forced the young girls to walk the area while the traffickers kept the proceeds. The victims were not allowed to switch between pimps unless they paid an exorbitant exit fee or were “beat out.” Some traffickers required daily quotas each night from their victims. If the girls did not meet those demands, the pimps and others severely punished victims through beatings and humiliation. Hilliard will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Houston Police Department initiated the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as a part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Bennett, Kate Suh and Anthony Franklyn are prosecuting this case.


title: Glastonbury Man Charged with Federal Gun Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that ANDREW PAYNE, 40, of Glastonbury, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with unlawfully possessing a firearm while being a user of a controlled substance. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, an ATF investigation identified Payne as a possible purchaser of machinegun conversion devices. In March 2023, investigators interviewed Payne and explained that these devices were illegal under federal law. Payne arranged through his attorney to turn in to ATF all of the illegal devices he claimed he had in his possession. It is also alleged that, in the early morning hours of November 29, 2023, Hartford Police responded to a hotel on Brainard Road after hotel employees found a firearm in a hotel hallway. A hotel employee stated that the hotel guest who possessed the firearm, identified as Payne, had been acting erratically and crawling on the hallway floor. During a search of Payne’s room, police found used hypodermic needles and other evidence of drug use, and the investigation revealed that the firearm was registered to Payne. Payne was charged with state offenses and was ordered to surrender his firearms to a Federal Firearms Licensee (“FFL”). In addition, his state pistol permit was revoked. It is further alleged that on March 18, 2024, Simsbury Police arrested Payne for violating the conditions of his release after it was determined that Payne had access to numerous firearms, firearm components, and firearm manufacturing equipment found in two units of a business complex at 2 Tunxis Road in the Tariffville section of Simsbury (See photos below). Investigators conducted searches of the locations on March 19 and March 20, 2024, and seized these items, which included machinegun conversion devices that ATF had advised Payne were illegal to possess. Payne had also represented in court after his November 2023 arrest that he did not have access to firearms. A search of Payne’s vehicle also revealed glassine envelopes containing suspected fentanyl, empty glassine envelopes, and used hypodermic needles. Payne, who was released after his arrest on March 18, has been detained in state custody since March 20, when he was arrested after arriving at 2 Tunxis Road while investigators were executing a search warrant. Payne made his initial appearance in Hartford federal court on April 11, 2024. The charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm while being a user of a controlled substance carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years imprisonment. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Simsbury Police Department, the Hartford Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Donovan and Christopher Lembo.


title: Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force Highlights Significant Cases, Impact Since Its Formation Two Years Ago

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

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – The agencies comprising the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force highlighted the task force’s efforts at a press conference today at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, ATF Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Eric J. DeGree, FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs, and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel discussed the benefits of the task force partnership and several significant investigations. They also noted that the number of carjackings in Philadelphia, after hitting a historical high of 1,311 in 2022, dropped 31% to 900 in 2023. In addition, the numbers for the first quarter of 2024 are indicative of another marked decline from last year. In her remarks, U.S. Attorney Romero shared that, from January 2022 through March 2024, 59 cases investigated by the Carjacking Task Force have resulted in federal charges, with a total of 103 defendants federally charged in connection with 121 individual carjackings. U.S. Attorney Romero also discussed some recent case developments, including the sentencing of Dashawn Pringle to 10½ years in prison for two armed carjackings, one in which a victim was violently assaulted; the guilty plea of John Nusslein to two carjackings, including one where an elderly delivery driver was fatally beaten, resulting in a potential sentence of 25 years in prison; and the guilty pleas of Angel Fayez and Kevin Antun to a crime spree that began with a carjacking. Fayez and Antun are now facing mandatory minimum sentences of seven years in prison, and statutory maximum sentences of life in prison. “We want our community to know that significant strides are being made on their behalf by the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “At the same time, we want carjackers, and would-be carjackers, to know that we can and have charged defendants as young as 18 years old federally, and in the cases we’ve prosecuted, we’ve obtained some very significant sentences. Carjacking defendants routinely receive sentences of seven to 15 years — and can even face up to a lifetime of imprisonment in some cases.” ATF Special Agent in Charge DeGree talked about his agency’s role on the task force, providing investigators and employing ATF’s crime gun intelligence tools. He also highlighted one of the agency’s key cases, in which Tarik Chambers and Nikeem Leach-Hilton committed three back-to-back carjackings, then crashed into and critically injured an elderly driver while fleeing from police. Each man was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison. Two other defendants in the same carjacking crew, Rashad Johnson-Price and Khasir Lynch, have pleaded guilty to additional carjackings; each faces about a decade in federal prison when sentenced. “Our team of ATF special agents are working tirelessly with our partners in the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force to seek justice and prevent these dangerous crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge DeGree. “Carjacking is not only a deadly dangerous crime, it is a serious federal offense, carrying lengthy federal prison sentences, even for first-time offenders.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Jacobs looked at the Bureau’s investigative role and reviewed the cases of Shamire Young and Robert Riles. Young and three co-conspirators committed a carjacking at gunpoint in Northwest Philadelphia, pistol-whipping one of the victims; Young pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years behind bars. Riles and two co-conspirators committed a carjacking at gunpoint of a mother and daughter in West Philadelphia, with Riles pleading guilty and receiving a sentence of more than 11 years in prison. “Whether a single subject or a group of subjects — with criminal history or without — the message is simple. Your actions have consequences,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacobs. “No matter who you are, the FBI and each agency on this task force will hold you to account.” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Bethel cited the decrease in carjackings in the city over the last two years, crediting the work of the task force for getting numerous violent offenders off the street. He underscored the importance of partnerships like the Carjacking Task Force and how local and federal authorities must work collectively to reduce violent crime.


title: Bear Lake County Woman Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Federal Prison for Soliciting Murder

body_text: POCATELLO – DeAnn Parkin, 31, of Ovid, Idaho, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for soliciting murder, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, on May 23, 2023, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received a tip from a reliable source regarding an individual, DeAnn Parkin, attempting to hire a hitman through a parody website. Parkin, motivated by personal grievances, sought the murder of the intended victim, providing detailed information about that victim and expressing urgency in email exchanges from May 14 to May 22, 2023. Undercover operations began on May 23, with an undercover agent introducing himself to Parkin as a hitman. The undercover agent communicated with Parkin through text messages and calls. Over several days, Parkin persistently and unequivocally conveyed her desire for the murder to be carried out. The undercover operation culminated with an in-person meeting in Ovid on June 6, 2023, where Parkin provided the undercover agent a $100 down payment, a diamond ring, and an agreement for future payments. Parkin was arrested after the payment occurred. “While the defendant’s scheme to arrange a murder is shocking, it should not be surprising that law enforcement—in this case the ATF—was in a position to stop it,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Along with our partners, we will continue to hold violent offenders accountable, regardless of the nature of their criminal conduct.” “The act of murder is in itself a heinous crime,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “But the act of attempting to hire someone to commit murder is that much more egregious. When ATF learns of a murder for hire plot, we will do all we can to thwart these nefarious plans.” Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Parkin to be placed on supervised release for three years following her prison sentence. Parkin pleaded guilty to use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire on January 9, 2024. U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit applauded the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their work on the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Paskett prosecuted the case. ###


