title: Four Jefferson and St. Tammany Parish Men Indicted for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JAMES MAGEE , age 31, DEON SHORT , age 26, and CHARLES WHITE , age 31, all residents of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and DENTRELL JOHNSON , age 28, a Slidell, Louisiana resident, were charged on June 22, 2023 in a sealed fourteen-count superseding indictment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. The case was unsealed on June 28, 2023. The indictment charged MAGEE, JOHNSON, and WHITE with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and quantities of cocaine base, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. For this offense, they face a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. SHORT is also charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. For this offense, he faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. The indictment also charged MAGEE, JOHNSON, WHITE and SHORT with distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including but not limited to cocaine and cocaine base, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). For each of these offenses, the defendants face up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. MAGEE is charged with two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c)(1)(A)(i). JOHNSON is charged with one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. For each offense, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years imprisonment, up to life, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to five years supervised release. MAGEE is also charged with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). For this offense, he faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years supervised release. For each of the counts of the indictment in which they are charged , the defendants face payment of 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 defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was investigated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dorchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Kevin Blackmore, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On March 7, 2023, Blackmore pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. On June 19, 2022, police were dispatched to a hotel in Sharon, Mass. in response to a call for a possible disturbance involving two vehicles. At the scene, the female occupant of one vehicle requested police assistance in collecting personal items from Blackmore, who was driving the second vehicle. When officers assisted Blackmore in searching the vehicle for those items, they recovered a black Smith and Wesson .45 caliber semi-automatic firearm, a Taurus .9mm semi-automatic firearm, 97 rounds of .9mm ammunition and 100 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. According to court records, Blackmore has numerous prior felony convictions stemming back to 1996 and going up through 2020, as a result Blackmore is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Blackmore has multiple prior convictions for violent behavior, nine restraining orders involving eight different women and a prior conviction for illegal possession of a firearm in 2009. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Sharon Police Department and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of Levy’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Florida Man Sentenced for Bribery

body_text: BOSTON – A Florida man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for paying bribes to receive contracts for work at a college in New York. Willian Borges, 30, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to two years of probation and forfeiture of $225,000. The government recommended a sentence of two years in prison. In October 2022, Borges pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to pay bribe payments and three counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Borges was a principal of DWD Builders, a general contracting firm, from 2018 to 2019. During this time, Borges paid bribes to co-conspirator Floyd Young, who held positions involving facility maintenance at a New York college, in exchange for preference in obtaining contracts for construction, repair, maintenance and other work for the college. The bribes Borges paid Young during face-to-face meetings were made in cash and worth 15% of the contract. In addition, as Borges received payment for work done at the college, he paid Young bribes on a periodic basis. Borges paid approximately $225,000 in exchange for approximately $2,250,000 in contracts. In August 2020, Young pleaded guilty to steering contracts for construction, repair, maintenance and other work for the colleges to favored contractors, including Borges, in exchange for bribe payments typically in the amount of 15% of the contract. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Levy’s Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.


title: Jury Convicts Metairie Man of Federal Gun and Drug Charges and Lying to a Federal Agent

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On June 27, 2023, DAMION WILSON, age 23, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana, was found guilty by a federal jury of four counts in a six count indictment. Specifically, WILSON was found guilty of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, maintaining a drug involved premises, and lying to a federal agent. He was acquitted of two other related counts. His sentencing is set for October 18, 2023. As to Count 3 of the indictment, for which he was convicted of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D), he faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to two years. As to Count 4 , for which he was convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c), he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of life in prison. Any sentence imposed in connection with this count must be served consecutively. He also faces payment of a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to five years. As to Count 5 , for which he was convicted of maintaining a drug involved premises, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 856, he faces up to twenty years in prison, a fine of up to $250,00.00, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. As to Count 6, for which he was convicted of lying to a federal agent, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001, he faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to one year of supervised release. As to each count of conviction, he also faces payment of a $100.00 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. This case was investigated by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (A.T.F.), the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshal’s Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the General Crimes Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Boston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking Following Two-Kilogram Cocaine Deal

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced yesterday for selling two kilograms of cocaine and possessing nearly one kilogram of heroin as well as a high-powered rifle in East Boston. Carlos Acosta Estrella, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison and eight years of supervised release. In September 2022, Estrella pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Estrella was indicted along with his mother, Ana Guadalupe Acosta Grajeda, in October 2019. Estrella and Grajeda were arrested after they were videotaped selling two kilograms of cocaine to a cooperating witness in East Boston. A search of Estrella and Grajeda’s apartment in East Boston resulted in the seizure of nearly one kilogram of heroin, an additional kilogram of cocaine, numerous cellphones, a high-powered tactical shotgun with a laser sight and a box of ammunition for the shotgun. Grajeda was sentenced in June 2022 after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and has since been deported to Mexico. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael A. Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of Levy’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit 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: Former Wausau Investment Advisor Sentenced to 8 Years for $1.9 Million Ponzi Scheme

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Anthony B. Liddle, 41, Wausau, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 8 years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. Liddle pleaded guilty to the charges on February 24, 2023. Liddle served as an investment advisor for his own financial advisory firm, Prosper Wealth Management in Wausau. Between June 2019 and August 2022, he solicited money from his clients allegedly to place in low-risk investments. However, Liddle never actually invested the money. Instead, he kept the money and spent it on his businesses and on personal expenses, including travel. In total, he stole $1,937,817.92 from his clients. Liddle maintained a high profile in the investment community, hosting seminars and marketing himself as a successful family man who cared about helping others. Many of the victims were individuals he befriended. When the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions began investigating Liddle, he falsely claimed that each of the stolen investments were loans to him, even going so far as creating false loan documents. In selecting a sentence of 8 years, Judge Peterson said he hoped to provide some measure of justice for the victims, whom he described as “hard-working people who accumulated their wealth over a long period of time.” Judge Peterson called Liddle’s crimes “monstrous,” because he ruthlessly manipulated and stole from people that he knew well. The charges against Liddle were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS Criminal Investigation, Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Corey and Meredith Duchemin prosecuted this case.


