title: Schenectady Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Receipt of Child Pornography

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Daniel Quintero, age 38, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to serve 72 months in federal prison for receiving hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Alfred A. Watson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of his earlier guilty plea, Quintero admitted that from on or about May 1, 2019 through March 2, 2022, he downloaded hundreds of videos and images of child pornography onto multiple electronic devices and a cloud storage account. United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also sentenced Quintero to 10 years of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment. Quintero was also ordered to forfeit four electronic devices that he used to commit his crimes, and to pay a total of $9,000 in restitution to three victims whose abuse was depicted in the images Quintero possessed. Quintero will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. This case was investigated by FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, and the New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Vickey prosecuted this case as a part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Guatemalan Citizen Sentenced for Attempted Transport of an Alien

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK –Fredi Chanchavac-Del Cid, age 34, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced today to time served (more than 6 months in jail) for the attempted transport of another person illegally present in the United States. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Chanchavac-Del Cid admitted that on March 22, 2023, he drove to Franklin County, New York, and just south of the Canadian border Shortly thereafter, a Mexican citizen who had just illegally crossed into the United States from Canada exited the woods along the road and got into Chanchavac-Del Cid’s vehicle. Chanchavac-Del Cid admitted that he expected to be paid for transporting the illegal alien. However, both individuals were arrested by Border Patrol before he could drive the car away, and Chanchavac-Del Cid has been in custody since that time. Border Patrol investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case.


title: Citrus Heights Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher Campbell, 48, of Citrus Heights, pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in February 2023 Campbell engaged in an online chat with an undercover officer whom Campbell believed was a 13-year-old girl. As a result of the conversations, law enforcement search Campbell’s residence and seized his iPad and cellphone, which contained approximately 517 images and 45 videos of child pornography. Law enforcement also searched Campbell’s Mega cloud storage account, which contained approximately 169 videos of child pornography, including depictions of toddlers and other minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily G. Sauvageau is prosecuting the case. Campbell is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Feb. 6, 2024. Campbell faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education. # # # #


title: Del Rio Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Exploitation of a Child

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO – A Del Rio man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child, followed by eight years of supervision upon release, and ordered to pay a fine of $10,000. According to court documents, between December 1, 2019, and February 19, 2020, Trever Lloyd Sexton, 29, caused a child victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography. Sexton also placed a hidden camera in the child’s bathroom, which recorded the victim showering. Forensic analysis of Sexton’s phone revealed a video and photos of himself sexually molesting the child victim along with 37 images depicting child sexual abuse material of other prepubescent children. “Thanks to the agents of HSI for helping us get another pedophile behind bars and out of our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to take predators off the streets.” “With today’s sentencing, HSI has removed a dangerous child predator from the community,” said Special Agent in Charge, Craig Larrabee, HSI San Antonio. “Preventing and investigating crimes against children is a high priority for HSI. We will continue to dedicate law enforcement resources to identify and bring to justice child predators who traumatize and victimize children." HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rex G. Beasley along with former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Tonkin and Steven Kam, prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for His Role in Wide-Ranging Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Puerto Rican man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for his role in a wide-ranging cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Abel Rodriguez Rivera, 35, of Ponce, Puerto Rico was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. On March 10, 2023, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization in the Fitchburg area. Beginning in July 2019, court authorized interceptions of wire and electronic communications to and from telephones used by members and suppliers of the drug trafficking organization revealed that Torres was a cocaine dealer who supplied cocaine to the drug trafficking organization. Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin/fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine, over 50 grams of crack cocaine, a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 in U.S. currency were seized. Torres is the 13th defendant to be sentenced in this case. All 18 defendants have been convicted – either by guilty plea or jury conviction following trial. The remaining convicted defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in October and November 2023. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police, made the announcement today. The Fitchburg and Lunenburg Police Departments and U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Right-Wing Extremist Convicted Of Murder And Attempted Murder After Drive-By Shooting At Federal Courthouse

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal jury convicted Robert Alvin Justus, Jr. of aiding and abetting the murder of Protective Services Officer (“PSO”) Dave Patrick Underwood and aiding and abetting the attempted murder of a second PSO in the May 29, 2020, drive-by shooting at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, Calif., announced U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) San Francisco Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani. The verdict follows a two-week trial before the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, United States District Judge. The evidence at trial established that Justus, 33, of Millbrae, was the driver of the vehicle from which Steven Carrillo, 35, of Santa Cruz fired the gunshots that killed Officer Underwood and wounded the second officer. The trial evidence demonstrated that, at approximately 9:27 p.m., on May 29, 2020, Justus parked a white Ford Econoline van directly across the street from the federal building in Oakland on Jefferson Street. The van was on the southeast corner in the spot closest to the intersection with an unobstructed view of the guard post where Officer Underwood and his partner that evening stood guard to protect the building and its occupants. At approximately 9:44 p.m., the exterior lights of the van turned on and Justus drove the van north on Jefferson Street toward the guard post. The passenger-side sliding door opened, and Carrillo fired numerous rounds from an AR-style rifle toward the guard post, killing Officer Underwood and seriously injuring his partner. The incident set off an eight-day manhunt that resulted in Carrillo’s capture at his residence in Ben Lomond, Calif., -- but not before Carrillo killed a Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputy and injured another. Carrillo opened fire on the deputies when they arrived at his property. Several days later, after Justus became aware that he was under investigation, he travelled to the Federal Building in San Francisco, met with the FBI, and admitted to his involvement in the shooting including his role as the driver of the vehicle. Justus claimed—during that meeting and in his trial testimony—that Carrillo had forced him to participate in the shooting against his will. The trial evidence established that Justus and Carrillo shared an allegiance to a right-wing anti-government movement called Boogaloo. Both men’s social media activity and other correspondence in the months before the shooting demonstrated a strong desire to carry out violent acts against federal law enforcement officers and other public servants. In February of 2020, Justus commented on Facebook that he had a “bloodlust for police.” In April 2020, Justus corresponded with an armed anti-government militia group he was interested in joining. On May 27, 2020, Justus posted an image depicting a police officer being shot in the head with a caption reading “Speak to cops in a language they understand.” On the day before the shooting, Carrillo posted a video of a mob attacking police cruisers and commented, “[T]his needs to be nationwide. It’s a great opportunity to target the specialty soup bois”—a Boogaloo slang term for federal agents. Justus responded to Carrillo’s post that same day, writing “Let’s boogie.” The following day, the two met in a San Leandro parking lot to go to Oakland. They planned to capitalize on protests that night in response to the death of George Floyd, hoping that their attack would spark further anti-government violence. The trial evidence also showed that, after arriving in Oakland the evening of May 29, Justus and Carrillo circled the downtown area several times. In the hour leading up to the shooting, Justus exited the van twice to scout the area on foot and locate targets, returning to the van both times. Following the fatal shooting, Justus drove Carrillo back to Milbrae and the two separated. In the days following the murder, Justus destroyed digital and physical evidence connecting him to the shooting, continued to post anti-law enforcement content on Facebook, and corresponded with Carrillo about future meetings. The jury convicted Justus of murder of a federal employee and attempted murder of a federal employee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1114(3), 1111. Justus now faces a mandatory term of life in prison. Judge Gonzalez Rogers scheduled Justus’s sentencing hearing for February 24, 2024. On February 11, 2022, Carrillo pleaded guilty to two federal charges related to the May 29, 2020, shooting—use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(j)(1) and 2, and attempted murder of a person assisting an officer of the United States Government, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1114(3), 1111. On June 3, 2022, Judge Gonzalez Rogers sentenced Carrillo to serve 41 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his role in the crimes. Carrillo also received a life sentence in Santa Cruz County Superior Court in connection with his murder of the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Deputy. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan U. Lee and John C. Bostic are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Patricia Mahoney, Yenni Weinberg, and Lynette Dixon. The case is being investigated by the FBI, the ATF, the FPS, and the U.S. Marshal Service with assistance from the Oakland Police Department and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.