title: Fayette County Labor Union Official Sentenced for Embezzlement

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jason Todd Weaver, 50, of Mount Hope, was sentenced today to 5 years federal probation and ordered to pay $2,896.78 in restitution for embezzlement of funds by an officer of a labor organization. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 29, 2021, Weaver used his position as secretary/treasurer of the American Postal Workers Union, Local 1509 to write out a check for $352.62 to himself. The check was written from Local 1509’s Beckley bank account. Weaver signed his name as an authorized account signatory and forged the name of another union officer who was also an authorized account signatory. Weaver admitted that he knew he was not entitled to the money, and that he deposited the check into his personal bank account. Weaver further admitted that he used his position with Local 1509 to embezzle a total of $12,396.78 union funds, including issuing 17 union checks to himself and misusing the union’s credit card 59 times, from at least April 25, 2016, through November 13, 2021. Weaver repaid $9,500 of that total before pleading guilty to the embezzlement offense. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-130. ###


title: Dallas Anesthesiologist Convicted of Tampering with IV Bags Linked to Cardiac Emergencies During Routine Surgeries

component: Civil Division

body_text: A Dallas anesthesiologist was convicted today for injecting dangerous drugs into patient IV bags, leading to one death and numerous cardiac emergencies, the Justice Department announced. Raynaldo Riviera Ortiz Jr., 60, was charged by criminal complaint in September 2023 and indicted the following month on charges related to tampering with IV bags used at a local surgical center. After eight days of trial and seven hours of deliberation, a jury convicted him of four counts of tampering with consumer products resulting in serious bodily injury, one count of tampering with a consumer product and five counts of intentional adulteration of a drug. “The facts brought out at trial in this case are particularly disturbing,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will work with its law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who puts patients’ lives at risk by tampering with critical medical products.” “Dr. Ortiz cloaked himself in the white coat of a healer, but instead of curing pain, he inflicted it,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. “He assembled ticking time bombs, then sat in wait as those medical time bombs went off one by one, toxic cocktails flowing into the veins of patients who were often at their most vulnerable, lying unconscious on the operating table. We saw the patients testify. Their pain, their fear and their trauma was palpable in that courtroom.” “Patients expect that their doctors will use only safe and effective medical products during their surgeries. When illicit tampering occurs, serious harm and even death can result,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OIC). “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who would risk patients’ health and safety.” According to evidence presented at trial, between May and August 2022, numerous patients at Surgicare North Dallas suffered cardiac emergencies during routine medical procedures performed by various doctors. About one month after the unexplained emergencies began, an anesthesiologist who had worked at the facility earlier that day died while treating herself for dehydration using an IV bag. In August 2022, doctors at the surgical care center began to suspect tainted IV bags had caused the repeated crises after an 18-year-old patient had to be rushed to the intensive care unit in critical condition during a routine sinus surgery. A local lab analyzed fluid from the bag used during the teenager’s surgery and found bupivacaine (a nerve-blocking agent), epinephrine (a stimulant) and lidocaine (an anesthetic) — a drug cocktail that could have caused the boy’s symptoms, which included very high blood pressure, cardiac dysfunction and pulmonary edema. The lab also observed a puncture in the bag. Ortiz surreptitiously injected IV bags of saline with epinephrine, bupivacaine and other drugs, placed them into a warming bin at the facility, and waited for them to be used in colleagues’ surgeries, knowing their patients would experience dangerous complications. Surveillance video introduced into evidence showed Ortiz repeatedly retrieving IV bags from the warming bin and replacing them shortly thereafter, not long before the bags were carried into operating rooms where patients experienced complications. Video also showed Ortiz mixing vials of medication and watching as victims were wheeled out by emergency responders. Evidence presented at trial showed that Ortiz was facing disciplinary action at the time for an alleged medical mistake made in his one of his own surgeries, and that he potentially faced losing his medical license. At trial, doctors testified about the confusion they felt when their patients’ blood pressures suddenly skyrocketed. Reviewing medical records, they all noted the emergencies occurred shortly after new IV bags had been hung. Patients recalled waking up unexpectedly intubated in intensive care units they had been transported to via emergency medical transportation services, in pain and in fear for their lives. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Ortiz faces a maximum penalty of 190 years in prison. The court will set his sentencing hearing at a later date. FDA-OCI Special Agents Chad Medaris and Daniel Allgeyer investigated the case. Assistant Director Patrick Runkle and Trial Attorney Rachel Baron of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney John de la Garza for the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gail Hayworth for the Northern District of Texas provided appellate support. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey presided over trial. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, visit www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx


title: California man sentenced to over 20 years for distributing pure meth in Virginia

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to 21 years and ten months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, from Sept. 21, 2022, to Feb. 13, 2023, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and task force agents used a confidential source to make multiple purchases of meth from Rodolfo Villanueva, 30. Each time, Villanueva sent a courier to meet the source. The courier would provide the meth from Villanueva to the source and collect from the source money owed to Villanueva for previously supplied meth. Villanueva was found to have supplied over 5 kilograms of nearly pure methamphetamine. Following the final sale on Feb. 13, 2023, agents took Villanueva into custody and recovered the money from the transaction, which was in Villanueva’s coat pocket. A search of Villanueva’s Richmond apartment resulted in the recovery of 8.9 kilograms of fentanyl and 8.8 kilograms of cocaine. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak. 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. 3:23-cr-50.


title: Pulaski Woman Indicted for Bank Fraud, Social Security Fraud,  and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Wanda Gilpin, age 70, of Pulaski, New York, was arraigned today on a federal indictment charging her with six counts of bank fraud, two counts of misuse of a social security number, and one count of aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bradley Parker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), New York Field Office announced. According to the indictment, Gilpin is accused of applying for multiple credit cards and loans using the personal identification information—including the social security number—of other individuals, including her deceased husband. She executed this scheme to obtain lines of credit and loans with no intention of ever re-paying them. Gilpin is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from several different financial institutions during the course of several years. The bank fraud charges filed against Gilpin carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The misuse of a social security number charges carry a maximum sentence of 5 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Gilpin is also subject to a mandatory sentence of two years in prison, for the aggravated identity theft count, to be served in addition to any punishment for any other charges of conviction. If convicted, Gilpin will also be subject to a term of supervised release of up to five years after her release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The SSA-OIG is investigating the case and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian LaRochelle and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck.


title: Dominican Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison as Member of Maritime Cocaine-Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 11, 2024, Herlin Hernandez-Trinidad, a/k/a “Rainely” (age: 29) of Miches, Dominican Republic, pled guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, in violation of Title 46, United States Code, Section 70506(b). He was sentenced that same day to 10 years in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Pamela Pepper. According to court documents, beginning around January 2019 and continuing through August 2020, Hernandez-Trinidad and others coordinated maritime shipments of bulk quantities of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. Once the cocaine arrived in Puerto Rico, Hernandez-Trinidad distributed it to individuals like David Quinones-Quinones (a/k/a “Davo”), a Puerto Rico-based kilogram-quantity cocaine trafficker, who supplied individuals responsible for sending cocaine to various locations within the continental United States, including Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Court documents further reveal that Hernandez-Trinidad received maritime shipments of cocaine from the Dominican Republic. On one occasion, Hernandez-Trinidad facilitated a 300-kilogram cocaine shipment from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. Hernandez-Trinidad was also linked to a maritime cocaine load seized by law enforcement on December 10, 2019. On that date, federal and local authorities interdicted a boat with Dominican nationals carrying 181 kilograms of cocaine near the shoreline of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. At sentencing, the Chief Judge noted that a significant sentence was necessary to reflect the significant quantity of drugs that were involved in the conspiracy. “The sentence in this case is a direct result of excellent collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement,” stated U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “I commend the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in investigating and prosecuting this conspiracy.” This prosecution is the product of a multi-year investigation led by law enforcement agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Milwaukee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Brady, Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Gail Hoffman prosecuted the case. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Final Defendants Sentenced in $65 Million TRICARE Fraud

