title: District Man Sentenced to 92 Months in Prison  For Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

body_text: WASHINGTON – Shawn Wooden, 41, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 92 months in prison in connection with a drug trafficking conspiracy called the “MLK Crew” based in Southeast Washington, announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Geist, of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Wooden, aka “Black,” pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Wooden to serve three years of supervised release. Wooden was indicted with 16 co-defendants (listed below) associated with the “MLK Crew.” All 17 defendants have pleaded guilty and only one defendant remains to be sentenced. All 16 defendants who have been sentenced received prison terms ranging from 24 months to 114 months based on their criminal conduct and criminal histories. The case stems from an investigation by the MPD Narcotics and Special Investigations Division and the FBI into the group that operated an open-air drug market around the 2900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE, Washington D.C. The investigation began in response to numerous citizen complaints about rampant drug trafficking and accompanying incidents of violence in the area. In addition to numerous citizen complaints, MPD targeted this area as one of the most notorious in the city in terms of recent shootings and shots fired, as well as for the area’s high numbers of arrests—particularly offenses involving drugs and firearms. As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI began conducting surveillance, obtaining search warrants, and making controlled buys of narcotics from suspected members of the conspiracy. The investigation revealed that MLK Crew members openly engaged in the sale of various drugs (including PCP, crack, fentanyl, and marijuana) and took over the area and, effectively, some of the neighborhood’s businesses. MLK Crew members would often go into the neighborhood businesses to complete sales and constantly loitered outside of these businesses to engage in sales. As part of its investigation, MPD and FBI obtained video of defendants openly conducting narcotics transactions in these businesses and even displaying firearms. Throughout the case, law enforcement seized at least 10 firearms (many of which were privately manufactured firearms or “ghost guns”) from MLK crew members and/or stash houses and a sizeable quantity of various narcotics. As discussed at sentencing, Wooden maintained a stash house at an apartment within MLK Crew territory, leased under the name of a different individual, where Wooden stored both firearms and distribution quantities of narcotics. Photographic and video evidence showed Wooden in the apartment, along with several of his co-conspirators, both cooking crack cocaine and separately packaging narcotics for redistribution. Wooden’s stash house was searched on July 19, 2021, where two firearms were recovered, along with 19 grams of fentanyl and 6 grams of crack cocaine. A DNA analysis revealed “very strong support” for the conclusion that Wooden’s DNA was on one of the firearms seized from the crew’s stash-house apartment, specifically, a privately manufactured firearm (a ghost gun) containing a Glock 27 .40 caliber slide, and .40 caliber ammunition in an extended 22- round capacity magazine. Wooden, who has prior felony convictions and was on supervised release at the time of his arrest, is prohibited from legally possessing firearms. The MLK Crew’s trafficking contributed to numerous incidents of drug-related violence in and around the 2900 Block of MLK Avenue, including multiple assaults, shootings, robberies, and murders—most notably, the murder of a six-year-old girl who was the daughter of one of the co-defendants in this case. In July of 2021, a few months after opening the investigation, MPD and FBI arrested 11 initial defendants and seized 10 firearms, along with PCP, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, heroin, pills, and more than $2,500 in cash. The additional six defendants, including Wooden, were charged in September 2021, and were arrested shortly thereafter. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Cross Border Safe Streets Task Force in partnership with MPD’s Narcotics and Special Investigations (NSID) Violence Reduction Unit (VRU). This partnership targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Park Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and David T. Henek of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy T. Wang also provided valuable assistance. DEFENDANT STATUS Ricky Lyles, Accokeek, MD Sentenced to 114 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm Nico Griffin, Washington, DC Sentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Dandre Shorter, Washington, DC Sentenced to 37 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Wesley Leake, Washington, DC Sentenced to 40 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Leon Lindsay, Washington, DC Sentenced to 57 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Dezmond Cunningham, Washington, DC Sentenced to 48 months conspiracy to distribute cocaine Divine Chappell, Washington, DC Sentenced to 76 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute cocaine Shawn Wooden, Washington, DC Sentenced to 92 months for illegal possession of a firearm by a felon Barry Tyson, Washington, DC Sentenced to 73 months for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine Delonta Chappell, Washington, DC Sentenced to 48 months for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine Anthony GravesWashington, DC Sentenced to 27 months for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine Deshawn Loggins, Temple Hills, MD Sentenced to 42 months for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine Kevonte Randall, Washington, DC Sentenced to 46 months for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and possessing a firearm Corenzo Mobery, Washington, DC Scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 26, 2024, for possession with intent to deliver cocaine, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon Rico Griffin, Washington, DC Sentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Shahborne Scales, Washington, DC Sentenced to 66 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine Luther McDuffie, 35, Washington, DC Sentenced to 24 months for conspiracy to distribute cocaine ##


title: Former Texas Resident Indicted for Violating Federal Narcotics Law

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – A former resident of Rosharon, Texas, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating the federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Daniel Saucedo, 33, formerly of Rosharon, Texas, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about July 28, 2023, Saucedo attempted to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 5 and up to 40 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The United States Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Distributing Methamphetamine and Maintaining Drug Premises

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RYAN NEGROTTO, a/k/a “WHITE BOY,” age 43, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 4, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to 255 months incarceration after previously pleading guilty to eight counts of the superseding indictment pending against him. Judge Fallon also ordered that NEGROTTO be placed on supervised release for five (5) years following release from imprisonment and pay a mandatory $100 assessment special assessment fee as to each count. Count 1 charged NEGROTTO with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C § 841(a)(1) and 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. Count 2 charged NEGROTTO with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(B), and 18 U.S.C. § 2. Count 3 charged NEGROTTO with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), and 18 U.S.C § 2. Count 4 charged NEGROTTO with distribution of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), and 18 U.S.C § 2. Counts 5 and 7 charged NEGROTTO with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C § 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 6 charged NEGROTTO with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). Count 8 charged NEGROTTO with using or maintaining a drug premises, in violation of 21 U.S.C § 856(a)(1) and 18 U.S.C § 2. According to public records, prior to March 2, 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) was informed that a New Orleans motorcycle shop harbored drug dealers. ATF used a confidential informant (“CI”) who both visited the shop numerous times, saw drug sales occurring and heard discussions about other drug sales. The CI learned that NEGROTTO was the co-renter of the shop. On separate occasions in March 2021, NEGROTTO sold methamphetamine to a CI, one sale of which totaled over 300 grams, and also provided prices for future purchases. In May 2021, NEGROTTO sold over 400 grams of methamphetamine to a CI. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit handled the prosecution.


