title: Bakersfield Man Pleads Guilty to Aiming a Laser at a Sheriff’s Helicopter

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Jesse Torres-Alonso, 35, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, on Sept. 28, 2023, Torres struck a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One) 12 times with a dangerously bright green laser beam. The laser strikes interfered with the pilot’s ability to see and avoid other aircraft and effectively monitor the aircraft instrument panel. Law enforcement officers were able to locate and seize the laser device, which bore a prominent warning label, stating, “DANGER,” and warned against shining the light in the eyes. In the year that Torres committed this offense, the Federal Aviation Administration received 13,304 reports of laser strikes from pilots, marking a 41% increase over the 9,457 reported during 2022 and setting a record for the growing hazard. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case. Torres is scheduled for sentencing on May 20, 2025, by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. Torres faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Waterbury Man Who Possessed Guns and Drugs While on Supervised Release Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that D’METRIUS JOHNSON, formerly known as D’METRIUS WOODWARD, and also known as “Meech,” 30, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing firearms as a felon, and for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior federal conviction. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 12, 2014, Johnson was sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his participation in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy. He was released from federal prison in January 2018. On November 21, 2022, while Johnson was on supervised release, Brookfield Police arrested him on state charges related to the theft of catalytic converters. On that date, a search of Johnson’s Waterbury residence revealed a Ruger 57 semiautomatic pistol, a Glock 31 semiautomatic pistol, a Ruger LCP handgun, ammunition, approximately 89 grams of cocaine, and pills containing MDMA (“ecstasy”). It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Johnson has been detained since his arrest. On November 14, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Brookfield Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark. This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Firearms Theft

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

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A West Springfield, Mass. man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and for stealing those firearms. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Ryan Ansart, 22, to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $17,253.37 in restitution. Ansart pleaded guilty on August 22, 2024. According to court records, in April 2022, Ansart and coconspirator Damiean Marcial-Alexander broke into a Waterville firearms dealer and stole multiple firearms, including a Glock, Model 17 Gen5 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver. According to an ATF Theft/Loss Report submitted by the store owner, 15 firearms in all were reported stolen, six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols. Evidence collected included Instagram and text messages planning the theft, including a map to the location from Marcial-Alexander’s apartment, as well as photos of the two men holding some of the stolen firearms. On February 4, Damiean Marcial-Alexander, (22, Waterville) was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $17,253.37 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy and theft. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department. ###


title: Doctor Convicted of $24M Medicare Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A New York doctor was found guilty yesterday by a federal jury for causing the submission of over $24 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary laboratory tests and orthotic braces. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Alexander Baldonado, M.D., 69, of Queens, received tens of thousands of dollars in illegal cash kickbacks and bribes in exchange for ordering laboratory tests, including expensive cancer genetic tests, that were billed to Medicare by two related laboratories located in New York. As part of the scheme, Baldonado authorized hundreds of cancer genetic tests for Medicare beneficiaries who attended COVID-19 testing events at assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, and a retirement community in 2020. Baldonado was not treating any of the patients who attended the testing events and, in many cases, did not speak to or examine the patients prior to ordering cancer genetic tests and other laboratory tests for them. Baldonado also billed Medicare for lengthy office visits that he never provided to these patients. Several Medicare patients for whom Baldonado ordered cancer genetic tests and billed for office visits testified at trial that they did not know who Baldonado was and had never met or spoken to him. Baldonado did not contact the patients after the testing events to review the results of the cancer genetic tests, and, in some cases, the patients never received the test results. In addition to the laboratory testing scheme, Baldonado also received illegal cash kickbacks and bribes from the owner of a durable medical equipment supply company in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary orthotic braces for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The evidence presented at trial showed Baldonado on an undercover video receiving a large sum of cash in exchange for signed prescriptions for orthotic braces. The medically unnecessary laboratory tests and orthotic braces that Baldonado ordered in exchange for illegal kickbacks and bribes caused Medicare to be billed more than $24 million. Medicare paid more than $2.1 million to the laboratories and the durable medical equipment supply company involved in the schemes. Baldonado was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; six counts of health care fraud; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and solicit health care kickbacks; and one count of solicitation of health care kickbacks. Following his conviction on the 10 counts, Baldonado was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, and solicitation of health care kickbacks and five years in prison on each count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to pay, offer, receive, and solicit health care kickbacks and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to receive and solicit health care kickbacks. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office made the announcement. HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case. Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Trial Attorney Hyungjoo Han of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Amtrak Employee Admits Participating In $11 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Amtrak employee today admitted participating in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Anthony Saloka, 44, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From January 2019 through June 2022, Saloka and his co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to obtain cash kickbacks from health care providers in return for allowing the providers to use their personal and health insurance information to submit fraudulent claims for services that were either never provided or which were medically unnecessary. Saloka received thousands of dollars in cash kickbacks from health care providers in return for his participation in the scheme, including from Punson Figueroa, an acupuncturist, and Michael DeNicola, a podiatrist. Figueroa previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and was sentenced on September 24, 2024 to 34 months in prison. DeNicola previously pleaded guilty on June 29, 2022 to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, among other offenses. His sentencing remains pending. In total, the Amtrak health care plan paid over $11 million as a result of fraudulent claims associated with providers connected to the health care fraud scheme. The health care fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for June 4, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Samuel Dotson, and special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Vincent LaPaglia, Esq.


title: Durham Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Support to Terrorists