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 12, 2024 SAN DIEGO – The final two members of a massive conspiracy to bilk TRICARE, the military’s healthcare program, out of more than $65 million have been sentenced in federal court. Former U.S. Marine Joshua Morgan and former U.S. Navy Sailor Kyle Adams were sentenced to 21 months and 15 months, respectively, and ordered to pay millions in restitution and forfeit the fruits of their criminal activity. Morgan and Adams have admitted that they recruited fellow servicemembers and their dependents to receive expensive prescription compounded drugs, while others in the conspiracy wrote bogus prescriptions and filled out duplicitous paperwork to process fraudulent insurance reimbursements, resulting in at least $65 million in losses to TRICARE. Both the defendants were working for Jimmy and Ashley Collins, a married couple living in Birchwood, Tennessee, who quarterbacked the scheme. Jimmy Collins received a 10-year prison sentence; Ashley Collins was sentenced to 18 months in home confinement. To account for all the fraud, the couple was ordered to pay $65,679,512.71 in restitution to Defense Health Agency and TRICARE. Other patient recruiters, including Daniel Castro, Jeremy Syto and Bradley White were previously sentenced to custody. According to plea agreements, the servicemembers that Morgan and Adams recruited agreed to receive the pricey compounded medications in return for a monthly kickback of approximately $300. For young Sailors and Marines-turned-straw-beneficiaries, this money was equivalent to a significant portion of their monthly paycheck. Morgan noted that “it took very little work to sign people up to receive free money.” For recruiting bogus patients, defendants Morgan and Adams were paid an illegal kickback of between 3 and 7 percent of the total TRICARE reimbursement paid to the pharmacy for the drugs sent to their recruits. By the time this fraud scheme was in full swing, the average cost for these compounded drugs was over $13,000 for a 30-day supply, peaking at around $25,000 for individual drugs. Over the course of the conspiracy, those illegal kickbacks amounted to at least $2,633,942.69 for Morgan, which, in recognition of his role as the top-level recruiter in this multi-level marketing scheme, was more than twice as much as the next nearest patient recruiter. Meanwhile, Adams earned more than $1 million for his efforts. To fund these kickbacks, based on false pretenses and representations, TRICARE paid at least $11,490,654.00 in insurance reimbursements for compounded medications prescribed to straw beneficiaries directly recruited by defendant Adams. During the same period, TRICARE paid at least $4,418,709 for compounded medications prescribed to straw beneficiaries directly recruited by defendant Morgan, although that amount underrepresents the severity of his criminal conduct due to his role as a top-level recruiter responsible in part for the losses to TRICARE caused by various sub-recruiters. The doctors, Carl Lindblad and Susan Vergot, and a nurse practitioner, Candace Craven, who wrote the fraudulent prescriptions and filled out other duplicitous paperwork, were previously sentenced. The pharmacy that filled the fraudulent prescriptions, CFK, Inc., also previously pleaded guilty. According to the pleadings, the sharp increase in the number of bogus prescriptions for compounded drugs was the result of multiple fraud schemes, including this one, that popped up around the country. As a result, the TRICARE program faced a $2 billion explosion in liability for compounded prescription drugs. “Today’s sentencing closes the last chapter on this outrageous fraud scheme that almost put TRICARE into bankruptcy,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Our military members and taxpayers deserve so much better. The magnitude and significance of this case reflects our continued dedication to the well-being of the armed forces and their families, as well as our steadfast protection of the U.S. taxpayer.” “NCIS will not stand by as individuals shamelessly attempt to disrupt the lives of those who have and continue to serve our country, and steal from what they rightfully earned,” said Director Omar Lopez, Naval Criminal Investigative Service. “This case highlights NCIS’ investigative capabilities and our commitment to collaborate with our law enforcement partners in detecting and dismantling these criminal acts of fraud.” “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) unwavering commitment to hold accountable those individuals who commit TRICARE fraud and imperil our military healthcare system,” said Kelly Mayo, Director DCIS. “The outstanding work of the investigative team ensured the perpetrators were held criminally accountable. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for their continuing dedication to the pursuit of justice.” During the course of the investigation, authorities seized numerous items and properties purchased by the Collinses and others with the proceeds of the fraud, including an 82-foot yacht; multiple luxury vehicles, including two Aston Martins; a multimillion-dollar investment annuity; gold and silver bars; cashier’s checks; dozens of pieces of farm equipment and tractor-trailers; and three pieces of Tennessee real estate. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. Pletcher. DEFENDANTS Case Number: 18-CR-1027-JLS Joshua Morgan Age: 31 San Diego, CA DEFENDANTS Case Number: 18-CR-0432-JLS Kyle Adams Age: 36 Victoria, Texas SUMMARY OF CHARGES Joshua Morgan: Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, 1347 Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine or double loss amount, whichever is greater An order of restitution requiring defendant to repay at least $4,418,709 to DHA/TRICARE Kyle Adams: Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349, 1347 Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine or double loss amount, whichever is greater An order of restitution requiring defendant to repay at least $11,490,654 to DHA/TRICARE INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Defense Criminal Investigative Service Naval Criminal Investigative Service IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Gulfport, MS Federal Bureau of Investigation - Jackson, MS Field Office


title: Former U.S. Ambassador and National Security Council Official Admits to Secretly Acting as Agent of the Cuban Government and Receives 15-Year Sentence

