title: Bộ Tư Pháp Ký Kết Biên Bản Ghi Nhớ Với Tòa Án Oklahoma Để Giải Quyết Cuộc Điều Tra Tiêu Đề VI (Title VI)

body_text: Hôm nay, Bộ Tư Pháp đã công bố Biên Bản Ghi Nhớ (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU) với Tòa Án Tối Cao Oklahoma, Văn Phòng Quản Lý Hành Chính Phụ Trách Các Tòa Án (Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) để giải quyết một cuộc điều tra về quyền dân sự và cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận các Tòa án Tiểu bang Oklahoma dành cho những người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế (Limited English Proficiency, LEP). Bộ đã nhận được đơn khiếu nại cáo buộc Tòa án Quận Mayes đã không cung cấp quyền tiếp cận có giá trị dành cho cá nhân LEP trong một vụ kiện tại tòa án gia đình. Bộ Tư pháp đã khởi xướng một cuộc điều tra theo Tiêu đề VI của Đạo luật Dân quyền năm 1964 (Civil Rights Act of 1964) sau đây gọi tắt là “Tiêu đề VI”, cấm phân biệt đối xử dựa trên chủng tộc, màu da và nguồn gốc quốc gia bởi những người nhận hỗ trợ tài chính liên bang. Bộ Tư pháp sau đó đã tạm dừng cuộc điều tra Tiêu đề VI để đáp lại các bước khẳng định của AOC nhằm cung cấp quyền truy cập có ý nghĩa cho tất cả những cá nhân tham gia tòa án có LEP. Trong số các hành động khác, AOC đã cung cấp dịch vụ thông dịch miễn phí cho người có LEP được xác định trong đơn khiếu nại, sử dụng một điều phối viên tiếp cận ngôn ngữ và luật đề xuất, sau đó đã trở thành luật của tiểu bang. Luật này loại bỏ chi phí thông dịch viên được tính cho các bên LEP. Luật này cũng ủy quyền cho một quỹ toàn tiểu bang hỗ trợ các dịch vụ phiên dịch và dịch thuật ngôn ngữ của tòa án. Trợ lý Bộ trưởng Tư pháp Kristen Clarke thuộc Phòng Dân quyền của Bộ Tư pháp cho biết: “Mọi người không nên bị phạt vì trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế và không nên gặp khó khăn trong việc nhận được các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ mà họ cần để tham gia một cách công bằng vào các thủ tục tố tụng và hoạt động của tòa án. Thỏa thuận này là một mô hình đảm bảo khả năng tiếp cận tòa án cho tất cả mọi người bất kể trình độ tiếng Anh như thế nào và vạch ra các hành động cần thiết để loại bỏ rào cản đối với những người tham gia tố tụng có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế ở bang Oklahoma.” Luật sư Hoa Kỳ Clinton J. Johnson của Quận Bắc Oklahoma (Northern District of Oklahoma) cho biết: “Với luật mới của tiểu bang và MOU này, Oklahoma đã thể hiện cam kết cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận công lý ở tiểu bang của chúng ta. Chúng tôi cam kết làm việc với các tòa án tiểu bang của mình để đảm bảo tuân thủ Tiêu đề VI và các luật dân quyền liên quan.” Theo MOU, AOC sẽ cung cấp miễn phí các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ bằng lời nói cũng như bằng văn bản trong tất cả các thủ tục tố tụng dân sự và hình sự cũng như hoạt động của tòa án cho những cá nhân có LEP, sẽ xây dựng kế hoạch tiếp cận ngôn ngữ trên toàn tiểu bang và sẽ bổ sung bản dịch các tài liệu quan trọng. AOC cũng sẽ cải thiện hệ thống quản lý hồ sơ của mình để theo dõi nhu cầu ngôn ngữ tốt hơn, phát triển quy trình khiếu nại tiếp cận ngôn ngữ, tạo và phân phối thông báo dịch vụ thông dịch viên đã được dịch cho các tòa án, đồng thời tạo và phát hành video hướng dẫn thông dịch viên từ xa cho nhân viên tòa án. Vấn đề này được các luật sư của Phòng Dân quyền và Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ tại Quận Bắc Oklahoma cùng tiến hành. Thông tin bổ sung về Phòng Dân Quyền có sẵn trên trang web của họ tại www.justice.gov/crt, và thông tin về trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế và Tiêu đề VI có tại www.lep.gov. Các thành viên công chúng có thể báo cáo những vi phạm quyền công dân có thể xảy ra tại trang mạng www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ hoặc với Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ tại Quận Bắc Oklahoma tại trang mạng www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us.


title: 司法部与俄克拉荷马州法院签署谅解备忘录以针对第六章(Title VI) 调查作出决议

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: 注：本新闻稿已翻译成多种语言。请参见下方译文。 华盛顿——司法部今天宣布与俄克拉荷马州最高法院、法院行政办公室(Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) 签署谅解备忘录 (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU)，针对一项民权调查作出决议并改善英语能力受限 (Limited English Proficiency, LEP)人士在俄克拉荷马州法院诉诸法律的机会。 司法部收到一起投诉，指控梅耶斯县地区法院 (Mayes County District Court)在一起家事法庭案件中未能为一名LEP人士提供有意义的诉诸法律的机会。司法部根据 1964 年《民权法案》(Civil Rights Act of 1964)第六章的条款展开调查，该章禁止联邦财政援助的接受者基于种族、肤色和民族血统进行歧视。司法部随后暂停了这项第六章调查，以回应AOC采取的积极措施，为所有LEP法院使用者提供有意义的诉诸法律的机会。除了采取其他行动外，AOC还向投诉中确定的LEP人士免费提供了口译服务，聘请了一名语言服务获取协调员，并推出了立法提案，该提案现已成为州法律。该法律取消了向LEP当事人收取的口译费用。该法律还授权设立一项全州基金，用于支持法庭语言口译和笔译服务。 “人们不应因英语能力受限而受到惩罚，也不应在获得公平参与法院诉讼和运作所需的语言协助服务方面遇到困难，”司法部民权司助理司法部长克里斯汀·克拉克(Kristen Clarke)指出。“本协议是确保所有人无论其英语能力如何都能诉诸法律的典范，并概述了为俄克拉荷马州英语能力受限的法院使用者消除障碍所需采取的行动。” “通过这部新的州法律和MOU，俄克拉荷马州表明了改善本州司法服务获取的决心，”俄克拉荷马州北区 (Northern District of Oklahoma)美国联邦检察官克林顿 J. 约翰逊(Clinton J. Johnson)表示。“我们致力于与本州的法院合作，确保遵守第六章及相关民权法律。” 根据这份MOU，AOC将在所有民事和刑事诉讼程序以及法院运作中免费为LEP人士提供口头和书面语言协助服务，将制定一套全州语言服务获取计划，并针对重要文件提供更 多翻译。AOC还将改进其案件管理系统，以更好地跟踪语言需求，制定一套语言服务获取投诉程序，为法院制作和分发翻译好的口译服务通知，并为法院工作人员制作和发布视频远程口译指南。 此事由民权司和俄克拉荷马州北区美国联邦检察官办公室的律师联合开展。有关民权司的其他信息可访问其网站www.justice.gov/crt查阅，有关英语能力受限和第六章的信息可访问www.lep.gov网站查阅。公众可通过www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/或俄克拉荷马州北区美国联邦检察官办公室www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us举报可能存在的侵犯民权的行为。


