title: Justice Department To Monitor Compliance In Grand Rapids

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MI – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Grand Rapids/Kent County for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints or for the public to share information related to voting rights concerns on Election Day at 616-808-2140 or online at website . Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. # # #


title: Ohio Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An Ohio man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Thiago da Silva Pinheiro, 44, of Cincinnati, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. On Jan. 12, 2024, Pinheiro pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. On Sept. 20, 2022, Pinheiro flew from Ontario, Canada to Boston with an ultimate destination of Brazil. During screening at Logan Airport, customs officers observed CSAM on Pinheiro’s tablet and phone. There were thousands of CSAM files on Pinheiro’s seized electronic devices depicting children as young as two years old. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Jessica L. Soto of the Office’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 .


title: Repeat Offenders Plead Guilty in Separate Drug Trafficking Investigations

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

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – Two Albany residents, both with lengthy criminal histories in the community, pleaded guilty to federal charges resulting from separate drug trafficking investigations in Southwest Georgia. Roderick Terrell Ferrell, 37, and Kerry Lamont Davis, 42, each pleaded guilty in separate cases to one count of distribution of cocaine before U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner on Oct. 30. Due to their criminal histories, both Ferrell and Davis qualify as federal career offenders and each face a maximum of 30 years in prison to be followed by six years of supervised release and a maximum $2,000,000 fine. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “Both defendants have lengthy criminal records and have repeatedly disregarded the law,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “These cases demonstrate how federal, state and local law enforcement are working together to make our communities safer and hold career offenders accountable.” “The FBI is proud to work with our local law enforcement partners in helping to convict these repeat offenders at the federal level, where they face stiffer penalties and no opportunity for parole,” said Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of the FBI Atlanta’s Albany office. “Our communities remain under attack by career criminals with no regard for the destruction they cause,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “This investigation demonstrates the DEA’s commitment to protecting our community.” "Our message is clear: individuals with histories of criminal behavior who continue to engage in illegal activities will be met with the full force of the justice system. We are dedicated to working alongside our partners to ensure that those who choose this path face serious consequences," said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Atlanta Field Division. “Eliminating drug trafficking in our communities requires a united front,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The successful convictions of these repeat offenders are a demonstration of the effectiveness of our collaboration across federal, state and local agencies to hold individuals accountable and ensure safer neighborhoods.” According to court documents and statements made public in court in the Ferrell case, federal, state and local law enforcement received information from various confidential sources that Terrell was distributing cocaine and was supplied by a metro-Atlanta unnamed co-conspirator. Due to COVID-19’s impact on drug supply at the time, Ferrell was charging $1,400 an ounce for powder cocaine. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at another dealer’s residence, seized cocaine, and discovered that Ferrell had sold at least 18 ounces of powder cocaine. Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) then conducted a controlled buy from Ferrell on Nov. 8, 2021, where Ferrell sold two ounces of powder cocaine for $2,150. In addition, Ferrell reported that he had been pulled over by local law enforcement on Oct. 13, 2022, and was in possession at the time of $30,000 from a recent drug transaction. On Nov. 30, 2023, a patrol officer pulled Ferrell over and found ten pounds of marijuana in ten plastic vacuum-sealed bags in the rear cargo area. Ferrell said he was transporting the drugs to Camilla, Georgia. During the investigation, agents discovered that Ferrell filed only one tax return between tax years 2019 and 2023, in which he claimed a negative income in 2022. DEA conducted a concealment money laundering investigation to look at how Ferrell was dispersing his drug trafficking money. Agents found that between Aug. 2021 and Dec. 2023, Terrell received and moved $383,057 through his and his co-conspirators’ CashApp accounts and bank accounts, despite having no employment or declaring any income on his taxes. Credit card and bank statements also showed that Terrell and his girlfriend used drug proceeds to purchase luxury goods from Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Saks, Gucci and Balenciaga, as well as took luxury vacations and invested in a business that was never operational. Terrell also has several prior felony convictions including robbery by force, terroristic threats and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute in Dougherty County, Georgia, Superior Court. According to court documents and statements made public in court in the Davis case, Albany Police Department (APD) officers responded to Ridgemont Road in Albany on March 26, 2023, about a suspicious auto parked in the middle of the road. Officers found Davis asleep in the driver’s seat. After Davis handed the officers his driver’s license, he fled at a high rate of speed and crashed his car. He then attempted to run away, but he was quickly apprehended. Inside the car, APD officers found a semiautomatic pistol, a semiautomatic rifle, a revolver, nearly four kilograms of vacuumed sealed marijuana, a distributable quantity of ecstasy and cocaine, a digital scale, plastic baggies and $25,039. Davis has two prior felony convictions for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute in Dougherty County, Georgia, Superior Court. The Ferrell case was investigated by the DEA, FBI and GBI. The Davis case was investigated by the ATF and APD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Redavid prosecuted the cases for the Government.