title: Tucson Man Will Serve 78 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Glen Adam Romero, Jr., 42, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced on June 27, 2023, by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Romero also was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Romero pleaded guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl. In October 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation into the Southside Murder Gang Killaz (SMGK) criminal street gang in Tucson, Arizona. The investigation revealed individuals associated with SMGK were involved in the smuggling of aliens, narcotics, and firearms in the Tucson area. Romero, Jr. conspired to distribute 1.7256 kilograms of fentanyl. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Bolling and Adam Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-00979-JAS-1 RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-103_Romero # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Macedon Business Owner Charged With Wire Fraud In Classic Car Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Clark P. Rittersbach, 49, of Cape Coral, Florida, was charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Rittersbach owned and was the sole manager of Concours Classic Motor Cars in Macedon, NY, from approximately 2006 until at least approximately 2021. The company, which specializes in the restoration and sale of antique vehicles, has many long distance and international customers. According to the complaint, since at least 2017, Rittersbach has fraudulently billed three victims for acquisition and/or restoration work on their antique vehicles that he either did not complete or did not perform at all, despite communicating to them via email and text message that he had. As a result of this scheme, Rittersbach fraudulently obtained at least $1.15 million dollars from the three victims. Between April 2009 and April 2019, Victim 1, who resides in Pennsylvania, paid Rittersbach to purchase or restore numerous vehicles on his behalf, but eventually became aware of instances in which Rittersbach lied about work done or vehicles purchased in order to obtain money from Victim 1, including a 1932 Dusenburg Murphy. Between 2014 and May 2021, Victim 2, a Canadian resident, paid Rittersbach to acquire and/or restore six rare and high value antique automobiles in exchange for payments totaling $374,000. These automobiles included a 1964 Porsche 356C, which Victim 2 never received. In 2008, Victim 3, who lived in the United Kingdom and France, entered into an agreement with Rittersbach to restore a 1926 Rolls Royce “Silver Ghost” he had purchased from an acquaintance of Rittersbach. By December 2021, Victim 3 became suspicious that Rittersbach was not performing the restoration work and requested verification, at which time Rittersbach became unresponsive to Victim 3. Subsequently, Victim 3 hired a private investigator and an attorney, who were able to locate the Rolls Royce in late April 2022. However, very little restoration work had been done. Murphy made an initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty To Methamphetamine Conspiracy

body_text: BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Murphy, 31, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between June 2019 and October 2020, Murphy bought, sold, and distributed quantities of methamphetamine for profit. In July 2019, the United States Marshal’s Service and other law enforcement officers went to a Bishop Street residence in Jamestown, where Murphy was present, to apprehend a federal fugitive. When they arrived, law enforcement observed, in plain view, distribution amounts of methamphetamine. They seized the methamphetamine and $1,476 in cash. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed, and investigators seized another 223 grams of actual methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. In November 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at Murphy’s Newland Avenue residence in Jamestown. Before execution of the warrant, Murphy ran away, dropping a digital scale. Inside the residence, law enforcement recovered methamphetamine, illicit mushrooms, other drug paraphernalia, two firearms and ammunition, and $1,642 in cash. The investigation also included four controlled purchases of drugs from Murphy. Co-defendants Rocco Beardsley, Miller Hagga, and Austin Gordon are scheduled for trial on September 6, 2023. Co-defendants Kylie Reeves, Garland Beardsley, Tyler Tedesco, and Giselle Bennett were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. Devito, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. Sentencing is scheduled for October 17, 2023, before Judge Arcara. # # # #


title: Ontario Man Pleads Guilty To Smuggling Marijuana Into The United States Via Helicopter

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raminderjit Assi, 28, of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to importation of marijuana into the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Adler, who is handling the case, stated that after researching methods of smuggling marijuana into the United States, including by helicopter, Assi and a co-conspirator obtained a helicopter and helicopter pilot licenses. On April 9, 2019, Assi and a co-conspirator flew a helicopter from Canada into United States airspace, specifically, Beaver Island Park on Grand Island, NY, where they left four red duffle bags. Before the bags could be collected by another co-conspirator, U.S. Border Patrol located the bags. The bags contained a total of 49 kilograms of marijuana. Radar data from the Federal Aviation Administration, CBP Air and Marine Operations, and NavCanada, determined that Assi and his co-conspirator turned off the transponder on the helicopter, failed to check-in with required towers, and failed to submit a required flight plan. Surveillance footage from the helipad in Canada where the two took off revealed that they prepared and operated the helicopter at take-off and returned in the helicopter after the illegal incursion. Assi later admitted he had flown the helicopter. The plea is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in Charge Matthew Scarpino. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra. # # # #


title: Tonawanda Man Going To Prison On Child Pornography Charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that David Rubel, 41, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison and 15 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond J. Fadel, who handled the case, stated that in August 2020, a parent filed a report with the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, alleging that Rubel had been texting his daughter, who recently turned 16 years-old (Victim), and that some of the texts he observed were sexual in nature. The parent observed inappropriate images on his daughter’s cell phone within a text thread between the Victim and Rubel. With the consent of the Victim’s father, an investigator searched the cell phone and observed the text messages, some of which included sexual images. Investigators also searched Rubel’s cell phone and recovered sexual images, including two videos, that were also found on the Victim’s cell phone, within the string of text messages between Ruble and the Victim. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. # # # #


title: Former Police Officer Sentenced To 37 Months For Possession Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE – A Wasilla man was sentenced today to 37 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography in his home. According to court documents, Matthew William Schwier, 39, knowingly possessed over 100 still images and multiple videos depicting children being sexually abused. Schwier pled guilty on August 31, 2022, to knowingly possessing child pornography. After serving his sentence, Schwier will be on federal supervised release for 7 years. Schwier will have to pay $15,000.00 in restitution to his victims. Schwier must register as a sex offender and, after release, may not access the internet without permission of the U.S. Probation Office. Schwier’s child pornography collection, which spanned multiple computers, included images depicting the sexual abuse of infants or toddlers, as well as children being violently abused. The evidence indicates that Schwier may have used specialized law enforcement training, and his advanced computer skills, to facilitate and attempt to hide his crimes. Schwier’s previous employment included jobs in technical support, computer repair, and as a supervisor of video surveillance for a private security company. He failed to complete probationary employment as a police officer in Phoenix, Arizona; Roswell, New Mexico; and Elk Point, South Dakota, before working as a police officer in Nome, Alaska. The FBI investigation began in approximately 2016 when Schwier distributed child pornography to an undercover law enforcement officer over the internet. Schwier was employed as Justice Director for the Chickaloon Village Traditional Counsel when he was arrested in 2017. The Government indicated that, if this case had gone to trial, the prosecution was prepared to present evidence that Schwier had a reputation within the law enforcement community of being untruthful. “The Department of Justice will relentlessly pursue, arrest, and prosecute offenders who traffic in child pornography,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “This case demonstrates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold criminals accountable without fear or favor, including corrupt former law enforcement officers like Mr. Schwier.” “May this sentencing serve as a reminder that no one is above the law, and concealing evidence of child exploitation will not go undetected,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Donald W. Lee II of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “As these crimes perpetuate the re-victimization of innocent children, the FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to identify and hold accountable those who contribute to the online sexual exploitation of children.” The court proceedings were delayed for years for several reasons, including the COVID pandemic. Over the six years the case was active, it was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Alexander, Charisse Arce, Kelly Cavanaugh, Kyle Reardon, Christopher Schroeder, and Jonas Walker. The FBI investigated the case. This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the 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. Please report online child exploitation to the FBI. https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/parents-and-caregivers-protecting-your-kids#:~:text=To%20report%20online%20child%20sexual,%2D800%2D843%2D5678 .