title: 司法部與奧克拉荷馬州法院簽署諒解備忘錄以針對第六章(Title VI) 調查作出決議

body_text: 注：本新聞稿已翻譯成多種語言。請參見下方譯文。 華盛頓——司法部今天宣佈與奧克拉荷馬州最高法院、法院行政辦公室(Administrative Office of the Courts, AOC) 簽署諒解備忘錄 (Memorandum of Understanding, MOU)，針對一項民權調查作出決議並改善英語能力受限 (Limited English Proficiency, LEP)人士在奧克拉荷馬州法院訴諸法律的機會。 司法部收到一起投訴，指控梅耶斯縣地區法院 (Mayes County District Court)在一起家事法庭案件中未能為一名LEP人士提供有意義的訴諸法律的機會。司法部根據 1964 年《民權法案》(Civil Rights Act of 1964)第六章的條款展開調查，該章禁止聯邦財政援助的接受者基於種族、膚色和民族血統進行歧視。司法部隨後暫停了這項第六章調查，以回應AOC採取的積極措施，為所有LEP法院使用者提供有意義的訴諸法律的機會。除了採取其他行動外，AOC還向投訴中確定的LEP人士免費提供了口譯服務，聘請了一名語言服務獲取協調員，並推出了立法提案，該提案現已成為州法律。該法律取消了向LEP當事人收取的口譯費用。該法律還授權設立一項全州基金，用於支援法庭語言口譯和筆譯服務。 「人們不應因英語能力受限而受到懲罰，也不應在獲得公平參與法院訴訟和運作所需的語言協助服務方面遇到困難，」司法部民權司助理司法部長克裡斯汀·克拉克(Kristen Clarke)指出。「本協議是確保所有人無論其英語能力如何都能訴諸法律的典範，並概述了為奧克拉荷馬州英語能力受限的法院使用者消除障礙所需採取的行動。」 「透過這部新的州法律和MOU，奧克拉荷馬州表明了改善本州司法服務獲取的決心，」奧克拉荷馬州北區(Northern District of Oklahoma)美國聯邦檢察官克林頓J. 詹森(Clinton J. Johnson)表示。「我們致力於與本州的法院合作，確保遵守第六章及相關民權法律。」 根據這份MOU，AOC將在所有民事和刑事訴訟程式以及法院運作中免費為LEP人士提供口頭和書面語言協助服務，將制定一套全州語言服務獲取計畫，並針對重要文檔提供更多翻譯。AOC還將改進其案件管理系統，以更好地跟蹤語言需求，制定一套語言服務獲取投訴程式，為法院製作和分發翻譯好的口譯服務通知，並為法院工作人員製作和發佈視訊遠端口譯指南。 此事由民權司和奧克拉荷馬州北區美國聯邦檢察官辦公室的律師聯合開展。有關民權司的其他資訊可造訪其網站www.justice.gov/crt查閱，有關英語能力受限和第六章的資訊可造訪www.lep.gov網站查閱。公眾可透過www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/或奧克拉荷馬州北區美國聯邦檢察官辦公室www.justice.gov/usao-ndok/contact-us舉報可能存在的侵犯民權的行為。


title: Maryland man admits to federal firearms charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Quinton Vaughn Baker, age 25, of Cumberland, Maryland, has pled guilty to making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, Baker admitted to falsifying documents at a licensed firearms dealer in Mineral County to purchase a 9mm pistol. Baker claimed on the form that he lived in West Virginia despite residing in Maryland and stating that the firearm was for his personal use, knowing the firearm was meant for someone else. As a part of the plea agreement, Baker has agreed to forfeit 20 firearms. Baker is facing up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Passaic County Man Charged in $13 Million Technology Support Scam Targeting over Seven Thousand U.S. Victims

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was arrested today in connection with a technical support scam that targeted more than 7,000 victims in the United States, consisting mainly of small business owners and the elderly, defrauding those victims of more than $13 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Manoj Yadav, 40, of Clifton, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court. “The defendant and his conspirators are alleged to have misled their numerous victims into thinking that they were a legitimate technology support company affiliated with a major software company. After claiming to provide technical support for issues involving the software company’s popular accounting software, they allegedly charged the victims exorbitant fees for purported support services that were not authorized by the software company.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “We allege Yadav lied to software users and forced them to pay for services that would usually come free with their initial purchase,” FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The amount he's accused of stealing from his victims and the number of victims seem shocking; however, we are seeing an incredible increase in all types of tech support scams. The fraudsters are pretty savvy in how they con money out of people, even those of us who think we’re smart enough to not fall for it. If you think you’re a victim, please reach out to the FBI.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2017 through 2023, Yadav and his conspirators, many of whom were in India, fraudulently held themselves out as a technology support company affiliated with a major U.S. business and accounting software company that developed and sold a widely used accounting software product. They operated under multiple fraudulent business names, including “Phebs Software Services, LLC,” “Phebs Software Services,” “PN Bookkeeping Services,” “Phebbs Consulting,” “Quickbooks Tech Assist,” “Quickbook US,” “Quickbooks Accounting,” and “Quickbooks Support Team.” The conspirators would contact victims under the guise of fixing victims’ technical issues with the accounting software. After receiving tech support from the conspirators under these fraudulent pretenses, the victims would either be charged exorbitant fees or additional subscription fees. These “services” were all fraudulent: They would not cost any additional money for customers who contacted the actual software company, and the software company never authorized Yadav or his conspirators to act on its behalf or charge any fees. Yadav personally participated in the scheme by charging the victims for the fraudulent technology support services and funneling millions of dollars from these victims to his conspirators. Yadav fraudulently obtained these funds through the Phebs Software Services, LLC, which Yadav himself formed. That entity did business as both “Phebs Software Services” and “Quickbooks Accounting.” Yadav also used these entity names to falsely hold himself out to banks and victim customers as an accounting company legitimately affiliated with the software company. He did this to prevent charge backs, Better Business Bureau complaints, and the closure of bank accounts. Yadav sent his conspirators over $13 million in funds obtained from victims and would routinely keep approximately 17 percent when he wired funds to the conspirators. The count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross profit or loss caused by the offense, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. yadav.complaint.pdf


title: Three Men Sentenced in Akron Case Involving Forged Prescriptions and Illicit Pill Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: AKRON - Three men were sentenced this week in Akron federal court by Chief Judge Sara Lioi for their roles in a case involving forged prescriptions and a conspiracy to press and sell illicit pills. Michael White, age 43, of Akron, was sentenced to 66 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Durell Richerson, age 35, of Akron, was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and nine counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. Dallas Delatte, age 34, of Canton, was sentenced to 25 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and three counts of Aggravated Identity Theft. A fourth defendant, Amanda Ball, previously pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and is scheduled for sentencing on September 12, 2023. The following information is based on the indictment and the defendants’ guilty pleas. This indictment charged two separate but related conspiracies. The first conspiracy, which Durell Richerson and Dallas Delatte pled guilty to participating in, involved passing forged prescriptions for promethazine-codeine cough syrup at Akron-area pharmacies. According to the indictment, promethazine-codeine cough syrup can be used as an illicit recreational drug, and is known by street names such as “purple drink,” “drank,” and “lean.” Members of this conspiracy used a Google account to store forged prescription templates bearing the names, DEA numbers, and NPI numbers of Akron-area physicians, without the physicians’ permission or knowledge. Conspirators made small edits to the forged prescription templates saved on the Google account, printed the forged prescriptions out on security paper, and then attempted to pass the forged prescriptions at Akron-area pharmacies. Because those forged prescriptions each contained the name, DEA number, and/or NPI number of a real physician—which was done without the permission or knowledge of the physician—each use of a forged prescription constituted a count of Aggravated Identity Theft, with the victim being the physician whose identity was used without their permission. The second conspiracy, which Michael White and Amanda Ball pled guilty to participating in, involved using a pill press machine to manufacture and distribute illicit pills, including methamphetamine pills that looked like ecstasy (MDMA). White and other conspirators also possessed a pill press machine used to manufacture illicit pills at a residence in Akron to distribute the pills they manufactured. On December 1, 2020, law enforcement executed search warrants at residences in Canton and Akron. Those searches resulted in the seizure of approximately 89 tablets containing methamphetamine, two digital scales, and a blender with cocaine residue. The case was investigated by the DEA Cleveland’s Tactical Diversion Squad, with assistance from the Akron Police Department, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Canton Police Department, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Lewis.