title: San Francisco Daycare Worker Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Using Access To Children To Produce, Possess, And Distribute Child Pornography

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Jace Wong was sentenced to serve 300 months in prison for production, attempted production, distribution, and possession of child pornography in connection with a scheme to take pictures and videos of four- to six-year-olds that he could share on child pornography sites online announced U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. James Donato, United States District Judge. Wong pleaded guilty to the charges on April 24, 2023. According to his plea agreement, Wong admitted that beginning March 19, 2021, while he was employed at a daycare facility in San Francisco, he surreptitiously took sexually explicit photos and videos of prepubescent minors at the facility while they were going to the bathroom. Wong acknowledged that the children were approximately four to six years old and that the photos and videos he captured depicted the prepubescent minors’ genitalia. Wong admitted that he distributed those videos and images online in group chats and in private messages. “This case is heartbreaking, to say the least,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey. “Jace Wong worked at daycare facilities and victimized at least six young children in his care, not to mention other minors whose images he possessed and distributed. It is not possible to measure the harm he caused. His decades-long prison sentence, however, makes crystal clear that the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to remove perpetrators who victimize our most vulnerable citizens — young children — from society so they cannot continue their heinous behavior.” “Wong's actions were shocking. Instead of attending to their safety, Wong exploited children of tender years for his own gratification. His sentence makes clear child predators will be held accountable,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Tripp. ”The FBI is committed to protecting our most vulnerable citizens and apprehending sexual offenders.” Wong admitted in his plea agreement that between August 2019 and December 2020, he worked at a separate daycare center in Livermore, Calif., where he took at least three videos of the prepubescent minors in his care. The victims were approximately three to four years old. He posted photos and videos of his victims on the dark web in October and December 2020. Wong admitted that these videos contained hands-on sexual contact. He stopped recording these videos when the victims moved away from him. Further, Wong admitted that he possessed and distributed visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including at least one video of material containing child sexual abuse. Wong was arrested after he sent a video containing child pornography to an undercover officer and investigators were able to deduce where the video was created. On October 18, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Wong charging him with five counts of production or attempted production of child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and (e); one count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2) and (b); and one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). Wong pleaded guilty to all the counts. Wong has been in custody since his arrest in April of 2021. He will begin serving his prison term immediately. In addition to the prison term, Judge Donato also ordered Wong to serve 15 years of supervised release which will begin after his term of imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey Davidson, with assistance from Kevin Costello and Maria Sunga. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin.


title: Duluth Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Ammunition

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Duluth man has pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on July 26, 2021, Jason Lamount Burns, 38, possessed a magazine loaded with 9mm ammunition that Duluth Police Department officers found stored on a shelf in Burns’ bedroom closet while executing a search warrant at his home. Because Burns has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. Burns pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of felon in possession of ammunition. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Duluth Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen is prosecuting the case.


title: Georgia Woman Pleads Guilty to Nationwide Telemarketing Fraud Scheme Targeting Elders

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Georgia woman has pleaded guilty to her role in a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to the defendant’s guilty plea, from 2016 through February 2020, Rita Antoinette Albritton, 59, of Stockbridge, Georgia, knowingly conspired with others to devise a telemarketing scheme that victimized numerous individuals across the United States, many of whom are elderly and vulnerable. Albritton worked as a telemarketer for World Wide Publication Inc., a Georgia-based company involved in fraudulent magazine sales. The company, owned by co-defendant Ronald Coleman, used fraudulent sales scripts to defraud victim-consumers, many of whom were elderly or otherwise vulnerable, out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The fraudulent sales scripts were designed to induce consumers, through a series of lies and misrepresentations, into making large or repeat payments. When acting as a telemarketer, Albritton at times used the alias of “Cynthia Alvarez.” According to the defendant’s guilty plea, among other misrepresentations she made as directed by the scripts, Albritton falsely claimed that the victim-consumers owed a large outstanding balance for existing magazine subscriptions and fraudulently offered to pay off that balance in exchange for a one-time payment of $199.99. In reality, the victim-consumers did not have any existing subscriptions with World Wide Publication, they did not owe the company any outstanding balance, and the company did not have the ability to cancel the victim-consumers’ ongoing magazine subscriptions. In the course of the scheme, Albritton, Coleman, and their co-conspirators defrauded thousands of victims of approximately $1,749,959. Albritton pleaded guilty yesterday before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 23, 2024. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additional assistance was provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Matthew S. Ebert, Garrett S. Fields, and Melinda A. Williams are prosecuting the case.


title: Los Angeles County Trio Found Guilty of Laundering Target Gift Cards Purchased by Victims of Transnational Fraud Rings