title: Box Elder man admits to sexually abusing teen on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man today admitted to sexually abusing a teenage girl he had contacted through social media and convinced to come to his home on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Jonathan Ray Gonsalez, 39, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse. Gonsalez faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for May 8. Gonsalez was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on Jan. 3, 2023, Gonsalez initiated contact with the victim, a 16-year-old identified as Jane Doe, though Facebook Messenger. Gonsalez attempted to lure her to his home, and Jane Doe eventually arrived at Gonsalez’s residence around 10 p.m. A short time later while in Gonsalez’s residence, Jane Doe got scared and wanted to leave, but the residence was isolated, and the temperature was below freezing. Jane Doe asked Gonsalez to have someone pick her up. Jane Doe fell asleep while waiting for the ride. Jane Doe then awoke to Gonsalez sexually abusing her. After he was done, Jane Doe left the residence and called 911 for help. A Rocky Boy’s Police Department officer found Jane Doe and picked her up on the road near Gonsalez’s residence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Myers is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Rocky Boy’s Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Readout of Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer’s Visit to Federal Correctional Institution Dublin

component: Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

body_text: On Jan. 9, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer and members of her team visited Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Dublin, which has a low-security Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) facility for women with an adjacent minimum security camp, located in Dublin, California. The Pardon Attorney and her team provided a series of educational sessions about the federal clemency process and answered questions from inmates and staff. The Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff during their visit. The visit to FCI Dublin was the fifth in a series of quarterly educational events that the Pardon Attorney is conducting for inmates and staff at different FBOP locations. The first took place at FCI Fort Dix, a low-security institution in New Jersey, in January. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 700 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The second took place at U.S. Penitentiary Lewisburg, a medium-security institution in Pennsylvania, in April. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The third took place at FCI Aliceville, a low-security institution for women in Alabama, in July. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 500 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The fourth took place at FCI Petersburg, a medium-security and low-security facility for men with an adjacent minimum security camp. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. These educational sessions within the FBOP are part of an initiative by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to increase the accessibility and transparency of the clemency process through education and community engagement.


title: District Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison  For Illegal Possession of Ammunition by a Felon

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jordan Johnson, 26, a previously convicted felon, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for unlawfully possessing several hundred rounds of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Graves, U.S. Marshal Ronald Carter of the U.S. Marshals Service, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Johnson to serve two years of supervised release and pay a $100 special assessment. Johnson pleaded guilty October 10, 2023, to unlawful possession of ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. According to the government’s evidence, on June 20, 2023, U.S. Marshals attempted to serve an eviction notice at a Johnson’s I Street apartment in Southeast Washington D.C, where Johnson was the sole tenant. During an initial security sweep of the dwelling, Marshals observed a pistol, multiple “Polymer80” branded boxes, firearm ammunition boxes, loose ammunition, and a firearm slide scattered throughout Johnson’s home. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant. They found evidence of a small arsenal that included a privately made firearm (a “ghost gun”) with one round in the chamber and 14 rounds the magazine; four Polymer80 rifle lower receivers with jigs (the principal components for making multiple illegal ghost guns); one handgun slide; an empty handgun “jig;” a firearm flashlight attachment; six firearm magazines; two empty Glock boxes; two empty Polymer80 boxes; spent shell casings; one firearm sight; a speed loader; and 214 rounds of ammunition of various calibers. Johnson was previously sentenced to a period of home confinement and probation for a prior firearm conviction only weeks before these items were recovered. He had been previously convicted of possessing a loaded Glock 27 pistol while attempting to pick up a UPS package containing suspected marijuana. Johnson was indicted on July 6, 2023, and arrested on July 18, 2023, in Washington D.C. In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves, U.S. Marshal Carter, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and MPD. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin F. Song and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Pattison. ##


title: Money Launderer Sentenced to Prison for Role in Online Scams

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Whitney Adams, 27, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker to 48 months in prison and ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution to 17 victims. Adams pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering on May 16, 2023. Between January 2021 and April 2022, Adams laundered money for scammers who lured victims into various online frauds. In some instances, the victims believed they were sending money to support an online romantic partner who falsely stated they needed to pay taxes and fees to release an inheritance or gold bars. The stories told to the victims by the scammers were fraudulent. The scammers directed the victims’ monies into accounts controlled by Adams and her co-conspirator. When Adams and her co-conspirator received the fraudulent monies, they kept a fee for themselves, and then transferred the funds, via trade-based money laundering or other means, to Ghana. Adams and her co-conspirator set up phony businesses and then opened business bank accounts to hide the transfer of the fraudulently obtained funds. The FBI traced $4,437,604, sent by 106 victims, through Adams’ and her co-conspirator’s bank accounts. One Arizona victim lost nearly $5 million to the scams, sending over $1 million to Adams’ and her co-conspirator’s accounts and the remaining money to multiple other individuals. Adams’ co-conspirator pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2024. This case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Elder Justice Initiative. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This DOJ hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step and can help authorities identify fraudsters and recoup losses. The hotline is staffed 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00893-JCH-2 RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-002_Adams # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Missouri Woman Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Accessory After the Fact in the Murder of Three Employees of Hinds County Business

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Missouri woman was sentenced in federal court to 10 years in prison for helping her co-defendant, who discharged a firearm during the commission of a robbery that killed three people. According to court documents, Jamison Layne Townsend, 42, and her co-defendant, Joshua Michael Garcia, went to Bill’s Coin & Jewelry on December 17, 2016, to rob the business. During the robbery, Garcia shot and killed the owner and two co-workers. Townsend and Garcia emptied the display cases of watches, rings, necklaces, bracelets, coins, and other items. Later that day, they entered a pawn shop in Mobile, Alabama, and pawned five items that were stolen from Bill’s earlier that day. On December 19, 2016, a trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol attempted to stop Townsend and Garcia, who were traveling in a red Dodge Charger on Interstate 24. A chase ensued and Townsend and Garcia escaped at a high rate of speed. Two days later, Townsend and Garcia were arrested in Geary County, Kansas. Officers searched the Charger and found numerous items that were stolen from Bill’s, including coins, watches, trays of jewelry, and many items that still contained the sales tags from Bill’s. Additionally, officers recovered four firearms, including a Les Baer .45 caliber handgun that was determined to be the murder weapon by the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory. Ammunition, a cell phone, and numerous items of clothing were also recovered from the Dodge Charger. Townsend pled guilty on September 18, 2023, to three counts of accessory after the fact. Joshua Michael Garcia previously pled guilty to discharging a firearm that resulted in the murder of three persons during the commission of a robbery. He was sentenced to three life sentences. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Orench of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department with assistance from the Geary County, Kansas, Sherriff’s Department, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Mississippi State Crime Laboratory, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Gulfport Police Department, and the Biloxi Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Criminal Chief Erin Chalk.