title: Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Reginald Johnson, 31, of Philadelphia, P.A., pleaded guilty, today, to involuntary manslaughter (criminal negligence) and assault with a dangerous weapon in connection with a vehicular homicide. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to the Government’s evidence, on January 15, 2023 around 6:10 p.m., Reginald Johnson drove his Jeep eastbound into the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest and 15 th Street, N.W crashing into an Uber driver in a Toyota Corolla who was turning left across eastbound traffic lanes onto 15th Street, NW. Mr. Johnson reached a speed of 61 miles per hour shortly before the crash, more than twice the 25 miles per hour speed limit. Mr. Johnson told an officer that he saw the car turning but thought it was stopping, sped up, and struck the car towards its tail end. Reginald Johnson had been drinking alcoholic beverages at Mission Bar from approximately 1:24 p.m. to 5:46 p.m. before choosing to get behind the wheel. His breath alcohol content was at 9:20 p.m. was 0.10 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. D.C. Code § 50–2206.01 defines intoxicated as “An alcohol concentration at the time of testing of 0.08 grams or more … per 210 liters of the person’s breath…” On June 30, 2023, the defendant pleaded guilty, in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, to involuntary manslaughter (criminal negligence) in the death of one passenger, Carlos Christian, and assault with a dangerous weapon in the injury of another passenger, Camila Selman. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 13, 2023, at which time the defendant faces a sentence of up to 12 years in prison. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of Detective William Lee and others from MPD’s Major Crash Unit who investigated the case in Washington, D.C. They also acknowledged the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter, of the Homicide section, who is prosecuting the case.


title: New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Vehicle

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Garfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Angel Alfonso Arias-Miranda, age 53, pleaded guilty to one count of transporting a stolen motor vehicle in interstate commerce before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Arias-Miranda, on October 11, 2020, transported a stolen vehicle, namely, a 2012 Mack drilling rig, from Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, to New Jersey, knowing that the vehicle had been stolen. Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for Arias-Miranda on October 16, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than ten (10) years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The court ordered that the defendant remain on bond pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Karen Gal-Or is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Pennsylvania State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Arias-Miranda.


title: Two Wilmington Men Federally Charged with  Interstate Kidnapping Conspiracy

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on June 15, 2023, charging two Wilmington men with conspiring to kidnap and kidnapping a man. According to the indictment, Donnie Taylor, 19, and Kyaire Finch, 20, conspired with an unnamed juvenile to lure the victim to a parking lot in New Castle, Delaware in the early hours of October 17, 2022 for the purpose of robbing him. Once there, Taylor and Finch punched the victim in the head and robbed him of his wallet and cell phone. The defendants and the juvenile coconspirator then used a banking application on the victim’s cell phone to transfer $1,400 from the victim to themselves. Finch then restrained the victim in the back seat of a vehicle while the group drove across state lines to the victim’s home in Pennsylvania. Once they arrived at the victim’s apartment complex, Finch continued to restrain the victim in the parking lot while Taylor and the juvenile coconspirator entered the victim’s apartment. Before Taylor and the juvenile coconspirator returned to the parking lot, the victim broke free from Finch and Finch fled the area. Inside the apartment, Taylor encountered and assaulted a second victim, causing lacerations to his face and head. Taylor and the juvenile coconspirator stole $865.00 and various items from the apartment and drove back to Delaware. After they returned to New Castle, Delaware, Taylor assaulted a 68-year-old woman and stole her car. Taylor and the juvenile coconspirator then fled to Georgia in the stolen vehicle, where Taylor was captured on October 20, 2022. Taylor and Finch are charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. If convicted, Taylor and Finch each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, made the announcement. U.S. Attorney Weiss credits the FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force and New Castle County Police Department with the investigation leading to this indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin P. Pierce and Carly A. Hudson are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-CR-60. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.


title: Smyrna Man Sentenced to 30 Months for  Possession of Machineguns and Unregistered Silencers

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that Danny Aument, age 48, was sentenced earlier this week to 30 months in prison for one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun and one count of possession of an unregistered silencer. U.S. District Judge Gregory B. Williams pronounced the sentence. According to court documents and statements made in open court, over the course of several years — while struggling with addition to controlled substances — the defendant amassed an arsenal of dangerous weapons. Upon executing a search warrant at the defendant’s home on August 24, 2022, law enforcement recovered numerous firearms, including ten machineguns and eight homemade silencers. Despite knowing that these firearms were either prohibited or highly regulated, the defendant continued to unlawfully obtain and/or manufacture machineguns and failed to register the silencers on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Upon imposing sentence, Judge Williams noted the seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and indicated that this sentence should serve to deter others from flouting laws regulating firearms. U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “The laws regulating the possession of firearms are designed to protect the public. My office will continue to pursue charges against those who unlawfully possess highly dangerous weapons or fail to register those firearms.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith C. Ruggles prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-CR-06.


title: Bogue Chitto Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting at a Law Enforcement Officer

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Bogue Chittto man pled guilty to shooting at a law enforcement officer, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to court records, on March 17, 2020, in the Bogue Chitto Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation, Shane Alexander Bell, Jr., 27, assaulted a law enforcement officer by firing a handgun at him, resulting in damage to the officer’s home. Fortunately, the officer was unharmed. In November of 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Bell for using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Bell faces a penalty of not less than ten years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Marijuana Charge Involving a Shooting