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in Warren, Ann Arbor, Hamtramck, Detroit, and Flint

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Warren, Ann Arbor, Hamtramck, Detroit, and Flint for the Tuesday, November 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 313-226-9168. In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the state to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 313-965-2323. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.


title: Former Kalispell assisted living employee admits diverting pain medication

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MISSOULA — A former employee at an assisted living facility in Kalispell today admitted allegations that she tampered with packaging and took pain medications intended for patients, U.S Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Nicole Elice Anderson, 39, of Post Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining controlled substances as charged in an indictment. Anderson faces a maximum of four years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing was set for March 12, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Anderson was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that from approximately February 2023 to March 2023, Anderson obtained oxycodone and hydrocodone by fraud and deception. In March 2023, Drug Enforcement Administration agents were alerted to a drug diversion at Prestige Assisted Living in Kalispell in which 120 hydrocodone tablets for a patient had been substituted with Tylenol. Seven medication cards had evidence of tampering. Prestige staff identified Anderson as one of two employees who had access to the drugs when they were taken. Staff also discovered a tampered oxycodone blister pack. Management interviewed Anderson and the other employee, and both submitted to drug tests. Anderson quit before the results came back. Anderson’s test was positive for oxycodone. The other employee was negative for the same drug. The investigation determined that Anderson was prescribed a significant amount of hydrocodone, but not oxycodone, between February 2021 and March 2023 from seven different providers. In addition, witnesses described Anderson checking out medications for patients who did not receive the drugs. Anderson admitted to multiple coworkers that she was prescribed hydrocodone for back pain, was addicted to the drug and routinely ran out of her prescription. Anderson asked several staff members for pain medications. Anderson later started working at an assisted living facility in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In June 2023, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department responded to a reported theft of hydrocodone from the facility. Management found multiple medication packs had been tampered with and that hydrocodone and hydromorphone pills had been replaced with Tylenol and anti-anxiety medication. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The DEA conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in Luzerne County

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Luzerne County for the November 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day. Our District Election Officers will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. AUSA/DEO Michael Consiglio can be reached by the public at the Harrisburg Office number: 717-221-4482; AUSA/DEO James Buchanan can be reached at the Scranton Office number: 570-348-2800; and AUSA/DEO Geoffrey MacArthur can be reached at the Williamsport Office number: 570-326-1935. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. # # #


title: Two Riverside County Brothers Sentenced to Prison for $2.1 Million Mail Insurance Scam that Defrauded United States Postal Service

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Two Temecula brothers were sentenced today to federal prison for defrauding the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of more than $2.1 million by filing thousands of fraudulent Priority Mail insurance claims. Anwer Fareed Alam, 36, and Yousofzay Fahim Alam, 34, each were sentenced to 27 months in prison by United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu, who also ordered them to jointly pay $2,135,739 in restitution. Both Alam brothers pleaded guilty on February 16 to one count of mail fraud. From October 2016 to May 2019, the Alam brothers purchased from the USPS Priority Mail packages and postages that included $100 in insurance for lost or damaged parcel contents. Anwer Alam wrapped empty packages or packages containing little or no value and then sent them via Priority Mail to fake recipients at fictitious addresses. Yousofzay Alam then submitted to USPS fraudulent insurance claims via the Postal Service’s website and falsely certified that the packages contained items of higher value than they did and lied that the packages were lost or had been damaged in transit. Yousofzay Alam also included false invoices as well as photographs of goods that were not actually inside the parcels. The Alam brothers used aliases and fake business names to hide the number of false insurance claims they submitted. Relying on the false information in the fraudulent insurance claim forms, USPS issued checks to the Alam brothers to cover their purported losses up to $100 in value plus the cost of shipping. USPS sent the insurance claim checks by mail to the Alam brothers to various addresses in Temecula, which included their home addresses, their business addresses, and approximately 15 different post office boxes at two different post offices. The brothers then deposited the fraudulently obtained funds into their bank accounts. For example, in November 2018, the Alam brothers fraudulently caused to be sent in the mail via USPS a $106.59 Priority Mail claim check, which was mailed to a business address in Temecula. The total loss caused to USPS through this scheme was approximately $2,135,739. The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney N. Williams of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.