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, of Miami, Florida, a former U.S. Department of State employee who served on the National Security Council from 1994 to 1995 and as U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, pleaded guilty today to secretly acting for decades as an agent of the government of the Republic of Cuba. Immediately thereafter, a federal judge sentenced Rocha to the statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for his crimes of conviction. “Victor Manuel Rocha secretly acted for decades as an agent of a hostile foreign power. He thought the story of his covert mission for Cuba would never be told because he had the intelligence, knowledge, and discipline to never to be detected. Rocha underestimated those same skills in the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to bring him to justice for betraying his oath to this country,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “I am mindful that Rocha’s decades-long criminal activity on behalf of the Cuban Government is especially painful for many in South Florida. Rocha’s willingness to cooperate, as required by his plea agreement, is important, but does not change the seriousness of his misconduct or his clandestine breach of the trust placed in him. Rocha’s 15-year prison sentence, the maximum punishment for his crimes of conviction, sends a powerful message to those who are acting or seek to act unlawfully in the United States for a foreign government: we will seek you out anywhere, at any time, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” “Today’s plea and sentencing brings to an end more than four decades of betrayal and deceit by the defendant,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Rocha admitted to acting as an agent of the Cuban government at the same time he held numerous positions of trust in the U.S. government, a staggering betrayal of the American people and an acknowledgement that every oath he took to the United States was a lie.” U.S. District Court Judge Beth Bloom accepted Rocha’s guilty plea to counts 1 and 2 of the indictment, which charged him with conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government and conspiring to defraud the United States and acting as an agent of a foreign government without notice as required by law. The Court then sentenced Rocha to the statutory maximum penalty on his counts of conviction: 15 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a special assessment. The court also imposed significant restrictions on Rocha. Under the terms of the parties’ plea agreement, Rocha must cooperate with the United States, including assisting with any damage assessment related to his work on behalf of the Republic of Cuba. Rocha must relinquish all future retirement benefits, including pension payments, owed to him by the United States based upon his former State Department employment. Rocha must also assign to the United States any profits that he may be entitled to receive in connection with any publication relating to his criminal conduct or his U.S. Government service. “Despite swearing an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States, Rocha betrayed the U.S. by secretly working as a Cuban agent for decades,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “After years of lying and endangering national security and U.S. citizens, he finally accepted responsibility for his actions and received the maximum prison sentence. This should serve as a notice to our adversaries that the FBI will work tirelessly to stop foreign intelligence services and any who work with them against the interests of the United States and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.” “Victor Manuel Rocha was sentenced to 15 years in prison today for deceiving our nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “He blatantly violated the oath of office he willingly took as an employee of the State Department and disregarded the loyalty to the United States that is inherent with that oath. As this case demonstrates, the counterintelligence threat facing our nation is real, pervasive, and has the potential to cause great harm to our national security. I want to commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida for their close partnership on this highly sensitive matter. I also want to thank our Washington Field Office and our Counterintelligence Division, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service for their valuable contributions to this case.” “The investigation of this crime demonstrates the sustained threat from hostile intelligence services,” said Assistant Director for Domestic Operations Andrew Wroblewski of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). “Today’s guilty plea and sentencing are another example of our commitment to successfully work together with our federal law enforcement partners in the pursuit of those who compromise the security of the United States.” In pleading guilty, Rocha admitted that, beginning in 1973, and continuing to the time of his arrest, he secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the United States by serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s General Directorate of Intelligence. By his own admission, to further that role, Rocha obtained employment at the U.S. Department of State, where he worked between 1981 and 2002, in positions that provided him access to nonpublic information, including classified information, and the ability to affect U.S. foreign policy. Aside from serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia and on the White House National Security Council, Rocha’s career included a stint as Deputy Principal Secretary of the State Department’s U.S. Interests Section in Havana, Cuba from 1995-97. After his State Department employment ended, Rocha engaged in other acts intended to support Cuba’s intelligence services. Rocha kept his status as a Cuban agent secret to protect himself and others and to allow himself the opportunity to engage in additional clandestine activity. Rocha provided false and misleading information to the United States to maintain his secret mission and traveled outside the United States to meet with Cuban intelligence operatives. In a series of meetings during 2022 and 2023, with an undercover FBI agent posing as a covert Cuban General Directorate of Intelligence representative, Rocha made repeated statements admitting his “decades” of work for Cuba, spanning “40 years.” When the undercover told Rocha he was “a covert representative here in Miami” whose mission was “to contact you, introduce myself as your new contact, and establish a new communication plan,” Rocha answered “Yes,” and proceeded to engage in lengthy conversations during which he described and celebrated his activity as a Cuban intelligence agent. Throughout the meetings, Rocha behaved as a Cuban agent, consistently referring to the United States as “the enemy,” and using the term “we” to describe himself and Cuba. Rocha additionally praised Fidel Castro as the “Comandante,” and referred to his contacts in Cuban intelligence as his “Compañeros” (comrades) and to the Cuban intelligence services as the “Dirección.” Rocha described his work as a Cuban agent as “enormous … More than a grand slam,” and asserted that what he did “strengthened the Revolution … immensely.” The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case, with valuable contributions by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Stratton and John C. Shipley of the Southern District of Florida, along with Trial Attorneys Heather M. Schmidt and Christine A. Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-20464. ###


title: Exembajador de los Estados Unidos y funcionario del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional admite haber actuado en secreto como agente del gobierno cubano y recibe sentencia de 15 años