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Xavier Lloyd Gary, 19, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 29, 2023 by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a 30-month term of imprisonment for attempted possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. After he completes his prison sentence, Gary will serve a two-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On August 2, 2021, Lincoln police responded to reports of a shooting occurring near the Edgewood Theaters and Target on the south side of Lincoln. Jayden Prentice, Christopher Duncan, and Riley Mills were present when police arrived. Duncan and Prentice had suffered gunshot wounds. First responders resuscitated Duncan using CPR. They were transported to the hospital. Duncan and Prentice each spent a month in the hospital being treated for their wounds, and Duncan had to have one of his legs amputated. The investigation would later reveal that a group of people, including Gary and Buongkhoy Wal, arranged to purchase a half-pound of marijuana from Prentice, Duncan, and Mills. The planned purchase was a ruse for a robbery. Gary’s car was used in the offense and Gary drove to and from the scene. Gary was not one of the persons who discharged a firearm. Buongkhoy Wal pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking offense on March 21, 2023, and he is scheduled for sentencing on July 31, 2023. He faces a prison sentence of at least ten years. Prentice, Duncan, and Mills each pleaded guilty to offenses involving the possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. On June 24, 2022, Mills was sentenced to a 92-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Prentice was sentenced on July 6, 2022, to a 72-month term of imprisonment, and a three-year term of supervised release. Duncan is scheduled for sentencing on July 17, 2023. The investigation was conducted by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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: Denton Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Steven Michael Luedtke, 47, of Denton, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 29, 2023, to 15 years of imprisonment for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture, five kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, with a prior serious drug felony conviction, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following his release from prison, Luedtke will serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Information provided to law enforcement indicated between January of 2020 and June of 2021, Luedtke was a member of a conspiracy to obtain methamphetamine and other drugs in Mexico, Texas, Colorado, and Alabama for transport to the Lincoln, Nebraska area for resale. Luedtke provided other members of the conspiracy with cash to buy drugs, made trips to obtain drugs, and sold firearms to another member of the conspiracy. In March of 2021, Luedtke was contacted by law enforcement and was found in possession of approximately ¼ ounce of methamphetamine, ¼ ounce of marijuana and a digital scale. He admitted having purchased more than 70 ounces of methamphetamine for resale over the prior year. In June of 2021, Luedtke was contacted again and was found in possession of approximately 1 ¼ ounces of methamphetamine, 1 ½ ounces of marijuana, another digital scale and packaging materials. He admitted he had just purchased an ounce of methamphetamine before being contacted by officers. Luedtke had a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the District of Nebraska. He was sentenced to 180 months in prison in that case in March of 2006. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that John Wade Burton, 67, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln by Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a 14-year term of imprisonment for possession of child pornography. After he completes his prison sentence, Burton will serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Burton was also ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution. Burton was convicted following a jury trial which concluded on February 15, 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received a tip from a foreign law enforcement agency that an IP address originating from the United States had accessed a couple of child pornography websites on The Onion Router (TOR) network. The tip traced back to Burton’s residence in Lincoln. The FBI obtained a search warrant for Burton’s home, and the warrant was executed on November 17, 2020. Several electronic devices were seized from the home and later examined by the FBI. Devices found in Burton’s bedroom, basement, and a hard drive located in the garage all contained files depicting child pornography. In total, more than 200 videos, and more than 1,800 images depicting child pornography were discovered. Pictures of the defendant, a copy of his driver’s license, and his resume were also located on a couple of those same devices. Burton was interviewed by an FBI agent. He said he used a program which is designed to access the TOR network, and which is supposed to avoid leaving evidence on the computer of having accessed the TOR network. The defendant said he used that program to access the TOR network at least 100 times between February 14, 2018, and November 17, 2020. Burton was previously convicted in Missouri of having sexually assaulted a child who was less than 14 years old. He was sentenced to prison for that offense and was in custody from February 15, 2007, to February 14, 2018. When the search warrant was executed in this case, Burton was on parole for that offense. At the time his home was searched, Burton lived with his then 89-year-old father. His father passed away on March 5, 2021, after the search warrant was served, and before Burton’s trial. At trial, Burton argued his deceased father was the person who was responsible for having downloaded all the child pornography. At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Gerrard told Burton, “The jury did not believe you, and neither do I.” The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Nebraska State Patrol and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Department. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking Crimes

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Cameron Carodine, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Carodine to 90 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge and a consecutive 60 months of imprisonment on the firearm charge, for a total sentence of 150 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On February 25, 2020, during a controlled buy in Omaha, a confidential source, equipped with audio and visual recording devices, purchased 500 fentanyl pills from Carodine. On March 5, 2020, law enforcement was conducting surveillance at Carodine’s residence in anticipation of serving a federal search warrant. Carodine exited the home and drove away in a gray 2012 Chevrolet Malibu without license plates. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and took Carodine into custody. Carodine’s residence was searched, and several hundred fentanyl pills and a Glock 21, .45 caliber handgun were seized. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.


title: Connecticut Real Estate Agent Agrees to Plead Guilty to Defrauding Clients in Long Running Short Sale Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A real estate agent was charged yesterday and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a multi-year scheme to defraud his clients by engaging in fraudulent short sales of government and bank-owned properties to straw buyers acting at the direction of the defendant and a co-conspirator. Sheldon Haag, 34, of Glastonbury, Conn., has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the charging document, Haag and a co-conspirator used straw buyers to acquire properties owned by the clients of the brokerage where he worked, which included banks and other mortgage holders. The straw buyers included a shell company set up by a co-conspirator as a purported construction company. Haag and his co-conspirators allegedly hid their involvement as the de facto buyers of short sale properties from their clients, the owners of the properties, and used their inside knowledge as the owner’s broker to minimize sale prices in order to maximize their gain from later “flipping” the properties. It is also alleged that, while perpetrating the “flipping scheme,” Haag and his co-conspirators further defrauded clients by submitting fraudulent renovation bids from contractors to their own clients, including from the fake construction company they controlled through a co-conspirator. Once their clients accepted a fraudulent bid, Haag and his co-conspirators would allegedly hire different contractors at much lower cost and pocket the difference between the fraudulent bid and the actual cost of property repairs. The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Muscatine Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Muscatine man was sentenced on June 23, 2023 to 136 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, Mackenzie Jacob Belnap, 31, was identified by law enforcement as a distributor of “ice” methamphetamine in eastern Iowa. In May 2022, a package linked to Belnap was intercepted by federal authorities. The package contained nearly a pound of methamphetamine and was shipped to Iowa from California. In all, Belnap was responsible for more than 4,500 grams of ice methamphetamine. After completing his term of imprisonment, Belnap will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Muscatine County Drug Task Force.


title: Burlington Man Sentenced to Thirty Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Heroin