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Three Los Angeles County residents were found guilty by a jury today of scheming to launder the proceeds of scams targeting older adults and other victims who were conned into buying Target gift cards, supposedly to resolve various financial problems. At the conclusion of a 10-day trial, a jury convicted the three defendants – Blade Bai, 35, of El Monte; Bowen Hu, 28, of Hacienda Heights; and Tairan Shi, 29, of Diamond Bar – of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The jury also found Bai guilty of an additional charge of conspiring to commit money laundering, an offense he committed after being freed on bond in the initial case. Hu and Shi were remanded into custody immediately after today’s verdict, and Bai has been in custody since February 2022 According to evidence presented at trial, telephone scammers based overseas lied to victims to persuade them to buy one or more Target gift cards to fix nonexistent problems. Some victims received calls from fraudsters posing as law enforcement officers or government employees, who claimed the victims’ identities had been stolen or warrants had been issued for the victims’ arrest, and that money in the form of Target gift cards was necessary to remedy the problems. Other victims were tricked into responding to tech support emails that purported to be from well-known companies and claimed there were serious problems relating to the victims’ financial accounts that could only be resolved by paying money in the form of Target gift cards. As a result of the scammers’ lies and misrepresentations, the victims were convinced to buy Target gift cards – often more than one – typically in increments of $500 and to read the card numbers and access codes over the phone to the scam artists. Bai, Hu and Shi obtained more than 5,000 gift cards from a group of unknown persons in China that called itself the “Magic Lamp” and sold gift card information via the online messenging application WeChat. The defendants used WeChat to coordinate the distribution of gift cards to “runners,” who used the gift cards at Target stores primarily in Los Angeles and Orange counties to purchase consumer electronics, other gift cards and other items, according to court documents. Through the purchases and other transactions at multiple Target stores, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal the fact that the gift cards had been originally funded with fraudulent proceeds. Prosecutors estimate that the defendants laundered more than $2.5 million in gift cards between approximately June 2019 and November 2020. Bai was arrested on a criminal complaint in this matter in November 2020 and was released on bond. Within days of his release from federal custody, Bai engaged in another money laundering conspiracy involving Target gift cards. Bai offered to introduce an associate to someone who bought merchandise from him, and thereafter asked the associate to help him liquidate approximately $36,000 of Target gift cards. With Bai unwilling to be paid directly for the sale, two accomplices together arranged a deal in which they sold, to the customer, Bai’s gift cards for approximately 90 cents on the dollar. Law enforcement arrested Bai again in February 2022 on a superseding indictment and he has remained in federal custody since that time. United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled a January 26, 2024, sentencing hearing, at which time Bai, Hu and Shi will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each money laundering conspiracy count. Yan Fu, 60, of Chino Hills, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Fu, who was one of the “runners” in this conspiracy, is serving a 20 month-sentence in federal prison. Judge Birotte also ordered Fu to pay $48,073 in restitution. This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI. The investigation was conducted under the auspice of HSI Los Angeles’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force comprised of federal and state investigators focused on financial crimes in Southern California. The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General provided substantial assistance during the investigation, as did the following law enforcement agencies: the Brea Police Department; the La Palma Police Department; the Menifee Police Department; the Glynn County (Georgia) Police Department; the Fontana Police Department; the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (North Carolina) Police Department; the Streamwood (Illinois) Police Department; the Cleveland Police Department; the Madera County Sheriff's Office; the New York Police Department; the Norwood (New Jersey) Police Department; the Loudon County (Virginia) Sheriff's Office; the Waukesha County (Wisconsin) Sheriff's Department; the Fremont Police Department; the Marin County Sheriff's Office; the County of Hawaii Police Department; the Henderson (Nevada) Police Department; the Wilmington (Massachusetts) Police Department; the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department; the Lewisville (Texas) Police Department; the Gardena Police Department; the Des Moines Police Department; the Cobb County (Georgia) Sheriff`s Department; the Millburn (New Jersey) Police; the Wauwatosa (Wisconsin) Police Department; the San Angelo (Texas) Police Department; the Fairfax City (Virginia) Police Department; and the Virginia Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith Healy of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The United States Attorney’s Office and the Consumer Protection Branch are part of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force , which investigates and prosecutes scams targeting older adults and are run by transnational criminal organizations. These scams include mass mailing, telemarketing, and tech support scams. If you fall victim to a gift card scam, immediately call the gift card issuer and ask them to freeze the gift card numbers involved – and save your receipt and the gift card. Then, report the crime to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov , the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ or (877) 382-4357, and your local police department.


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Assault with Intent to Kill and Other Charges Stemming from 2019 Shooting

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: Defendant Shot Victim as Victim was Leaving the Scene WASHINGTON – Dominic Copeland, 33, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on September 21, 2023, of assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The charges are in connection with a shooting that occurred on April 26, 2019, in the Truxton Circle area of Washington, D.C. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 29, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, the victim drove to a local fast-food restaurant after work to meet Copeland. He was then directed to follow Copeland’s car to the area of N Street and First Street NW. Once parked, the victim entered the back seat of the car Copeland was in and handed Copeland money. Copeland took the victim’s money and, after a dispute, told the victim to “take the loss like a champ.” The victim exited and returned to his own car and got in the driver’s seat. Copeland then exited the car he was in, pulled out a handgun, and shot at the victim multiple times. The victim began to drive away but was hit twice in the upper back and crashed into multiple parked cars before finally coming to a rest on the side of the street. MPD officers promptly responded to the scene and found that the victim was unable to physically move because one of the gunshot wounds temporarily paralyzed him. The victim promptly identified his shooter to police as “Dominic,” whom he knew from work and, up to that point, had considered a friend. Police recovered six fired cartridge casings from the scene. Evidence showed that two bullets entered the victim’s upper back, one of which punctured his lung causing a severe medical emergency that the treating physician declared would have resulted in the victim’s death had he not received medical care. Doctors left the bullets inside the victim’s body after determining that it would cause even more injury to attempt to remove them. U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the MPD. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and acknowledged the efforts of all of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Forman, Seth Gilmore, Gregory Kimak, and Paul Courtney, Paralegal Specialist Debra McPherson, and Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Danai and Richard Carlton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: District Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Federal Firearms Offenses