body_text: MIAMI – Víctor Manuel Rocha, de 73 años, de Miami, Florida, exempleado del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos que sirvió en el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional de 1994 a 1995 y como embajador de los Estados Unidos en Bolivia de 2000 a 2002, hoy se declaró culpable de actuar en secreto durante décadas como agente del gobierno de la República de Cuba. Inmediatamente después, un juez federal condenó a Rocha a la pena máxima legal de 15 años de prisión por sus delitos penales. “Víctor Manuel Rocha actuó en secreto durante décadas como agente de una potencia extranjera hostil. Pensó que la historia de su misión encubierta a Cuba nunca sería contada porque tenía la inteligencia, el conocimiento y la disciplina para no ser detectado nunca. Rocha subestimó esas mismas habilidades en los fiscales y agentes del orden público que trabajaron incansablemente para llevarlo ante la justicia por traicionar su juramento a este país”, señaló el fiscal federal Markenzy Lapointe para el Distrito Sur de Florida. “Soy consciente de que la actividad delictiva de décadas de Rocha en nombre del gobierno cubano es especialmente dolorosa para muchos en el sur de Florida. La voluntad de Rocha de cooperar, como lo exige su acuerdo de culpabilidad, es importante, pero no cambia la gravedad de su mala conducta o su abuso clandestino de la confianza depositada en él. La sentencia de 15 años de prisión de Rocha, el castigo máximo por sus delitos penales, envía un poderoso mensaje a quienes actúan o quieren actuar ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos para un gobierno extranjero: los buscaremos en cualquier lugar, en cualquier momento y los procesaremos con todo el peso de la ley”. “La declaración de culpabilidad y la sentencia de hoy ponen fin a más de cuatro décadas de traición y engaño por parte del acusado”, expresó el fiscal general adjunto Matthew G. Olsen de la División de Seguridad Nacional del Departamento de Justicia. “Rocha admitió haber actuado como agente del gobierno cubano al mismo tiempo que ocupaba numerosos cargos de confianza en el gobierno de los Estados Unidos, una asombrosa traición al pueblo estadounidense y un reconocimiento de que cada juramento que hizo a los Estados Unidos fue una mentira”. La jueza del Tribunal Federal de Distrito, Beth Bloom, aceptó la declaración de culpabilidad de Rocha por los cargos 1 y 2 de la acusación formal, que le atribuyen conspiración para actuar como agente de un gobierno extranjero y conspiración para defraudar a los Estados Unidos y actuar como agente de un gobierno extranjero sin notificación según lo exige la ley. A continuación, la jueza condenó a Rocha a la pena máxima legal por los cargos penales: 15 años de prisión, multa de $500,000 dólares estadounidenses, tres años de libertad supervisada y una cuota especial. La jueza también impuso importantes restricciones a Rocha. Según los términos del acuerdo de culpabilidad de las partes, Rocha tiene que cooperar con los Estados Unidos, incluido el asistir con cualquier evaluación de daños relacionados con su trabajo en nombre de la República de Cuba. Rocha debe renunciar a todos los beneficios de jubilación futuros, incluidos los pagos de pensiones, que los Estados Unidos le debe por su antiguo empleo en el Departamento de Estado. Rocha también debe ceder a los Estados Unidos cualquier ganancia que tenga derecho a recibir en relación con cualquier publicación relacionada con su conducta delictiva o su servicio al gobierno de los Estados Unidos. “A pesar de haber hecho un juramento de defender la Constitución de los Estados Unidos, Rocha traicionó a los Estados Unidos al trabajar en secreto como agente cubano durante décadas”, apunta la subdirectora ejecutiva Larissa L. Knapp de la División de Seguridad Nacional del FBI. “Después de años de mentir y poner en peligro la seguridad nacional y a los ciudadanos estadounidenses, finalmente aceptó la responsabilidad de sus acciones y recibió la pena máxima de prisión. Esto debería servir como aviso a nuestros adversarios de que el FBI trabajará incansablemente para detener a los servicios de inteligencia extranjeros y a cualquiera que trabaje con ellos en contra de los intereses de los Estados Unidos y procesarlos con todo el peso de la ley”. “Víctor Manuel Rocha fue sentenciado hoy a 15 años de prisión por engañar a nuestra nación”, señaló el agente especial a cargo Jeffrey B. Veltri de la Oficina de Campo del FBI en Miami. “Incumplió descaradamente el juramento que tomó voluntariamente como empleado del Departamento de Estado e ignoró la lealtad a los Estados Unidos que es inherente a ese juramento. Como lo demuestra este caso, la amenaza de contrainteligencia que enfrenta nuestra nación es real, generalizada y tiene el potencial de causar un gran daño a nuestra seguridad nacional. Quiero felicitar a la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Florida por su estrecha colaboración en este asunto tan delicado. También quiero agradecer a nuestra Oficina de Campo en Washington y a nuestra División de Contrainteligencia, así como a la División de Seguridad Nacional del Departamento de Justicia y al Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática del Departamento de Estado por sus valiosas contribuciones a este caso”. “La investigación de este delito demuestra la amenaza sostenida de los servicios de inteligencia hostiles”, expresó el subdirector de Operaciones Nacionales, Andrew Wroblewski, del Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática (DSS) del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos. “La declaración de culpabilidad y la sentencia de hoy son otro ejemplo de nuestro compromiso de trabajar satisfactoriamente junto con nuestros colaboradores federales del orden público en la persecución de aquellos que comprometen la seguridad de los Estados Unidos”. Al declararse culpable, Rocha admitió que, desde 1973 y hasta el momento de su arresto, apoyó secretamente a la República de Cuba y su misión clandestina de recopilación de inteligencia contra los Estados Unidos sirviendo como agente encubierto de la Dirección General de Inteligencia de Cuba. Según admitió él mismo, para promover ese papel, Rocha obtuvo empleo en el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos, donde trabajó entre 1981 y 2002, en puestos que le brindaron acceso a información no pública, incluida información clasificada, y la capacidad de afectar la política exterior de los Estados Unidos. Además de servir como embajador de los Estados Unidos en Bolivia y en el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional de la Casa Blanca, la carrera de Rocha incluyó un período como vicesecretario principal de la Sección de Intereses de los Estados Unidos del Departamento de Estado en La Habana, Cuba, de 1995 a 1997. Después de que terminó su empleo en el Departamento de Estado, Rocha participó en otros actos destinados a apoyar a los servicios de inteligencia de Cuba. Rocha mantuvo en secreto su condición de agente cubano para protegerse a sí mismo y a los demás, y para permitirse la oportunidad de participar en actividades clandestinas adicionales. Rocha proporcionó información falsa y engañosa a los Estados Unidos para mantener su misión secreta y viajó fuera de los Estados Unidos para reunirse con agentes de inteligencia cubanos. En una serie de reuniones durante 2022 y 2023, con un agente encubierto del FBI haciéndose pasar por un representante encubierto de la Dirección General de Inteligencia cubana, Rocha hizo repetidas declaraciones admitiendo sus “décadas” de trabajo para Cuba, que abarcan “40 años”. Cuando el agente encubierto le dijo a Rocha que era “un representante encubierto aquí en Miami” cuya misión era “contactarle, presentarme como su nuevo contacto y establecer un nuevo plan de comunicación”, Rocha respondió: “Sí” y procedió a entablar largas conversaciones durante las cuales describió y celebró su actividad como agente de la inteligencia cubana. A lo largo de las reuniones, Rocha se comportó como un agente cubano, refiriéndose constantemente a los Estados Unidos como “el enemigo” y utilizando el término “nosotros” para describirse a sí mismo y a Cuba. Rocha también elogió a Fidel Castro como el “Comandante” y se refirió a sus contactos en la inteligencia cubana como sus “compañeros” y a los servicios de inteligencia cubanos como la “Dirección”. Rocha calificó su labor como agente cubano como “enorme… Más que un grand slam ”, y aseveró que lo que hizo “fortaleció a la Revolución… inmensamente”. La Oficina de Campo del FBI en Miami investigó el caso, con valiosas contribuciones de la Oficina de Campo del FBI en Washington y el Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática (DSS) del Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos. Los fiscales federales adjuntos Jonathan D. Stratton y John C. Shipley del Distrito Sur de Florida, junto con las abogadas litigantes Heather M. Schmidt y Christine A. Bonomo de la Sección de Contrainteligencia y Control de Exportaciones de la División de Seguridad Nacional procesaron el caso. Toda persona que tenga información puede llamar al 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) o visitar tips.fbi.gov. Todos los documentos e información relacionada se pueden encontrar en el sitio web del Tribunal de Distrito, Distrito Sur de Florida en www.flsd.uscourts.gov o en http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , bajo el número de caso 23-cr-20464. ###


title: Convicted Felon Is Sentenced To Prison For Firearms Offense, Assaulting Federal Officers, And Assault With Intent To Commit Murder

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Martin Medina, 32, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for a firearms offense, assaulting federal officers, and assault with intent to commit murder, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the sentence imposed for the weapons and assault convictions, Medina was ordered to serve an additional 30 months in prison for violating the terms of his federal supervised release, for a total sentence of more than 16 years. Medina was convicted of federal charges in 2012 for abusive sexual contact and related offenses. Medina was sentenced to a term of imprisonment followed by a lifetime of supervised release. As a convicted felon, Medina was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Also, among the conditions of Medina’s supervision were warrantless searches of his person and his residence. According to court documents and court proceedings, on June 14, 2022, at approximately 1:10 p.m., federal probation officers and a deputy with the Cherokee Indian Police Department (CIPD) arrived at Medina’s residence, located in Swain County within the Qualla Boundary, to conduct a warrantless search. Medina met the law enforcement officers outside, then quickly ran inside his residence. A federal probation officer began to negotiate with Medina to come outside, but Medina did not comply. Officers with Tribal Alcohol Law Enforcement, Tribal Natural Resources Enforcement, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs arrived to assist. Law enforcement continued to negotiate with Medina, and over the course of the negotiations, law enforcement observed shell casings in the driveway. This led officers to believe that Medina was armed even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms. According to court records, a SWAT team was called to the scene. Law enforcement reported potential gunfire coming from inside the residence. Medina continued to refuse to surrender, even after law enforcement deployed non-lethal gas into the residence. After deploying more gas into the home, law enforcement was again met with gunfire. Medina continued to fire at law enforcement, causing one of the officers to sustain a non-fatal injury. Eventually, Medina agreed to surrender, and he was taken into custody at 5:51 p.m. Court records show that following Medina’s arrest, officers executed a search warrant at Medina’s residence, seizing five firearms, including three shotguns, assorted ammunition, extended magazines loaded to capacity for all weapons, two ballistic vests, a ballistic helmet, night vision goggles, a gas mask, various fixed-blade knives, suspected marijuana, and several thousand dollars in cash. Medina remains in federal custody awaiting transfer to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Probation Office, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, Tribal Alcohol Law Enforcement, Tribal Natural Resources Enforcement, the Office of the Tribal Prosecutor, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.