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Burlington man was sentenced on June 23, 2023 to thirty years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. According to court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Kourtney Melvin Connors, 35, was identified by law enforcement as a distributor of methamphetamine through an investigation that began in the spring of 2019. During the course of the investigation, numerous individuals identified Connors as a supplier of large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin in the Burlington and Quad Cities areas. In all Connors was held accountable for more than 4,500 grams of ice methamphetamine, nearly 500 grams of heroin, and 40 grams of fentanyl. This sentence was ordered to be served consecutively with any sentence of imprisonment imposed in relation to a criminal case in Marathon County, Wisconsin. After completing his term of imprisonment, Connors will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Burlington Police Department, Davenport Police Department, Bettendorf Police Department. 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. In May 2021, the 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: U.S. Attorney Announces Charges In Four Separate Insider Trading Cases Against 10 Individuals, Including Drug Company Employees, Investment Firm Executive Director, And SPAC Investors

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Pfizer Employee and Associate Charged with Insider Trading Based on Non-Public Drug Trial Results for COVID-19 Treatment Investment Firm Executive Director Charged with Insider Trading Based on Information Stolen from a Major Investment Bank SPAC Investors Charged with Insider Trading by Exploiting Their Privileged Access to Information to Engage in Illegal Open Market Trades Network of Individuals, Including Police Chief, Charged with Insider Trading Based on Inside Information About an Impending Merger Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced charges in four separate insider trading cases, collectively charging 10 defendants with securities fraud and other related charges. These cases involve trading based on confidential information misappropriated from entities and individuals in a variety of industries and reflect the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York’s broad investigative reach and continued resolve to root out corruption in our financial markets. The defendants in these cases collectively generated more than $30 million dollars from illegal securities trading based on material, non-public information (“MNPI”) that was stolen from numerous sources. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Insider trading is not a quick buck. It’s not easy money. It’s not a sure thing. It’s cheating. It’s a bad bet. It’s a ticket to prison. Because my Office, the Southern District of New York, is watching. And we’re working quickly to investigate and prosecute anyone who corrupts our financial markets. And we’ll keep at it as long as it takes. You can bet on that.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael J. Driscoll said: “The charges announced today center on the defendants’ alleged participation in illegal securities trading based on material, non-public information. Insider trading schemes not only yield ill-gotten gains for those directly involved but also damage the public’s faith in the fairness of our financial markets. Today’s announcement serves as a reminder to anyone attempting to tilt the balance in their direction using insider trading, investigating this illegal behavior is a top priority of the FBI.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictments filed in federal court and other publicly available information: [1] United States v. Amit Dagar and Atul Bhiwapurkar In or about November 2021, AMIT DAGAR and ATUL BHIWAPURKAR participated in an insider trading scheme to reap illicit profits from options trading based on inside information about the results of clinical trials of Paxlovid, a medicine used to treat COVID-19. DAGAR was an employee of Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) and assisted in managing the data analysis in certain clinical drug trials. On or about November 4, 2021, DAGAR learned that a Pfizer trial of the drug Paxlovid, a medicine designed to treat mild to severe COVID‑19 infection, had produced positive results. The results were confidential and meant to remain so until Pfizer publicized them on or about November 5, 2021. Later that same day, and while those results remained confidential, DAGAR purchased short-dated, out-of-the-money call options in Pfizer stock. DAGAR also tipped his close friend, ATUL BHIWAPURKAR, about the coming drug results and BHIWAPURKAR also purchased short-dated, out-of-the-money Pfizer call options that expired approximately two weeks later. BHIWAPURKAR also tipped another friend (“Individual-1”), who similarly purchased short-dated, out-of-the-money Pfizer call options that expired approximately three weeks later. The next day, on or about November 5, 2021, and before the market opened, Pfizer publicly released results of its Paxlovid study. That same day, following the publication of the positive results, Pfizer’s stock price increased substantially, opening — and eventually closing — more than 10% higher than the prior day’s closing price. In the coming weeks, DAGAR, BHIWAPURKAR, and Individual-1 sold their Pfizer call options at significant profits, totaling approximately more than $350,000. DAGAR, 44, of Hillsborough, New Jersey, who was arrested this morning, has been charged with four counts of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. BHIWAPURKAR, 45, of Milpitas, California, who was arrested this morning, has been charged with two counts of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. United States v. Jordan Meadow From at least in or about March 2021 through in or about May 2022, JORDAN MEADOW, a registered broker at a brokerage firm based in New York, New York, used inside information stolen from a major investment bank in New York City (“the Investment Bank”) to make millions of dollars in illegal profits trading stock on behalf of himself and his clients. In or about late 2020, MEADOW offered and agreed to provide items of value, such as Rolex watches, to a friend, Steven Teixeira, in exchange MNPI that Teixeira obtained by secretly accessing confidential work documents on a personal laptop computer (the “Laptop”) belonging to Teixeira’s then-girlfriend, an executive assistant at the Investment Bank. The documents on the Laptop contained MNPI about planned corporate acquisitions in which the Investment Bank served as an advisor. In or around late July 2021, Teixeira secretly accessed confidential work information on the Laptop and learned that in less than a week, Penn National Gaming, Inc. (“Penn National”), was going to acquire Score Media and Gaming Inc. (“Score”), a Canadian digital media company, for approximately $2.2 billion. Teixeira shared this MNPI with a friend, who in turn shared it with MEADOW. MEADOW then purchased more than 769 call option contracts in Score between August 2, 2021, and August 3, 2021, based on the MNPI and also advised a colleague at the brokerage firm where he worked, their clients, and a friend to purchase Score securities. After Penn National’s acquisition of Score was announced publicly on August 5, 2021, MEADOW, his colleague, their clients at the brokerage firm, and MEADOW’s friend sold their holdings in Score for a combined profit exceeding $5 million. Later, in or around early March 2022, Teixeira secretly accessed confidential work information on his then-girlfriend’s laptop and learned about a planned corporate acquisition of VMWare, an enterprise software company, for approximately $65 billion. Teixeira shared this MNPI with his friend, who in turn shared it with MEADOW. MEADOW purchased over 5,000 shares of VMWare stock, as well as call options contracts in VMWare, between May 9, 2022, and May 18, 2022, and advised his colleague at the brokerage firm to purchase VMWare securities. After there was public reporting that Broadcom was in talks to acquire VMWare, the VMWare holdings of MEADOW and his colleague increased significantly, and they began to sell their VMWare holdings for a combined profit exceeding $100,000. MEADOW, 34, of Warren, New Jersey, who was arrested this morning, has been charged with six counts of securities fraud under Title 15, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Also unsealed today were charges against Steven Teixeira, who has pled guilty pursuant to a cooperation agreement. United States v. Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman, and Bruce Garelick In October 2021, MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN, GERALD SHVARTSMAN, and BRUCE GARELICK together made more than $22 million dollars in illegal profits by trading in securities of Digital World Acquisition Corporation (“DWAC”) based on MNPI about DWAC’s planned but not yet public business combination with a media company founded by former President Donald J. Trump. As sophisticated investors, MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN, GERALD SHVARTSMAN, and BRUCE GARELICK were invited to invest in DWAC and another special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”), and after signing non-disclosure agreements, they were provided confidential information about the SPACs, including that a potential target of the SPACs was Trump Media & Technology Group (“Trump Media”). As a condition of receiving this information, the defendants were prohibited by the non-disclosure agreements from disclosing the confidential information they learned or using it to buy and sell securities on the open market. After making initial investments into DWAC through the initial public offering process, GARELICK was given a seat on DWAC’s board of directors, which gave him access to valuable MNPI about DWAC’s plans to merge with Trump Media. After learning MNPI through his role on DWAC’s board, GARELICK provided updates to his alleged co-conspirators — which he called “intelligence” — about the status of the merger negotiations and the timing of a public merger announcement. In violation of the non-disclosure agreements that they had signed, and in contravention of GARELICK’s duties and responsibilities as a board member, the defendants bought millions of dollars of DWAC securities on the open market before the news of the Trump Media business combination was public. In addition to their own purchases, the defendants also passed DWAC’s confidential information to their friends on a trip to Las Vegas, to MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN’s neighbors, and to GERALD SHVARTSMAN’s employees at a furniture supply store. After DWAC’s merger with Trump Media was announced publicly, the stock and warrant holdings of MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN, GERALD SHVARTSMAN, and BRUCE GARELICK, and those they tipped, significantly increased in value. The defendants and the individuals they tipped then sold their DWAC securities for a significant profit. MICHAEL SHVARTSMAN, 52, of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, who was arrested this morning, has been charged with five counts of securities fraud under Title 15, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. GERALD SHVARTSMAN, 45, of Aventura, Florida, who was arrested this morning, has been charged with three counts of securities fraud under Title 15, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. BRUCE GARELICK, 53, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who was arrested this morning, has been charged with five counts of securities fraud under Title 15, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. United States v. Joseph Dupont, Shawn Cronin, Slava Kaplan, and Paul Feldman In 2020, JOSEPH DUPONT, SHAWN CRONIN, SLAVA KAPLAN, a/k/a “Stanley Kaplan,” and PAUL FELDMAN engaged in an insider trading scheme surrounding the announcement of one pharmaceutical company’s acquisition of another. CRONIN, KAPLAN, and FELDMAN collectively made more than $2.2 million dollars in illegal profits by trading in stocks and options based on MNPI that DUPONT misappropriated from his employer. DUPONT was a vice president at Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Alexion”) and, on January 31, 2020, was informed of Alexion’s upcoming acquisition of Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Portola”). Before that acquisition was publicly announced, in April 2020, DUPONT provided MNPI about the acquisition to his childhood friend, CRONIN. Not only were CRONIN and DUPONT childhood friends, but also CRONIN — who, at the time, was a sergeant in the police department of Dighton, Massachusetts, and later served as the chief of police — supervised DUPONT in DUPONT’s capacity as a reserve officer in that police department. Based on the MNPI that DUPONT provided CRONIN, CRONIN purchased shares of Portola stock as well as out-of-the-money call options for Portola stock. In turn, CRONIN shared MNPI about Portola’s pending acquisition with Jarett Mendoza, another childhood friend of both CRONIN’s and DUPONT’s. CRONIN also assisted Mendoza in purchasing Portola stock in the days before the acquisition was publicly announced. CRONIN shared MNPI about Portola’s pending acquisition not only with Mendoza, but also with KAPLAN, a friend of CRONIN’s, who was also known to DUPONT. CRONIN shared the MNPI with KAPLAN both so that KAPLAN could trade in advance of the acquisition and so that KAPLAN would assist CRONIN in formulating trading strategies to maximize CRONIN’s own insider trading profits. Based on the MNPI that CRONIN gave to KAPLAN, KAPLAN bought Portola shares and options. KAPLAN, in turn, shared MNPI about the upcoming acquisition with, among others, FELDMAN, a friend and colleague of KAPLAN’s. Based on the MNPI that KAPLAN gave FELDMAN, FELDMAN aggressively bought Portola call options. FELDMAN, for his part, shared MNPI about the Portola acquisition with others, including a work colleague. Alexion’s acquisition of Portola was publicly announced on the morning of May 5, 2020. Portola’s stock increased significantly in value. CRONIN, KAPLAN, FELDMAN, and their tippees sold their shares of Portola and call options for Portola stock, reaping millions of dollars of illegally obtained trading profits. DUPONT, 44, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, who surrendered to authorities today, has been charged with one count of Title 15 securities fraud and one count of tender offer fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. CRONIN, 43, of Dighton, Massachusetts, who surrendered to authorities today, has been charged with three counts of securities fraud under Title 15 and three counts of tender offer fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison;. KAPLAN, 45, of Hopewell Junction, New York, who was arrested today, has been charged with three counts of securities fraud under Title 15 and three counts of tender offer fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. FELDMAN, 48, of Poughquag, New York, who was arrested today, has been charged with six counts of securities fraud under Title 15 and six counts of tender offer fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Also unsealed today were charges against Jarett Mendoza, who has pled guilty pursuant to a cooperation agreement. * * * The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York and Philadelphia Field Offices. He also thanked the Miami Field Office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, for its assistance in the investigation in United States v. Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman, and Bruce Garelick . He further thanked the Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance across these investigations. These cases are being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. United States v. Dagar and Bhiwapurkar is in the charge of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller. United States v. Meadow is in the charge of Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Folly. United States v. Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Shvartsman, and Bruce Garelick is in the charge of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Hanft, Nicolas Roos, and Matthew Shahabian. United States v. Dupont, Cronin, Kaplan, and Feldman is in the charge of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel P. Rothschild, Sarah Mortazavi, and Margaret Graham. The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictments and the description of the Indictments set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. U.S. v. Dagar and Bhiwapurkar Indictment U.S. v. Meadow Indictment U.S. v. Shvartsman et al Indictment U.S. v. Dupont et al Indictment