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Durham man pled guilty in court today to conspiring to provide and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Alexander Justin White, age 29, was arrested on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 , as he was preparing to board an international flight. White attempted to travel overseas intent on joining ISIS. If convicted, White faces up to 20 years in prison. “In this case, the great work of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) was on display, leading to the apprehension and arrest of an individual planning to join ISIS and potentially engage in terrorist acts against the United States or other allies,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “This is just one example of how the JTTF’s tireless work protects our communities.” White made numerous posts supporting ISIS and jihad between May and October of 2024 including videos commonly used to recruit new members and generate a passion for fighting as well as fundraising videos and several post and reposts in reference to well-known ISIS supporters and scholars. In addition, the complaint alleges that White made or attempted to make several transactions in support of camps and other similar ideological campaigns which are believed to funnel money to ISIS members and their supporters, and that White openly discussed his desire and intention to travel overseas to join ISIS with various individuals on Facebook and over other encrypted messaging applications (EMAs). In messages concerning his travel to join ISIS, he indicated that his goal was to be a “Mujahid,” which is Arabic for someone who commits jihad, or violence against non-Muslims. "White planned to leave his family, North Carolina, and ultimately his country and fly to Morocco, hoping to actively fight with ISIS. Thanks to the long and countless hours, days, and months, worked by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), Mr. White was literally stopped in his tracks. We are grateful to our JTTF partners for their shared commitment to justice and public safety," said Robert M. DeWitt, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina. The investigation into White is a result of the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Raleigh-based Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF is a group of highly trained, locally based investigators, analysts, linguists, and other specialists from dozens of U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies that gather evidence, make arrests, provide security for special events, collect and share intelligence, and respond to threats and incidents at a moment’s notice. There are about 200 JTTFs across the country, including one in each field office, with hundreds of participating state, local and federal agencies. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gabriel Diaz, Jason Kellhofer, and Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00009-M. ###


title: Marysville Man Charged With Assaulting U.S. Postal Worker

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Edgar Castro, 40, of Marysville, was arrested today, charged by complaint with assaulting a federal employee, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, on Sept. 9, 2024, Castro struck a United States Postal Service employee in the head and neck area while the employee was operating his postal delivery truck at a red stop light in Marysville. Castro had pulled alongside the postal vehicle and shouted, “What … are you looking at?” Castro exited his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the postal truck. He reached through the open window and struck the employee. In the process of being struck in the head and neck area by Castro, the employee’s badge and lanyard were thrown into the street. When the postal service employee attempted to retrieve his badge from the street, Castro struck the Postal Service employee in the face causing a fractured nose. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Castro faces a maximum statutory penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Convicted Felon and Related Companies Agree to Pay More than $1 Million to Resolve Allegations that They Falsely Certified Eligibility for PPP Loans

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Ralph Caruso of Wenham and five companies that he part-owns, have agreed to pay $1.065 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that the companies falsely certified to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) their eligibility for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. As part of the settlement, Caruso and his companies admitted that the loan applications falsely stated that the companies did not have owners who had pleaded guilty to certain felonies, but in fact Mr. Caruso had pleaded guilty to tax and mail fraud charges. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses, through the PPP. On Jan. 8, 2021, SBA announced the availability of a second round of PPP loans, known as Second Draw PPP loans. Entities that applied for Second Draw PPP loans had to certify, among other things, that no owner of the applicant had pleaded guilty to any felony involving fraud. As detailed in the settlement agreement , on Jan. 21, 2021, Caruso pleaded guilty in federal court in Massachusetts to seven counts of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns, and five counts of mail fraud. Between Feb. 26, 2021, and April 1, 2021, five companies in which Caruso had at least a 20% ownership stake applied for Second Draw PPP loans. Caruso’s companies — Caruso Equipment Corp., Flush LLC, Above the Line LLC, LL Burlington LLC, and City Rentals LLC — received a total of $655,635 in loans. These companies, through individuals other than Caruso, later applied for and received forgiveness from SBA of these loans, including interest. The United States contends that these companies were not eligible for Second Draw PPP loans due to Caruso’s felony convictions and ownership interests, and that Caruso and these companies thus submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for payment to SBA. “Faced with potential economic catastrophe wrought by the pandemic, SBA made PPP loans available only to certain trusted recipients — not those with felony fraud convictions,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The ink was barely dry on Caruso’s guilty plea when his companies unlawfully applied for these PPP. This office will continue to hold accountable those who took advantage of the PPP and other taxpayer-funded pandemic relief.” “The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other Federal law enforcement agencies to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties,” said SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis. 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 . U.S. Attorney Foley and SBA General Counsel Davis made the announcement today. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew A. Caffrey, III and Brian Sullivan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.


title: Bangor, Orrington Men Sentenced for Roles in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking Ring

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: Two Maine men were sentenced today in separate hearings at the U.S. District Court in Bangor for their roles in a northern Maine drug trafficking ring. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Joshua Jerrell, 30, to time served, approximately 36 months, followed by three years of supervised release. On February 9, 2023, Jerrell pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiring to make false statements to a federal firearms licensee. Judge Neumann sentenced Aaron Rodgers , 43, to time served, approximately 33 months, followed by three years of supervised release. On April 9, 2024, Rodgers pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Jerrell, Rodgers and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Both men regularly arranged to obtain quantities from a source through phone calls, texts and social media using coded language and then distribute these drugs to customers in Penobscot County. In June 2021, Jerrell made false statements to a federal firearms licensee in Holden in an attempt to obtain firearms for his drug supplier. Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in a widespread northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 13 of the defendants have been sentenced while 8 await sentencing: Sentenced: Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington) – Time served (approx. 36 months) James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months Shelby Loring (29, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 32 months) Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor) – Time served (approx. 33 months) Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months Awaiting sentencing: Daquan Corbett (30, Brockton, Mass.) Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25 Carol Gordon (53, Bangor) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25 Daviston Jackson (28, Boston, Mass.) Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25 John Miller (24, Caribou) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25 James Valiante, 42 (Linneus) – sentencing scheduled 05/05/25 Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle) – sentencing scheduled 02/20/25 The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. ###


title: Indiana Real Estate Developer And Property Manager Sentenced To 41 Months In Prison For Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi Scheme