title: Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty To Aggravated Sexual Abuse Of A Child

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lawrence Fourkiller, age 47, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a plea of guilty to one-count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in Indian Country as a part of a negotiated plea agreement. During the plea hearing, Fourkiller admitted that between August of 2020 and May of 2021, while employed at Stilwell Elementary School, he knowingly caused a seven-year-old child to engage in a sexual act. The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Stilwell Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Fourkiller will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Caila M. Cleary and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.


title: Roland Resident Sentenced To 19 Years For Maiming And Burglary

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Morgan Cameron Blanton-Barnes, age 24, of Roland, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 235 months in prison for one count of Maiming in Indian Country and 188 months in prison for First Degree Burglary in Indian Country. These sentences are to be served concurrently. The charges arose from investigations by the Roland Police Department, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On December 14, 2022, Blanton-Barnes pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on April 23, 2022, Blanton-Barnes broke into the victim’s home while the victim was sleeping and attacked the victim with an electric saw. The victim suffered severe lacerations to the back of his skull and both hands. The crimes occurred in Sequoyah County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “The facts of this case are shocking, and the sentence imposed is a clear message that the justice system will hold violent offenders accountable for their heinous crimes,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Blanton-Barnes will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States at sentencing.


title: Texas Resident Sentenced To Five Years For Arson, Assaults, And Animal Cruelty

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Raymond David Phillips, age 32, of Lindale, Texas, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Arson, 41 months for one count of Animal Crushing in Indian Country, and 6 months on two misdemeanor counts of Assault in Indian Country. The sentences will run concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grand River Dam Authority. On May 22, 2023, Phillips pleaded guilty to the charges. On September 3, 2022, Phillips and his girlfriend were vacationing at a resort area along the Illinois River when his girlfriend was arrested. Angered by the arrest, Phillips decapitated the resort owner’s cat, then began burning other guests’ camping equipment. Law enforcement arrested Phillips at the Cherokee County Detention Center, where he had arrived to bail out his girlfriend. After being taken into custody, Phillips threatened and assaulted jail and law enforcement officers. The crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Phillips will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Elm Creek Woman Convicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Hallie Deleon, 25, formerly of Elm Creek, Nebraska, was sentenced on April 12, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possession with intent to distribute meth. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Deleon to 22 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Deleon’s release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On September 8, 2022, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in Buffalo County, Nebraska. The vehicle had multiple occupants and Deleon was the front seat passenger. Law enforcement found probable cause and searched the vehicle. While searching the vehicle, law enforcement found two firearms, magazines with ammunition, drug paraphernalia, vials with suspected meth residue, a scale, and multiple used and unused baggies. Deleon was arrested, along with the other occupants of the vehicle. At the jail, staff found about an ounce of suspected meth on Deleon’s person. This case was investigated by the Tri-City Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT). TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Grand Island Man Sentenced for Gun Possession

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Thomas McHenry, 49, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced April 12, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possession of a firearm by a felon. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced McHenry to 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After McHenry’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. In October of 2022, on a report of a disturbance, law enforcement in Grand Island were dispatched to a residence. Upon their arrival, several witnesses identified McHenry as the individual who had brandished a firearm and threatened to kill a family member. McHenry was arrested and it was determined he had numerous prior felony convictions. A search warrant was obtained for the residence and law enforcement found and seized seven firearms and numerous types of ammunition. This case was brought as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive national strategy that creates local partnerships with law enforcement agencies to effectively enforce existing gun laws. It provides more options to prosecutors, allowing them to utilize local, state, and federal laws to ensure that criminals who commit gun crime face tough sentences. PSN gives each federal district the flexibility it needs to focus on individual challenges that a specific community faces. This case was investigated by the Grand Island Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: California Man Involved in Methamphetamine Trafficking Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on April 11, 2024, to more than 12 years in federal prison. Carlos Sanchez, age 36, from San Bernardino, California, received the prison term after an October 23, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Sanchez was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for mailing methamphetamine from California to Iowa through the United States Postal Service. Sanchez mailed multiple packages that contained many pounds of methamphetamine on behalf of the drug trafficking organization. Sanchez was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Sanchez was sentenced to 150 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Sanchez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force. The DEA Task Force consists of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-91. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Cedar Rapids Man Involved in Methamphetamine Trafficking Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: A man who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison. Calvin Williams, age 39, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 20, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Williams was involved in a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for mailing methamphetamine from California to Iowa through the United States Postal Service. Williams and a co-defendant developed a source of supply in California who was sending packages containing methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service to several addresses in Cedar Rapids. Williams and a co-defendant would wrap the cash proceeds from the distribution of controlled substances, and they would mail the proceeds back to their source of supply in California in packages that listed fake names and return addresses. Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Williams was sentenced to 183 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Williams is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force. The DEA Task Force consists of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-91. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison for Bank Robbery

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Rock Island, Ill. – A Chicago, Illinois, man, Eric A. Boyd, 55, of the 700 block of Chicago, Illinois, has been sentenced to 180 months in the Bureau of Prisons, to be served consecutive to a U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois sentence, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for armed bank robbery. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that, on the morning of May 1, 2023, Boyd entered a Chase Bank in Moline, Illinois, wearing a mask and carrying a duffle bag. Boyd brandished an apparent firearm, indicated he had a bomb, and ordered employees and customers to “get on the ground”. Boyd then placed the duffel bag on the counter and directed bank employees to fill the bag with currency. Also at the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge James E. Shadid found that, in January of 2021, Boyd was released early from a previous prison sentence for multiple armed bank robberies, and that at the time of this offense he was on supervised release from the Bureau of Prisons. Judge Shadid also noted that Boyd’s extensive criminal history indicated he was a risk to reoffend, that prior prison sentences had not deterred Boyd from engaging in new crimes, and that a lengthy sentence was necessary to protect the community from further harm. Boyd was arrested on May 5, 2023, and has remained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest. Boyd pleaded guilty on September 19, 2023. The statutory penalties for armed bank robbery are up to 25 years in prison. Moline Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office. Supervisory Assistant U.S Attorney John Mehochko represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Boyd 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: San Antonio Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Lethal Doses of Meth and Fentanyl

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man pleaded guilty in a federal court in San Antonio to three fatal and one non-fatal overdoses. According to court documents, Mark Elliot Stool, 67, supplied substances containing combinations of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and methamphetamine and heroin, to four individuals between August 2021 and March 2022. He was arrested following a traffic stop in June 2022 and found to be in possession of a substance that tested positive for both methamphetamine and fentanyl. Stool pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and one count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17 and faces 20 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, University of Texas at San Antonio Police Department, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Castle Hills Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Hail and William Calve are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Rhode Island Man With Ties to Mexican Drug Suppliers Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man who worked as an east coast source for trafficking fentanyl on behalf of a Mexican drug supplier was sentenced on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Watly Federico Valenzuela Ruiz, 39, pleaded guilty on November 1, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to both distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl. He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 60 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. According to documents filed with the court, in May 2021, months after he entered into discussions to become a supplier of large quantities of fentanyl to an individual in Providence for $38,000 per kilogram, Valenzuela Ruiz delivered approximately one kilogram of fentanyl to that individual. The drugs were seized by members of the DEA Rhode Island Drug Task Force. In August 2021, Valenzuela Ruiz arranged for the sale of 1,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to an individual for $6.00 per pill. Following that delivery Valenzuela Ruiz offered to sell the individual 10,000 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills for $5.00 per pill. As 9,000 pills were being delivered at the direction of Valenzuela Ruiz on September 7, 2021, Valenzuela Ruiz, his brother-in-law, and another individual were arrested by DEA Drug Task Force agents. The investigation into Valenzuela Ruiz’s drug trafficking activities resulted in the seizure of 8,964 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills with a net weight of 1,012.9 grams of fentanyl; 4.475 grams of fentanyl powder; and 892.3 grams of fentanyl with 723.9 grams of tramadol cutting agent, The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey A. Erickson. The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of personnel from the DEA; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation; Rhode Island State Police; Cranston Police Department; Middletown Police Department; Newport Police Department; Pawtucket Police Department; Providence Police Department; Warwick Police Department; Woonsocket Police Department; and Amtrak Police. ###