title: Trafficking of Methamphetamine in the Sabine Parish Area Sends Three Men to Federal Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – Three north Louisiana men involved in the trafficking of methamphetamine have been sentenced in federal court, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. This case was an Organized Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation which was conducted in the Sabine Parish area. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced the three defendants as follows: Royshun Avair Newton , 38, of Bossier City, Louisiana, was sentenced to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison. Stacy Norvell Perry, Jr. , 32, of Many, Louisiana, was sentenced to 97 months in prison. Jessie Kenneth Dewayne Holden , 34, of Many, was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Each defendant will serve 5 years of supervised release following their release from prison. Evidence introduced in court revealed that beginning in March 2020 and continuing through August 2022, law enforcement agents learned through their investigation into illegal drug trafficking activities in the Many, Louisiana area, that Newton, Perry and Holden were selling methamphetamine to individuals in and around that area. On April 26, 2022, through text messages and the audio and video recordings, agents learned that Holden met an individual and drove with them to a store close to Perry’s residence, got out of the car and walked toward the residence. Holden shortly thereafter returned to the individual’s car with methamphetamine to sell to them. In addition, on August 16, 2022, law enforcement agents were able to secure information from an individual about the confirmed purchase of methamphetamine from Newton in exchange for cash. Agents learned that Newton was contacted about arranging the sale and the individual went to Newton’s house to make the purchase. When the individual arrived at Newton’s residence, they encountered Perry who was present and sold the methamphetamine. The suspected narcotics from both transactions were sent to the crime lab for analysis and confirmed to be methamphetamine. Newton, Perry, and Holden were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and each pleaded guilty to the charge. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in Cuyahoga and Portage Counties

component: Department of Justice

body_text: CLEVELAND - United States Attorney Rebecca Lutzko announced that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Cuyahoga and Portage Counties for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 216-338-4479 or 419-215-5444 to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns or fraudulent election activity. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in Prince George’s County, Maryland

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Prince George’s County, Maryland for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. [The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at NUMBER or ONLINE PORTAL WEB ADDRESS] Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. ###


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in Four South Dakota Counties

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Bennett, Jackson, Minnehaha, and Oglala Lakota Counties for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at (605) 838-9446. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (605) 334-6881. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.


component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: Fourteen Defendants Indicted in Connection with a Lawrence-Based Drug Trafficking Organization CONCORD – Fourteen defendants have been indicted and eleven have been arrested in connection with a Lawrence-based organization trafficking fentanyl in New Hampshire, U.S Attorney Jane Young announces. Beginning on October 23, 2024, through October 31, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested the defendants in New Hampshire and Massachusetts on charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely, fentanyl. The defendants began appearing in federal court last week. The following defendants have been indicted in connection with this drug trafficking organization: Franly Herrera-Herrera, age 24, of Methuen, MA; he is in federal custody. Yoefferman Robles Soto, age 22, of Boston, MA; he is in federal custody. Jose Herrera, age 22, of Lawrence, MA; he is in federal custody. Daniel Mendez Ubri, age 25, of Lawrence, MA; he was released on conditions of supervision. Wayestar Concepcion, age 55, of Lawrence, MA; he is in federal custody. Andri Pimental Arias, age 21, of Lawrence, MA; he is in federal custody. Alexander German, age 27, of Lawrence, MA; he is in federal custody. Joseph Post, age 36, of Billerica, MA; he is in state custody on unrelated charges. Bruce Wells, age 36, of Colebrook; he is in federal custody. Brexton Boudle, age 41, of Colebrook; he is in federal custody. Michael Savard, age 39, of Strafford; he is in federal custody. Trenton Murphy, age 26, of Kittery, ME; he is in federal custody. Jade Markham, age 27, of Concord; she has not yet been arrested. Hope Cassin, age 33, of Pembroke; she has not yet been arrested. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Franly Herrera-Herrera and Yoefferman Robles Soto are facing mandatory minimum penalties of 10 years imprisonment based on their involvement in the conspiracy. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Colebrook Police Department, the Berlin Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the Manchester Police Department, the Bedford Police Department, the Hudson Police Department, the Salem Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department, the Berwick, ME Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, the Boston Police Department, the Lawrence Police Department, and the Methuen Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske is prosecuting the case. 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. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former Troy City Council Member Sentenced for Identity Theft

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kim McPherson, age 63, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 1 year of probation, and to pay a $1,500 fine, for identity theft in connection with her casting of absentee ballots in two other people’s names in elections held in 2021. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. McPherson successfully ran for re-election to the Troy City Council in 2021, first in the Working Families Party primary and then in the general election. In pleading guilty in June 2022 to the unlawful possession and use of a means of identification of another person, she admitted that in the primary election, she unlawfully cast an absentee ballot in the name of another person, and that in the general election, she unlawfully cast absentee ballots in the names of two people other than herself. As part of her plea agreement, McPherson resigned from the Troy City Council. The FBI investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted this case.


title: Wisconsin Sex Offender Sentenced To 45 Years For Enticing And Coercing A Minor To Engage In Sexual Activity And Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Mohammad Ali Hemmat (29, Milwaukee) to 45 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, production of child sexual abuse material, traveling on two occasions from Wisconsin to Florida for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with a minor, and committing these offenses while required to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin. The court also ordered Hemmat to forfeit electronic devices, which were used in the commission of the offense, and to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Hemmat guilty in April 2024. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between April 2022 and March 2023, Hemmat used his cellphone and computer to sexually groom a 12-year-old girl in Florida. Hemmat groomed this child through daily social media video chats, text message conversations, and by sending her cash, gifts, and fast food. Hemmat shared obscene material with this child through social media applications, and he used a social media platform to remote log-in to the child victim’s laptop—which he had purchased for her—to search for sexually explicit topics, images, and videos. The victim subsequently sent child sexual abuse images of herself to Hemmat over the internet. In February 2023, Hemmat drove from Wisconsin to Florida for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity with the child. In March 2023, Hemmat drove to Florida a second time for the same purpose, but law enforcement was alerted to his presence by the victim. Although Hemmat attempted to return to Wisconsin without detection, law enforcement officers apprehended him in Indiana. Evidence presented at trial also showed that Hemmat had engaged similar tactics in grooming a13-year-old child in the United Kingdom to send him sexually explicit images of herself. At the time Hemmat committed these offenses, he had a prior conviction for an offense involving a minor, requiring him to register as a sex offender in Wisconsin. “The crime of sexually exploiting a child's vulnerability through manipulation and bribery demanded a severe consequence, and this 45-year sentence is evidence of justice served,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “Alongside our national and international law enforcement partners with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Jasper (Indiana) County Sheriff’s Office, the Sussex County (United Kingdom) Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, this sentencing demonstrates a united front against such predatory behavior, and reflects our collective commitment to protect vulnerable individuals in our society.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Jasper (Indiana) County Sheriff’s Office, the Sussex County (United Kingdom) Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Risha Asokan. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Former Miami-Dade Corrections Officer Pled Guilty to $150,000 COVID-19 Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Yesterday, Daniel Fleureme, 56, of Miami-Dade County, a former Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCRD) Corrections Officer, pled guilty to wire fraud for defrauding a COVID-19 relief program by fraudulently obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act were Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruptions. These EIDLs were provided directly to borrowers by the SBA. On July 27, 2020, Fleureme, while he was employed full-time by MDCRD as a Corrections Officer, submitted to the SBA a false and fraudulent EIDL application claiming to be the 100% owner of a sole proprietorship operating under the company legal and DBA names of “Daniel Fleureme.” In this fraudulent application, Fleureme claimed that he had owned the business since its creation on Feb. 15, 2017, and stated that the business had three employees as of Jan. 31, 2020. Fleureme’s EIDL application also falsely certified that for the 12-month period prior to Jan. 31, 2020, his sole proprietorship had gross revenues of $450,000 and a cost of goods sold of only $97,000. As a result of this fraudulent EIDL application, Fleureme received approximately $150,000 in EIDL proceeds from the SBA. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 7, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez in Miami. Fleureme faces up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud conviction. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (M-DC OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region, made the announcement. The FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the M-DC OIG, working in conjunction with SBA OIG, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On Sept. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams . 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 . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-20407. ###


title: Justice Department to Monitor Polls in Arizona for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – United States Attorney Gary M. Restaino announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Apache County, Maricopa County, Pima County, and Yuma County for the November 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov. Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-150_DOJ Election Monitoring # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing Firearms

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Keyshawn Savory, 24, pleaded guilty to six counts before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about April 11, May 28, July 15, and August 1, 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Savory acted as a straw purchaser when purchasing firearms from several federally licensed firearms dealers by stating that the firearms were being purchased for himself, when he actually was purchasing the firearms on behalf of another person. Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Savory. This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.


title: Justice Department To Monitor Compliance In Orange And Osceola Counties

body_text: Orlando, FL – The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Orange and Osceola Counties for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will handle this effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel from the Civil Rights Division, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at (904) 301- 6284. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.


title: Defendant Pleads Guilty to Federal Kidnapping and Carjacking Charges

body_text: WASHINGTON – David Zanders, 22, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one count of federal kidnapping and one count of carjacking, stemming from an incident on May 1, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 4, 2024. The defendant was arrested on November 18, 2022, and has been detained ever since. According to the court documents, in the early morning hours of May 1, 2022, Zanders and a conspirator kidnapped two males outside of a nightclub located at 645 Florida Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. The pair posed as an Uber and the two male victims subsequently got into the defendant’s vehicle. Shortly thereafter, Zanders pulled over on a neighborhood street in Washington, D.C., pointed a firearm at the two victims and robbed them of their phones and money. The victims were then driven around so the kidnappers could attempt to withdraw money using the victims’ credit cards. One of the victims was able to escape at a gas station in Washington D.C., when Zanders and the other suspect were looking for an ATM. After the first victim escaped, the second victim was driven to a supermarket in Maryland. The defendant and his cohort then retrieved money from an ATM at the supermarket using the second victim’s ATM card. The second victim was then driven to another location in Maryland and released. That same evening, Zanders, his cohort and a third individual met at 955 Longfellow Street, NW, Washington, D.C. Zanders had arranged a meeting with two additional victims where he was purporting to sell his vehicle but was, in fact, going to take their vehicle. When the two victims arrived in their vehicle, a 2019 green Dodge Charger, Zanders pulled out a gun, threatened to shoot the third victim, and demanded his phone, money and keys. The additional suspects turned towards the fourth victim and demanded the car keys. The fourth victim complied and one of the suspects then drove away with the 2019 green Dodge Charger. Zanders and the additional suspect then drove away in their own vehicles and fled the scene. Zanders faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison for kidnapping and 15 years for carjacking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, SAC Geist, and Chief Smith commended the MPD officers and FBI agents who collaborated on the investigation as members of MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Unit and FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer and by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Renaud. The case was initially investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Strong.


title: Justice Department To Monitor Compliance In Clark County

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Clark County for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 702-388-6336. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. ###


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in Blaine County

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — United States Attorney Jesse Laslovich announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Blaine County for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 406-542-8851. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. XXX


title: Owner of Florida Labor-Staffing Companies Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud and Money Laundering

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Ukrainian national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to the court documents and statements made in court, between April 2008 and July 2021, Oleksandr Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in southern Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC. Through these staffing companies, Yurchyk and others facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of federal income and employment taxes. Yurchyk and his co-defendants also laundered more than $11 million of proceeds from their scheme. Yurchyk is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit money laundering and five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Matthew B. Hicks and Wilson R. Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.


title: Washington Resident Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Loan Fraud

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Washington, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Walter Holt III, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about March 12 and May 27, 2021, Holt prepared and submitted falsified Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief loan applications for Charleroi, Pennsylvania, borrowers, for which he took a fee. Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for January 31, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Holt.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in New Jersey

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced today that staff from the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Union, Bergen, and Middlesex counties for the Nov. 2024, general election. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, in elections in communities across New Jersey and the country. As part of this monitoring efforts, in addition to monitoring in Bergen and Middlesex counties, staff from both offices will be working with federal observers in Union County who will be monitoring election day activities in the county’s polling places under a federal court approved consent decree . Complaints about voting rights concerns can be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Election Day Hotline at 888-636-6596 or to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Information about the ADA is available on the Justice Department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Information about civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/civil-rights-enforcement .


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing of Farmington Woman for Oil and Gas Fraud

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington woman was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to charges of failing to pay royalties owed to the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the Navajo Nation, and the federal government, as well as for submitting fraudulent oil and gas extraction reports and committing wire fraud. According to court documents, Teresa McCown , 55, the owner of M&M Production & Operation, Inc. and Shoreline Oil & Gas Company, was responsible for accounting, reporting mineral production, and paying royalties to mineral owners for extracted gas and minerals. To that end, McCown was required to submit monthly Oil Gas Operations Reports (OGOR) and royalty payments to the Department of the Interior's Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) based on the amount and value of oil and gas produced from the leases. On December 6, 2019, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) received a complaint letter from the Jicarilla Apache Nation alleging M&M and Shoreline’s ongoing failures to report oil and gas extraction volumes and failure to report revenue. ONRR began its investigation into McCown and her companies’ failure to pay royalties and determined that she filed over 400 incorrect reports on leases located within the Jicarilla Apache Nation, the Navajo Nation, and other federal lands. Audits of her company also revealed that she entirely failed to file approximately 1,000 reports for at least 32 leases or agreements. McCown also falsely reported gas extraction amounts and failed to pay due royalties and interest. Despite receiving multiple notices of noncompliance and civil penalties, McCown took no corrective action. Her false and missing filings, together with accruing penalties, resulted in a loss of over $3.55 million for the tribes and the federal government. The investigation revealed that McCown committed wire fraud by knowingly submitting inaccurate information through online reporting systems and violating numerous reporting regulations. McCown agreed to ONRR’'s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), which warned against entering inaccurate or false information into the reporting system. The online system separately warns users that a violation of the AUP may result in criminal prosecution. By continuing to violate policy using the online reporting portal, McCown carried on a scheme to defraud the Navajo Nation, the Jicarilla Nation, and the United States of full amounts due for her companies’ operations. McCown was sentenced to a time-served prison sentence, three years of supervised release, and is ordered to pay full restitution to the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Navajo Nation for lost royalties. She was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine in her personal capacity and is statutorily required to pay $900 in Court-required Special Penalty Assessments. To meet her financial obligations, McCown was ordered to liquidate her personal property – including two pieces of real estate in Farmington and Rio Arriba Counties, two motor vehicles, and a recreational vehicle, insofar as required to satisfy these financial obligations. During her period of Supervised Release, McCown may not work as a record-keeper or reporter in any industry subject to state or federal reporting or regulatory requirements, including oil and gas companies. As part of her plea agreement, McCown also agreed not to contest proceedings initiated by the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Land Management to cancel her oil and gas leases. Finally, McCown also agreed to formally apologize to the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the Navajo Nation. She apologized at sentencing and appended her apology to the record, saying in part: “I have had time to reflect on my actions and now realize that there are much larger consequences… It has not only harmed the two nations but also the people of those nations. For this I am truly sorry… I apologize to this court, The Jicarilla Apache Nation as well as the BIA-Farmington Office and the Navajo Nation.” This case was prosecuted pursuant to the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Management Act (FOGRMA) and is the first ever federal prosecution under 30 U.S.C. Section 1720 for violations of 30 U.S.C. Section 1719(d)(1). Section 1719(d)(1) of the FOGRMA imposes civil penalties for knowingly or willfully preparing, maintaining, or submitting false, inaccurate, or misleading reports, notices, affidavits, records, data, or other written information. Section 1720 provides criminal penalties for persons who violate Section 1719. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Energy Investigations Unit investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Flores prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Nigerian Man Sentenced to 26+ Years in Real Estate Phishing / Spoofing Scheme

body_text: A Nigerian man was sentenced today to more than 26 years in prison for conning prospective homeowners and others out of down payments using a “man-in-the-middle” email phishing and spoofing attack, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Kolade Akinwale Ojelade, a 34-year-old Nigerian national living abroad in Leicester, was indicted in February 2023. He was extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. in April 2024 and three months later pleaded guilty to wire fraud affecting a financial institution and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to 292 months on the wire fraud count and 24 months on the identity theft count to run consecutively for a total of 316 months in federal prison. Judge O’Connor also ordered him to pay $3,386,908 in restitution. “Even the most conscientious among us could get taken in by a man-in-the-middle scam as devious as this one. Luckily, there are steps we can take to protect ourselves, including confirming wiring instructions in person or by phone,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “For the next quarter-century, Mr. Ojelade will be behind bars, no longer able to scam innocent homebuyers. We are proud to hold him accountable for his crimes.” “Mr. Ojelade callously engaged in a scheme that stole millions of dollars from prospective homeowners and real estate companies. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes. Financial crimes can be devastating for individuals and companies because most times those monetary funds are never recovered,” said P.J. O’Brien, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Division. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners domestically and internationally to hold individuals accountable for defrauding unsuspecting victims.” According to court documents, Mr. Ojelade sent phishing emails to real estate businesses, gained unauthorized access to many of their accounts, and monitored their email traffic to determine when large transactions were about to take place. He then intercepted wire payment instructions, changed the information, and resent the emails via spoofed email addresses that mimicked the original senders’ addresses. Unbeknownst to the victims – including prospective homeowners wiring money to real estate companies and real estate companies wiring money to title companies – the modified wiring instructions directed them to accounts controlled by Mr. Ojelade and his co-conspirators. Once the funds hit the accounts, Mr. Ojelade and his coconspirators withdrew the money or transferred it into other bank accounts. At Mr. Ojelade’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors noted that the intended loss was more than $100 million and the actual loss was approximately $12 million. After serving his sentence, Mr. Ojelade will be subject to deportation. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation, with substantial assistance from FBI International Operations at Mission U.K., United Kingdom authorities, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Mr. Ojelade from the United Kingdom. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht is prosecuting the case. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises prospective homeowners to confirm wiring instructions – including account numbers – in person or by phone, and instructs anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to a scam to call their banks as soon as possible to ask for a wire recall.


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in Milwaukee

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced on November 1, 2024, that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws at several polling locations in the Milwaukee area for the November 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The Department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and Civil Rights Acts. The Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the Department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The United States Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on election day at 414-297-4103. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the Department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the Department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC using the complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: U.S. Attorney Announces That Federal Justice Department Will Monitor Federal Voting Rights Compliance in Wisconsin for November 5 Election

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, Timothy M. O’Shea, announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in several areas of the Western District, including the Town of Lawrence, Town of Thornapple, and the City of Wausau. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available while the polls are open to receive complaints on Election Day at 608-250-5488. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.


title: Court Permanently Stops Texas Professional and Business from Organizing and Selling “Tax Plans”

body_text: The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas entered permanent injunctions today against Charles Dombek and The Optimal Financial Group LLC barring them from promoting any tax plan that involves creating or using sham management companies, deducting personal non-deductible expenses as business expenses or assisting in the creation of “captive” insurance companies. The injunctions also prohibit Dombek from preparing any federal tax returns for anyone other than himself and Optimal from preparing certain federal tax returns reflecting such tax plans. Dombek and Optimal consented to entry of the injunctions. According to the government’s complaint, Dombek is a licensed CPA and served as Optimal’s manager and president. Allegedly, Dombek and Optimal promoted a tax scheme throughout the United States to illegally reduce customers’ income tax liabilities by using sham management companies to improperly shift income to be taxed at lower tax rates, improperly defer taxable income or claim personal expenses as bogus business deductions. As alleged by the government, Dombek promoted himself as the “premier dental CPA” in America. The complaint further alleges that in promoting the schemes, Dombek and Optimal made false statements about the tax benefits of the scheme that they knew or had reason to know were false, then prepared and signed tax returns for their customers reflecting the sham transactions, expenses and deductions. The government contended that the total harm to the treasury from the scheme could have been $10 million or more. Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Each year the IRS highlights some of the tax scams that put taxpayers at risk of losing money, personal information, data and more. In the IRS’s most recent list , it specifically warned taxpayers “to beware of promoters peddling bogus tax schemes aimed at reducing taxes or avoiding them altogether.” Working with the IRS, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers and tax scheme promoters over the past decade. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details. Dombek PI.pdf Optimal Financial PI.pdf


title: Freddie "Bankroll Freddie" Gladney, III Sentenced to Over 12 Years in Federal Prison Following Guilty Verdict at Jury Trial on Firearm and Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Freddie “Bankroll Freddie” Gladney, III, will spend the next 150 months in federal prison after being convicted of multiple narcotics offenses, including a firearms offense, which involved a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of marijuana in and around central Arkansas. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. Following a four-day trial, Gladney, 30, of Helena, was convicted by a federal jury on April 12, 2024. The jury found Gladney guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of using a telephone in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the 150 months’ total imprisonment, which is more than twelve years, Judge Moody sentenced Gladney to three years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Gladney was also ordered to pay a $242,000 money judgment as part of his conviction. Gladney was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 3, 2023, in a 32-count superseding indictment that charged him with numerous offenses related to a conspiracy that was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Two FBI operations, each focused on a rival gang, were created to address violence and drug trafficking in the corridor between Pine Bluff and Little Rock. The investigations focused on rival gangs responsible for violence throughout central Arkansas, with one operation focused on the EBK or Every Body Killas gang and resulting in the indictment of 35 defendants. An investigation revealed that on April 14, 2022, an Arkansas State Police trooper observed a black truck speeding and conducted a traffic stop in Marion. The trooper noted the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and asked Gladney to exit the vehicle. Gladney began to exit the vehicle but then reentered and started reaching for something in the vehicle. Because Gladney refused to exit the vehicle, the trooper was forced to remove him. During a search of Gladney’s vehicle, law enforcement officers located in the passenger seat near the area where Gladney had been reaching, a Romarm/Cugie Model Micro Draco 7.62x39mm caliber firearm and a Polymer 80 Model PF940C, 9mm privately made firearm (also known as a “ghost gun”). Additionally, during a search of the back seat of the vehicle, law enforcement officers located a duffle bag containing 21.4 pounds of high-grade marijuana and $33,662, which was located in the center console along with seven magazines, five of which were extended and fully loaded. At sentencing, Gladney received a 4-level increase for being an organizer or leader of criminal activity that involved five or more participants. Gladney received a 2-level increase in his guideline range for obstruction of justice related to a May 25, 2021, wiretap call in which he instructed a codefendant to remove guns and scales used for weighing illegal drugs from his Helena residence in anticipation that it would be searched by law enforcement. GLADNEY III: So where, what you got in the house in Helena? CODEFENDANT: I got everything out of there. GLADNEY III: You got everything out of there already? CODEFENDANT: Yeah. GLADNEY III: Scales and everything? CODEFENDANT: Naw, I gotta, gotta, lemme call them. Send em back in to get that. I gotta find out where all they at. GLADNEY III: Scales and shit. Get everything out the house. Any guns, anything. CODEFENDANT: Alright, let me.. GLADNEY III: Where that MAK-90 at? CODEFENDANT: It's not there. GLADNEY III: Alright get everything else out that house before they go search that b***h. CODEFENDANT: Alright. Judge Moody cited the ghost gun in increasing Gladney’s sentence 2.5 years above the guidelines range. Judge Moody noted that based on trial testimony, it was apparent that Gladney’s ghost gun, which did not have a back plate, was either ready to receive a “switch,” or had recently had a “switch” on it, that would turn the ghost gun from a semi-automatic firearm to a fully-automatic firearm. Judge Moody also recognized that Gladney was on probation from a drug and gun case in Memphis at the time he was intercepted on the wiretap in this case. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The investigation was conducted by the FBI with assistance from Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Department of Community Corrections, Little Rock Police Department, North Little Rock Police Department, Pine Bluff Police Department, and Jonesboro Police Department. FBI’s GETROCK Task Force was formed in 2017 in response to the escalation in gang and gun violence in Little Rock. The unit’s investigations and operations are coordinated out of FBI Little Rock’s field office, and GETROCK continues to serve as the clearinghouse for gang-related law enforcement activity in Central Arkansas. Additional support was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; United States Postal Inspection Service; Arkansas National Guard Counterdrug Joint Task Force; and the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Peters, Amanda Fields, and Reese Lancaster. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in South Carolina

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — United States Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in South Carolina for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. ###


body_text: Defendant Caused a Tax Loss to the United States of more than $9.5M MIAMI – A Ukrainian national pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to the court documents and statements made in court, between April 2008 and July 2021, Oleksandr Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in southern Florida, including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC. Through these staffing companies, Yurchyk and others facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of federal income and employment taxes. Yurchyk and his co-defendants also laundered more than $11 million of proceeds from their scheme. Yurchyk is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27, 2025. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit money laundering and five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark for the Southern District of Florida and Sean Beaty and Trial Attorneys Matthew B. Hicks and Wilson R. Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division are prosecuting the case. ###