title: Jefferson County men sentenced in separate federal cases

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas– Two Jefferson County men have been sentenced to federal prison in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Mikale Rashad Bolton, 21, of Beaumont, pleaded guilty to carjacking and was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on Jan. 8, 2024. According to information presented in court, on June 25, 2022, local law enforcement responded to the scene of a carjacking near French Road in Beaumont. The investigation revealed that Bolton approached a vehicle and asked the driver for a cigarette lighter. After the driver handed the lighter to Bolton, Bolton pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the driver’s head. Bolton ordered the driver to exit the vehicle. The driver was told not to contact police or Bolton would return and kill him. Bolton fled the scene in the stolen vehicle. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Beaumont Police Department. Jordan Malik Bronnon, 30, of Port Arthur pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison by Judge Crone on Jan. 8, 2024. According to information presented in court, on May 23, 2022, local law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Bronnon was a passenger. The driver consented to a search of the vehicle, during which a backpack was located that contained various pieces of paperwork with Bronnon’s name and a rifle magazine containing ammunition. A rifle was also located on the rear passenger floorboard. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Port Arthur Police Department. Bronnon was a convicted felon and prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. These cases were prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James. # # #


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Leslie Russell Burney, 36, of Groveport, Ohio, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 20, 2021, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Burney on Interstate 77 in the area of Ripley, West Virginia. After the officer approached the vehicle and asked for his driver’s license, Burney drove off in an attempt to evade law enforcement. Officers pursued Burney’s vehicle until he pulled off the interstate and fled on foot with a red backpack from his vehicle. Officers located and captured Burney utilizing a K-9 and seized the backpack, which contained suspected methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed that the substance found in the backpack was over 6 pounds of methamphetamine. Burney admitted that he was going to receive payment to deliver the drugs in the backpack, and fled the traffic stop because he did not want the drugs to be discovered. Burney has a long criminal history that includes prior felony convictions for kidnapping and felonious assault with a firearm. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Ripley Police Department, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon and Ryan Blackwell 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. 2:22-cr-91. ###


title: Second Man Admits Robbing St. Louis Foot Locker

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A second man has pleaded guilty and admitted the armed robbery of a Foot Locker in St. Louis, Missouri in 2021. Demetrius Kirksey, 35, pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to robbery and possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted robbing the Foot Locker at 4651 Chippewa Street in St. Louis on Oct. 6, 2021. Kirksey admitted pointing a handgun at the clerk before running behind the counter and stealing cash from the register. Kirksey’s guilty plea interrupted his trial, which started Monday. Marion Jones, 49, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in August to robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In his plea agreement, Jones admitted stealing shoes while Kirksey took cash. Jones was caught by police two days later in a Waffle House parking lot in St. Charles, Missouri with a .22 caliber pistol. Jones is a convicted felon and barred from possessing a firearm. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced February 9. Kirksey is scheduled to be sentenced April 11. The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The firearm charge is punishable by at least seven years in prison, consecutive to any other charges. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cassandra Wiemken and Jennifer Szczucinski are prosecuting the case.


title: Newington Couple Admit Large Tax Evasion Scheme

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that ANTHONY NIRO, 60, and NANETTE NIRO, 59, of Newington, have pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to offenses stemming from a tax evasion scheme. According to court documents and statements made in court, Anthony Niro was a co-owner of A. Niro Landscape Contractors, Inc. (“ANLC”), a business that provided landscaping and snowplowing services for large commercial properties and for personal residences. Nanette Niro, who is married to Anthony Niro, was the bookkeeper for ANLC and maintained ANLC’s financial records. For the 2006 through 2010 tax years, Anthony Niro, his business partner, and Nanette Niro conspired to evade both corporate and individual income tax by causing a large portion of ANLC’s receipts to be deposited into two non-interest-bearing checking accounts, and then transferred money out the accounts to themselves for their benefit. Anthony Niro, his business partner, and Nanette Niro failed to provide information about these non-interest-bearing accounts to the tax return preparer who prepared ANLC’s federal income tax returns. The 2006 through 2009 tax returns were filed with the IRS. A 2010 tax return was not filed. Through this scheme, nearly $14 million in ANLC’s gross receipts were not reported to the IRS for the 2006 through 2010 tax years, resulting in a tax loss of $2,931,011. Anthony Niro and his ANLC business partner also owned numerous residential and commercial properties through several entities. They earned rental income through some of the properties, and some of that income was also not reported to the IRS. For the 2006 through 2010 tax years, Anthony and Nanette Niro failed to report to the IRS $8,022,644.90 in income, resulting in a tax loss of $1,472,735. As an example, on their 2009 federal individual tax return, Anthony and Nanette Niro reported taxable income of $131,895 when their correct taxable income for that year was $1,891,955. On January 4, 2024, Anthony Niro pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. Nanette Niro pleaded guilty to the same charge today. At sentencing, they each face a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Anthony and Nanette Niro have paid restitution of $1,472,735. They are still required to pay substantial financial penalties and interest. This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.


title: Meridian Man Pleads Guilty to Possession  with Intent to Distribute 43 Grams of Methamphetamine

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Meridian man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute approximately 43 grams of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Willie Bernard Lewis, 37, sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on August 20, 2021, and August 31, 2021. On September 1, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant on his residence and located approximately 43 grams of methamphetamine and 10.9 grams of fentanyl. Lewis has prior convictions for sale of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. The DEA reports that two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, and one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. More facts on fentanyl can be found at https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl and https://www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl . Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced on April 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement. The Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department and the ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart is prosecuting the case.


title: Franklin Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A Franklin, Kentucky, man was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and the illegal possession of firearms by a convicted felon. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Roger Solomon of the Franklin Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, on October 13, 2021, in Simpson County, KY, Corey Kaiser, 27, knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute 193.2 grams of methamphetamine. On that same day Kaiser also knowingly possessed three handguns. Kaiser was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offense. On January 23, 2020, in Sumner Circuit Court, Tennessee, Kaiser was convicted of possession of a schedule II-controlled substance to sell, methamphetamine, greater than .5 grams. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Franklin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Four Indicted for Defrauding Dozens of Victims of More Than $7.5 Million