title: Former Army Training Manager Pleads Guilty to Public Corruption Charge

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, ALFRED PALMA , 64, of Duncan, pleaded guilty to bribery charges, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. On May 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a twelve-count indictment against Palma and co-defendant Candy Hanza. Palma was charged in Count 2 with accepting a bribe as a public official. According to public record, Palma, a United States Army employee and public official, was the manager of the Institutional Training Directed Lodging and Meals (“ITDLM”) program at Fort Sill, through which he booked hotel rooms for soldiers who attended on-post trainings. According to the Indictment, Hanza, then the general manager of a local hotel in Lawton, paid Palma to direct soldiers to the hotel. At a hearing before United States District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick on Monday, Palma admitted that he received cash and checks totaling $103,200.00 from Hanza in return for favoring the hotel at which Hanza was a general manager when Palma booked soldiers for off-post trainings. Palma further admitted that he used the cash to purchase money orders from Walmart in $1,000.00 increments, which he then deposited, along with the checks that Hanza gave him, into his personal checking account. At sentencing, Palma faces up to fifteen years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000.00 or three times the monetary value of the bribes, and up to three years of supervised release. Hanza has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. The public is reminded that charges against Hanza are merely allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Department of Defense Contract Audit Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia E. Barry is prosecuting the case.


title: Georgia Woman Sentenced To More Than 11 Years In Prison  For Role In International Conspiracy To Launder Proceeds Of “Boiler Room” Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Rachael Maia Winslow (55, Roswell, GA) to 11 years and 3 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit money laundering. Winslow was also ordered to forfeit $747,608.81 of victim-investors’ funds seized from two bank accounts she had used during the conspiracy. A federal jury had found Winslow guilty in November 2022. According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, Winslow was a member of an international conspiracy to launder funds generated via boiler room fraud. The boiler rooms sold to foreign victims what they were led to believe were legitimate investments, primarily shares or stock in reputable companies such as Facebook, Chesapeake Energy, or Toys R Us. In fact, the investments were worthless, and the boiler rooms defrauded the victims of more than $14 million during the period when Winslow was involved, at least $4.7 million of which passed through accounts controlled by Winslow. Winslow formed shell companies in various states and then opened bank accounts in the names of those shell companies for the purpose of receiving fraud proceeds from victim-investors. Fraud proceeds were then wired back overseas and used to pay expenses and boiler room workers and otherwise perpetuate the scheme. Fraud proceeds were also wired to accounts controlled by co-conspirators in the money laundering operation in the United States and overseas, including to Winslow’s overseas accounts, to compensate them for their roles in the conspiracy and otherwise for their personal enrichment. Winslow participated in this scheme while living in Barcelona, Spain, and in Miami, Florida. The testimony and evidence presented at trial also proved that certain assets that the United States is forfeiting from Winslow, specifically, $525,595.62 seized from an account in the name of Guardian Holdings, LLC, and $222,013.19 seized from an account in the name of First Assured Contact, LLC are traceable to proceeds of the offense. “This elaborate international money laundering conspiracy scheme defrauded many victims of their hard-earned money to the tune of more than $14 million dollars,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas. “This conviction sends a message that HSI, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, alongside our many law enforcement partners, will not be deterred in their pursuits of these fraudsters.” “This case illustrates the complex international schemes con artists will design and employ to defraud and enrich themselves from unsuspecting victims,” said Brian Payne, special agent in charge IRS Criminal Investigation, Tampa field office. “IRS-CI and our interagency partners are laser-focused in our commitment to use our technology and financial investigation expertise to find these criminals and bring them to justice, no matter where they may operate.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and United States Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and David W.A. Chee.


title: Former Uniontown Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A previous resident of Uniontown, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of distributing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. William Kenneth Bosley, Jr., age 53, who is currently incarcerated at the Somerset State Correctional Institution on a previous felony conviction, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Bosley sent a sexually explicit photograph of a minor via text message. Sentencing is scheduled for October 16, 2023. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court ordered the defendant be detained. 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of William Bosley.


title: Erie Resident Sentenced to Eight Years for Violating Federal Laws Relating to the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to eight years in jail, five years supervised release, ordered to make restitution in the amount of $18,000 and pay a special assessment in the amount of $5,200 on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Randy Lee Eicher, of Erie, Pennsylvania. According to information presented to the court, from September 2018 to December 2018, Eicher received and distributed images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended Homeland Security Investigations and the Boone, North Carolina Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Eicher.


title: Medford Contractor Charged with Tax Evasion and Filing False Loan Applications

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of a local excavation and plowing company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a multi-year scheme to underreport income on his tax returns and to obtain loans based on false loan applications. Peter Tufts, 55, of Medford, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion and two counts of submitting false loan applications. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the charging document, Tufts, the owner of Tufts Construction, Inc. underreported income on his corporate and personal tax returns for tax years 2015 through 2021, resulting in an income tax loss of more than $465,000. In addition, Tufts used the proceeds of his income tax evasion scheme to fund an off-the-books cash payroll that Tufts used to avoid employment taxes, causing a payroll tax loss of more than $539,000. It is further alleged that, while perpetrating his tax evasion scheme, Tufts obtained loans from a local community bank and from the Small Business Administration (SBA) based on false loan applications. In his loan applications, and associated loan documents, Tufts falsely told the bank and the SBA that he had never declared bankruptcy, owed no back taxes, and was not involved in litigation. In fact, as alleged, Tufts was involved in ongoing bankruptcy proceedings when he obtained his loans and was engaging in a multi-year income and employment tax evasion scheme. The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false loan applications provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service in Boston made the announcement today. The United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General; the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Criminal Investigations Bureau; and the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of Levy’s Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Ocala Man Of Possession Of Child Sex Abuse Images

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Justin Lewis (41, Ocala) guilty of possession of child sex abuse images. Lewis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Lewis had originally been indicted on February 6, 2019. A federal grand jury later returned a superseding indictment on June 20, 2023. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, federal agents executed a search warrant at Lewis’s Ocala residence on February 7, 2018, in an unrelated wire fraud investigation. During the search, agents located two external hard drives on Lewis’s desk that contained video files depicting young children being sexually abused. The hard drives also contained numerous files and documents attributed to Lewis, including personal photographs, copies of his high school diploma, emails, text messages, and business records. One of the hard drives was also encrypted with a password that Lewis also used for many of his personal accounts. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information Databases