title: Somerset County Resident Admits Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, resident today admitted distributing videos and images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Marcevan Manasse, 28, Somerville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging one count of distribution of child pornography. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From Sept. 20, 2020, through Nov. 22, 2020, Manasse distributed material containing images and video files of child sexual abuse, via a publicly available online peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing network of linked computers. Law enforcement officers conducted an undercover online session to access the P2P program and to download five video files and 11 images containing child pornography from an IP address assigned to an internet service provider account associated with Manasse’s residence. These files included multiple visual depictions of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults. The count of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office for its assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Criminal Division in Newark. manasse.information.pdf


title: Joshua Pincoske Sentenced to 25 Years of Imprisonment for Production and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Joshua Pincoske, 48, of Concord, New Hampshire, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Concord, New Hampshire to 25 years of imprisonment for the production of child sexual abuse materials (also referred to as child pornography) and possession of child sexual abuse materials. U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante also ordered that Pincoske serve a 10-year term of supervised release after his release from the Bureau of Prisons. Pincoske will be required to register as a sex offender for life. According to court records, on February 2, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants authorizing the searches of Pincoske’s residence, his vehicle, and his person after reports that Pincoske had paid two female minors to engage in sexual contact with him. During the execution of the search warrants, law enforcement seized a number of electronic devices, including Pincoske’s cellular phones. Examinations of the contents of Pincoske’s cellular phones revealed numerous visual depictions of minor females engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The investigation identified seven minor victims who were sexually exploited by Pincoske between 2017 and 2021, including children in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont. In imposing the sentence, Judge Laplante identified as aggravating factors warranting a lengthy sentence the derogatory statements Pincoske made to victims during the sexual abuse, which were captured by video recordings Pincoske created. Judge Laplante also noted the abuse of trust and authority by Pincoske, who at the time of his criminal conduct was active in coaching and mentoring youth basketball players in the Concord area. Pincoske initially encountered some victims during his involvements with youth basketball. The resolution of Pincoske’s federal charges occurs in conjunction with coordinated resolutions concerning matters pending before New Hampshire state courts in Merrimack and Strafford Counties. Those resolutions are the subject of separate agreements with the prosecutors in those jurisdictions. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest stated, “The pattern of predatory victimization of vulnerable children by defendant Pincoske occurred over a lengthy period of time, warranting the significant sentence imposed by the Court. I greatly appreciate the thorough investigatory efforts of the Concord Police Department and the Farmington Police Department.” United States Attorney Kerest also thanked the County Attorney for Merrimack County, the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Merrimack County Child Advocacy Center, the Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Police Department, the Bangor, Maine, Police Department, the El Dorado, Kansas, Police Department, and the United States Secret Service for their vital assistance. “The Concord Police Department believes today’s sentence of Joshua Pincoske does not erase the harm he inflicted upon his victims,” stated Deputy Chief John Thomas, “but it does ensure that others will be protected from his abuse. The sexual exploitation of children by predators like Joshua Pincoske requires decisive action, which is why the Concord Police Department acted so quickly in this case. Thanks to the tireless efforts of a collaborative group of law enforcement professionals and the bravery of those who came forward, he faces a long sentence in federal prison.” The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont has been appointed to handle this prosecution under the authority described in 28 U.S.C. § 515. The prosecutors assigned to the matter were Jonathan A. Ophardt and Corinne M. Smith, Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Vermont. Pincoske was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Behzad Mirhashem. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Worcester Man Indicted for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Worcester man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Ryan Davidson, 38, was indicted on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to the charging documents, on or about May 9, 2023 in Worcester, Davidson possessed a Taurus 9-millimeter pistol and 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Davidson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides a sentence of up to 15 years, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven Sargent made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 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: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Georgia Tech to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims Involving Its Recruiting Platform

body_text: The Justice Department secured a settlement agreement today with Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), a public, non-profit university within the University System of Georgia. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Georgia Tech violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by operating a job recruiting platform on which third-party employers paid to post advertisements linked to its career fairs that unlawfully excluded certain non-U.S. citizens and limited recruitment opportunities for certain non-U.S. citizen students based on their citizenship status. “Our nation’s higher education institutions must ensure that their job recruiting platforms don’t promote, facilitate or enable unlawful citizenship discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act’s nondiscrimination mandate to ensure that college students are treated fairly and have an equal opportunity to compete for internships and jobs.” The department’s investigation began after a student at Georgia Tech, who was a lawful permanent resident, filed a discrimination complaint with the Civil Rights Division. The student alleged that a bank advertised a U.S. citizen-only internship on Georgia Tech’s career services website. Upon investigating the student’s complaint, the department uncovered additional unlawful discriminatory advertisements on Georgia Tech’s job recruiting platform that discouraged or restricted certain non-U.S. citizen students from applying. The department’s investigation also revealed that Georgia Tech routinely permitted employers to block non-U.S. citizen students from applying to such jobs through its platform. Under the settlement agreement, Georgia Tech will pay a civil penalty of $500,000 to the United States, change its recruiting practices and revise its policies to promote compliance with the INA. In addition, for three years, Georgia Tech must ensure that certain career services personnel in its undergraduate and graduate programs are trained on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision. Over the last 14 months, the department has secured over $1.6 million in total civil penalties from 30 employers who used Georgia Tech’s recruiting platform to post job advertisements that unlawfully excluded certain non-U.S. citizen students who stand on equal footing with U.S. citizens in their ability to work, such as lawful permanent residents, refugees and those granted asylum by the federal government. On June 16, 2022, the department settled with 16 employers ; on Sept. 21, 2022, the department settled with four employers ; and on May 23, 2023, the department settled with another 10 employers . This agreement is another example of the Civil Rights Division’s efforts to address the impact that automated platforms, specifically ones that provide users with tools and filters that enable unlawful restrictions, have on civil rights. On April 25, 2023, the Civil Rights Division released a joint statement with other federal agencies highlighting their commitment to protect individuals with respect to artificial intelligence and automated systems (AI) that can impact individuals’ civil rights and equal opportunity. The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; and retaliation and intimidation . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when hiring and recruiting on IER’s website . Learn more about how IER protects workers’ rights in this video . For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation ; email IER@usdoj.gov ; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER. Georgia Tech Settlement Agreement


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con Georgia Tech para resolver acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigración en conexión con su plataforma de reclutamiento