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Indianapolis man was sentenced today to 41 months in prison today for his role in a scheme to defraud real estate investors, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Herbert Whalen, a/k/a “Bert Whalen,” 50, of Indianapolis, Indiana, previously pleaded guilty in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a multi-million dollar real estate investment scheme that took place in Indiana and New Jersey. Judge Madeline Cox Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From August 2016 to July 2018, Whalen, who operated Oceanpointe Property Management in Indianapolis, engaged in a scheme to obtain money from real estate investors by misrepresenting and concealing the poor condition of properties managed by Oceanpointe and by creating fake leases for unoccupied Oceanpointe properties. Investors were promised that, after repairs and rehabilitations were completed, and tenants rented the properties, investors would receive copies of the leases and begin to receive rent payments as their return on investment. In reality, many Oceanpointe properties were not repaired and rehabilitated, and were not ready for occupancy. To conceal these facts from victim investors, Whalen and a conspirator directed Oceanpointe employees to draft fake leases, making it appear to investors that Oceanpointe properties were rented, when, in fact, the properties remained vacant. Whalen instructed Oceanpointe employees to place fake tenant names on leases to send to Oceanpointe investors. Whalen and others commingled tenant rent payments and selected which investors would be paid from the pool of funds in order to silence investors who voiced concerns and evade detection of the fraud. In order to prevent investors from leaving Oceanpointe and exposing his fraudulent conduct, Whalen directed an Oceanpointe employee to create a false identity and falsely claim, on an online real estate message forum, that the Oceanpointe employee was an investor with Oceanpointe and another company, and that Oceanpointe had addressed all of the concerns regarding the investment property. These misrepresentations and others led to millions of dollars in losses to investors, which Whalen used to, among other things, fund his lifestyle. In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Whalen to three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit and Ari B. Fontecchio, Chief of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit. ### Defense counsel: John L. Tompkins, Tompkins Law, Indianapolis, IN


title: Fourteen Members of a Prison-Based Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ATLANTA – Fourteen individuals have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a prison-based drug trafficking ring responsible for the distribution of methamphetamine and heroin in the metro Atlanta area. “Several of the defendants even continued their criminal activity by orchestrating drug transactions from prison, posing a serious risk to public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “These sentences reflect the dedication and collaborative efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the distribution of poisonous drugs into our communities.” “These sentences reflect the destructive impact on the community caused by this drug trafficking organization,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Wherever you operate, if you distribute dangerous drugs, DEA will find you and hold you accountable.” According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges and other information presented in court: In January 2018, special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discovered that Jesus Garcia-Gutierez and Miguel Elorza, while inmates at the Jenkins Correctional Center in Millen, Georgia, used a contraband cellphone to arrange drug transactions outside the prison facility. Garcia-Gutierez and Elorza worked with numerous individuals outside the prison to coordinate several methamphetamine and heroin deals in the metro Atlanta area. The defendants’ drug trafficking activity included the following conduct: On May 24, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez arranged for David Crider, Jr. to receive two ounces of methamphetamine from another individual in Atlanta. Following the deal, Georgia State Patrol (GSP) troopers stopped Crider’s vehicle and seized the drugs. On June 3, 2018, Anthony Bernard Jordan consulted with Garcia-Gutierez and then arranged for Sheila Hardy, Larry Mosley, and Nathaniel Jackson to travel from Albany, Georgia to Atlanta, to pick up heroin and methamphetamine from another drug dealer. After the trio obtained the drugs, GSP troopers stopped their vehicle and seized 982 grams of methamphetamine and 475 grams of heroin. On August 16, 2018, Christopher Butler, who was Elorza’s former cellmate, coordinated with Joseph Brown to sell a kilogram of methamphetamine to a drug customer in Douglasville, Georgia. But Butler and Brown saw Douglas County Sheriff’s officers following them prior to the deal and discarded the drugs in a neighborhood yard, which were recovered by the officers. On August 30, 2018, Quantavius Foster, who was a counselor at the Jenkins Correction Center, met with Corea-Uriostegui in Augusta, Georgia to obtain over 100 grams of methamphetamine to smuggle into the prison for Garcia-Gutierez. The plan was foiled when Richmond County Sheriff’s officers stopped Foster’s vehicle and seized the drugs. On October 16, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez instructed Darrell White, an Alabama heroin distributor, to travel to Doraville, Georgia to pick up drugs from another individual. After the deal, GSP troopers stopped White’s vehicle and discovered more than 100 grams of heroin hidden in White’s clothes. On November 1, 2018, Garcia-Gutierez and Corea-Uriostegui arranged for Tiffany Julian and Jonathan Tyler Bryant to pick up 76 grams of methamphetamine and 48 prescription pills from a drug supplier in Atlanta. After this deal, Bryant led GSP] troopers on a high-speed chase on Interstate 75 South through midtown Atlanta. During the pursuit, Bryant and Julian tossed the drugs from the car window, which were later recovered by law enforcement. In total, the organization was responsible for the distribution of 14 kilograms of methamphetamine and 860 grams of heroin in the Northern District of Georgia. All of the defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg as follows: Jesus Garcia Gutierez, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years, six months in prison, consecutive to a state sentence, followed by five years of supervised release. Miguel Elorza, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 14 years in prison, served consecutive to a state sentence, followed by five years of supervised release. Anthony Bernard Jordan, 33, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Nathaniel Jackson, 65, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to seven years, six months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Tiffany Julian, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to six years, six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Darrell White, 41, of Anniston, Alabama, was sentenced to six years, five months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Christopher Butler, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to six years, two months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. David Crider, Jr., 52, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Jonathan Tyler Bryant, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to four years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Berenice Corea-Uriostegui, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to three years, four months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Larry Mosley, 46, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Sheila M. Hardy, 51, of Albany, Georgia, was sentenced to two years, one month in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Quantavius Foster, 33, of Swainsboro, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, three months in prison followed by one year of supervised release. Joseph Brown, 58, of Villa Rica, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia Bureau of Investigation West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Doraville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany L. Rupert and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Joy prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: California Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

body_text: BOSTON – A California company, and three individuals who owned and managed the company, pleaded guilty to charges relating to the shipment of facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Advoque Safeguard LLC (ASG) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Jason Azevedo, 33, of Cedar Creek, Texas; Paul Shrater, 52, of Simi Valley, Calif.; and Andrew Stack, 52, of Santa Cruz, Calif., also pleaded guilty to one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencings for June 11, 2025. In October 2024 , a second company, JDM Supply LLC (JDM), and two individuals, Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha, pleaded guilty in connection with this investigation. In addition, in August 2023, another individual, Jason Colantuoni, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging and is awaiting sentencing. In in the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, ASG and JDM conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. One hospital, identified as “HOSPITAL 1,” accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by ASG and sold to a hospital by JDM. (the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to ASG.) ASG and JDM misled the hospital into believing that the ASG masks were NIOSH-approved N95s when, in fact, they were not. In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the ASG masks that had been shipped to the hospital, and they tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, and thus fell under the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators. The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; 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 Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form .


title: Newington Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Offense

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARTIN DELGADO, 30, of Newington, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a narcotics trafficking offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 13, 2024, members of the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force conducted a court-authorized search of Delgado’s Newington residence and seized approximately 2,500 wax paper sleeves containing fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, and narcotics packaging materials. Delgado, who fled on foot when officers arrived at his residence, was apprehended a short time later in West Hartford. Officers located a 9mm handgun near Delgado’s residence that he appeared to have discarded as he fled. Delgado was charged with state offenses and released on bond. Delgado pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. A sentencing date is not yet scheduled. Delgado has been detained since his federal arrest on August 2, 2024. This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, and the West Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Lembo and Reed Durham. 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Mexican national who acted as transporter for smuggling conspiracy sentenced to 15 months in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A transporter for a northern border human smuggling conspiracy was sentenced late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 15 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jesus Ortiz-Plata, 46, of Independence, Oregon, weas arrested May 23, 2024, in Everett, Washington, with three non-citizens who had been smuggled into the United States from Canada. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said it was “callous” to send people across the border in freight cars. “He was a commercial smuggler. He wasn’t doing this for altruistic purposes, he did it for cold hard cash,” Judge Robart said. “This defendant was a cog in a conspiracy that transported people into the U.S. from across the northern border in an extremely dangerous smuggling scheme loading people into freight cars on trains traveling from Canada into the U.S.,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “These transnational smuggling groups charge thousands of dollars and risk the lives of those trying to reach the U.S. We will continue to investigate these smuggling groups to hold members accountable.” Since late 2022, as Border Patrol and investigators encountered non-citizens who had illegally attempted to cross the border. As part of the investigation, agents frequently encountered a phone number that was later linked to Ortiz-Plata. After substantial investigation, Ortiz-Plata was identified, and law enforcement obtained court permission to track his location. After months of surveillance and monitoring, on May 23, 2024, Ortiz-Plata traveled from his home in Oregon and was surveilled by agents from Seattle to an apartment in Everett. Ortiz-Plata left the apartment with three men – all non-citizens who entered his vehicle. All four were taken into custody. Two had crossed the border in a freight train car and one claimed he had walked across the border and been picked up on the U.S. side. On November 20, 2024, Ortiz-Plata pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport certain aliens for profit. In asking for the 15-month prison sentence, prosecutors noted that the defendant did not run the smuggling ring, but still played an important role in its success. “Ortiz-Plata admits that he knew the noncitizens he picked up were using freight trains to get into the United States; but nevertheless, he proceeded to participate. Even if he, himself, was not the one directing the noncitizens to jump on, Ortiz-Plata continued to facilitate, and thereby promote, this extremely dangerous smuggling route, multiple times, over the course of at least a year.” Ortiz-Plata will likely be deported following his prison term. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Border Security Enforcement Team, U.S. Border Patrol, and Border Patrol Air and Marine Group. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Celia Lee and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Collins.


title: Somerset County Woman Charged With Bank Robbery

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, woman was arrested and charged with bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today. Ciara Brascom, 39, of Skillman, is charged by complaint with one count of bank robbery. She had her initial appearance on February 11, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On July 28, 2024, Brascom entered a bank in Princeton and demanded cash from a bank teller, while holding what appeared to be a black handgun. During the robbery, Brascom threatened that she would use the gun if the bank’s alarm was activated. Brascom fled from the bank after taking approximately $60,500. The charge of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Princeton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Christopher Tash, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey, for their assistance in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard G. Shephard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### brascom.complaint.pdf


title: Haverhill Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Firearms Trafficking

body_text: BOSTON – A Haverhill man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to trafficking cocaine and illegal firearms in and around the Boston area. Cordell Miller, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, aiding and abetting and one count of trafficking in firearms and conspiracy to do so. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025. Miller was arrested and charged in November 2023 along with alleged co-conspirators Malcolm Desir and Alan Robinson. Miller was identified as a firearms and ammunition trafficker in the metro Boston area. In August 2023, Miller arranged for the sale of distribution weight cocaine and several firearms to a cooperating witness. Prior to his arrest in November 2023, Miller and Robinson facilitated the sale of four separate firearms: an AR-15 “ghost gun” rifle; a Polymer 80 “ghost gun” pistol; a HIPOINT 9mm rifle; and a Ruger .38 caliber pistol. In January 2025, Robinson pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2025. Desir is scheduled to plead guilty on Feb. 19, 2025. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, 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. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Hays man admits manslaughter charge in stabbing on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Hays man today admitted to fatally stabbing a woman during a quarrel on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Tonylee Andrew Sears, 24, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter as charged in an indictment. Sears faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 18. Sears was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in the early morning hours of Jan. 13, 2024, Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services responded to reports of a stabbing at Sears’ home. Officers encountered Sears, a witness, identified as John Doe, and the victim, identified as Jane Doe. Jane Doe was on the living room floor, bleeding, and was pronounced dead at the scene. In an interview with law enforcement, John Doe said he and Jane Doe had gone to Sears’ house to drink alcohol and hang out and that the victim and Sears argued. The argument escalated, and Sears grabbed a knife and stabbed Jane Doe while she was on the ground. John Doe pulled Sears off the victim and called 911. Sears threw the knife in the kitchen sink. When interviewed, Sears admitted that he and the victim rolled around on the floor after an argument, and he stabbed her. Officers recovered a knife from the kitchen sink. An autopsy report concluded that Jane Doe died from a stab wound. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Sicklerville Man Admits To Conspiring To Commit Tax Fraud

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Sicklerville, New Jersey, man today admitted to conspiring to defraud the IRS by working with others to conceal cash wages paid to employees, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Chung “Alex” Lam, 46, of Sicklerville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In 2018, Lam pleaded guilty in federal court to failing to pay over to the IRS payroll taxes. He received an 18-month prison sentence, which he served during parts of 2019 and 2020. Prior to serving that sentence and upon his release from custody, Lam conspired with the owners of various temporary staffing companies to defraud the IRS. The temporary staffing companies provided temporary workers businesses. As part of their agreements with their customer businesses, the temporary staffing companies were responsible for collecting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due and owing on the wages paid to the temporary workers. Lam received checks that were payments to the staffing companies for labor provided by their employees. Between the first quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2023, Lam used a commercial check casher to negotiate more than $4,000,000 of such checks. Lam kept a portion of the cash for personal use and caused the rest of the cash to be provided to co-conspirators to pay the temporary workers in cash. As a result, payroll taxes were not collected or paid to the IRS. Lam also filed false individual income tax returns that omitted the income he earned from his role in the conspiracy. Lam admitted that the conspiracy caused a tax loss of approximately $628,351. The count of conspiracy to defraud the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. ### Defense counsel: John B. Brennan, Esq., of Marlton, NJ lam.information.pdf


title: Mason City Man Sentenced to More than 20 Years in Federal Prison for His Role in Distribution of Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Monroe Thompson, age 40, from Mason City, was sentenced February 7, 2025, to more than 20 years in federal prison after an August 28, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Evidence in the case revealed that between May 2023, and August 2023, Thompson was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Thompson purchased methamphetamine from sources working with law enforcement. During the execution of a search warrant at Thompson’s residence, officers located counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl. Thompson has an extensive criminal history including several convictions for possession of controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a felon, and assault – inflicting serious injury in Iowa; Absence from custody in Minnesota; possession of controlled substances and/or selling or manufacturing controlled substances, and possession of firearms in Illinois; as well as Burglary, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, disorderly conduct and resisting or obstructing, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in Wisconsin. Thompson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 262 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Thompson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-3014. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Fort Dodge Woman Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution

body_text: Braleigh Schossow, 24, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, pled guilty on February 11, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiring to distribute fentanyl. At the plea hearing, evidence showed that between December 2020 and February 2024, Schossow and others involved in the conspiracy, distributed at least 22 pounds of fentanyl in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and elsewhere. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Schossow remains in the custody of United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Schossow faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. 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 . Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-3026. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Willie Mills, age 31, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty on Monday to possession of a firearm as a felon and distribution of fentanyl. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division, made the announcement. Mills admitted to possessing an EAA semiautomatic pistol and distributing 895 pills containing fentanyl. As a result of his prior felony conviction for criminal possession of a firearm, Mills could not lawfully possess the pistol. Mills faces a mandatory prison term of at least 5 years and maximum term of 40 years, a fine up to $5 million, and a supervised release term of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. DEA is investigating the case with assistance from the Schenectady Police Department and ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Paulbeck is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures 20-Year Sentence for Albuquerque Drug Trafficker Following Jury Conviction

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man with a history of felony convictions was sentenced to 248 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses after being found guilty at trial of possessing nearly two pounds of methamphetamine and a loaded handgun. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on February 20, 2021, Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call about a suspicious person in Albuquerque's South Valley. Deputies observed Jaime Valdez , 36, matching the description and noticed him acting nervously. Upon approach, Valdez began reaching into his pockets and a duffle bag, prompting deputies to secure him. A search revealed a loaded pistol in Valdez ’s pocket and approximately $2,560 in cash, two packages containing 859.8 grams of pure methamphetamine, and drug packaging materials and a scale in the duffle bag. Valdez , who had three outstanding felony warrants and was previously convicted of felony charges including False Imprisonment and Child Abuse, was prohibited from possessing firearms. Upon his release from prison, Valdez will be subject to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nora Wilson and Joseph Spindle prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 7, 2025. Len Homelvig, age 55, was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 for three counts of Production of Child Pornography. As part of a plea agreement with the United States, he pleaded guilty to one count of Production of Child Pornography on October 25, 2024. On February 7, 2025 he was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100, and restitution in the amount of $8,000. Homelvig must register as a sex offender upon release from federal prison. The conviction stemmed from an investigation that started in December 2023 when photographs of naked minor females were found on Homelvig’s phone. Upon closer inspection, the photographs and videos were that of the female foster children living in his home. To create the pornography, Homelvig slid his phone under the bathroom door while the minor females were getting dressed or would put his phone over the top of the shower curtain while the girls were showering. Homelvig was able to capture images and videos of the minor females’ private parts. Ultimately, the investigation discovered Homelvig perpetrated on five females living in the home, four of which were minors. 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. Homelvig was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Houston resident pleads guilty to laundering proceeds from $40M fraud scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 43-year-old man has admitted to laundering proceeds from a large-scale bank fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Bun Khath admitted that from 2016 to 2021, he conspired with others in a bank fraud scheme involving dozens of loans totaling at least $40 million in fraudulent loan proceeds. As part of the plea, Khath acknowledged opening and maintaining shell companies and bank accounts to collect money from the scheme and then laundering the fraud proceeds by wiring them to bank accounts other co-conspirators controlled. Khath and others accomplished the bank fraud by preparing loan applications that contained false and fraudulent information and documents, including fake equipment sales invoices, income tax returns and financial and bank statements. U.S. District Keith Ellison will impose sentencing April 29. At that time, Khath faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 possible fine or twice the amount involved in the transaction. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. Another Houston resident charged in the case - Hugo Villanueva, 70, - is considered a fugitive, and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000. The Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek is prosecuting the case.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Over Six Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon and Distribution of Methamphetamine

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Distribution of a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025. Rickey Eugene Johnson, Jr., 34, was sentenced to six years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Johnson was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Distribution of a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty in November 2024. On May 13, 2024, Johnson was driving a vehicle in Sioux Falls and was stopped by law enforcement and arrested. The officers found a 9 mm handgun in his vehicle. Johnson is prohibited from having firearms based on prior felony convictions. While on pre-trial release in the firearm case, Johnson sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with law enforcement on January 17, 2024. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case. Johnson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rapid City Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Fraud and Theft

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Camela C. Theeler, U.S. District Judge, has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of one count of Bank Fraud and six counts of Theft by a Credit Union Employee. The sentencing took place on February 10, 2025. Ashley Viken, 41, was sentenced to 11 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $700 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $50,000 in restitution to Black Hills Federal Credit Union and $69,085.95 in restitution to CUMIS Insurance Society, Inc. Viken was indicted on one count of Bank Fraud and 28 counts of Theft by a Credit Union Employee by a federal grand jury in August 2024. She pleaded guilty on November 26, 2024. Between July 2022 and March 2024, Viken, while employed as an accountant with Black Hills Federal Credit Union (BHFCU), devised a scheme to defraud BHFCU for her own personal gain. As part of the scheme, Viken wrote 29 cashier’s checks totaling $119,085.95 on an account owned and controlled by BHFCU and fraudulently documented that she was reissuing cashier’s checks or refunding money to BHFCU members, when she instead was depositing the cashier’s checks into accounts she owned or controlled. After fraudulently taking the money, Viken then falsified bank documents to cover her theft and used the funds for her own personal benefit. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. Viken was ordered to self-surrender to the U.S. Marshals Service at a future date.


title: Missouri Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for $3 Million Pandemic Fraud, Witness Tampering, Clean Air Act Violations

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced a Farmington, Missouri business owner who committed bank fraud, Clean Air Act violations and witness tampering to 108 months in prison. Judge Pitlyk also ordered Christopher Lee Carroll, 55, to pay restitution of $3 million. Carroll was convicted by a jury in August of three counts of bank fraud, three counts of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, 13 violations of the Clean Air Act and two counts of threatening a witness. Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Carroll and his business partner, George Reed, were owners of a time share exit company called Square One Group LLC. In April of 2020, they submitted a false and fraudulent application for a $1.2 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The loan application falsely stated that the spouses of Reed and Carroll owned the company in order to conceal Carroll’s status as a paroled felon, which would have precluded his company from receiving PPP funds. Carroll also used his wife’s name to avoid any potential liability for the fraud, a sentencing memo filed by prosecutors says. The PPP loan was supposed to help save businesses and jobs, but Carroll did not use the money to pay dozens of employees who were out of work or keep paying for health insurance for 17 of those employees. Instead, he used it to start a trucking company, Whiskey Dix Big Truck Repair LLC. Carroll and Reed then applied for loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that they’d spent the money on payroll and other permitted expenses. Reed and Carroll later sought a second loan of more than $1.6 million, taking a total of $660,000 in “owner draws” from the company after the loan was approved, the evidence showed. The Clean Air Act violations relate to emissions control equipment designed to reduce pollutants. Carroll had that equipment taken off Whiskey Dix’s fleet of diesel trucks. Carroll asked one employee to “take the fall” for his crimes and told another that he would stop paying for the employee’s lawyer if he talked to federal agents, evidence and testimony showed. Carroll did stop paying for the lawyer. Carroll is a “consummate fraudster,” the government sentencing memo says, who ran a company that preyed on elderly victims before committing the pandemic loan fraud and other crimes. Carroll is also “a dangerous, violent person,” the memo says, citing prior convictions including felonious restraint and forcible sodomy and evidence of Carroll’s participation in a murder-for-hire scheme. “This prosecution reinforces our office’s priority of going after the worst pandemic fraudsters,” said U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “People like Christopher Carroll took advantage of a once-in-a-generation crisis to enrich themselves at the expense of struggling Americans. This office will continue to make sure that defendants like Carroll are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” “This latest conviction is the tip of the iceberg for this career criminal,” said FBI St. Louis Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson. “In addition to defrauding the taxpayer-funded loan program in this latest case, Chris Carroll bailed on customers to line his own pockets with the millions of dollars they paid him to help exit timeshares. Furthermore, Carroll’s violent criminal history includes being a convicted sex offender for forcible sodomy.” Whiskey Dix was also found guilty of 16 Clean Air Act violations. Judge Pitlyk sentenced the company to three years of probation. Reed, now 70, pleaded guilty to bank fraud in September of 2022 and admitted fraudulently applying for, obtaining and using the two PPP loans. Reed admitted as part of his guilty plea that the company failed to pay a “significant number” of employees, despite the PPP loans, and that Carroll terminated the health insurance benefits of at least 17 employees. Reed was sentenced last month to time served and ordered to pay $3 million in restitution. The FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwendolyn Carroll and Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.


title: San Joaquin County Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Michael Correia, 38, of San Joaquin County, was sentenced today to five years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, during a traffic stop, Correia was found to be in possession of a loaded .22 Ruger revolver and a box of .22 caliber ammunition. Correia is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple state felony convictions, including 2017 and 2021 convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm in San Joaquin County. This case was the product of an investigation by the Manteca Police Department, the Stockton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Northfield Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Federal Prison for  Attempting to Receive 2 Pounds of Methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Northfield man was sentenced today in federal court for his attempt to receive two packages of methamphetamine in New Hampshire through the United States Postal Service (USPS), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Joseph Crawford, of Northfield, age 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 72 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. On October 30, 2024, Crawford pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. “Joseph Crawford used the United States Postal Service in an attempt to smuggle dangerous drugs across state lines into the Granite State,” said Acting United States Attorney Jay McCormack. “Individuals using the mail as an avenue to traffic illegal narcotics to New Hampshire will be prosecuted and significantly punished.” “Joseph Crawford has repeatedly demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law and yesterday’s sentence puts him out of business and behind bars for receiving significant quantities of meth through the mail while on parole for two prior state drug convictions,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prevent illegal drugs from hitting the streets in order to make our cities safer.” "As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise, DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Crawford accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those who attempt to bring this poison to the Granite State.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to dedicate the resources necessary to keep methamphetamine producers and traffickers out of our communities,” said Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Today’s sentencing is a result of a coordinated effort of our local and state law enforcement partners to keep methamphetamine and other drugs out of our communities.” On July 5 and July 19, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) flagged suspicious packages addressed to Joseph Crawford at an address in Northfield, New Hampshire, sent from California. USPIS obtained search warrants for both packages, which contained over two pounds of methamphetamine in total. The United States Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police, Claremont Police Department, and the Lebanon Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Cherniske prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. ###


title: Miske Enterprise Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced that John B. Stancil, 37, of Waimanalo, was sentenced today in federal court by U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson to 240 months of imprisonment (the statutory maximum) followed by 3 years of supervised release for racketeering conspiracy. Stancil pled guilty on January 22, 2024, in the middle of jury selection, to conspiring to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the “Miske Enterprise,” through racketeering activity that included participating in the commission of murder-for-hire and acts relating to chemical weapons. In his plea agreement, Stancil admitted that he and other members of the Miske Enterprise participated in chemical weapon attacks on two Honolulu nightclubs in March 2017, carried out on the orders of codefendant Michael J. Miske. Stancil provided the toxic chemical used in the attacks – a substance called chloropicrin, which can cause death, temporary incapacitation, or permanent harm to humans. Stancil also admitted to joining a murder-for-hire conspiracy with Miske and other Enterprise members. Miske put a murder contract out on an individual he believed was cooperating with law enforcement. Stancil then provided details of where the victim lived to another co-conspirator who agreed to carry out the murder until Miske eventually rescinded the contract. Stancil also admitted he served as the getaway driver for multiple assaults ordered by Miske and on behalf of the Miske Enterprise. According to other information provided to the Court, Stancil also coordinated and participated in numerous robberies on behalf of the Miske Enterprise. Stancil was charged alongside twelve other defendants, all of whom pled guilty except for Michael J. Miske who proceeded to trial and was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024. Seven other members and associates of the Miske Enterprise pled guilty to various offenses in related cases. “You cannot run from the facts,” Judge Watson advised Stancil during today’s sentencing before reciting the litany of racketeering acts for which the Court found Stancil responsible. Judge Watson found Stancil to be “among the most culpable” of those in the Miske Enterprise, describing him as one of Michael Miske’s “key confidantes and lieutenants” and a “key player in terrorizing the citizenry of this city and county for years.” Judge Watson further noted that Stancil deserved an even higher prison sentence that the Court was not permitted to impose by statute. “Today’s sentence represents the culmination of years of tireless, dogged, skilled, and innovative work on the part of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii and our outstanding law enforcement partners, the Honolulu Division of the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “The court was deprived of the opportunity to sentence Michael Miske due to his untimely death following his guilty verdicts at trial for racketeering and other crimes. But today’s sentence, along with the 18 convictions we have secured against Miske’s henchmen and violent thugs, demonstrates our strong commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and convicting those who violate the law and endanger the safety and welfare of Hawaii’s citizens. Let today’s sentence and the convictions in these cases serve as a stark reminder to those who operate criminal enterprises in Hawaii that we have the tools, expertise, and resolve to bring them to justice.” “Mr. Stancil was a key member of the Miske Enterprise, actively participating in a longstanding pattern of racketeering activity involving murder-forhire, robbery, and use of chemical weapons,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “This sentencing reflects years of collaboration between FBI Honolulu and our law enforcement partners. The FBI remains steadfast in its commitment to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, hold their members accountable, and pursue justice for victims.” “Mr. Stancil’s racketeering charge reminds us that organized crime threatens innocent lives for money,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “Our agency follows the money so we can cut off organized crime at its roots.” “HSI is committed to ending organized crime in Hawaii. The sentencing of Mr. Stancil underscores the importance of leveraging law enforcement partnerships to safeguard our community,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “Our dedication to this cause is unwavering, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that these criminals are held accountable for their actions.” This prosecution was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligencedriven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.