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: An indictment was unsealed earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Daniel Vernon, Yveler Marcellus, Felix Marcial and Tatiana Williams with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Defendants Vernon and Marcial were arrested earlier today in the Eastern District of New York and their initial appearances were held this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo. Defendant Marcellus is scheduled to be arraigned on January 10, 2024 before Judge Marutollo. Defendant Williams was arrested earlier this morning in Florida, and her initial appearance is scheduled for this afternoon in Miami before United States Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Daniel B. Brubaker, New York Division Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, announced the arrests and charges. “As alleged, while the defendants called unsuspecting individuals with promises of safeguarding their money and refinancing their mortgages, they lied and actually stole more than $7.5 million from over 50 victims,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute those who commit financial fraud and work to recover and return victims’ stolen money. We urge the public to be extremely wary of sending money to people they don’t know, as they may be trying to swindle you.” “Postal Inspectors will relentlessly pursue anyone who misuses the U.S. mail to commit fraud and take advantage of the American public. The defendants, through their fraudulent tech and mortgage refinancing schemes, allegedly victimized over 50 individuals and stole well over $7 Million. Inspectors and our law enforcement partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, work diligently to ensure these individuals are brought to justice and held accountable. Today’s arrests are proof of that fact. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is continuously working to protect and educate consumers regarding various fraudulent schemes that in this case claimed millions of dollars from innocent victims,” said United States Postal Inspection Service Inspector-In-Charge Brubaker. As alleged in the indictment, between January 2022 and May 2023, the defendants conducted fraudulent “tech” and “mortgage refinancing” schemes, through which they targeted victims by phone and convinced them to send cash, checks, or money orders to the defendants at various addresses in the Eastern District of New York. Through the tech scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators falsely represented to individual victims that victim bank accounts were compromised, that individuals were attempting to access the victim’s computer to gain access to the victim’s funds, that individuals at the victim’s financial institution were involved in the scheme to steal the victim’s money and that the victim’s money would be kept safe if the victim sent the funds to the individual on the telephone. Each victim was then directed to send a check, money order or cash to an address provided by the conspirators, under the guise that the victim’s funds would be kept safe with that person. Under the mortgage refinancing scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators falsely represented to victims that the victims could refinance their mortgages at a beneficial interest rate by diverting their mortgage payments to an address provided by the defendants and their co-conspirators. Each victim was then directed to send a check, money order or cash to an address provided by person on the phone, under the guise that the payment was being made toward the victim’s refinanced mortgage. After the victims sent their checks, cash, or money order to the address provided to them by the individual they spoke with over the phone, the defendants and their co-conspirators retrieved the mailings from the address it was sent to and deposited it in their own bank accounts. In total, the defendants stole more than $7.5 million dollars from more than 50 victims. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of twenty years’ imprisonment on each of the two counts. The government’s investigation is ongoing. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elias Laris. The Defendants : DANIEL G. VERNON (also known as “Daquan Mitchell,” “Daniel George,” and “Cory Fortune”) Age: 28 Ozone Park, New York YVELER MARCELLUS Age: 30 Brooklyn, New York FELIX MARCIAL Age: 31 Brooklyn, New York TATIANA WILLIAMS Age: 26 Miami, Florida E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-9 (CBA)


title: Former Head of New Mission School Sentenced for Misusing Nearly $40,000 in School Funds

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The former Head of School for New Mission School in Hyde Park, an autonomous pilot school within the Boston Public Schools system, was sentenced today for misusing approximately $38,806 in school funds for her own personal use. Naia Wilson, 60, of Mattapan, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to two years of supervised release, with the first 90 days to be served in home incarceration, 160 hours of community service and a $25,000 fine. Wilson was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture of $38,806 to Boston Public Schools. In September 2023, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Wilson was employed as Head of School for New Mission School from 2006 until about June of 2019. Pilot schools like New Mission are granted maximum autonomy over their budget and spending. New Mission School receives a lump sum per pupil budget from Boston Public Schools and school administrators decide how to spend that money based on the needs of the school. Pilot school budgets are managed by an external fiscal agent that contracts with Boston Public Schools. The school funds managed by the external fiscal agent were held in a bank account. In order to spend school funds managed by the external fiscal agent, Wilson, in her role as Head of School for New Mission School, would be required to make a formal check request to the external fiscal agent for a check to be issued from the bank account holding the school’s funds. Beginning in or about September of 2016 and continuing until at least May of 2019, Wilson requested checks from the external fiscal agent school account to be issued to various individuals, purportedly as stipends for work those individuals did at the school. Once those checks were issued, Wilson fraudulently endorsed the checks to herself and deposited them into her own bank account without the nominee ever knowing or authorizing her to do so. Additionally, Wilson requested checks from the external fiscal agent that were used to pay for two all-inclusive personal vacations to Barbados for herself and several of her friends in 2016 and 2018. For both the 2016 and 2018 Barbados trips, Wilson requested that the external fiscal agent issue checks payable to other people who went on the trips and then converted that money to pay for the all-inclusive hotel and airfare. Wilson also fraudulently endorsed the checks used to pay for the 2018 trip. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Boston Public Schools were cooperative in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugenia M. Carris and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Second Methamphetamine Offense

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced January 5, 2024. Anthony Bartusek, 37, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 4, 2023, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense. In 2015, Bartusek was convicted in federal court of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence at the hearings showed that between April 2022 and March 2023, Bartusek and others distributed more than two kilograms of methamphetamine. On March 9, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a disorderly call at a local hotel and found Bartusek under the influence of drugs, with marijuana on his person, and in possession of a backpack full of drugs. Law enforcement seized approximately 11 ounces of methamphetamine, 1.5 ounces of cocaine and 15 ounces of marijuana. This occurred about 11 months after he was released from federal prison. Bartusek was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. He was sentenced to 153 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 6-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Bartusek 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 Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4024. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Two Tax Shelter Promoters Sentenced to 25 Years and 23 Years in Billion-Dollar Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme; Two More CPAs Plead Guilty

component: Tax Division

body_text: Two men were sentenced today for crimes arising from their organization, promotion and sale of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters. Jack Fisher, a certified public accountant (CPA) who began selling units in his abusive tax shelters at least as early as 2008, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. James Sinnott, an attorney who joined Fisher’s scheme in 2013 and oversaw the massive expansion of the tax shelters’ fraudulent deduction amounts claimed from the IRS, was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Also today, Victor Smith and William Tomasello, both Atlanta-area CPAs, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. “Using inflated appraisals, backdated documents and other sham actions, these conspirators generated more than $1.3 billion in fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax deductions, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses to the U.S. Treasury,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “The significant sentences and convictions obtained are the direct result of the skill and tenacity of career prosecutors and agents, whose multiyear investigation pulled back the curtain on this massive criminal scheme.” “Today’s message should be a clear one: IRS CI Special Agents will use their financial investigative expertise to hold those involved in abusive tax shelter schemes accountable,” said Chief Jim Lee of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI). “As this complex investigation continues to evolve, today’s judicial actions illustrate our resolve to hold responsible every individual involved in tax evasion schemes.” Jack Fisher and James Sinnott According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Fisher, Sinnott and their co-conspirators sold over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions, leading to a tax loss to the IRS of over $450 million. Five other tax professionals involved in Fisher’s scheme previously pleaded guilty. Fisher was not only a pioneer in the conservation easement industry, but also one of its biggest promoters across the country. Fisher and Sinnott each made millions of dollars promoting and selling their tax shelters to wealthy taxpayers. The two men also used fraudulent deductions generated by their tax shelters on their own personal income tax returns to reduce the taxes they owed on the millions earned. A federal jury sitting in Atlanta convicted Fisher and Sinnott on Sept. 22, 2023, of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns and subscribing to false tax returns arising out of their fraudulent tax shelter scheme involving syndicated conservation easements dating back nearly two decades. Fisher was also separately found guilty of money laundering. One of the appraisers who was charged with Fisher and Sinnott pleaded guilty and was sentenced in November 2023. Fisher’s primary assistant, Kate Joy, who was also indicted, remains a fugitive. The evidence proved that Fisher and Sinnott designed, marketed and sold to high-income clients abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters based on fraudulently inflated charitable contribution tax deductions, promising them deductions 4.5 times the amount the taxpayer clients paid to buy the deductions. Fisher and Sinnott used the funds raised from their taxpayer clients to buy land through their property holding companies and then had the tax shelters cause those companies to donate the land or a conservation easement over the land – often within days or weeks of the land’s purchase. To reach the inflated fair market value of the donations, Fisher and Sinnott primarily used appraisals of the conservation easements and fee simple land donations at valuations often more than 10 times higher than the price Fisher and Sinnott actually paid to acquire the property. The evidence further showed that Fisher and Sinnott backdated and instructed others to falsely backdate documents to be presented to the IRS, including subscription agreements, payment documents, engagement letters and other records. Fisher’s accountant, a partner at the accounting firm Fisher started, testified at trial and previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme. Along with Fisher and Sinnott, he oversaw the preparation of false tax returns, which claimed charitable contribution tax deductions based upon the false appraisals. The evidence demonstrated that Fisher, Sinnott and others received more than $41 million in payments from the sale of units in these tax shelters that involved backdated documents or untimely payments, which were paid to claim fraudulent and inflated tax deductions. The government proved that Fisher and Sinnott personally made millions from their scheme. Fisher, specifically, used the illegal proceeds to purchase luxury items, including a Mercedes Benz car, a Recreational Vehicle and trailer and a private jet. Fisher also used proceeds of the scheme to purchase homes and condos in the United States and on the Caribbean Island of Bonaire, which the jury found to be forfeitable. In total, the defendants sold over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions to wealthy taxpayers through this scheme. In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Chief Judge Timothy C. Batten for the Northern District of Georgia ordered both Fisher and Sinnott to serve three years of supervised release. He also ordered Fisher to pay approximately $457,855,755 in restitution to the United States and Sinnott to pay approximately $443,760,035 in restitution to the United States. Victor Smith and William Tomasello According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith served as a CPA and founding partner of an Atlanta-based accounting firm. Beginning at least in 2014 and through at least 2019, Smith promoted and sold tax deductions to his wealthy clients in the forms of units in illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters organized and created by co-defendants Fisher, Sinnott and Joy. For his part, beginning at least in 2015 and through at least 2019, Tomasello also promoted and sold units in the Jack Fisher syndicated conservation easement tax shelters to his wealthy clients at another firm. Tomasello earned approximately $525,072 in commissions from Fisher and Sinnott for his role in promoting and selling the illegal tax shelters to clients, and his accounting firm received approximately $2,430,301 in commissions. Smith earned approximately $491,400 in commissions from Fisher and Sinnott for his role in promoting and selling the illegal tax shelters to clients. Smith and Tomasello each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. They also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. To date, in addition to the convictions of Fisher and Sinnott and today’s guilty pleas of Smith and Tomasello, six additional defendants have pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to Fisher and Sinnott’s syndicated conservation easement tax shelters, including appraiser Walter Douglas “Terry” Roberts, CPAs Stein and Corey Agee, CPA Ralph Anderson, CPA James Benkoil and CPA and Attorney Randall Lenz. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia and Chief Jim Lee of IRS Criminal Investigation made the announcement. They thanked U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina for her office’s assistance. IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Richard M. Rolwing, Parker Tobin, Jessica Kraft, Grace Albinson and Nicholas J. Schilling Jr. of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section for the Northern District of Georgia, are prosecuting the case.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Offense

body_text: A man who possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on January 4, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Thomas Powell, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on May 15, 2023, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after having been previously convicted of a felony drug offense. Amongst other convictions, Powell was previously convicted in federal court of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in 2010. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on November 13, 2022, while in Sac County, Iowa, Powell was found with over 90 grams of pure methamphetamine that he planned to distribute to other persons. At sentencing, Powell was found to be a career offender with multiple prior convictions relating to drugs, fraud, and violence towards others. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Powell was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 10 years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Powell remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sac County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Randolph Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Minor

body_text: BOSTON – A Randolph man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for sex trafficking a 15-year-old minor. Admilson Gomes Pires, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 11 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Pires was also ordered to pay $5,500 in restitution to the victim. In September 2023, Pires was convicted by a federal jury of one count of sex trafficking of a child and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a child. “Mr. Pires not only preyed upon a minor runaway, but he cruelly subjected her to sexual abuse and trafficking. His calculated manipulation, from grooming this vulnerable young girl to orchestrating commercial sex transactions, demonstrate a reprehensible lack of humanity,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This case underscores why combatting human trafficking, which often hides in plain sight, is such a high priority for this office. January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and our office remains steadfast in our commitment to combatting this heinous conduct, seeking justice for survivors and holding perpetrators accountable. The exploitation of vulnerable individuals, especially minors, will never be tolerated.” “Admilson Pires is a predator who groomed a 15-year-old child who ran away from home for his own gratification and profit, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Sex trafficking is among the most depraved crimes on the books, and using a victim-centered approach, FBI Boston’s Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force will continue to do everything it can to protect our most vulnerable from those who seek to manipulate and harm them.” In February 2019, Pires met the minor victim who had run from her home in Western Massachusetts and began a sexual relationship with her. Pires groomed the minor victim and, in July 2019, began trafficking her in Boston and Norwood. He first sold the minor victim for sex to his adult uncle in Dorchester and then created and posted a commercial sex advertisement online that contained explicit photographs and a video of the minor victim. Pires told the minor victim that she would have to engage in prostitution with strangers if she wanted to stay in a relationship with him. Pires used drugs to manipulate an adult female into agreeing to harbor the minor victim at her apartment in Norwood for sex trafficking. Over the course of 11 days, Pires had the minor victim engage in commercial sex for him out of the Norwood apartment – arranging four to five “dates” per day in exchange for money he kept himself. On at least one occasion, a sex buyer that Pires had arranged for the minor victim to have sex with was extremely violent toward her. On Aug. 1, 2019, local law enforcement located the minor victim in Norwood and returned her home. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk and Norfolk County District Attorney’s Offices; the Massachusetts State Police; and the Arlington, Boston, Fall River, Norwood, Randolph and Springfield Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Moran, Chief of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Father, Son, Admit Trafficking Cocaine to St. Louis