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia ha llegado a un acuerdo hoy con Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), una universidad pública sin ánimo de lucro que forma parte del sistema universitario de Georgia. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Georgia Tech vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad («INA», por sus siglas en inglés) al operar una plataforma de reclutamiento de empleo donde empleadores de terceras partes pagaron por publicar anuncios asociados con sus ferias de carreras que excluyeron, de manera ilícita, a ciertos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. y limitó las oportunidades de reclutamiento para ciertos estudiantes no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. con base en su estatus de ciudadanía. «Las instituciones de educación superior de nuestra nación deben garantizar que sus plataformas de reclutamiento no promuevan, faciliten o permiten la discriminación ilícita por motivos de ciudadanía», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia hará cumplir con firmeza el mandato no discriminatorio de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad con el fin de garantizar que se trate de manera justa a los estudiantes universitarios y que tengan la igualdad de oportunidades para competer para prácticas y trabajos». La investigación del Departamento comenzó después de que un estudiante en Georgia Tech, que era residente permanente legal, presentó una queja de discriminación ante la División de Derechos Civiles. El estudiante alegó que un banco anunció unas prácticas solamente para ciudadanos de los EE. UU. en el sitio web de los servicios de carreras profesionales de Georgia Tech. Tras investigar la queja del estudiante, el Departamento encontró anuncios discriminatorios ilegales adicionales en la plataforma de reclutamiento de empleo que desalentaron a ciertos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. de solicitar un puesto o restringieron su acceso por completo. La investigación del Departamento también reveló que Georgia Tech, de forma rutinaria, permitió a los empleadores prevenir que no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. solicitaran tales puestos mediante su plataforma. Conforme el acuerdo conciliatorio, Georgia Tech pagará una sanción civil de $500,000 a los Estados Unidos, cambiará sus prácticas de reclutamiento y revisará sus políticas con el fin de promover el cumplimiento con la INA. Por otra parte, Georgia Tech deberá asegurar que cierto personal de servicios de carreras profesionales en sus programas de grado y posgrado sea capacitado en cuanto a la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. A lo largo de los últimos 14 meses, el Departamento ha logrado obtener más de $1.6 millones en total por concepto de sanciones civiles de 30 empleadores que usaron la plataforma de reclutamiento de Georgia Tech para publicar anuncios de trabajo que, de manera ilícita, excluyeron a ciertos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. que se encuentran en condiciones de igualdad con ciudadanos estadounidenses en lo que se refiere a su permiso para trabajar, tales como residentes permanentes legales, refugiados y aquellos a los que el gobierno federal ha concedido el asilo. El 16 de junio del 2022, el Departamento llegó a un acuerdo con 16 empleadores ; el 21 de septiembre del 2022, el Departamento llegó a un acuerdo con cuatro empleadores ; y el 23 de mayo del 2023, el Departamento llegó a un acuerdo con otros diez empleadores adicionales. Este acuerdo es otro ejemplo de los esfuerzos de la División de Derechos Civiles por abordar el impacto en los derechos civiles que tienen las plataformas automatizadas, en concreto aquellas que proveen a los usuarios con herramientas y filtros que permiten restricciones ilegales. El 25 de abril del 2023, la División de Derechos Civiles publicó una declaración conjunta con otras agencias federales que resaltó su compromiso de proteger a los individuos en lo que se refiere a la inteligencia artificial y sistemas automatizados (AI) que pueden afectar los derechos civiles de las personas, así como la igualdad de oportunidades. La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Hay más información disponible en el sitio web de la IER sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en los procesos de contratación y reclutamiento. Aprenda más sobre cómo la IER protege los derechos de los trabajadores en este video . Para más información sobre protecciones contra la discriminación en el empleo en virtud de las leyes migratorias, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscríbase a un seminario en línea en vivo o vea una presentación a la carta; envíe un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; o visite los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.


title: Manchester Man Indicted for Fentanyl and Crack Cocaine Distribution Offenses

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man was indicted in connection with the distribution of fentanyl and crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Walter Velez, 41, was indicted on four counts of distribution of controlled substances in connection with the sale of fentanyl and crack cocaine to a confidential informant. Velez will appear in federal court at a later date. According to the charging documents, Velez sold fentanyl and crack cocaine at his business, Velez Alignment & Auto Services, LLC, in Manchester on four separate occasions. The four sales totaled over 200 grams of fentanyl and over 20 grams of crack cocaine. These charges of distribution of a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least 6 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $2,000,000. 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. The Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward 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: Franklin Man Indicted for Threatening to Kill a U.S. Senator

body_text: CONCORD – A Franklin man has been indicted for threatening to kill a United States Senator, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Brian Landry, 67, was charged with threatening to assault, kidnap or murder a United States official in connection with the official’s performance of official duties and with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. Landry was originally arrested by complaint on June 2, 2023. He is scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court on September 14, 2023. According to the charging documents, Landry called a district field office of a United States Senator on May 17, 2023 and left a voicemail, stating: “Hey stupid. I’m a veteran sniper. And unless you change your ways, I got my scope pointed in your direction and I’m coming to get you. You’re a dead man walking, you piece of f*****g sh*t.” Investigators identified the phone call as coming from a number associated with Landry. When they interviewed Landry, he admitted to having called the Senator’s office but did not initially recall exactly what he said in the voicemail. The charges provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000. 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. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the New Hampshire State Police, the Franklin Police Department, and the Manchester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau 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: Grimes county man convicted of running fake raffle for exotic car

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - A 48-year-old Iola resident has pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of waging paraphernalia, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Marcos Trevino admitted to operating a raffle that offered a chance to win a limited edition Dodge Challenger SRT Demon automobile from 2018 to 2022. He promoted it throughout the United States on various websites, social media and at auto shows. The raffle’s website made it appear as though the participant was not purchasing a ticket. They were supposedly getting a koozie which, in turn, would grant them one entry for the drawing. The total cost of each of the beverage holders was $105. The rules claimed no purchase was necessary and that a purchase would not improve chance of winning. However, there was no alternate means of entry other than the purchase of the koozie. Despite the raffle being in existence for almost four years, there was no drawing or receipt of prizes by any participants. No one has ever received a koozie. Trevino still had the Dodge Demon on his property at the time of his arrest. According to the website, total ticket sales reached 765 (resulting in funds totaling $80,325). Such a raffle is illegal for to conduct for various reasons. A charitable organization does not run it, there was no date was set for the drawing, there was no end date, proceeds were not spent on a lawful purpose, and it included statewide and interstate advertising. In addition, although the website claimed that a money back guarantee, there was no method described for a participant to get his/her money back. U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 7. At that time, Lopez faces up to five years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He could also be ordered to forfeit the earnings from the raffle and provide restitution to the participants. Previously released on bond, Trevino was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Goldman is prosecuting the case.


title: DOJ and DEA settle claims that Naturopath improperly prescribed scheduled drugs

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today settled civil claims that a Seattle Naturopathic Physician had prescribed drugs outside her limited authority, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Marina (aka Marianna) Abrams, N.D. will pay the government $65,000 to resolve the allegations and entered into a four-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) which gives the DEA the ability to ensure Abrams’s prescribing practices are in compliance with the Controlled Substance Act. According to the statement of facts in the settlement agreement, between 2009 and 2021, Abrams wrote 209 controlled substance prescriptions that were outside the scope of what a Naturopathic Physician can provide. Abrams wrote an additional 204 prescriptions to be filled in California, despite the fact that she had no DEA registration to write prescriptions in that state. The settlement indicates that she prescribed controlled substances such as Alprazolam, Lorazepam, Zolpidem, Tramadol, and Diazepam. “The DEA remains vigilant in order to ensure the proper use of practitioners’ prescribing authority and this result further demonstrates our commitment to safeguard the public from a broad spectrum of potential drug threats,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. With the settlement agreement, Abrams agrees she will limit her prescribing of controlled substances to the only two controlled substances naturopathic doctors are permitted to prescribe by Washington state law: testosterone and codeine products. As part of the MOA, Abrams will also take steps to more clearly document in patient files where she has consulted medical doctors. She will ensure that all literature and websites related to her practice do not imply she is a medical doctor. Abrams agrees to ensure her staff does not sign or write prescriptions or prescription refills using her DEA registration number. If she changes her practice area or employment, she must notify DEA. If Abrams fails to follow the MOA or violates the law regarding the prescribing of controlled substances, DEA may revoke her registration. The matter was investigated by the DEA Diversion Program. The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Waldrop.


title: 19-Year-Old Woman Sentenced to 16 Months for Possession With Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Dulce Maria Haros, 19, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 16 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Haros pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl on March 7, 2023. On October 1, 2022, Haros was traveling on a shuttle that stopped at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint. During a routine inspection, agents discovered a handbag containing three packages of fentanyl pills totaling three kilograms in weight. Haros admitted the handbag was hers, and that she intended to deliver the fentanyl to another person. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02343-TUC-RM (BGM) RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-127_Haros # # # 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: Drug Dealer Who Distributed Methamphetamine on Hopi Reservation Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Vanessa Rene Dundon (a.k.a. Sioux Z, a.k.a. Suzie Q), 38, of Indian Wells, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to three years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. As a condition of her supervised release, Dundon cannot travel to, or be on, the Hopi Reservation. Dundon pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. “Drug trafficking causes particular harm for tribal communities,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “The exclusion of defendant from the Hopi Reservation is an additional tool to prevent future harm, and an extra measure of protection for Hopi villages.” Dundon was stopped in her vehicle on the Hopi Reservation in April 2021, March 2022, and April 2022. On each occasion, she had controlled substances in her vehicle. At the change of plea hearing, Dundon admitted that on April 17, 2022, she possessed 58.4 grams of pure methamphetamine and that she intended to deliver it to other individuals in exchange for payment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Phoenix Field Office, and Hopi Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-08043-PCT-DJH RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-128_Dundon # # # 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: Norfolk Man Charged with Price Gouging N95 Masks in Early Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

body_text: BOSTON – A Norfolk, Mass. man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to price gouge hospitals for scarce N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95 masks) at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jason Colantuoni, 35, was charged by an Information with one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the charging documents, on March 11, 2020, a longtime friend of Colantuoni (Individual 1) formed a company in Florida in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is alleged that from in or about March 2020 through April 2020, Colantuoni, Individual 1 and the company’s head of sales (Individual 2) conspired to use the company to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Colantuoni, Individual 1 and Individual 2 allegedly accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through the company to desperate hospitals in Massachusetts and elsewhere at prices in excess of the prevailing market price. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospitals to which the company sold N95 masks typically paid approximately $0.44 to $0.70 per respirator. Through the company, Colantuoni, Individual 1 and Individual 2 allegedly offered to sell N95 masks to hospitals for as much as $11.95 per mask. Through the company, it is alleged that Colantuoni, Individual 1 and Individual 2 sold a total of approximately 1,000 boxes of N95 masks to various hospitals, with each box containing 20 or 30 masks. The weighted average price for the company’s purchases of N95 masks was approximately $4.48 per mask, while the weighted average price for the company’s sales of N95 masks to hospitals was approximately $9.91 per mask. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $10,000. 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; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form. 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: Tonawanda Man Pleads Guilty To Child Pornography Charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Szczepanik, 38, of Tonawanda, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in December 2021, Szczepanik’s IP address was identified on a file sharing site where files of child pornography were being shared. In February 2022, investigators executed a warrant at his residence and seized electronic devices, which contained images and videos of child pornography. The items included a desktop and the hard drives located on the device, where more than 600 images and videos of child pornography were discovered. Some of the images included prepubescent minors and depictions of violence against children. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2023, before Judge Arcara. # # # #


title: Former IRS Employee Pleads Guilty And Is Sentenced On Tax Charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Lisa Hughes, 52, of Hamburg, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to unauthorized inspection of returns or return information. Judge McCarthy then sentenced Hughes to one year probation and a $1,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose, who is handling the case, stated that while working as a Case Advocate within the Internal Revenue Service’s Taxpayer Advocate Service, in Buffalo, Hughes would receive calls from Individual 1 and Individual 2, who worked at a local tax preparation firm (Company). Individual 1 and Individual 2 would inquire about returns filed for the Company’s clients. Hughes would then access the returns or other return information in the IRS” Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS). Between April 25, 2014, and August 16, 2019, Hughes accessed return information for Company 1 clients on more than 120 occasions. The calls received from Individual 1 and Individual 2 were not part of Hughes’s job responsibilities and she knew that she was not authorized to access the return information in response to these calls. In addition, between 2016 and 2019, Hughes also prepared over 100 tax returns for Company 1 clients, for which she was compensated. For the 2016 to 2018 tax years, Hughes also prepared approximately 250 returns for friends and family, for which she was sometimes compensated. Hughes knew that IRS regulations prohibited her from preparing tax returns for others in return for compensation. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge William Kalb. # # # #


title: Three Jamestown Residents Going To Prison In Two Separate Cases For Selling Fentanyl That Led To A Death

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Garson E. Butcher, 31, and Alisha Centi, 29, both of Jamestown, NY, who were convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Butcher was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison and Centi was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison. In a separate case, Judge Sinatra sentenced Ryan Bloom, 37, also of Jamestown, to serve 240 months in prison. Bloom was also convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the cases, stated that between March 2020, and June 2021, Butcher and Centi conspired with others to possess and sell heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. On March 29, 2020, Butcher and Centi sold fentanyl which resulted in the death of an individual identified as T.R. On September 28, 2020, Butcher and Centi sold heroin to an individual identified as K.K., who overdosed but regained consciousness after receiving multiple doses of Narcan. In addition, Butcher and Centi used residences on Fairview Avenue and Roland Road to manufacture and distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Violanti stated that defendant Bloom bought and sold heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine for profit and his own use. Bloom and co-conspirator, Rachelle Allison, utilized a Fairview Avenue residence in Jamestown to conduct their drug trafficking activities, selling drugs, and running a needle exchange out of the residence. These activities resulted in numerous overdoses occurring at that location. On April 5, 2020, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Hoag Road residence in Ashville, NY, for a possible overdose death. Upon arrival, an individual identified as D.R., was found deceased. A search of D.R.’s cellular telephone revealed Facebook messages between D.R. and Bloom the previous day that were drug related. Bloom admits that he and Allison distributed heroin and fentanyl to D.R. the day before D.R.’s death. On July 19, 2020, Bloom sold heroin and fentanyl to an individual identified as A.R. at the Fairview Avenue residence, resulting in A.R. overdosing. After receiving two doses of Narcan, A.R. and was revived and regained consciousness. Rachelle Allison was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The sentencings are the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James B. Quattrone. # # # #


title: Fayette County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Child Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kristen Naylor-Legg, 30, of Gauley Bridge, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 18. Naylor-Legg must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on two separate occasions in June 2020, Naylor-Legg provided her 17-year-old female relative to Larry Allen Clay Jr., so he could engage in sexual intercourse with the minor. At the time, Clay was an employee of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the Chief of Police for the Gauley Bridge Police Department. Naylor-Legg admitted that on the first occasion she was paid $100 by Clay. On the second occasion, Naylor-Legg indicated that Clay had agreed to pay her $50 in exchange for sexual intercourse with the minor but ultimately did not give her the money. After four days of trial, a federal jury convicted Clay, 57, of Fayetteville, of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor via coercion, sex trafficking of a minor via coercion, and two counts of obstruction of justice. Evidence at trial proved that Clay twice arranged with Naylor-Legg to have sexual intercourse with the minor, sought to persuade Naylor-Legg to lie to law enforcement about the incidents, and also asked a law enforcement officer if his criminal conduct could be covered up. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police and the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Monica D. Coleman prosecuted the case. Members of the public are urged to report suspected instances of child sex trafficking through a toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (1-866-347-2423) or online at www.ice.gov/tips . This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-62. ###


title: MS-13 Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Four Murders, Multiple Attempted Murders, and Arson