body_text: While on Pretrial Release to Obtain Medical Treatment, Defendant Absconded and Was Arrested Later with Second Gun WASHINGTON – Shahid K. Randolph, 28, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to serve 51 months in prison on two federal firearms charges stemming from his possession of loaded handguns on October 21, 2020, and May 1, 2022, in the Anacostia and Washington Highlands neighborhoods of Southeast Washington. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Randolph pleaded guilty on August 4, 2022, in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Randolph subsequently attempted to withdraw his guilty plea but was not permitted to do so. He was sentenced by the Honorable Timothy J. Kelly. Following his prison term, Randolph will be placed on three years of supervised release. According to court papers, on October 21, 2020, while on routine patrol in the 1900 block of 19th Street Southeast, MPD officers observed Randolph smoking marijuana in the passenger seat of an idling vehicle with heavily tinted windows. When officers approached the vehicle, Randolph leaned forward in an apparent effort to conceal something in his lap. Officers opened the vehicle’s passenger door and recovered a loaded .40 caliber pistol from Randolph’s lap. The firearm had been reported stolen. Randolph was arrested, charged in federal court, and held without bond. In July 2021, while the case was still pending, Randolph was released to home confinement to receive medical treatment in the community. Randolph subsequently cut off his GPS monitor in late December 2021, failed to appear at a January 2022 court hearing, and was a loss of contact. Then, on May 1, 2022, MPD officers were on routine patrol in the 800 block of Yuma Street Southeast when they observed Randolph attempt to obstruct their view of his waistband. Officers approached Randolph, who grabbed his waistband and fled on foot. Officers ultimately apprehended Randolph and recovered a loaded 9mm handgun in his flightpath. That firearm had also been reported stolen. Subsequent DNA analysis linked Randolph to the recovered gun. Randolph has remained in custody since his May 1, 2022, arrest. Federal law prohibits Randolph from possessing a firearm because, in 2012, he was convicted of carjacking in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and sentenced to a term of seven years’ imprisonment. In 2020, Randolph was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He was sentenced in that case by the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan and was on supervised release at the time of the offenses for which he was sentenced today. Judge Chutkan has scheduled a hearing to revoke Randolph’s supervised release for Monday, October 2, 2023. The sentence imposed today will run consecutive to any sentence imposed by Judge Chutkan. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the cases from the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul V. Courtney and Madhu Chugh.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense

body_text: Defendant Possessed Firearms and Fentanyl with Child in Backseat of Vehicle WASHINGTON – John Michael Wilcox, 36, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to a federal firearms charge stemming from his possession of a loaded firearm on July 12, 2022, while driving a vehicle near Nationals Park, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor, of the United States Park Police. Wilcox pleaded guilty in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Judge Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 9, 2024. According to court papers, on July 12, 2022, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Wilcox was driving a black SUV with an obstructed Florida dealer tag in violation of District of Columbia law. United States Park Police officers initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle at South Capitol Street and O Street SW, near Nationals Park. As officers approached the vehicle, Wilcox held a military identification card out of the driver’s side window that was determined not to belong to him. While interacting with Wilcox, an officer observed a clear plastic bag containing suspected narcotics protruding from Wilcox’s front shorts pocket. Officers recovered the plastic bag from Wilcox’s pocket, which contained numerous smaller bags, all containing a tan powder that was determined to be fentanyl. Officers also recovered a clear plastic bag, which contained a white, rock-like substance that was determined to be cocaine base. Officers searched the vehicle after removing an adult female from the front passenger seat and a child from the backseat. From the glove compartment, officers recovered a loaded .32 caliber pistol and plastic bags, which contained a pink powder substance determined to be additional fentanyl. Officers also recovered miscellaneous firearms parts from the vehicle, including a .32 caliber firearm slide, barrel, and spring, as well as an assault-style rifle with an obliterated serial number. During the search of the vehicle, Wilcox stated multiple times that everything in the car belonged to him. On May 17, 2023, following his indictment by a federal grand jury, Wilcox was arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He has remained in custody ever since. Federal law prohibits Wilcox from possessing a firearm because he has multiple convictions from the Commonwealth of Virginia for which he was sentenced to terms of imprisonment exceeding one year. Wilcox faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed in this case will be determined by the Court after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was investigated by the United States Park Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Richard Kelley and Assistant United States Attorney Paul V. Courtney.


title: St. Louis Park Man Sentenced to Prison in Cyberstalking Case

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A St. Louis Park man has been sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for cyberstalking two victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to the defendant’s guilty plea and court documents, between September 2020 through December 2021, Julyen Alonzo Martin, 30, cyberstalked and threatened to kill, injure, and harass his victims. In violation of orders of protection issued against him, Martin sent numerous threats and unwanted messages via text message and social media applications directed at the victims and their families. Martin stated in one series of threats, “I will [expletive] up your life as long as I live. Someone better come kill me right now. Before I kill somebody. You know what I wanna do.” As a part of his cyberstalking scheme, Martin created social media accounts posing as one of the victims online and posted harmful allegations about both victims. According to court documents, Martin also contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), falsely alleging that one of the victims was using their work computer to view child pornography. Martin emailed and called the victim’s employer several times claiming the victim was a pedophile being investigated for child endangerment. Martin also posed as a federal agent in furtherance of his cyberstalking scheme and claimed to be an FBI Special Agent intending to search the victim’s place of work for evidence. Martin was sentenced on September 22, 2023, in U.S. District Court before Judge Susan Richard Nelson on two counts of cyberstalking. Judge Nelson described the case as “one of the most vicious and cruel cyberstalking cases” she’s ever encountered. Judge Nelson reflected on the impact of Martin’s actions on the victims, stating that Martin committed acts “capable of destroying the lives” of his victims. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor prosecuted the case.


title: Tulsa Woman Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Over $8 Million from OSU Medical Center

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. –A Broken Arrow woman who defrauded more than eight million dollars from Oklahoma State University Medical Center (OSUMC) pleaded guilty today in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Leslie Ann Ameen, 62, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark T. Steele and pleaded guilty to wire fraud. “Ameen brazenly defrauded a state-funded institution without regard for the impact it might have on the medical needs of the community it serves and its related educational mission,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office together with our law enforcement partners will continue to hold fraudsters and embezzlers accountable for their criminal conduct.” “The defendant exploited a healthcare system funded by taxpayer dollars in order to line her own pockets,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to enrich themselves by diverting critical healthcare resources from where they are truly needed.” Ameen admitted that, while employed as a Telecommunications Specialist at OSUMC, she devised and executed a scheme to defraud OSUMC. Specifically, she arranged for OSUMC to purchase electronic devices, including laptops, phones, and tablets from Techsico Enterprises Solutions, LLC, a company that provided telecommunications support services to OSUMC. Ameen further admitted that she arranged for the devices to be purchased so that she could fraudulently abscond with the devices and sell them for a profit. To accomplish this objective, Ameen caused Techsico to email her invoices for the devices, which she falsely represented to Techsico were being acquired for OSUMC’s business operations. Ameen then falsified the invoices by, among other things, forging the signature of her direct supervisor at OSUMC. As a result, Ameen caused OSUMC to pay for the devices without the knowledge or permission of her supervisors. Once the devices were acquired, she stole and then sold them to acquaintances and other individuals for a personal profit. In total, her scheme resulted in a loss to OSUMC of approximately $8,293,611.00. Ameen faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of not more than $250,000 or twice the pecuniary gain/loss caused by her actions. Ameen further faces forfeiture of any property constituting, or derived from, or traceable to, the proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, from the fraud, including, but not limited to a money judgment in an amount of at least $8,293,611.00. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A date for sentencing has not been set. Ameen was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David D. Whipple is prosecuting the case.