title: Mexican National Attempted to Flee U.S. Port of Entry, Sentenced to 27 Years for Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 324 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On March 2, 2021, Caleb Eduardo Gomez-Sanchez, 35, attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico via the Eagle Pass port of entry. Initially, Gomez-Sanchez followed directions and exited the vehicle for a secondary inspection, but when he was asked to remove his jacket to check his pockets, Gomez-Sanchez jumped back into the car and drove into oncoming traffic, attempting to flee back to Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers reacted by positioning their vehicle to block Gomez-Sanchez from fleeing further. Gomez-Sanchez rammed his vehicle into the parked CBP unit while two officers were still seated inside the vehicle. Both officers sustained injuries during the collision. Gomez-Sanchez eventually crashed into a concrete barrier at the Mexican port of entry on the other side of the bridge. Mexican authorities immediately returned Gomez-Sanchez to U.S. authorities. CBPOs discovered a sock in Gomez-Sanchez’s coat pocket containing a substance suspected to be methamphetamine. Analysis of the suspected methamphetamine identified the substance as methamphetamine hydrochloride, with a total weight of 64.48 grams and a purity level of approximately 99%. On Sept. 13, 2021, Gomez-Sanchez pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. “The federal agents along our southern border risk their lives on a daily basis to limit the infiltration of drugs, weapons, and the illegal entry of undocumented noncitizens into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I appreciate the diligence of our CBP Officers at Eagle Pass for their efforts in this case, along with the Mexican law enforcement officers for their assistance in returning this defendant to U.S. custody for prosecution.” "Actions that threaten the safety and well-being of law enforcement, and the general public are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig S. Larrabee for Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio. “HSI in collaboration with our law enforcement partners, will prioritize the investigation and prosecution of any individual who chooses to harm the public and officers at the Port of Entry.” HSI and CBP investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Garner prosecuted the case. ###


title: Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and the European Commission hold Fourth U.S.-EU Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, Chair Lina M. Khan of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager of the European Commission met today in Washington, D.C., for the fourth meeting of the U.S.-EU Joint Technology Competition Policy Dialogue (TCPD). The principals and senior staff met to continue to cooperate in ensuring and promoting fair competition in the digital economy. “The growth of data monopolies and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence expand the competitive threats we face from dominant digital gatekeepers,” said Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter. “Exchanging best practices with our global counterparts helps us to more effectively serve the American people, and we deeply appreciate the European Commission's continued engagement through the TCPD.” “As businesses move at breakneck speed to build and monetize AI and algorithmic decision-making tools, engaging with our international partners and sharing best practices will be especially critical,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The Joint Technology Dialogue provides U.S. agencies and the European Commission a key opportunity to discuss emerging threats in a rapidly evolving digital economy.” “With today’s meeting, we have further strengthened our cooperation in competition policy and enforcement in the technology area,” said European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager. “The fast-moving technology sector raises global challenges such as regarding artificial intelligence and cloud computing more broadly. It is essential to anticipate and address such challenges through close cooperation, leveraging our respective experiences for the benefit of consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.” The discussion centered on critical issues the agencies are facing, including common challenges related to rapidly evolving technologies in the digital sector such as artificial intelligence and the importance of keeping merger control fit for purpose in a digitalized economy. The agencies also exchanged views on evolving market dynamics in the digital sector and reiterated the importance of continuing their discussions within the framework of the TCPD with a goal of ensuring and promoting fair competition in the technology sector. On Dec. 7, 2021 , the Justice Department, FTC and European Commission launched the TCPD to further boost transatlantic cooperation on competition policy and enforcement in the digital sector in light of the common challenges facing the three authorities. Upon its launch, the Commission and U.S. competition agencies issued a statement regarding the TCPD and reaffirming their longstanding tradition of close cooperation on competition matters. On June 15, 2021 , President Biden and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). The TTC serves as a forum for the United States and European Union to coordinate approaches to key global trade, economic and technology issues and to deepen transatlantic trade and economic relations based on shared democratic values. The Justice Department, FTC and European Commission have a longstanding tradition of close cooperation in antitrust enforcement and policy, beginning even before the formal 1991 cooperation agreement between the European Commission and United States regarding the application of their competition laws.


title: La Jara Man Charged with Sexual Abuse

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A La Jara man is facing federal charges following allegations that he engaged in sexual acts with two minors using force. Ronald Mescal , a.k.a. “Ron Charlie,” 61, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared in federal court today for arraignment on an indictment charging him with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Mescal will remain on conditions of release in the third-party custody of a halfway house pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. The indictment alleges that between July 1992 and August 1996, Mescal engaged in sexual acts with a victim under the age of 18 years by using force. Then, between September 2009 and September 2016, Mescal engaged in sexual acts with a victim who was under the age of 12 years. If convicted, Mescal faces up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Federal Jury Convicts Putnam County Man for FHA Fraud Scheme

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Jason Trador, 46, of Scott Depot, on April 10, 2024, of making a false statement to federal agents, willfully overvaluing property on a loan application, and three counts of making a false statement to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Evidence at trial proved that Trador fraudulently obtained a $223,870 home mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) from his then-employer, Victorian Finance LLC, a mortgage lending business. At the time he applied for the FHA loan in August 2018, Trador was delinquent on paying his federal taxes for a prior tax year. Because of the tax debt, Trador was not eligible for an FHA loan under existing FHA program rules. Trador deceived Victorian Finance into approving the application and the FHA into insuring the mortgage by providing a series of falsified documents including a falsified Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax transcript purporting to show a payoff of the delinquent $8,151 tax debt. Trador also submitted three heavily edited bank statements to Victorian Finance. Each falsified bank statement substantially inflated the balances in Trador’s bank accounts. Two of the falsified statements reported balances of approximately $27,000 and $15,000 for Trador’s personal bank account when in fact the account had negative balances. Line items, such as for insufficient funds fees, were removed from the falsified bank statements and a line item was added to deceive Victorian Finance into believing that he had paid off the delinquent $8,151 tax debt. Evidence at trial proved the purported payoff never occurred and that Trador was still delinquent on the federal tax debt as of March 2024. On September 4, 2018, Trador willfully overvalued his assets on a loan application when he signed a Uniform Residential Loan Application that included the false balances from the falsified bank statements. On May 6, 2022, Trador lied to investigators with HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) when they interviewed Trador at his Scott Depot residence about his application for the FHA-insured mortgage. Trador denied submitting false bank statements with his loan application, and blamed his fellow employees of the mortgage lending business for the inclusion of the false bank statements in the FHA loan file. Trador is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 41 years in prison. “Loan officers are supposed to be gatekeepers who protect the integrity of the FHA program. Mr. Trador abused his position of trust as a loan officer and used his knowledge of FHA requirements to obtain a mortgage he knew he did not qualify for, and then lied in an attempt to conceal his scheme,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “I commend HUD OIG and the FBI for their investigative work in this case, and Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Tessman, Jonathan T. Storage and Erik S. Goes and our trial team for prosecuting the case and securing guilty verdicts on all five counts.” “The integrity of the FHA loan program is essential to helping hard working citizens realize the American dream of homeownership,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. “This case demonstrates HUD OIG’s enduring commitment to working with U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the FBI to investigate and hold accountable those who seek to jeopardize this program and the health and stability of the nation’s housing market. I’d like to sincerely thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the entire investigative team, led by U.S. Attorney Thompson, for its tireless efforts to bring this matter to a just conclusion.” United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the jury trial. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-117. ###