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today, in federal court in Central Islip, Enrique Portillo, also known as “Oso” and “Turkey,” a member of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, pleaded guilty to racketeering and firearms charges in connection with his participation in four murders, namely, the September 13, 2016 murders of teenagers Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, in Brentwood; the October 13, 2016 murder of Dewann Stacks, in Brentwood; and the January 30, 2017 murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla in Central Islip; as well as his participation in four attempted murders, including the discharge of a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in connection with one of the attempted murders; and arson. The guilty plea proceeding was held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. When sentenced, Portillo faces up to life in prison on the racketeering charge and a 10-year, mandatory minimum sentence on the firearms charge. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Rodney K. Harrison, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the guilty plea. “Today, the defendant pleaded guilty to participating in four extremely brutal murders, including two teenage girls slaughtered while walking home, that have left permanent scars in the Brentwood community which for too long has suffered acts of violence and destruction carried out by the MS-13 with machetes, knives, guns and fire,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I am confident that justice for the victims will be delivered when Portillo is sentenced for his savage crimes. This Office will not rest until all MS-13 gang members are held to account for their utter lack of respect for human life and the rule of law.” “As part of his desire to gain status within MS-13, Portillo repeatedly acted with complete disregard for human life, killing four individuals along with multiple other attempts. Today’s guilty plea stands as a warning to anyone willing to attempt to gain standing through senseless acts of violence — you will face the consequences. The FBI Long Island Gang Task Force will not allow vicious criminals to go unchecked and cause our community to live in fear of violence,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “These senseless and barbaric killings, including those of teenagers Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, shook our communities and reverberated around the nation,” stated SCPD Commissioner Harrison. “It is my hope that this guilty plea will provide the victims’ families some peace while also demonstrating our commitment to dismantling these criminal enterprises. I commend the work of the Long Island Gang Task Force on this case and Eastern District of New York for their continued success in prosecuting these vicious gang members.” According to court filings and statements made during today’s guilty plea proceeding, Portillo was a member of the Sailors Locos Salvatruchas Westside (Sailors) clique of the MS-13. He committed the following crimes in order to maintain and increase his membership and status in the gang: July 18, 2016 Attempted Murders of John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 On the evening of July 18, 2016, Portillo and other members of the MS-13, who were driving around Brentwood, armed, in search of rival gang members to attack and kill, observed a group of men on Apple Street. Believing these men to be members of a rival gang, Portillo and two other MS-13 members exited the car and attacked the group. Portillo fired a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun at one of the men (identified as John Doe #1), and then used a machete to hack at another (identified as John Doe #2). Another MS-13 member fired at the group of men using a .38 caliber handgun. Although John Doe #1 was struck with a bullet, he survived. John Doe #2, who was attacked with a machete, also survived, but was severely disfigured as a result of this attack. September 12, 2016 Arson in Brentwood During the summer of 2016, Sailors clique members of MS-13 were regularly having altercations with rival gang members based in a neighborhood on Freeman Avenue in Brentwood. On September 12, 2016, the MS-13 members set fire to a car parked in the driveway of one of the houses in that neighborhood. Portillo and other MS-13 members drove to that house, where Portillo and two others poured gasoline on a car parked in the driveway and then set it on fire. The car exploded and ignited another parked car. September 13, 2016 Murders of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens On September 13, 2016, Portillo and several other MS-13 members brutally murdered 15-year-old Nisa Mickens and 16-year-old Kayla Cuevas, both students at Brentwood High School. In the months leading up to the murders, Cuevas was involved in a series of disputes with members and associates of the MS-13. Approximately one week before the murders, these disputes escalated when Cuevas and several friends were involved in an altercation with MS-13 members at Brentwood High School. After that incident, the MS-13 members vowed to seek revenge against Cuevas. On the evening of September 13, 2016, Portillo and other members of the Sailors clique of the MS-13, who were driving around Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill, spotted Cuevas and Mickens walking on Stahley Street in a residential neighborhood. Recognizing Cuevas, they quickly sought and obtained the requisite permission to murder the teen girls. Portillo and others then jumped out of the car, chased and attacked both Cuevas and Mickens, wielding baseball bats and a machete, striking each of the girls numerous times in their heads and bodies, causing their deaths. Mickens, whose body was discovered later that evening on Stahley Street, not far from Cuevas’s home, sustained significant sharp force trauma to her face and blunt force trauma to her head. Cuevas, whose body was discovered the following day behind a house adjacent to where Mickens’s body was found, sustained significant blunt force trauma to her head and body and multiple lacerations. October 13, 2016 Murder of Dewann Stacks On the evening of October 13, 2016, Portillo and other members of the MS-13 were once again driving around Central Islip and Brentwood in search of rival gang members to attack and kill. That night, they spotted 34-year-old Dewann Stacks and, believing him to be a rival gang member, decided to kill him. Portillo, armed with a baseball bat, and two other MS-13 members, both armed with machetes, attacked Stacks, beating and hacking him to death on American Boulevard, a residential street in Brentwood. Stacks sustained severe sharp and blunt force trauma to his face and head, leaving him nearly unrecognizable. January 30, 2017 Murder of Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla On the morning of January 30, 2017, members of the Sailors clique of MS-13 spotted 29-year-old Esteban Alvarado-Bonilla inside El Campesino Deli in Central Islip. Alvarado-Bonilla was wearing a football jersey bearing the number “18,” which led the MS-13 to conclude that he was a member of a rival gang, and they plotted to kill him. Portillo identified Alvarado-Bonilla to other MS-13 members as their target, and kept watch over him to ensure that he remained at the deli. Other MS-13 members then arrived at the deli to commit the murder. At approximately 10:30 a.m., a masked MS-13 member entered the deli, approached Alvarado-Bonilla from behind, and shot him multiple times, killing him. One of the bullets pierced through Alvarado-Bonilla’s head and struck the chest of a female employee of the deli, who was standing directly in front of him. The deli employee survived the gunshot wound. September 26, 2017 Attempted Murder of John Doe #3 in Federal Prison in Brooklyn In the summer of 2017, while Portillo was in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, MS-13 members were regularly having altercations with members of the Young Gunnaz, or YGz, a rival gang. On September 26, 2017, Portillo encountered an individual (identified as John Doe #3), a YGz member, on his unit and tried to kill him by using a shank to stab him in the neck, and by beating him with metal locks tied to a braided bed sheet. John Doe #3 survived the attack. May 30, 2019 Attempted Murder of John Doe #4 in Federal Prison in Brooklyn On May 30, 2019, while Portillo was in federal custody at the MDC in Brooklyn, he encountered an individual (identified as John Doe #4), a member of the Bloods street gang – a rival of the MS-13 – in his unit’s common area. Portillo tried to kill him by stabbing him with a shank. John Doe #4 survived the attack. Today’s conviction is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent, transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership is based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization operating on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted of federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 65 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : ENRIQUE PORTILLO (also known as “Oso” and “Turkey”) Age: 26 Brentwood, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (S-8) (GRB)


title: U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich announces nearly $6 million in federal grant awards to support victims of sexual assault and crime

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich today announced grant funding of nearly $6 million for Montana from the Department of Justices’ Office of Justice Programs to support victims of sexual assault and crime victims. The funding, totaling $5.96 million, is for three separate grant programs. “I am pleased to announce these grants to the state of Montana for its important work in providing support services to crime victims, including victims of sexual assault. This funding demonstrates the U.S. Department of Justice’s commitment in fighting sexual violence and making sure every survivor can access support, safety, and justice in their communities. The grants also continue to help and support victims of crime through assistance and compensation programs,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. The Montana Board of Crime Control will receive $787,911 from the Office on Violence Against Women’s Fiscal Year 2023 Sexual Assault Services Formula Program (SASP). The project period starts August 2023 and will end July 2025. These funds are made available through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). This grant award was among a total of $51.8 million in SASP funding the Justice Department awarded in every state along with the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the North Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. This marks a significant increase of nearly 45 percent when compared to last year’s funding level. Congress first authorized SASP in the VAWA Reauthorization of 2005. SASP is the nation’s first federal funding stream dedicated to providing direct intervention and related assistance to victims of sexual assault. The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) administers SASP funding according to a statutorily determined, population-based formula. States and territories, in turn, award the funds to rape crisis centers and other nonprofit, nongovernmental or Tribal agencies that provide direct intervention and related services to adult, youth, and child victims of sexual assault. The Montana Board of Crime Control also will receive $4,910,121 from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) as part of its Fiscal Year 2023 Victims of Crime Act Victim Assistance Formula Grant. The project period started October 2022 and will end September 2026. This grant award will provide money from the Crime Victims Fund to enhance crime victim services in the state. The Montana Department of Justice will receive $270,000 from the OVC as part of its Fiscal Year 2023 Victims of Crime Act Victim Compensation Formula Grant. The project period started October 2022 and will end September 2026. This grant award provides resources from the Crime Victims Fund to enhance state victim compensation payments to eligible crime victims. XXX


title: Six indicted for trafficking songbirds

body_text: HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned indictments charging six Cuban nationals who resided in Houston with illegal trafficking of migratory songbirds, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Over the past week, authorities took into custody Antonio Cabrero Ruano, 56, Roberto Guimary Machado, 59, Luis Valdez Machado, 22, Iran Almarales Garcia, 53, Ediel Barroso Quintero, 27, and Alexander DeJesus Lechuga, 45. The six seperate indictments, returned Aug. 24, allege violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and/or the Lacey Act. The scheme allegedly involved the illegal trapping and selling of protected songbirds, including indigo buntings, painted buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks, blue grosbeaks and house finches, among others. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reports that the birds are often used in singing competitions in which the participating owners gamble thousands of dollars on the winning bird, a common practice in Cuba and elsewhere. The birds migrate from Canada, through Texas, to South America. They are trapped as they pass through the Houston area, commonly using a live “bait bird” whose singing attracts other birds to the trap. The investigation led to the seizure of over 300 illegally trapped songbirds. They were turned over to the Houston Zoo and Moody Gardens where they were evaluated and photographed. Healthy birds were released to the wild, while those that were too sick or injured to survive unaided will remain under the care of the zoos. According to FWS, the illegal trapping has a significant impact on the wild songbird populations. The birds are poorly suited to captivity and typically die soon after being confined to a cage. “We are pleased to see a positive outcome in this case as the plight of native birds is just now becoming clear. It is our core role as an Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited organization to preserve natural resources and protect threatened and endangered wildlife,” said General Curator Greg Whittaker of Moody Gardens. “The illegal wildlife trade doesn’t just happen behind closed doors – many of our native species are being traded out in the open in flea markets and online marketplaces like Facebook,” said FWS Special Agent in Charge Victoria Owens. “In addition to seeking justice for our native wildlife and the American public, we want the prosecution of these cases to help educate the public about wildlife laws and deter people from committing these crimes in the future. We will pursue and hold accountable anyone who violates fish and wildlife laws for commercial gain.” The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was enacted in 1918 for the protection of migratory birds. The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking in wildlife that was taken in violation of federal, state, tribal or foreign law. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for violating the Lacey Act, two years for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and possible fines of up to $250,000. Two others - Reydel Cabrales Rosa, 36, a Cuban national, and Luis Alonzo Martinez, 56, an El Salvadorian national, who resided in Houston - were previously charged and have pleaded guilty. FWS conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Game Wardens. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case.


title: Boxing Gym Owner Pleads Guilty to COVID Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynnfield man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to fraudulently obtaining multiple Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act loans, including funds from the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), and unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled for his boxing gym. Daniel Olivar, 44, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Dec. 6, 2023. Olivar was arrested and charged in December 2022. Olivar was the owner of Sonny’s Boxing and Fitness, Inc., a boxing club and fitness center in in Middleton. Since at least 2019, Olivar engaged in a scheme to defraud and obtain CARES Act business loans, by filing false and fraudulent applications with the United States Small Business administration (SBA). This included an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the SBA and a PPP loan. In addition, Olivar filed a claim for unemployment benefits with the State of Massachusetts, falsely claiming that he was laid off from Gold’s Gym. As a result, from January 2020 until at least May 2021, Olivar received unemployment benefits from the state of Massachusetts. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.


title: Prior Felon Going To Prison On Gun Charge

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Paul Pringle, 44, of Hilton, NY, who was convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. Assistant U.S. Attorney Everardo A. Rodriguez, who handled the case, stated that on March 2, 2023, during a joint investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, investigators executed a search warrant at Pringle’s Underwood Avenue residence and two firearms, over 900 rounds of ammunition, and 12 gun assembly kits. As part of his plea, Pringle admitted that he manufactured and sold in excess of 10 Personally Manufactured Firearms (PMF) to others. Pringle has three prior felony convictions for possessing firearms or ammunition and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. The sentencing is the culmination of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division. # # # #


title: Rochester Man Arrested, Charged With Destroying And Sinking A Vessel

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Vyacheslav S. Migitskiy, 33, a Ukrainian national living in Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with destruction of a vessel, making a false statement, and sinking of a vessel in a navigable channel. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on August 26, 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard received a report from a local mariner of a partially submerged vessel, a 1987 25’ Bayliner, approximately a half mile offshore east of Little Pond in Rochester. A Coast Guard small boat responded to the area and an active search and rescue mission began. It was determined that no individuals were on vessel. It was also determined that the propellers and boat plug were missing, and all electronics were removed from the vessel. The total estimated loss of the United States Coast Guard’s search and rescue efforts was $14,194, and the New York State Police rescue helicopter cost recovery was $1,248.00. Subsequent investigation traced the vessel to Migitskiy, who claimed that he had given the vessel to unknown individuals two weeks prior. According to the complaint, a witness, and a review of surveillance video show Migitskiy placing the vessel in the water, and then using a different boat that he owned to tow the vessel out into the lake, where it was later discovered. Migitskiy made an initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, under the direction of Joshua Packer, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Central Region, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Brian Ratajczak, and the Gates Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Long, the Rochester Fire Department, under the direction of Chief Stefano Napolitano, the Irondequoit Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Peters, and the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood. 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: Russian-German National Arrested For Illegally Exporting To Russia Sensitive U.S.-Sourced Microelectronics With Military Applications In Violation Of U.S. Export Controls