title: United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and HUD Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis Host a Safe Housing Seminar Focused on Promoting Health and Safety in HUD-Assisted Housing

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA, PA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis hosted a Safe Housing Seminar today focused on promoting the health and safety of tenants living in HUD-assisted housing. The seminar, which took place at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia as part of the HUD Office of Inspector General’s new community outreach initiative, focused on eliminating environmental hazards and combatting sexual misconduct in HUD-assisted housing. The topics included effective safe housing strategies, environmental justice concepts and issues, and how to recognize and report sexual misconduct in housing. Participants included representatives from organizations who routinely work with vulnerable populations most likely to be impacted by environmental injustices, such as lead paint in their homes, or become victims of sexual harassment in housing by their landlords, property managers, maintenance staff, or other housing personnel in positions of authority. Organizations represented included local law enforcement agencies, legal aid offices, fair housing organizations, shelters, and transitional housing providers. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences, concerns, and expertise to build future partnerships and provide aid and assistance to beneficiaries when reporting matters related to health and safety in housing. “My office and our investigative partners at HUD OIG are committed to the comprehensive environmental justice strategies aimed at reversing environmental inequities in underserved communities that rely heavily on HUD’s housing assistance programs,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Through our longstanding partnership, we will also continue to work together to enforce the Fair Housing Act by investigating and prosecuting discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Fair Housing Act, and together we will investigate and prosecute offenders taking advantage of tenants and prospective tenants in violation of the law.” “Environmental justice violations and sexual harassment in housing are egregious violations of a person’s right to safe and fair housing under federal law,” Inspector General Oliver Davis said. “We are working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to spread the word about ways to help victims who currently are experiencing these issues or who have been impacted by them in the past. Outreach events like the one we hosted today are an important way to increase awareness, share information, and build strong partnerships in the community to help call out and eliminate these problems together.” If you or someone you know has information about environmental hazards and unsafe unit conditions in HUD-assisted housing or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation—even if the events occurred years ago—report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline. You may also contact the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-844-380-6178 or visit www.civilrights.justice.gov. Individuals who believe they may have been victims of environmental injustices or housing discrimination may also contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 615 Chestnut Street, Suite 1250, Philadelphia, PA 19106, ATTN: Environmental Justice Coordinator Erin Lindgren, USAPAE-EnvironmentalJustice@usdoj.gov, or Civil Rights Coordinator Lauren DeBruicker, USAPAE.CivilRights@usdoj.gov. HUD OIG Sexual Misconduct in Housing Public Service Announcement: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqXSMjUZIZU HUD OIG Environmental Justice Public Service Announcement: https://youtu.be/Xk4uExYYph0 DOJ Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative: www.justice.gov/crt/sexual-harassment-housing-initiative


title: Foreign National Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Alejandro Marin-Gutierrez, age 44 and a foreign national, pleaded guilty to one count of Illegal Reentry of Previously Removed Alien. The Indictment alleged that Marin-Gutierrez, who had been previously convicted of a felony and subsequently removed from the United States, was found again in the United States on or about June 2, 2022. According to investigators, law enforcement observed and apprehended Marin-Gutierrez at a residence in McAlester, Oklahoma, on June 2, 2022. The charges arose from an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security—Enforcement and Removal Operations. The Honorable Judge Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Marin-Gutierrez was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.


title: McAlester Resident Sentenced For Second Degree Murder

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Crystal Marie Haworth, age 33, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 240 months in prison for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the McAlester Police Department, and the Pittsburg Country Sheriff’s Office. On September 18, 2023, Haworth pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. According to investigators, on July 15, 2020, Haworth stabbed the victim to death at a McAlester residence, drove to the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, waived her Miranda rights, and confessed to the murder. The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable David C. Joseph, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearings in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Haworth will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Department of Justice Criminal Division Organized Crime and Gang Section Trial Attorney Christopher Usher and Special Assistant United States Attorney Genevieve Ozark represented the United States at sentencing.


title: Eastern Kentucky Doctor and Nurse Convicted of Conspiracy to Illicitly Prescribe Controlled Substances

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: PIKEVILLE, Ky. – A federal jury sitting in Pikeville convicted a Kentucky physician, Crystal Compton, D.O., 43, and a nurse, Kayla Lambert, 36, on late Thursday of conspiracy to illicitly prescribe controlled substances and related offenses. Compton was also convicted of 44 counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances. During the relevant timeframe, Compton was a licensed physician who practiced in several medical clinics in the Pikeville area. Lambert was a nurse who also worked at these medical clinics. According to evidence presented, Compton and Lambert conspired to unlawfully distribute controlled substances using prescriptions that were not written for a legitimate medical purpose, within the usual course of professional practice. Compton and Lambert issued prescriptions for significant quantities and dosages of opioid painkillers, including oxycodone, methadone, and hydrocodone, sometimes in combination with other controlled substances, such as alprazolam and clonazepam. For example, one individual received prescriptions for 720 methadone 10mg and 180 alprazolam 2mg pills in a single month. Another received prescriptions for 480 methadone 10mg and 300 oxycodone 10mg pills in a single month. Compton also provided multiple prescriptions to Lambert for 180 oxycodone 30mg pills. The evidence also established that Lambert sometimes issued illegitimate controlled substance prescriptions by signing Compton’s name to prescriptions. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the guilty verdict. Compton and Lambert are scheduled to be sentenced on January 30, 2024. The maximum penalty for the drug trafficking conspiracy and the individual counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances is 20 years, for Schedule II controlled substances, and five years, for Schedule IV controlled substances. The maximum penalty for conspiring to misuse a DEA registration is 4 years. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence. The defendants also face potential fines, forfeiture of their licenses, a forfeiture money judgment, and a judgment of restitution, as ordered by the Court. The case was investigated by the DEA. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Smith. – END –


title: Le Claire Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution and Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Le Claire man was sentenced on September 20, 2023, to ten years in federal prison for distribution and receipt of child pornography. According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, law enforcement identified Kyle Daniel DuPrey, 36, a former East Moline firefighter, as a person of interest after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a cybertip from a social media platform indicating that videos of child sexual abuse material had been uploaded. Law enforcement traced the account to DuPrey. During a search warrant at DuPrey’s residence, two cell phones were located which showed evidence of receipt and distribution of child pornography. The investigation revealed that DuPrey viewed and distributed child pornography while on duty as a firefighter, including from approximately December 2020 until at least August 2022. After completing his term of imprisonment, DuPrey will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. DuPrey was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Scott County Sherriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.