title: Two Men Indicted For Laundering Millions Of Dollars In Fraud Proceeds And Operating Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A newly-unsealed criminal indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte charges Olumide Olorunfunmi, 41, of Arlington, Texas, and Samson Amos, 52, of Burlington, New Jersey, with money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and concealment money laundering, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A third defendant, Emmanuel Unuigbe, 41, of Dallas, Texas, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and is awaiting sentencing. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to allegations in the indictment and filed court documents in Unuigbe’s case, from 2020 through 2023, Olorunfunmi and Amos conspired with Unuigbe and others to launder the illegal proceeds of business email compromise schemes (BECs) and online romance scams targeting elderly victims. Victims of these frauds were directed into wiring and otherwise transferring funds into bank accounts controlled by Olorunfunmi, Amos, Unuigbe and their coconspirators, including bank accounts in the name of Topaz Trading & Logistics Inc., Summit Trading & Financial Services Inc., and Stage 23 Konsult LLC. After receiving the fraud proceeds, Olorunfunmi and Amos depleted the bank accounts through multiple withdrawals and transfers into other accounts, including overseas accounts. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants and their coconspirators caused more than 125 third parties to deposit or transfer over $4.5 million of proceeds stemming from illegal activities. According to allegations in the indictment, Olorunfunmi and Amos profited by, among other things, keeping a percentage of fraudulent proceeds obtained through the schemes. They also allegedly earned compensation by conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, through which Olorunfunmi and Amos agreed to, among other things, “pay” for the domestic deposits received by others by transferring Nigerian Naria from accounts the coconspirators controlled in Nigeria to other accounts in Nigeria, based upon a “black market” exchange rate for United States Dollars to Naira. Amos was released on bond after making his initial appearance in court in Charlotte. Olorunfunmi is scheduled to have his initial appearance in Charlotte on April 25, 2024. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business has a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. The concealment money laundering charges each carry a maximum sentence of no more than 20 years in prison. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for the investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution. If you believe you were impacted by the charged crimes and/or were asked to send money to Topaz, Summit, or Stage 23, please contact the FBI at 704-672-6100.


title: United States Attorney Cunha Advises Rhode Islanders to be Wary of  Scammers Alleging Missed Jury Duty and Demand for Payment of Fines

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island has been made aware of an ongoing scam in which individuals receive communications instructing them to call a number claiming to be the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Callers are advised that they have missed jury duty and must pay a fine immediately to avoid arrest or other consequences. Individuals have been asked to withdraw money and transfer it in accordance with instructions given over the phone, in some cases by first converting it into cryptocurrency. If you receive a request of this kind - DO NOT SEND MONEY. These communications are fraudulent. The United States District Court will never contact individuals seeking payments for missed jury service. Anyone receiving communications of this nature should contact their local police department or contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov If you have questions regarding jury service, you can contact the District Court Clerk’s Office at (401) 752-7200. ###


title: Two Texans Sentenced To 15 Years For A Conspiracy To Distribute Over 20 Kilograms Of Cocaine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Arnulfo Rodriguez-Munoz (43, Fort Worth, TX) and Enrique Velasquez (45, Dallas, TX) each to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Both Rodriguez-Munoz and Velasquez entered guilty pleas on June 22, 2023. According to court documents, Velasquez coordinated a shipment of cocaine that was supposed to travel to Florida (but was intercepted by law enforcement). Velasquez then traveled to the Tampa Bay area to recover the proceeds. Rodriguez-Munoz traveled to Florida to coordinate two additional shipments of cocaine, one of which was concealed inside a speaker box. Both of those cocaine shipments were also recovered by law enforcement. Two co-conspirators were previously sentenced. Heriberto Castillo was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison and David Ceballos was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in federal prison. This case was being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hardee County Sheriff’s office, and the Lakeland Police Department. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Diego F. Novaes.


title: U.S. Attorneys for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina, Department of Housing & Urban Development Office of Inspector General Host Community Conversation on Combatting Sexual Harassment in Housing

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – United States Attorneys Michael Easley for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Sandra Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Dena King for the Western District of North Carolina joined the Civil Rights Division and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG) in hosting a community conversation today focused on the use of the Fair Housing Act to prevent and address complaints of sexual harassment in HUD-assisted housing. “In our ongoing commitment to ensure justice and safety for all, we are proud to co-host a community conversation with a focus on combating sexual harassment in housing,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This event represents a crucial step in our collaborative efforts to create a safe living environment for all people.” “Abusing power and control over housing by committing acts of sexual harassment violates a person’s right to equal housing opportunities,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office remains steadfast in our commitment to enforce federal civil rights laws to combat sexual harassment in housing, protect vulnerable tenants and housing applicants, and hold accountable landlords, property managers, and owners who violate these statutes.” “Sexual harassment of citizens who are pursuing safe and affordable housing will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “This reprehensible conduct is often inflicted on people who feel they do not have an avenue to seek help. We hope today’s seminar has provided our partner agencies and organizations with information that can be shared with citizens who may have fallen prey to this illegal activity.” “Sexual harassment and sexual assault in HUD-assisted housing are discriminatory actions that violate a tenants’ rights to safe and fair housing,” said Inspector General Oliver Davis. “We are proud to work closely with our partners at the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice and will continue to enforce the Fair Housing Act by pursuing bad actors who take advantage of tenants and prospective tenants in violation of the law.” The virtual engagement signified the partnership between the federal agencies to promote the health and safety of tenants residing in HUD-assisted housing by working together to bring justice to victims of predatory landlords and other housing providers who sexually harass or sexually assault tenants in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The topics included discussions about the Fair Housing Act and tenant rights under the law, how to recognize and report sexual misconduct in housing, and case studies. Participants included representatives from legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, and other community organizations who assist underserved and underrepresented communities with housing. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences, concerns, and expertise to forge future partnerships and provide resource assistance to beneficiaries when reporting allegations of sexual misconduct in housing. If you or someone you know has information about or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation—even if the events occurred years ago—report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline . You may also file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint . You may also contact the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-844-380-6178 or visit www.civilrights.justice.gov . Individuals who believe they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other housing discrimination may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at: Eastern District of North Carolina: (919) 856-4530 Middle District of North Carolina: (336) 333-5351 Western District of North Carolina: Charlotte (704) 344-6222 or Asheville (828) 271-4661 For more information on the three North Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Offices, priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit: Eastern District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc Middle District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdnc Western District of North Carolina: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdnc