title: Chester Housing Authority Director of Public Housing, His Chief Assistant, and Contractor Charged for Bribery and Fraud Schemes

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Norman D. Wise, 57, of Mullica Hill, NJ, Douglas E. Daniel, 65, of Philadelphia, PA, and Leonard F. Coleman, 53, of Paulsboro, NJ, were charged by Information with bribery and fraud charges related to two schemes: (1) a bribery scheme in which Coleman paid off Wise and Daniel in exchange for contracting work awarded to Coleman at the Chester Housing Authority (“CHA”); and (2) a fraud scheme in which Wise and Daniel created a contracting company that they used to fraudulently bill the CHA and obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds. During the time they engaged in these offenses, Wise was the Director of Public Housing for the Chester Housing Authority and Daniel was the Housing Program Manager and Wise’s chief assistant. According to the Information, from in or about July 2014 through in or about March 2022, defendant Coleman made bribe payments separately to Wise and Daniel in exchange for CHA contracting work awarded to his company, Coleman’s Contracting. To generate these bribe payments, Wise and Daniel inflated the amount charged on invoices that Coleman submitted to the CHA for work he performed for the CHA. Wise and Daniel then ensured that the CHA paid Coleman on the inflated invoices, and Coleman paid Wise and Daniel bribes in amounts covered by the inflated invoices. Coleman made these payments by depositing funds directly into the personal bank accounts of Wise and Daniel. In total, Coleman made approximately $76,400 in bribe payments to Wise and Daniel around the time that Coleman received approximately $2.5 million in revenue from the CHA. According to the Information, from in or about January 2019 through in or about January 2023, in a separate scheme, Wise and Daniel together used a company they created, Trinity Management Group (“TMG”), to fraudulently bill the CHA for work TMG allegedly performed for the CHA. Most of the work for which TMG billed the CHA was (1) performed by salaried CHA employees during their regular work hours; (2) performed by other contractors who were paid for that work by the CHA; or (3) not performed at all. In particular, the fraudulent invoices included billing for landscaping, painting, window replacements, and other construction and renovation work at CHA facilities. This fraudulent billing resulted in losses to the CHA of approximately $544,967. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Nigerian National Sentenced to Prison for International Scheme That Defrauded Elderly U.S. Victims

component: Civil Division

body_text: A dual U.K.-Nigerian national who was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom was sentenced to 90 months in prison for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. With today’s sentencing, all three defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom in connection with this matter have been sentenced. According to court documents, Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, 44, was part of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multi-million-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who had died years before in Portugal. Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and were instructed to make other payments. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. Abraham and his co-conspirators also convinced former victims to receive money from new victims and then forward the fraud proceeds to others. The other two defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. On June 21, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Emmanuel Samuel to 82 months in prison, and on July 25, Judge Williams sentenced Jerry Chucks Ozor to 87 months in prison for their roles in the scheme. Two other co-defendants, who were extradited to the United States from Spain, have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in October and November. “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute, and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We thank our colleagues at the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service for assisting with the successful investigation and extradition of these defendants and the United Kingdom’s National Trading Standards Scams Team for its help in identifying this and other transnational fraud schemes.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the USPIS Miami Division. “This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Justice Department's Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the USPIS, to protect our citizens from these scams.” “International criminal organizations using schemes that target and steal from the elderly will be held responsible for their despicable actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of HSI Arizona. “This case demonstrates HSI’s commitment, with our partner law enforcement agencies domestically and abroad, to prove wrong those who believe they are beyond the reach of the law. I thank all the law enforcement agencies that dedicated countless hours in making this investigation a significant success.” The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS, and HSI are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal all provided critical assistance. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov .


title: Kalispell felon admits illegal possession of gun used in shooting

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MISSOULA — A Kalispell man with a felony conviction admitted to a firearms crime after he gave a gun to another person who used it in a fatal shooting, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Kyle Kenneth Smith, 33, pleaded guilty to prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Smith faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for Jan. 3, 2024 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. Smith was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on Sept. 10, 2020 in Kalispell, a shooting occurred that resulted in the death of an individual. Smith admitted in a later interview that he had personally handed a 9mm pistol used in the shooting to the shooter minutes before the event occurred. Smith had a previous felony conviction for criminal endangerment and was prohibited from possessing firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott is prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force, Kalispell Police Department, Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Previously Convicted Felon Caught on Snapchat Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Drug Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A member of the Boston street gang “D Street” pleaded guilty today to illegally possessing multiple firearms and ammunition while a convicted felon and while he was under house arrest for a state firearm charge. Freily Cabral, 25, of Boston and Quincy, pleaded guilty today to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 14, 2023. In August 2021, Cabral was identified as the owner of a Snapchat account posting images and of himself in possession of five firearms: a black colored Glock semiautomatic handgun with a flashlight attachment; a black Walther semi-automatic firearm; a silver Taurus revolver; a black semi-automatic firearm; and a brown and silver revolver. In one of the videos, Cabral held three separate firearms to his face as if he were using the firearms to make a phone call. A search of Cabral’s Quincy residence in September 2021 resulted in the seizure of a Taurus .38 caliber revolver, a Hopkins and Allen .32 caliber revolver, .38 caliber and .32 caliber ammunition, hundreds of grams of marijuana packaged for sale and $23,000 in cash. At the time of the offense, Cabral was on house arrest with electronic monitoring following a November 2020 arrest for his second unlawful possession of a firearm charge. Cabral was previously convicted in 2016 for unlawful possession of a firearm in Boston Municipal Court. In 2017, Cabral was convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in Boston Municipal Court and was sentenced to one year in prison. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana provides for a sentence of up to 5 years in prison, at least two years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The operation was conducted is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston, Quincy and Lynn Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Butte County Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Pill Trafficking

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Julius Rucks, 42, of Oroville, was sentenced Monday to 12 years and nine months in prison for distribution of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to public proceedings and court documents, on Dec. 6, 2018, Jan. 10, 2019, and April 3, 2019, Rucks sold over 1,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to a confidential source and undercover agent. On July 23, 2019, agents executed a search warrant at Rucks’ residence in Oroville and found a large electric motor-driven pill press, the pill dies for stamping the counterfeit pharmaceutical markings onto the fake pills, large amounts of powdered fentanyl, pill binder material, and other pill manufacturing materials, and three handguns with loaded magazines. In November 2022, Rucks pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing fentanyl. This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Calaveras Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron L. Desmond and David W. Spencer prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Conspiring to Traffic Nine Kilograms of Fentanyl from California to Boston

body_text: BOSTON – A Mexican man was sentenced today for conspiring to distribute nine kilograms of fentanyl bound for Massachusetts from California. Ricardo Peinado Rivera, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 26 months in prison. On May 24, 2023, Peinado Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. In September 2021, law enforcement received information about a person living in the Dominican Republic trafficking fentanyl within the United States. Undercover law enforcement contacted the individual, who offered to sell nine kilograms of fentanyl that would be delivered in California and then driven to Boston. On Nov. 9, 2021, Peinado Rivera was observed delivering the fentanyl to a cooperating source in Ontario, Calif. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Los Angeles Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Hosts 30th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Salt Lake City

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – United States Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, hosted the 30th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in downtown Salt Lake City. The three-day event, which took place at the Grand America, brought over 200 professionals from the four corner states that are involved in victim services and public safety in tribal communities. Initiated in 1992, the Four Corners Indian Country Conference was designed to focus on prosecution and victims’ issues in Indian Country in the states of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. The goal of the conference is to discuss strategies and best practices from federal, state, and tribal criminal justice and social service professionals working with victims in tribal communities and how to improve victim services and make tribal communities safer. USAO-Utah “We were honored to host the Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Utah,” said U.S. Attorney Higgins. “Thank you to the speakers and attendees who traveled from Tribal communities in all four states. We want to especially thank the Ute Tribe for their cultural presentations that were both educational and inspirational.” Utah is home to eight federally recognized tribes, spread throughout the state. The conference featured speakers, cultural presentations, and a local tribal artist. For more information visit 30th Annual Indian Country Conference . Next year the conference will be hosted in Durango, Colorado.


title: Federal Jury Finds St. Cloud Man Guilty of Illegal Possession of Firearms

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a St. Cloud man guilty of illegally possessing multiple firearms as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Following a six-day trial before Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright in U.S. District Court, Roberto Antwan Williams, 38, was found guilty of two counts of possession of firearms as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. According to the evidence presented at trial, Williams attempted to rob a man at gunpoint outside an apartment in St. Cloud on July 31, 2020. Williams was apprehended by law enforcement in a vehicle that the victim identified. Law enforcement subsequently discovered a firearm in the glovebox with Williams’ DNA on it. According to the evidence presented at trial, in a separate incident on November 13, 2020, law enforcement was notified that a five-year-old child had been shot in the head and declared dead at a St. Cloud hospital. Williams and his fiancé, the child’s mother, were at the hospital and stated they were shopping when they got a phone call that the child had been injured. Williams claimed that they immediately returned home and took the child to the hospital together. However, law enforcement obtained surveillance video from a neighboring residence that showed the fiancé taking the child to the hospital alone while Williams placed two backpacks in a garbage bin outside of the house. According to the evidence presented at trial, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Williams’ residence and garbage bins. Inside the bins, they discovered the two backpacks which contained a Kel-Tec model Sub .40 caliber semiautomatic rifle and a purple Taurus model G2C 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine. The Taurus had the deceased child’s blood on it. Law enforcement also searched Williams’ cell phone and found a picture of the purple Taurus 9mm semiautomatic pistol with the text “my new toy.” Because Williams has multiple prior felony convictions of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and possession of weapon, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the St. Cloud Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom Calhoun-Lopez and Mary S. Riverso tried the case. ###


title: Jury Convicts Federal Agent of Witness Tampering and Obstructing Justice

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Yesterday, a South Florida federal jury convicted a federal agent for his role in an operation that involved illegal Oxycodone distribution, federal witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. Alberico Ahias Crespo, 48, a Special Agent with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), was convicted of three substantive counts of witness tampering, conspiracy to commit witness tampering, and conspiracy to obstruct justice. According to evidence introduced at trial, during the time of the criminal activity, Crespo worked as part of the South Florida Health Care Fraud Strike Force, made up of interagency teams of federal investigators and prosecutors focused on combating health care fraud and health care-related narcotics trafficking in Southern Florida. Crespo used his position as an agent to protect and advance a multi-year Oxycodone trafficking scheme and impede related federal health care fraud investigations, including investigations in which Crespo himself was involved. “The vast majority of law enforcement officers uphold their duties with the highest level of integrity. But, where the toxic mix of ego, arrogance, and corruption taint an agent’s convictions, the criminal justice system will hold the officer accountable,” stated Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “The verdict in this matter reminds us that no one is untouchable, no one is above the law, and that there are severe consequences for anyone who engages in witness tampering and the obstruction of justice.” “We are pleased with the conviction of Alberico Crespo because his actions not only violated the law, they also undermined the public’s trust in law enforcement,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Every day, thousands of dedicated and honorable law enforcement officers take to the streets to protect South Florida communities. It is on their behalf that the FBI and Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General sought to root out this wrongdoing to ensure that the high standards we expect of law enforcement are met and maintained.” “Alberico Ahias Crespo betrayed the trust of the people he swore to serve, and today, he is seeing the consequences for his reprehensible actions,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “I am proud of our agents and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to hold Crespo accountable. HHS-OIG will not tolerate corruption within our ranks.” From November 2016 to July 2020, previously convicted patient recruiters Jorge Diaz Gutierrez, Yandre Trujillo Hernandez, and Anais Lorenzo, were part of the illegal Oxycodone trafficking scheme involving patients, pharmacies, and medical clinics. The patient recruiters sent patients to selected medical clinics to obtain Oxycodone prescriptions that the patients did not need. Once the patients obtained the prescriptions, they would give them to the patient recruiters in exchange for money. The patients would fill the prescriptions at pharmacies selected by the recruiters and sell the Oxycodone pills (at a mark-up) to third party street dealers. Diaz Gutierrez and Crespo were close friends and associates, including while Diaz Gutierrez was a criminal target of the Strike Force. Crespo used his position as an HHS-OIG Special Agent working on health care fraud cases to protect Diaz Gutierrez’s Oxycodone operation. Crespo did this by monitoring Strike Force investigations involving Diaz Gutierrez, accessing information, disclosing sensitive law enforcement information to Diaz Gutierrez, updating Diaz Gutierrez on the progress of health care fraud investigations, and coaching Diaz Gutierrez on how to lie to investigators and tamper with evidence. Crespo was acquitted on the conspiracy to traffic oxycodone charge. Crespo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for each count of conviction. Crespo is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles on November 28, 2023. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Christian J. Schrank, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, HHS-OIG,, made the announcement. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe commended the investigative efforts of FBI and HHS-OIG. Assistant United States Attorneys Sean T. McLaughlin and Christopher Clark prosecuted this case. You may find related court documents and information 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 21-cr-20005.


title: Fort Pierce Judge Sentences Two Men to Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material out of Tattoo Shop and Other Crimes

body_text: MIAMI – Today, Dustin Singleton, 42, of Hobe Sound, Florida was sentenced to a total of 480 months’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon, sitting in Fort Pierce, Florida, after pleading guilty to three counts of producing child sexual abuse material, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. In a separate sentencing hearing, Elijah Daniel Shaw, 22, of Port St Lucie, was sentenced to a total of 259 months’ imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, by U.S. District Court Judge Aileen M. Cannon, after pleading guilty to producing and possessing child sexual abuse material. According to court records, on April 29, 2022, following a traffic stop in Stuart, Florida, Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) detectives found 32.86 grams of methamphetamine with a purity level of 98%, approximately 5 grams of cocaine, less than a gram of fentanyl, approximately 195 grams of marijuana, several glass pipes, hypodermic needles, a loaded Smith & Wesson, Bodyguard .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a loaded Glock type 9mm pistol built from a Polymer80 PF940C kit (“Glock clone”), several unused baggies, several pill bottles with various controlled substances, $1,104.00 in U.S. currency, 10 cellphones, and three tablets in Singleton’s vehicle. Singleton is a convicted felon and prohibited by law from possessing firearms. Court records further indicated that, in July 2022, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent and two MCSO detectives received information that tattoo artist Singleton aka “Greenhouse” exchanged narcotics and tattoos for sexual activity with minor females at his Port St. Lucie tattoo shop. Two rounds of search warrants were obtained – the first one for narcotics and the second one for child sexual abuse material, which targeted Singleton’s electronic devices. Forensic examinations of the devices revealed numerous images of Singleton and Shaw, both engaging in sexually explicit activity with a freshly tattooed 13-year-old minor female victim—recorded inside the tattoo shop. On August 2, 2022, law enforcement arrested Shaw who identified images/videos of himself, Singleton, and the 13-year-old minor female victim and confirmed that the video was recorded inside Singleton’s tattoo parlor. An HSI special agent applied for additional search warrants for Singleton’s and Shaw’s social media and iCloud accounts, which revealed additional videos of the child sexual abuse material, spanning in excess of six hours. The videos began with Singleton tattooing the 13-year-old, but later progressing to Singleton administering a smoking glass pipe to the victim, while he and Shaw both recorded themselves engaging in sexually explicit activity with the victim. In Singleton’s iCloud, investigators located additional videos revealing Singleton recorded additional tattoo shop sexual activity with two additional minor victims, each 17 years of age. Singleton recorded himself having sex with the minors, both with his iPhone and secretly, using his tattoo shop’s video surveillance system. United States Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and acting Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Buckley, HSI, Miami, announced the sentence imposed. HSI Fort Pierce Office investigated the case, with assistance from Martin County Sheriff’s Office, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and Port St. Lucie Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carmen Lineberger and Michael Porter prosecuted it. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 the PSC initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . 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 22-cr-14048 and


title: Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Nationwide Sextortion Case

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Brandon Huu Le, 22, of Maitland, Florida, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for receipt of child pornography in connection with a sextortion scheme using the popular social media app Snapchat. In sentencing Le, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker said the conduct was “heinous” and Le’s threats were “serious, graphic, coercive, and manipulative.” Judge Jonker also commented on the increasing frequency of sextortion schemes and the fact that these schemes cause “harsh results and pain” and “sometimes much worse.” “Mr. Le’s actions were nothing short of vile,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “They had a devastating impact upon his victims. Sextortion is a growing threat in Michigan and across the nation, and my office will continue to hold these perpetrators accountable. With our law enforcement partners, we stand ready to protect anyone who finds themselves a victim of this crime.” Video message from U.S. Attorney Totten concerning the Le case. “Protecting our young people from predators like Brandon Le is a top priority for the FBI and law enforcement agencies across Michigan,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . “Today’s sentence should bring some measure of peace to Le’s survivors who very courageously reported his behavior to law enforcement. The community is considerably safer with Le behind bars. According to court records, Le used social media accounts associated with the alias “Ty Addison” to contact at least 270 girls on Snapchat between August 2019 and December 2019. If a girl responded, Le turned the conversation to sexual topics. Le then began an escalating series of threats. His threats targeted his adolescent victims’ fears and insecurities about their futures, their relationships, their reputations, their bodies and bodily autonomy, and their safety. Le used publicly available information about the girls (for example, their schools and online contacts) to bolster his threats. In some cases, Le threatened girls into turning on their Snapchat location sharing to identify where they lived. He typically threatened to publicly disclose the sexually charged conversation unless the girl sent him an explicit picture, threatened to release the picture unless the girl sent him an explicit video, and threatened to release the video unless the girl engaged in a live video call in which the girl followed sexual commands as Le directed in the chat. His threats included messages such as ““Either f-----g send the pic now or I’m not gonna give your [sic] anymore chances . . . I think you want me to mail to your house now . . . I think you want your parents to see those nudes you sent me . . . Maybe your sisters want to see what a good slut you are” and “[D]o you want me to post your nudes? Do you want to ruin your chances of ever going to a good college? Do you want to ruin your chances of getting a good job?” Many of Le’s victims were minors and, as they told Le, the images and videos he solicited were child pornography. One of Le’s victims was a 13-year-old girl living in the Western District of Michigan. Some victims begged him to stop; other times parents intervened and told Le to stop, but he persisted—if victims blocked him, he contacted them on other platforms, messaged their friends and family, or followed through on his threats, including in one case sending explicit pictures of a victim to her college’s admissions department. Copies of the indictment, the government’s sentencing memorandum, and the government’s sentencing exhibits are attached below. The FBI provides the following tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes: Be selective about what you share online . If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you. Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online . Block or ignore messages from strangers. Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online . Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims. Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform. Be in the know . Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next. Be willing to ask for help . If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov . More information is available at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion . The case was investigated by the FBI, the Coplay (Pennsylvania) Police Department, and the Maitland (Florida) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend represented the United States. Le Indictment Government Sentencing Memo Exhibit 1 to Government Sentencing Memo Exhibit 2 to Government Sentencing Memo Exhibit 3 to Government Sentencing Memo ###


title: District of Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice For Illegally Recording and Publishing Grand Jury Proceedings