title: Mingo County Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Child Pornography Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terry Randall Hinkle, 56, of Delbarton, was sentenced today to ten years in prison, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, for receiving child pornography. Hinkle must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 30, 2023, Hinkle received multiple images depicting child pornography via Facebook from another user. Hinkle admitted that the child pornography he received on Facebook included images depicting nude prepubescent females with their legs spread to display their genitals. Hinkle further admitted that he possessed approximately 24 videos and 46 images depicting child pornography. Hinkle also admitted that he sent an image depicting a nude minor female with her legs spread to expose her genitals via Facebook to another user on September 25, 2023. Hinkle solicited another individual online to produce and send him images of child pornography depicting minors in that individual’s custody. However, the other individual never sent the requested photos. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald prosecuted the case. 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. 2:24-cr-110. ###


title: Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution


title: Dubuque Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison  After Hiding Gun for Her Brother

body_text: A Dubuque woman who purchased a gun for her brother and then hid it after it was used in a shooting was sentenced February 10, 2025, to over a year in prison. Delicia Lee, age 36, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 17, 2024, guilty plea to tampering with evidence. Information disclosed during the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that in March 2023, Lee purchased a Walther CCP M2, 9mm gun from a business in Dubuque. When Lee filled out the paperwork to purchase the gun, she indicated that the gun was for her. Lee actually purchased the gun for her brother, Marvin Brantley, a convicted felon. Approximately three weeks later, in April 2023, Brantley was involved in a fight and fired the gun at a group of people outside a bar in Dubuque. No one was injured. Brantley hid the gun in the ceiling of his basement before being arrested on state charges related to the shooting. In jail phone calls between Brantley and Lee, Brantley walked Lee, step-by-step, to the location of the gun in his residence. After she found it, he told her to wipe it down and get rid of it. Lee drove the gun to a residence in Chicago. Later, investigators searched her residence looking for the gun. Lee admitted that the gun was in Chicago. At law enforcement’s request, she turned the gun into police one week later. Law enforcement also determined that Lee had purchased 15 guns between 2017 and 2020 in Indiana. These firearms were purchased by Lee for others prohibited from purchasing the guns themselves. More than half of the firearms were recovered after they were used in criminal conduct including, but not limited to, homicide, kidnapping, robbery, and, in one instance, to shoot a police officer. Several of the firearms have not been recovered. Marvin Brantley was later charged in the Northern District of Iowa with felon in possession of a firearm. In April 2024, Brantley was sentenced to 145 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm and his role in the shooting. Lee was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lee was sentenced to sixteen months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-1016. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Bryan County Resident Pleads Guilty To Assault With Intent To Commit Murder

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jason Edward Lewis, age 48, of Kenefic, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country. The Superseding Indictment alleged that on or about July 10, 2024, Lewis assaulted an individual with intent to commit murder. The crime occurred in Bryan County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Bryan County Sheriff's Office. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Lewis will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.


title: Adair County Resident Pleads Guilty To Involuntary Manslaughter

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jade Larae Duncan, age 27, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea of one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that on December 2, 2022, Duncan unlawfully killed an individual in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to a felony and in the commission in an unlawful manner, without due caution and circumspection, while driving under the influence of alcohol and departing the roadway into a creek bed. The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Adair County Sheriff’s Department. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Flanigan, Lewis M. Reagan, and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: Adair County Resident Sentenced For Child Abuse

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brian Keith Bowen Jr., age 26, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for one count of Child Abuse in Indian Country. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee Nation Marshals Service. On May 22, 2024, Bowen pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, between April and May of 2023, Bowen maliciously harmed a child entrusted in his care. Bowen’s mistreatment came to light on May 2, 2023, when medical professionals treating the child observed numerous injuries, including fading bruises, petechiae, and a spiral bone fracture consistent with child abuse. The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Bowen will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.


title: Park Hill Resident Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Firearm And Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kenny Ray Jackson, age 65, of Park Hill, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The Indictment alleged that on July 29, 2024, Jackson knowingly possessed one .22 caliber, semi-automatic rifle, one .30-.30 caliber, lever action rifle, and one 12 gauge, break open shotgun, together with 54 rounds of assorted caliber ammunition, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Soverly represented the United States.


title: Salvadoran National Sentenced On Reentry Of Removed Aliens

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Carlos Vides-Torres, age 46, a native of El Salvador, was sentenced on February 7, 2025, to time-served, by United States District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann for one count of reentry of removed aliens. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Vides-Torres was discovered on September 10, 2022, in Bradford County, having been arrested by the Pennsylvania State Police for driving under the influence of alcohol. Vides-Torres was previously removed from the United States in 2008, and twice in 2011, and had not sought or obtained permission to reenter the United States. The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – Gary Matthew Hughes, 36, of Piqua, Ohio, was sentenced to 14 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after pleading guilty to coercion or enticement of a minor. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $114,000 in restitution. From about September to October 2023, Hughes communicated with a purported seven-year-old daughter of an undercover agent. He admitted that his intent was to engage in sexual activity with the girl. During the investigation, agents also found multiple files of child sexual abuse materials on his personal cellphone. The case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 . To report child sexual abuse, please visit www.cybertipline.org , or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.