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A father and son from St. Louis, Missouri have pleaded guilty to federal drug charges and admitted trafficking kilograms of cocaine to St. Louis for years. Gregory Dixson Jr., 53, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and conspiracy to launder money. Gregory Cornell Dixson III, 32, pleaded guilty January 4 to the same cocaine conspiracy charge as his father. Both men admitted as part of their guilty pleas that beginning in 2015 or earlier, they conspired with others to bring cocaine to St. Louis. Dixson Jr. acknowledged in his plea that the amount of cocaine attributable to him based upon his conduct and the conduct of others reasonably foreseeable to him is more than 450 kilograms. Dixson III admitted that 50 to 150 kilograms of cocaine could be attributed to him based on his conduct and the conduct of others. They also admitted a series of drug and money transactions and seizures during the long-term investigation. In September of 2015, a vehicle that was ultimately delivered to St. Louis was found to have 31 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside. The cocaine was supplied by Omar Pena Vargas, who supplied Dixson Jr. until the cocaine was seized. Both Dixsons drove by the vehicle several days before someone broke in and accessed a hidden area where five kilograms of cocaine had been stored, their pleas say. In late 2016 or early 2017, Dixson Jr. and/or Dixson III would send couriers to Texas to buy kilograms of cocaine from Miguel Angel Gonzalez, who bought it from Carlos Gonzalez. Dixson Jr. initially bought three kilograms several times a month, but he later purchased as much as eight to 16 kilograms per week, the pleas say. In August of 2018, Gonzalez was brokering the sale of 75 kilograms of cocaine to Dixson Jr. He was found in a hotel with two bags containing a total of $634,770 in cash, representing a partial payment for the cocaine, the Dixsons’ plea agreements say. On Oct. 28, 2018, eight kilograms of cocaine bound for St. Louis were seized. In March of 2020, 23.6 kilograms of a mix of heroin and fentanyl was seized from Ruben Sanchez Blanco. Some of the drugs were intended for St. Louis, Dixon III’s plea says. In April of 2021, Miguel Gonzalez and Dixson III coordinated a pickup of two kilograms of cocaine. Later that month, Carlos Gonzalez traveled to St. Louis to pick up drug proceeds and coordinated the delivery of the money by Dixson III with father and son. In July of 2021, Quintin Deforest Adkins drove to Texas with cash to buy six kilograms of cocaine. That vehicle was seized, and $161,845 was found hidden inside, the pleas say. Dixson III is scheduled to be sentenced April 3. His father is scheduled to be sentenced April 11. Dixson III’s cocaine conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years, as well as the possibility of a fine up to $10 million. Dixson Jr.’s cocaine conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years due to a prior drug trafficking conviction. Vargas is in federal prison. Miguel Gonzalez, 59, pleaded guilty in November to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and 400 grams of fentanyl. Adkins, 63, pleaded guilty in November to the cocaine and fentanyl conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges and is scheduled to be sentenced February 21. Blanco, 46, of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced in June to five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. Carlos Gonzalez, 54, is deceased. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Anchorage man with history of violence sentenced for drug, firearm crimes

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced to over six years in prison for possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, Jose Galvan Jr., 49, was a passenger in a vehicle involved in a traffic stop on Feb. 12, 2022. The driver of the vehicle told the officer that he did not have a valid driver’s license and was recently released from jail. During the traffic stop, officers discovered Galvan had two concealed firearms on his person, and three additional firearms and drug paraphernalia in a backpack. When officers discovered the concealed firearms, they detained Galvan in a patrol car. While in the patrol car, the defendant ripped open a Ziploc bag of fentanyl that he had concealed on his person, spreading the powder over the seats. Galvan was removed from the vehicle and transferred to a hospital after officers observed the defendant experiencing what they believed to be overdose symptoms from fentanyl exposure. Further investigation revealed that Galvan intended to sell the fentanyl and carried the firearms for protection while he trafficked drugs. Court documents also lay out the defendant’s history of violence starting 26 years ago when he used a shotgun to rob a victim. Galvan has committed multiple violent felonies, including robbery, a shooting connected to drug trafficking, possessing firearms as a felon and the assault of a woman that he strangled until she lost consciousness. The court cited these violent actions when the sentence was delivered, stating that the defendant was well attuned to the danger of possessing firearms during drugs crimes since the defendant’s previous conviction was a drug crime that resulted in a shooting, where the defendant himself was shot multiple times. The defendant pled guilty on March 10, 2023. Galvan will also serve five years’ supervised release as part of his sentence. “Mr. Galvan’s actions in 2022 continued his long history of violence and added to his time behind bars for this crime,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Violence has no place in our communities. My office will continue to remain vigilant and work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute habitual violent offenders who create problems in our cities and villages, and work to ensure they receive sentences commensurate with their history of violence.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Vandergaw prosecuted the case. This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) , a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. ###


title: Utah Man Sentenced to 26 Months’ Imprisonment for Credit Union Robbery

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – Jason Grace, 54, of St. George was sentenced to just over two years’ imprisonment followed by three years supervised release after he admitted to a credit union robbery. The sentence was ordered by United States Federal District Court Chief Judge Robert J. Shelby. According to court documents, on July 26, 2023, Grace entered a Mountain America Credit Union (MACU) in St. George. Grace handed the teller a note which read “this is a robbery” and directed the clerk to provide $4,400 in lower denominations. The teller gave Grace ten $100 bills and Grace fled in a two-door black Chevy Silverado with black rims and a tonneau cover on the bed. St. George Police Department officers and FBI agents responded to the scene and began investigating and alerted surrounding neighboring law enforcement of the robbery and provided descriptions of the suspect and the Chevy Silverado. The next day, Mesquite police officers spotted a matching Chevy Silverado with a Utah plate in the parking lot of the Virgin River Casino. A records check of the vehicle determined it belonged to Grace and photos confirmed it was the getaway vehicle. Investigators also identified Grace as the suspect by comparing his driver's license photo to surveillance from the robbery and photos on social media. Grace, who was a guest at the casino, was served a search warrant and his hotel room and vehicle were searched. Officers located clothing that matched what Grace wore during the robbery. Grace was arrested and admitted to chewing up the robbery note and spitting it out the window as he was driving. He told officers that after obtaining the money, he purchased two money orders, a pool cue he recently pawned, paid his back rent, and fled to Mesquite with the remainder of the money. “No individual should be threatened or intimidated at their place of business,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “This was not a spontaneous act of violence, but instead something Mr. Grace carefully considered for approximately a week. We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who acted quickly and carefully.” The case is being investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency, St. George Police Department and the Mesquite Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Burton of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Two More Defendants Sentenced to Probation for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – DILLON ARCENEAUX , age 33, a resident of Marrero, Louisiana, and ZEB SARTIN , age 37, a resident of Duson, Louisiana, were sentenced on January 3, 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo, after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. ARCENEAUX received 3 years of probation, with the first 12 months to be served in home confinement, a $10,000 fine, and he was ordered to pay $1,604,581 in restitution to the victim. SARTIN received 3 years of probation, with the first 12 months to be served in home confinement, and he was ordered to pay $2,100,690 in restitution to the victim from U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo. ARCENEAUX and SARTIN were also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of fee $100 per count. As according to court documents, ARCENEAUX and SARTIN conspired with RYAN MULLEN, DUANE DUFRENE , GRANT MENARD, and LANCE VALLO to use several shell Louisiana corporations that were devoid of assets, to defraud a Georgia based merchant cash company. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX , VALLO , MENARD , and SARTIN as the owners of the existing corporations. MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN , along with another person, created falsified bank records for the corporations. MULLEN then used an alias and represented himself to be a broker for the shell corporations he helped create. Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records in order to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and electronically wired ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , a nd SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN laundered a some of the funds by paying MULLEN and DUFRENE percentages of the funds. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN then closed their non-existent corporations before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses of approximately $6.4 million. ARCENEAUX was responsible for approximately $1.6 million in losses to the victim, and SARTIN was responsible for $2.1 million in losses. U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit and Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.