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Arthur Petrov Allegedly Participated in a Russia-Based Illicit Procurement Network That, Subsequent to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, Illegally Procured Large Quantities of Sensitive Microelectronics for a Russian Company That Supplies Manufacturers for the Russian Military Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Matthew S. Axelrod, the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement of the Commerce Department, announced the unsealing of a Complaint charging ARTHUR PETROV with export control violations, smuggling, wire fraud, and money laundering offenses based on PETROV’s alleged participation in a scheme to procure U.S.-sourced microelectronics subject to U.S. export controls on behalf of a Russia-based supplier of critical electronics components for manufacturers supplying weaponry and other equipment to the Russian military. PETROV was arrested on August 26, 2023, in the Republic of Cyprus at the request of the United States. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Arthur Petrov is alleged to have participated in an international illicit procurement network based in Russia, using shell companies to smuggle shipments from U.S. distributors of microelectronics with military applications through intermediary countries in order to conceal the ultimate destination of these sensitive materials: Russia. As alleged, Petrov knew that the transactions and shipments were in contravention of U.S. export controls relating to Russia. Efforts to illicitly supply Russia with U.S.-sourced military technology represent an affront to national security and will continue to be met with criminal prosecutions by this Office.” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “As alleged in the complaint, Arthur Petrov conspired to smuggle U.S. microelectronics technology with military applications to Russia, the type of components used by the Russian military in its unjust invasion of Ukraine. The Justice Department will not tolerate efforts to circumvent our export control laws to fuel the Russian war machine and those who try will find no refuge from U.S. justice. We thank our partners in the Republic of Cyprus for their law enforcement cooperation and continued support.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: "After Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, we allege Petrov participated in a global scheme to use shell companies from around the world to establish a clandestine procurement network and supply Russia’s military industrial complex with critical U.S. technology, including types of microelectronics recovered in Russian military equipment on the battlefield in Ukraine. Petrov and his co-conspirators knowingly misrepresented their business activities to evade export controls in order to procure and transship components associated with Russian guided missiles, drones, and electronic warfare devices. This is yet another example of Russia using illicit procurement networks to not only advance their military, but ultimately harm the national security of our country. The FBI is resolute in its commitment to stopping Russia from rearming its military with U.S. technology. Along with our international partners, we will bring to justice anyone who evades sanctions or violates the laws of the United States.” Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod said: “Those who evade our export control restrictions to support Putin’s brutal war machine will be held accountable. In conjunction with today’s criminal action, we are issuing a Temporary Denial Order to shutter this alleged illicit procurement network’s access to the type of U.S. microelectronics embedded in Russian missiles and drones that have been used in its unprovoked war against the Ukrainian people.” According to the allegations contained in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] ARTHUR PETROV is a dual Russian-German national who has resided in Russia and Cyprus and works for LLC Electrocom VPK (“Electrocom”), a Russia-based supplier of critical electronics components for manufacturers supplying weaponry and other equipment to the Russian military. PETROV and two co-conspirators (“CC-1” and “CC-2”), who are Russian nationals also working for Electrocom, operated an illicit procurement network in Russia and elsewhere overseas. They have fraudulently procured from U.S. distributors large quantities of microelectronics subject to U.S. export controls on behalf of Electrocom. To carry out the scheme, PETROV, CC-1, and CC-2 used shell companies and other deceptive means to conceal that the electronics components were destined for Russia. The technology that PETROV and his co-conspirators have procured in contravention of export controls during the course of the conspiracy have significant military applications and include various types of electronics components that have been recovered in Russian military hardware on the battlefield in Ukraine, such as Russian guided missiles, drones, and electronic warfare and communications devices. To perpetrate the scheme, PETROV first acquired the controlled microelectronics from U.S.-based electronics exporters using a Cyprus-based shell company, Astrafteros Technokosmos LTD (“Astrafteros”), which he operates. PETROV procured these sensitive electronics components by falsely representing to the U.S. exporters that Astrafteros was purchasing the items for fire security systems, among other commercial uses, and that the ultimate end-users and destinations of the electronics are companies in Cyprus or other third countries — when in fact the components are destined for Electrocom in Russia, which supplies manufacturers for the Russian military. The microelectronics that PETROV has procured as part of the conspiracy include, among other things, microcontrollers and integrated circuits that are on the Commerce Control List maintained by the Commerce Department and cannot lawfully be exported or reexported to Russia without a license from the Commerce Department. Invoices provided to PETROV by the U.S. distributors expressly noted that these microcontrollers and integrated circuits are subject to U.S. export controls. To evade these controls, PETROV, CC-1, and CC-2 worked together to transship the controlled items procured by PETROV using pass-through entities operated by CC-1 and CC-2 in third countries. CC-1 and CC-2 then caused the items to be shipped, sometimes through yet another country, to the ultimate destination: Electrocom in Saint Petersburg, Russia. At all times, PETROV, CC-1, and CC-2 concealed from the U.S. distributors that they were procuring the controlled electronics components on behalf of Electrocom and that the items were destined for Russia. During the course of the conspiracy, PETROV, CC-1, and CC-2 procured from U.S. distributors and shipped to Russia more than $225,000 worth of controlled electronics components with military applications. * * * PETROV, 33, a dual Russian-German citizen who has resided in Russia and Cyprus, is charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act (“ECRA”), which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; three counts of violating the ECRA, which each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; three counts of smuggling goods from the United States, which each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant would be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division and the New York Field Office of the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI’s Legal Attaché offices in Poland, Germany, and Athens, Greece; the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance. The Cyprus Police also provided critical assistance in effecting the defendant’s arrest and detention at the request of the United States. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Sullivan is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Maria Fedor of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. The charges in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. U.S. v. Petrov Complaint


title: Resident of Chicora, PA Indicted on a Charge of Violating Federal Narcotics Laws

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Chicora, PA, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Scott Louis Musthaf, 51, of Chicora, PA, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about December 5, 2022, Musthaf attempted to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 5 years in prison, a fine not to exceed $5,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin C. Dobkin is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Billings man sentenced to prison for sexual abuse crime

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who admitted to sexually abusing a girl in Busby, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, between 2009 and 2010, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Travis Ridenour, aka Travis Lamere, 35, pleaded guilty in May to abusive sexual contact. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that Jane Doe 1 disclosed that when she approximately 13 years old, in 2009, Ridenour sexually assaulted her as she was sleeping. Jane Doe 1 woke up, and Ridenour’s hand was underneath her underwear on her vaginal area. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Anchorage Man Arrested for Recent Credit Union Robberies

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was arrested by the FBI yesterday on criminal charges related to recent alleged robberies of a local credit union. According to court documents, Etuale Ioane, 20, allegedly stole more than $3,400 after robbing the Credit Union 1 branch on Debarr Road in July and August. On July 17, around 1:15 p.m., Ioane allegedly entered the credit union and waited in line until being called forward by a teller. The defendant produced a handwritten note commanding the employee to give him money, and stated to hurry up because he had a gun and would shoot everyone inside. The defendant left the credit union with roughly $2,118. On Aug. 28, around 2:42 p.m., Ioane allegedly entered the same credit union and presented a demand note that stated people within the building would be harmed if his demands were not met. The note said to not alert anyone, press any buttons or try to give him bait bills. The defendant fled with around $1,340. The Anchorage Police Department received a tip on Aug. 30, stating the suspect was Ioane and he was in a van near a grocery store on East Northern Lights Boulevard. Local officers located and detained Ioane shortly after receiving the tip. A search warrant was executed on Ioane’s residence and clothing consistent with those worn by the suspect in both July and August robberies were recovered. Ioane is charged with four counts of credit union robbery, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §2113(a) and 2113(b). If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska; and Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement. The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, is investigating the case as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Schroeder is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Four Residents of Pittsburgh Indicted on Charges of Conspiracy, Interstate Transportation of Stolen Motor Vehicles and Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicles in Interstate Commerce

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - Four residents of Pittsburgh, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Conspiracy, Interstate Transportation of Stolen Motor Vehicles, and Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicles in Interstate Commerce, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The five-count Indictment named Jerome O. Hollaman, Jr., age 38; Dewayne Jeffrey Skrine, Jr, age 38; Ebone C. Johnson-Smith, age 42; and Carlos Leon Taylor, age 39, as defendants. According to the Indictment, from February 3, 2021 to October 7, 2022, the group targeted two high end automobile dealerships in New Jersey and in Georgia where they conspired to steal two luxury cars, a Jaguar and a Lamborghini. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Western Regional Auto Theft Task Force and Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.