title: FBI Statement on Baton Rouge Police Department Investigation

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: The New Orleans FBI Field Office, the Civil Rights Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana have opened a federal investigation into the Baton Rouge Police Department and allegations that members of the department may have abused their authority. Experienced prosecutors and agents are now reviewing the matter for potential federal violations. FBI New Orleans asks anyone who might have information in this case to contact us at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not currently able to comment further.


title: Multiple defendants prosecuted on federal firearms charges

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: Four people have been indicted in the Southern District of Georgia on felony charges including illegal firearms possession, while additional defendants have been sentenced to federal prison or await further proceedings after pleading guilty to federal gun charges. The cases are prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally possess guns. “Guns in the hands of convicted felons present a danger to the community,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “With our law enforcement partners, we continue to identify and prosecute individuals who violate firearms laws.” In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been prosecuted in the Southern District of Georgia for firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. That charge carries a statutory penalty of up to 15 years in prison, and there is no parole in the federal system. Those indicted during the September term of the U.S. District Court Grand Jury include: Wilbur Zaccaeus Hightower , 43, of Blackshear, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Machine Gun, referring to a pistol with an illegal “Glock switch”; Hunter W. Taylor , 25, of Hephzibah, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, referring to a short barrel rifle; Joshua Bowser , 28, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and, Zytavious Beck , 26, of Dublin, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Defendants recently adjudicated on federal firearms charges include: Melvin Jamarcus Lanier, 42, of Statesboro, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Statesboro police officers arrested Lanier in January 2021 during a traffic stop after finding a pistol in his vehicle. Demmerio Swint , 29, of Augusta, was sentenced to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Swint’s pocket and another in his vehicle after a November 2021 traffic stop. Nygeria Tasheema Brown , 32, of Savannah, was sentenced to three years’ probation and fined $1,000 after pleading guilty to False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm. Brown assisted Javonte Deshawn Washington , 30, of Savannah, in buying a pistol despite knowing he was a convicted felon. Garden City police officers found Washington in possession of the gun later that month when responding to a report of a man pointing a gun at motorists outside an apartment complex. Washington is serving a 44-month term in federal prison after pleading guilty to Straw Purchase of a Firearm. Tekayo Spencer , 39, of Savannah, was sentenced to 32 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers arrested Spencer in June 2022 during an investigation into a man brandishing a firearm during a domestic dispute. Caleb Earl Riggs , 38, of Claxton, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. One of 32 defendants indicted in October 2022 as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy in Operation Carpet Ride, Riggs was found in possession of a pistol during a traffic stop by Evans County sheriff’s deputies and the Georgia State Patrol. Milton Parker III, 37, of Savannah, was sentenced to 51 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers arrested Parker in September 2022 while investigating reports of shots being fired in a Savannah neighborhood, and finding Parker with a pistol in his waistband. Jonathan Duncan , 38, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in Duncan’s vehicle during a November 2022 traffic stop. Tori Davis , 33, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Possession with Intent to Distribute Oxycodone and Fentanyl. Garden City police officers found drugs and a pistol in Davis’ vehicle during a traffic stop. When Davis was federally indicted in February 2023, investigators found multiple guns and extended magazines in his residence during his arrest. Alvin York , 47, of Swainsboro, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Swainsboro police officers found multiple firearms in York’s vehicle during a December 2021 traffic stop. Michael Floyd , 30, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. An Oglethorpe Mall security officer contacted the Savannah Police Department after observing what appeared to be a gun inside Floyd’s clothing, and officers later determined Floyd was prohibited as a convicted felon from carrying a gun. Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473


title: Henry County Man Indicted for $1.3 Million Real Estate Scam

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Roanoke returned an indictment last week charging a Fieldale, Virginia man with engaging in a fraud scheme in connection with a residential real estate transaction valued at more than $1.3 million. According to court documents, Herman Lee Estes Jr., 40, who was on federal pretrial supervision due to an illegal firearms charge, contacted a real estate agent on January 17, 2023, inquiring about purchasing a Roanoke County property then listed at $1.2 million. Estes falsely represented to the agent that he was due a tax refund of $18 million, which would soon be transferred to his estate as part of a trust. On January 25, 2023, Estes pled guilty to federal firearms charge and remained on pretrial release pending sentencing. In March 2023, Estes again contacted the real estate agent, falsely stating that his tax refund had cleared, and he was ready to move forward with the purchase of the property. At Estes’s direction, the real estate agent prepared a cash offer for the property in the amount of $1.3 million. To prove he had funds available, Estes provided a letter, dated March 29, 2023, which indicated he had been approved for a private real estate loan in the amount of $1,315,000. In addition, Estes provided the real estate agent a phone number for a person he represented to be the manager of his purported trust. The real estate agent contacted this individual, who falsely claimed to be Estes’s trust manager and then approved the cash offer. The contract was ratified, and the parties proceeded to closing. On April 10, 2023, Estes provided the settlement company a 62-page ‘extension of credit’ document, which he falsely represented to be trust documents, as part of his closing procedures. Estes stated that he did not deal with public banks but rather dealt ‘directly with the Federal Reserve Bank’. Estes paid for the property with a fraudulent cashier’s check, with a routing number purported to be drawn from the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond, in the amount of $1,307,199.43. He shipped the check via FedEx on April 12, 2023. On April 13, 2023, the fraudulent check was deposited by a settlement company into its account at American National Bank and Trust. Closing for the sale occurred the following day, the deed was recorded with the Circuit Court of Roanoke County, and Estes took possession of the property. On April 17, 2023, the purported cashier’s check was returned by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and marked fraudulent. Estes is charged with one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of mail fraud, and with committing each of these offenses while on federal pretrial release. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which handled the previous federal firearms investigation, is investigating this case, with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service. The Federal Reserve Board, Office of Inspector General, and the Roanoke County Police Department have also assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two More Sentenced for Roles in Southwest Virginia Meth Conspiracy