title: Charlotte Man Is Sentenced To Seven Years In Prison For Possession Of A Firearm By A Convicted Felon

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Marcus Alexander Allen, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced to seven years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Allen will also be placed on federal supervised release upon completion of his active prison term. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on March 5, 2022, CMPD officers responded to a service call for a reported shooting at an apartment complex in Charlotte. Court documents show that law enforcement investigating the incident recovered 79 discharged cartridge cases from the parking lot of the apartment complex. In addition, one of the stray bullets fatally injured a resident while the victim was inside his apartment. According to court records, a Glock .40 caliber firearm with a 22 round magazine was recovered from the parking lot. A forensic analysis determined that Allen’s DNA was on the firearm’s grip and magazine. In addition, the firearm was a match to 19 discharged cartridge cases recovered from the scene of the shooting, however the firearm had not discharged the bullet that fatally injured the victim. According to documents filed with the court, a search warrant was issued for Allen’s residence. Over the course of the search, law enforcement seized from the residence an SKS rifle, an American Tactical .300 caliber Omni Hybrid with a thirty-round magazine, fentanyl pills, and an ID card from the state of New Jersey bearing Allen’s image with another person’s name. Allen has a prior federal conviction for aggravated identity theft and he is not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition. On August 16, 2023, Allen pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons. The ATF and CMPD handled the investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Leader of Large Drug Trafficking Organization  Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Large  Quantities of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl in Wenatchee and Moses Lake areas of Eastern Washington

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Edward James Salvador, age 41, of Wenatchee, Washington was sentenced after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 300 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to court documents, Salvador, AKA Droopy, was identified as the leader of a drug trafficking organization operating between the Wenatchee and Moses Lake areas. Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Columbia River Drug Task Force (CRDTF), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Moses Lake Police Department (MLPD) used a range of investigative techniques, including tracking warrants, controlled buys and cooperating defendant interviews to gather information about how the organization operated. Investigators learned Salvador was a Sureno gang member out of California who had relocated to the area after being released from California Department of Corrections custody. The investigation revealed Salvador’s operation was distributing a very large amount of fentanyl-laced pills obtained from Bakersfield, California, into the Chelan and Douglas county areas with the help of multiple other individuals, most of whom were also Sureno gang members. Salvador would have individuals “audition” for the organization to see if they were cut out to work for him and make money. Salvador would pick up thousands of fentanyl pills as well as 15 to 20 pounds of methamphetamine from his supplier in California several times a month. In early 2022, investigators learned that, in addition to trafficking large amounts of fentanyl-laced pills, Salvador was working with other high-level drug traffickers to set up a location in Moses Lake to cook methamphetamine. In late March of 2022, Salvador met with other high-level drug traffickers in Moses Lake. The group discussed losing money because they were not moving enough drugs. The source of supply, who lived in California, committed to increasing the amount of methamphetamine being produced. The next day information was received that Salvador had acquired 15 pounds of ephedrine, which is used in the production of methamphetamine, and the chemicals would be used to produce methamphetamine at a compound in Moses Lake. The drug trafficker who owned the compound would get to keep half of the drugs produced in exchange for letting the group cook methamphetamine on his property, as well as providing other materials for the drug production. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Dimke noted that while Salvador had a troubled childhood and had a period of sobriety prior to his involvement in leading this organization, he returned to criminality in “epic fashion”. Judge Dimke stated Salvador exercised organization and control over an entire area and did so in a fashion and with such amount of violence that scares an entire community. “Mr. Salvador spread a staggering amount of illegal narcotics into our communities, including by distributing as much as 20,000 fentanyl pills to his network of drug traffickers every couple weeks. Mr. Salvador also attempted to set up an operation to manufacture large quantities of methamphetamine in the Moses Lake area,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office is committed to shutting down dangerous drug trafficking organizations that pump poison into our communities and neighborhoods. I’m thankful for all our federal, state and local partners, as well as federal prosecutors, who worked together seamlessly to put a stop to Mr. Salvador’s operation.” “The scourge of narcotics has touched every corner of this nation, and we are proud to have worked with our regional partners to put a halt to Mr. Salvador’s illicit ventures,” said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “HSI will use every resource at its disposal to eliminate the economies of scale created by these operations and remove these deadly drugs from our communities.” “Mr. Salvador did everything under his power to grow his drug trafficking network in central Washington,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “We will always work to investigate those who are causing grave harm to our communities. This sentence sends a strong message that these actions will not be tolerated by ATF and our law enforcement partners.” This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Columbia River Drug Task Force consisting of, the Chelan County Sheriff, Douglas County Sheriff, East Wenatchee Police Department, and the Wenatchee Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Moses Lake Police Department, and the Grant County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team also assisted in the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard. 23-CR-046-MKD


title: Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force announces series of trainings

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness about all forms of trafficking, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking. U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that the Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force is kicking off a series of training conferences to educate members of law enforcement, the legal community, and non-government organizations that provide services to victims and survivors of human trafficking. The first training conference is scheduled for tomorrow, January 10, 2024, from 9:00 am-12:30 pm at Jamestown Community College, Hultquist Library Building Lenna Theater, 525 Falconer Street, Jamestown, NY, 14701. The conference will cover a victim-centered approach to identifying, investigating and prosecuting trafficking cases and responding to trafficking victims and survivors. Presentations will include sex trafficking, labor trafficking, domestic violence and child trafficking, and services and resources that are available for victims and survivors. Additional conferences will be held in the coming weeks and months throughout the Western District of New York. According to a proclamation from President Biden declaring January 2024 as Human Trafficking Prevention month, more than 27 million people around the world endure the abuse of human trafficking and forced labor, including thousands of people right here in the United States. For more information on sex and labor trafficking, including services and resources, go to: https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/human-trafficking/overview. The Western District of New York Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Erie County Sheriff’s Office, and International Institute of Buffalo, brings together law enforcement and social and legal service agencies to collaborate on human trafficking cases. The Western District of New York includes the 17 counties: Allegany; Cattaraugus; Chautauqua; Chemung; Erie; Genesee; Livingston; Monroe; Niagara; Ontario; Orleans; Schuyler; Seneca; Steuben; Wayne; Wyoming; and Yates. # # # #


title: Rochester man charged with production of child pornography involving 13-year-old girl