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information, which improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, such as the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). “To improve public safety in Indian country, we must break down the barriers to criminal justice information that Tribal communities have faced for years,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why the Justice Department is expanding Tribal communities’ access to national crime databases that enhance law enforcement efforts and coordination through the Tribal Access Program.” “The Tribal Access Program has strengthened Tribal criminal justice agencies,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “By using TAP, participating Tribes have shared information about missing persons, apprehended fugitives, registered sex offenders, enforced protection orders, and have made hundreds of entries into the FBI’s NICS Indices database to prevent prohibited persons from illegally obtaining access to firearms. The efficient and effective sharing of criminal justice information has improved public safety in Indian country and beyond.” “The Justice Department is committed to supporting Tribal law enforcement and protecting Tribal communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “TAP empowers participating Tribes to take advantage of information from across the country to better investigate and prosecute crime, carry out background checks for potential foster parents, and keep their communities safe and secure from domestic violence and child abuse.” The program provides training as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. There are currently 123 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 3 to Sept. 1. Tribes selected to participate will be notified later in September. “The TAP program has allowed the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department to have cost-effective access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system,” said Chief Chris Rutherford of the Poarch Creek Tribal Police. “Now our officers have full NCIC access from their patrol vehicles, desk, or through our Emergency Tribal Dispatch Center. The value of this program to our reservation far exceeds the minimal effort required to be a participating partner in the TAP program.” For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times, and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap . Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children. “We cannot say enough about the efforts that have been made to get the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (KTTT) ready for this program,” said Director Cristina Collett-Jensen of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Legal Department. “Through these efforts, KTTT will have access to information that will substantially improve the KTTT Police Department’s operations, and thereby allow us to better protect and serve the KTTT community.” The Department offers TAP services through one of the following two methods: TAP-LIGHT: Provides application that enables full access (both query and entry capabilities) to national crime information databases including the NCIC, the Interstate Identification Index, and the International Justice and Public Safety Network for criminal justice purposes. TAP-FULL: In addition to the basic access capabilities of TAP-LIGHT, provides a kiosk workstation that enables the ability to submit and query fingerprint-based transactions via FBI’s Next Generation Identification system for both criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes. Because of the program’s funding sources, eligible Tribes must have — and agree to use TAP for — at least one of the following: A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers, A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect. TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.


title: Two Las Cruces Men Sentenced for Firearms Offenses

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Jeffrey C. Boshek II, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced today that Ruben Martha, 42, of Las Cruces, and Pablo Vargas, 52, of Las Cruces, were sentenced to 21 months and 60 months respectively for their parts in a neighbor dispute which resulted in approximately 39 rounds being fired and Martha, and another individual, being shot. A federal grand jury indicted Vargas and Martha on April 20, 2022. According to court records, on April 17, 2021, Vargas was attending a party at his parent’s home on Nevada Street in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Martha, who lived down the street, was returning to his home along with his girlfriend and his adult daughter, who were in separate cars, and slowed down as they navigated their way through the busy street. An angry exchange occurred during which an object was thrown at Martha’s car and a can was thrown through the open window of the car Martha’s daughter was driving. The daughter was struck by the can and injured. When Martha reached his home and observed what had happened, he ran back down the street towards the Vargas residence but retreated to his house when he saw Vargas and others outside the home. Shortly thereafter, another neighbor arrived on scene. The neighbor parked on the street where he observed a group with firearms walking towards him from the Vargas residence. Gunfire was exchanged and the neighbor was struck in the head by a bullet, however he managed to flee the scene. Martha retrieved a shotgun from a trashcan on his property as Vargas and at least one other individual fired toward Martha’s residence. Martha chambered a round of ammunition in the shotgun but was struck in the chest. Though originally not expected to survive his injuries, the neighbor has since recovered. Martha also recovered from his injuries. In 1997, Vargas was convicted of shooting at or from a motor vehicle. Martha was convicted in 2000 of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal damage to property, and in 2007 of shooting at a dwelling, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and felon in possession. As previously convicted felons, neither Vargas nor Martha can legally possess firearms or ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Armijo and Christopher McNair are prosecuting the case. # # # 23-139


title: Marine Corps Lance Corporal Sentenced To More Than 15 Years In Federal Prison For Attempting To Entice A 13-Year-Old Child To Produce And Send Him Sexually Explicit Photos Of Herself

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced David Wayne Hogle, Jr. (30, Cherry Point, NC) to 15 years and 10 months in federal prison for attempting to entice an individual whom he believed was a 13-year-old child to produce sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him over the internet. Hogle was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release, pay $26,500 in restitution to child victims, forfeit his electronic devices, and register as a sex offender. Hogle was arrested on July 29, 2022, at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point in North Carolina and was transported to Jacksonville for prosecution. Hogle had pleaded guilty on March 23, 2023. According to court documents, on July 13, 2022, an FBI agent in Jacksonville began an undercover investigation to identify individuals who were using the internet to engage in the sexual exploitation of children. This FBI agent (UC) posted a message in a public chat room on a particular social media application (“app”) posing as the “mother” of a 13-year-old child. Using the screen name “Kaligula,” Hogle responded, “Interested in domination, degrading, breeding, inc’est, and very young girls.” When asked about his age preference for children, Hogle responded, “No lower age limit.” The UC explained that her daughter was 13 years old, and Hogle replied, “Typically [I] like younger …” After exchanging phone numbers, Hogle texted the UC, “So when do I get to see … your daughter?” Hogle sent the UC a hyperlink to a cloud storage account that contained 28 photos of infants and toddler-aged children being sexually abused. Two days later, Hogle texted the UC, who was also portraying the “child.” Hogle typed, “I understand your only 13, so there is going to be a lot of things you still need to learn. I [am] happy to teach you about them.” Hogle then requested that the “child” take a “naughty pic” of “her” genitalia for him. The following day, Hogle texted the “child,” asking again for an explicit photo of “her.” To demonstrate what kind of picture that he wanted the “child” to take, Hogle sent the “child” a photo of his own genitalia. The FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) confirmed that Hogle was a Lance Corporal in the United States Marine Corps stationed at MCAS Cherry Point. Hogle accessed the internet during his online conversations with the UC while onboard MCAS Cherry Point. On July 29, 2022, Hogle was arrested by FBI agents onboard MCAS Cherry Point. During an interview, Hogle admitted, among other things, that he had sent the UC a hyperlink containing child sexual abuse materials to show to the “child,” that he directed the “child” to take a picture of her “privates,” and that he was sexually interested in children. A search of Hogle’s computer revealed that it contained 162 images and 45 videos, many of which depicted infants, toddlers, and young children being sexually abused. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville, Florida and Greenville, North Carolina, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran handled the forfeiture of Hogle’s electronic devices. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.