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of Tennessee men, who conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and heroin in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, were sentenced last week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. Darin Kent Thomas, 38, of Strawberry Pines, Tennessee, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced last week to 61 months in federal prison. Garrett Teffeteller, 43, of Knoxville, Tennessee, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced last week to 48 months in federal prison. According to court documents, Thomas and Teffeteller conspired with others to sell crystal methamphetamine and heroin, including sales to individuals who resold the drugs in and around Lee County, Virginia. Teffeteller was a regular source of supply for methamphetamine to other conspiracy members. Thomas, who is a former package delivery driver in the Knoxville, Tennessee area, stole a revolver from a package at his former place of employment and traded the gun for heroin. The stolen firearm was then traded again to another member of the conspiracy in exchange for drugs and ultimately ended up in the hands of an undercover law enforcement officer in Lee County, Virginia. Thomas also sold heroin to several of his former coworkers. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Knox County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office, and the Sevier County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena L. Busscher prosecuted the case.


title: Caribou Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking

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

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Caribou man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, James King , 54, along with others, trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. King knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy. To date, eight of the 21 defendants in this and related cases have been sentenced and nine of the remaining 13 defendants have pleaded guilty. King faces 10 years to life in prison and a fine up to $10 million followed by five years to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution 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. # # #


title: Anchorage Man Charged with Arson for Lighting Apartment on Fire

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging an Anchorage man with intentionally lighting an apartment on fire. According to court documents, Paul Bates, 24, started a fire in an apartment building located on East 12 th Avenue in Anchorage on Oct. 30, 2022. Bates lived in the apartment complex at the time and had just engaged in a dispute with a neighbor over the neighbor’s refusal to give Bates a cigarette. After the dispute, the defendant went into his unit, lit three fires and left the scene. Court documents say the fire spread to multiple units after a few minutes, and residents began evacuating the building, which included a woman with a child on her back and a woman in a wheelchair. The defendant was arrested the same day as the fire. Bates is charged with one count of arson, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §844(i). The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson made the announcement. The ATF Seattle Field Division, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department and Anchorage Fire Department, is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Vandergaw is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska ###


title: Marion Man Pleads Guilty to Large-Scale Meth Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A Marion, Virginia man, who trafficked numerous pounds of methamphetamine from Georgia into Southwest Virginia since 2021, pled guilty in federal court earlier this month. Brian Cory Hoover, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute as well as distributing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one additional count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, twice a month, Hoover routinely transported up to 10 pounds of methamphetamine from Atlanta, Georgia into Southwest Virginia. That methamphetamine was redistributed in Southwest Virginia by Hoover and his co-conspirators Amanda Wain, Travis Farmer, Larry Whittaker, Borve Fisher, and others. Wain, Farmer, Whittaker, and Fisher have all previously pled guilty in federal court. Shortly after law enforcement learned of Hoover’s activities, Hoover fled Virginia and then the United States. He was apprehended in Mexico in June of this year. At sentencing, Hoover faces a sentence of 25 to 30 years. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Virginia State Police’s Holston River Regional Drug Task Force, the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Bristol, Tennessee Police Department, the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit D. Pierce is prosecuting the case.


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Entering the United States After Prior Removal

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to entering the United States after a prior removal. According to court records, in April 2023, Alberto Beltran-Martinez , 44, and six others were pulled over in a van with six others in Hamlin near the international boundary by a U.S. Border Patrol Agent from the Van Buren Border Patrol Station. Immigration records showed that Beltran-Martinez had twice been previously removed from the U.S., in September 2006 at Laredo, Texas and in April 2021 at Del Rio, Texas. Beltran-Martinez had not obtained the express consent of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. Beltran-Martinez faces up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine followed by five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. ###


title: Vinton Man Admits to Illegal Possession of Explosives

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A Vinton, Virginia man, who illegally possessed explosives both at his home and at another property in Roanoke County, has pled guilty in federal court. Robert Wayne Wright, 29, pled guilty earlier this month to one count of possessing an explosive as a convicted felon. According to court documents, between June 2021 and September 2021, Wright manufactured triperoxide (TATP) on multiple occasions, both at his residence in Vinton and at another property off Branico Drive in South Roanoke County. TATP is a powerful, highly unstable explosive that can be created using commercially available products. On October 5, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Wright’s residence after receiving multiple complaints from neighbors about explosions in rural Roanoke County. During the search, authorities recovered a small amount of unexploded TATP in a blue, plastic container. At sentencing, Wright faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Craig B. Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement. The investigation of the case was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Andrew Bassford and Michael Baudinet are prosecuting the case for the United States.


title: Justice Department Awards Over $4.2 Million in Grants to State and Local Agencies

body_text: U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance has awarded $4,202,037 collectively to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office. The Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (“LCLE”) was awarded $3,893,810 to provide resources in assisting Louisiana agencies fight the drug epidemic and violent crime throughout the state. Project activities include providing state and local units of government funding to enforce drug control laws and to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on violent crime and serious offenders. LCLE is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community. East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and Baton Rouge Police Department was awarded $235,720 to purchase and maintain video/computer equipment, and general law enforcement equipment that would be otherwise be unavailable, due to budgetary constraints. Approved budget items will promote officer and citizen safety throughout their communities. Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office (“LPSO”) was awarded $41,007 to further the goals of the Livingston Parish Gun Violence Reduction Initiative by providing overtime pay to gun violence investigators, use technology to provide officer safety and obtain evidence for illegal gun related prosecutions, prevent gun violence crimes, and to target violent criminal offenders. Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office was awarded $31,500 to provide all law enforcement officers in Ascension Parish with reliable and effective body armor. For more information about these awards, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov .


title: Five Cleveland-Area Men Sentenced to Imprisonment and Ordered to Pay Over $800,000 as part of a Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: CLEVELAND – United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko announced today the conclusion of a case involving five Cleveland-area men that were charged in a 47-count indictment for illegally obtaining more than $800,000 in pandemic unemployment insurance benefits using other people’s personal identifying information. The defendants were sentenced to a combined total of 284 months of imprisonment. According to court documents, from May to October 2020, the defendants, Errol Bennett, Jr., 26, of University Heights; Kojo Lockhart, 29, of Cleveland Heights; Mauri Nichols, 25, of South Euclid; Khyri Grace, 30, of Cleveland Heights; and Malik Grace, 26, of Cleveland Heights; submitted and caused the submission of fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment insurance benefits to the California Employment Development Department (EDD), and other State Workforce Agencies around the country. As part of the scheme, the members of the conspiracy knowingly made false statements and omissions on pandemic unemployment insurance benefits applications regarding employment history, residency, and more to appear eligible to receive benefits. As a result, California EDD and other State Workforce Agencies approved more than $800,000 in unemployment insurance benefits in the names of unwitting individuals. The benefits were pre-loaded on bank-issued debit cards and sent through the U.S. mail. After receiving the debit cards, the defendants used the cards issued in the names of other people to make cash withdrawals at various ATMs in the Northern District of Ohio. The Court determined each defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offenses and the characteristics of the violation. The defendants received the following terms of imprisonment: Errol Bennett, 54 months; Kojo Lockhart, 48 months; Mauri Nichols, 78 months; Khyri Grace, 60 months; and Malik Grace, 44 months. The defendants were also ordered to pay $872,143 in restitution for fraudulently obtained benefits. The Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case with assistance from the Cleveland Heights Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Andrachik and Alejandro Abreu.