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nicholas Laffin, 28, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on December 27, 2023, the Albion Police Department received a report that a man was found in the bedroom of a 13-year-old girl (Minor Victim), together with the Minor Victim. The man fled the area but left a cell phone in bedroom. The Minor Victim told police that she met the man at the Hoag Library in Albion, and believed him to be approximately 20 years old. A few days later, on December 31, 2023, Laffin was located in Albion near the Minor Victim’s residence and advised Albion Police that his cell phone had been stolen on December 26, 2023, in Albion, NY. Laffin was arrested for endangering the welfare of a child. On January 3, 2024, seven items of digital evidence were turned over to the FBI. An initial review of Laffin’s cell phone located in the Minor Victim’s bedroom recovered multiple images and video files of child pornography involving the Minor Victim. The complaint is a result of an investigation by the Albion Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Mogle, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Missouri man pleads guilty to receiving child pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Andrew Neal, 22, of Columbia, Missouri, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, who handled the case, stated that between July 2018, and November 5, 2020, Neal received and attempted to receive sexually explicit images from three minor victims located in Lancaster, NY, San Francisco, California and Springfield, Missouri. Neal contacted the victims through Instagram and requested the sexually explicit images. If the victims did not comply, Neal threatened to share images previously sent by the victims with their Instagram followers. The victims initially complied but once they stopped, Neal did in fact share images with some of their Instagram followers. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino. # # # #


title: Laredo dealer set to appear for fentanyl-related death

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 31-year-old resident of Laredo for distributing fentanyl which caused the death of another person, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Kevin Ramirez is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos at 9:30 a.m. Authorities took him into custody Jan. 5. The two-count indictment, returned Dec. 27, 2023, alleges Ramirez distributed fentanyl, a schedule II controlled substance, to another individual May 13, 2023. That person subsequently died after using the drug, according to the charges. Ramirez is also charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the distribution resulting in death charge, Ramirez faces a minimum of 20 years and up life in federal prison. The other count carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years. He may also be ordered to pay a possible $1 million maximum fine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Laredo Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and Webb County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew is prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . More information on the dangers of fentanyl can be found on the DEA’s website. #OnePillCanKill An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Justice Department and the Department of the Navy Warn CLJA Claimants Against Fraudulent Schemes

component: Civil Division

body_text: Today the Justice Department and the Department of the Navy (Navy) issued the following fraud alert to inform individuals filing a claim or lawsuit under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) of 2022 about fraudulent attempts to obtain personal information or monetary payments from potential claimants. Due to growing concerns over reports that unscrupulous people and companies are seeking or sought to obtain personal information from CLJA claimants or otherwise defraud them, the Justice Department and Navy advise claimants and their attorneys to be cautious of potentially fraudulent activity through telephone calls or email solicitations. Claimants who receive calls or emails from individuals attempting to collect money or personal information in connection with their CLJA claim should contact their attorneys to report this activity. Claimants who are not represented by counsel that receive such calls or emails should immediately report this activity to the Navy’s Camp Lejeune Claims Unit (CLCU), which has issued the following guidance: The Justice Department and the Navy will never request money or payment from you. If an attorney is representing you, direct all inquiries to your attorney for verification. Authorized emails from the Navy will be sent from CLClaims@us.navy.mil , and you may forward any email message you receive to that address to verify authenticity. If you receive a phone call claiming to be from the CLCU or offering assistance with your claim, and you are uncertain, ask for the person’s name and position, then call the CLCU at (757) 241-6020 to verify. If you are represented by an attorney, the Justice Department and Navy will not contact you directly and will only contact you through your attorney. The CLJA is a provision of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022, signed into law by President Biden on Aug. 10, 2022. It allows individuals, including veterans, to file a claim with the Navy to recover for injuries caused by exposure to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for at least 30 days between Aug. 1, 1953, and Dec. 31, 1987. Settlements under the CLJA are made pursuant to the Federal Torts Claim Act, 28 U.S. Code 2672 and 28 U.S. Code 2677. Attorneys’ fees for administrative claims cannot exceed 20%, and attorneys’ fees for cases in litigation cannot exceed 25%. The Justice Department and Navy are committed to reviewing every claim submitted and resolving every claim as fairly and efficiently as possible. The Justice Department and Navy have jointly developed an Elective Option that will expedite the review and resolution of claims filed under the CLJA. For more information regarding CLJA claims, please visit the Navy’s official CLJA website at www.navy.mil/clja or contact the CLCU at CLClaims@us.navy.mil or (757) 241-6020.


title: Whitingham Man Sentenced for Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on January 3, 2024, Carl Butterfield, 54, of Whitingham, Vermont, was sentenced in United States District Court in Rutland, Vermont, to serve 135 months in prison after his guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography (also known as child sexual abuse material, or CSAM). Chief U.S. District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford also ordered Butterfield to serve a 15-year term of supervised release. According to court records and proceedings, on September 30, 2021, knowing what it depicted, Butterfield possessed a video that showed an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female. Butterfield broke the video into four separate video files so he could send it to a person with whom he was chatting on the social media platform Kik, which he did. At the time, Butterfield was on furlough with the State of Vermont following his 2007 conviction for possession of CSAM. In sentencing Butterfield, Judge Crawford noted that Butterfield’s prior conviction for possession of CSAM required the Court to sentence Butterfield to a term of imprisonment of at least 10 years. Judge Crawford also enhanced Butterfield’s sentence for obstruction of justice because Butterfield intentionally destroyed an iPhone that he used to access CSAM before it could be reviewed by his state probation officer. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, in the investigation and prosecution of Butterfield. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara A. Masterson handled the prosecution of Butterfield. Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara M. Puls represented Butterfield. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Man Charged with Federal Drug Offense

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Jeremy Isaac Lopez appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Lopez, 28, will remain in temporary custody pending a detention hearing. According to the criminal complaint, on April 19, 2023, officers from the Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Police Department attempted to detain Lopez at the Cities of Gold Casino in Santa Fe on a arrest warrant for failure to comply with his conditions of release related to a pending state armed robbery charge. Officers observed Lopez inside the casino and followed him outside to his car where he got in the driver’s seat of a car. When officers commanded Lopez to exit the vehicle, Lopez put the vehicle in drive and accelerated forward, smashing into a parked vehicle. Officers contained and disabled the vehicle. Lopez was then removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest. A search incident to the arrest located approximately 12 grams of suspected methamphetamines, on Lopez’s person as well as an additional 7 grams of suspected Heroin and 53 grams of suspected Fentanyl in the vehicle. A criminal complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the most serious allegation, Lopez faces 20 years in prison. The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Pueblo of Pojoaque Tribal Police Department and Espanola Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint # # # 24-12