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Distributing Over $16M of Adulterated HIV Medication

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Florida man pleaded guilty today to distributing at least $16.7 million of adulterated HIV drugs that were ultimately dispensed to unsuspecting patients throughout the country. According to court documents, Armando Herrera, 43, of Miami, and his co-conspirators established companies in Florida, Texas, Washington, and California that they used to sell and distribute adulterated prescription drugs, primarily HIV medications, to wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers. Herrera and his co-conspirators created false documentation to make it appear as though the drugs were acquired legitimately when, in fact, they were not. The pharmaceutical suppliers then sold the drugs to pharmacies, which dispensed the adulterated prescription drugs to unwitting patients. Herrera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce adulterated and misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 21 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Atlanta Region; and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement. HHS-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and the FBI are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Alexander Thor Pogozelski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx P. Calderón for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DAJUAN MARTIN , age 24, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on September 19, 2023 to an indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). According to court documents, MARTIN was arrested on June 13, 2022, by New Orleans Police Department officers after they identified him driving a stolen scooter. When MARTIN fled from officers, he discarded a loaded Glock, nine-millimeter handgun. Further investigation revealed that MARTIN had been convicted in 2017 and 2018 for illegal carrying of a weapon. These convictions prohibited his possession of a firearm. The maximum penalties for this firearm charge, is up to ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2023. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Rayburn of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Tulare County Dealer of Guns and Gamecocks Sentenced to over 7 Years in Prison

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Pedro Gavino, 28, of Orosi, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison for selling firearms without a license and conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act by selling gamecocks and participating in cockfighting events, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, from February 2017 to October 2018, Gavino negotiated for the sale of 28 firearms and actually sold 24 unregistered firearms, including AR-15 type pistols and AR-15 type short-barreled rifles that had been privately made using unfinished receivers. Privately made firearms using unfinished receivers are known as “ghost guns” because they do not have a serial number and are untraceable. The gun sales occurred at Gavino’s ranch in Orosi and at different gas stations in Selma after the buyer advised Gavino that the firearms were destined for buyers in Chicago and Juarez, Mexico. During one of the illegal gun transactions, Gavino also sold two American Game Fowl type of birds commonly used for cockfighting and six Mexican slashers, or short knives, that are attached to the leg of a rooster for the purpose of fighting. In April 2018, Gavino brought five gamecocks to a large cockfighting event in an orchard in Orosi where 200 to 300 spectators gathered. After two of Gavino’s gamecocks fought and won, there was a dispute, gunshots were fired, and the crowd dispersed. In October 2018, during the execution of a federal search warrant at Gavino’s ranch, agents found 128 gamecocks, 30 hens used for breeding gamecocks, 278 Mexican slashers, and 10 additional firearms, including two AR-15 type pistols. Gavino agreed to surrender the animals involved in the case - both gamecocks and hens used to breed gamecocks. This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General with assistance from the California Highway Patrol and the Fresno Police Department Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC). Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case.


title: New Orleans Man Indicted on  Federal Firearms Charge

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – IRVIN J. LEFERE, JR. , age 37, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on September 21, 2023 for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to the indictment it is alleged that, on or about July 13, 2022, LEFERE , knowing that he had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, knowingly possessed a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and assorted rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. For this offense, he faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Tulare County Woman Sentenced to 16 Years and 3 Months in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Alma Sanchez, 50, of Alpaugh, was sentenced today to 16 years and three months in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Sanchez distributed methamphetamine on two occasions to a co-conspirator, who then immediately sold the methamphetamine. On June 16, 2021, Sanchez distributed a pound and a half of methamphetamine, and on and Jan. 31, 2022, she distributed another 2 pounds of methamphetamine. This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coalinga Police Department, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, the Tulare County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit (HIDTA), and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio J. Pataca prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: California Man Sentenced To 18 Years’ Imprisonment For Methamphetamine And Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Bryce Stanger, age 35, of San Yisidro, California, was sentenced on September 22, 2023, by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann, to 18 years’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Bryce Stanger and his wife, Tanya Stanger, age 33, also of San Yisidro, California, previously pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. The charge stems from an incident on August 25, 2021, in which members of the Pennsylvania State Police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in Union County. Bryce and Tanya Stanger were the occupants of the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately thirty pounds of high-quality crystal methamphetamine and more than a kilogram of fentanyl. Further investigation revealed that the defendants were transporting the drugs from California to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, for further distribution. On September 21, 2023, Tanya Stanger was also sentenced by Chief Judge Brann to 18 years’ imprisonment. The investigation was conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigations Safe Street Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara 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: Vallejo Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Raykheem Andrew Guthery, 31, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on June 9, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted a vehicle stop on Guthery for driving a car without license plates. Guthery pretended to be someone else, claimed he was not on parole or probation, and denied being armed. In fact, Guthery was on probation for felony assault and had a firearm loaded with an extended magazine concealed on his person. Officers discovered the firearm during Guthery’s arrest. The firearm was a non-serialized, privately manufactured firearm, known as a “ghost gun.” It was loaded with one round of .40-caliber ammunition in the chamber and another 17 rounds in an extended magazine. Guthery is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has been convicted of at least three felonies, including a 2016 felony conviction for forcible assault likely to cause grave bodily injury. He is also prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he is the subject of a domestic violence protective order issued on April 15, 2021, by the Superior Court of California, Solano County. This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case. Guthery is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on Dec. 11, 2023. Guthery faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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: Felon Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Firearms in Vallejo

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jeremy Michael Benner, 39, of San Diego, pleaded guilty today to unlawful dealing in firearms, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between September 2022 to August 2023, Benner sold firearms to a confidential informant on four separate occasions in Vallejo. One of the firearms had previously been reported stolen, and three of them came with extended magazines. Benner did not have a license as a firearms dealer, and could not have obtained a license if he tried because he is a previously convicted felon. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case. Benner is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller on Dec. 11, 2023. Benner faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.