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Alexander Hamilton, 28, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to contempt and obstruction of justice under federal and District of Columbia law, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced. Hamilton entered his plea this morning in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Judge Amy Berman-Jackson, who scheduled sentencing for November 29, 2023. According to an affidavit in support of the complaint, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) observed a public Instagram account with approximately 10,400 followers posting multiple videos, with sound, that recorded the proceedings within the Superior Court of the District of Columbia Grand Jury room, located at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Personnel from the U.S. Attorney’s office recognized the individual in the video as Hamilton, a grand juror. During a consensual interview with law enforcement, Hamilton admitted to recording grand jury proceedings and posting them to his Instagram Story. Hamilton indicated that he filmed the proceedings using one of two phones that he owns. A forensic extraction of Hamilton’s phone identified videos of live grand jury testimony. Hamilton also sent dozens of messages via text message and Instagram, sharing the videos or discussing his grand jury service. Additionally, Hamilton demonstrated an awareness in numerous messages that he was not permitted to have his cellphone in the room during presentations before the grand jury. Hamilton had been sworn in as a grand juror on Sept. 9, 2022. During orientation, he took an oath to, among other things, keep secret the information learned during grand jury service. A video, taken on Hamilton’s phone on Sept. 9, 2022, depicts Hamilton recording himself (i.e., a selfie). Specifically, the video shows him standing with his right hand raised as the oath described above was read to him aloud. In the video, Hamilton looks down at the phone and states, “I’m about to lie.” He was arrested on November 17, 2022. “The secrecy of grand jury proceedings protects the integrity of ongoing investigations, ensuring that grand jurors and witnesses are free from improper influence; safeguarding against the possible destruction of evidence by those investigated; and protecting the privacy of uncharged individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Before serving, grand jurors take an oath to protect this secrecy. Hamilton’s violation of his oath is a crime. We will vigorously prosecute those, like Hamilton, who compromise the integrity of the criminal justice system.” All grand jurors are instructed that grand jury proceedings are secret and must remain secret permanently unless and until the Court determines that the proceedings or a portion of them should be revealed in the interest of justice. Grand jurors are admonished to preserve the secrecy of the proceedings by abstaining from communicating with family, friends, representatives of the news media or any other person concerning that which transpires in the grand jury room. Moreover, grand jurors are required to place their phones and any other potential recording devices into lockers located in the lobby of the U.S. Attorney’s Office prior to proceeding to the grand jury rooms. The maximum penalty for conspiracy is five years. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The contempt charge is a federal offense, and the obstruction charge is a District of Columbia offense. The plea agreement calls for an advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines range of 6 to 36 months of incarceration. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory range and other statutory factors. This case was being investigated by the Criminal Investigations Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case was being prosecuted by the Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold of the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Five Defendants Convicted of Federal Civil Rights Conspiracy and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Offenses for Obstructing Access to a Reproductive Health Services Facility

body_text: WASHINGTON – Today, a federal jury convicted five defendants – Lauren Handy, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia; John Hinshaw, 67, of Levittown, New York; Heather Idoni, 61, of Linden, Michigan; William Goodman, 52, of Bronx, New York; and Herb Geraghty, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – of both offenses in a two-count indictment charging them with federal civil rights offenses in connection with an alleged reproductive health care clinic invasion in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 22, 2020. The defendants were each convicted of a felony conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. The defendants each face up to a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who presided over the trial, ordered the defendants immediately detained as required by statute. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. As the evidence at trial showed, the defendants, engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic to prevent the clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services. As part of the conspiracy, Handy, Hinshaw, Idoni, Goodman, and Geraghty, traveled to Washington, D.C. from various northeast and midwestern states, to meet with Handy and participate in a clinic blockade that was directed by Handy and was broadcast on Facebook. According to the evidence, Handy, Hinshaw, Idoni, and Goodman forcefully entered the clinic and set about blockading two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains and ropes. Once the blockade was established, their activities were live-streamed. The evidence also showed that the defendants violated the FACE Act by using a physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because they were providing or obtaining reproductive health services. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the District of New Jersey, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York; and FBI Field Offices in Newark, New York City, Boston, and Detroit provided valuable assistance.


title: Indictment Charges D.C. Man With Multiple Carjackings

body_text: WASHINGTON – An 18-count indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court, charges Cedae Hardy, 18, of Washington, D.C., with involvement in six separate carjackings throughout Washington D.C. and Maryland and an attempted carjacking in which a victim was shot multiple times. The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to the indictment, Hardy carjacked victims of their vehicles at gunpoint around the District of Columbia and in Maryland. In four of the carjackings committed in furtherance of a conspiracy with unnamed co-conspirators, Hardy drove the carjacked vehicles to a garage adjoining an apartment complex located at 1326 Florida Avenue, Northeast, Washington, D.C. (the “Florida Avenue Garage”). A co-conspirator would contact potential buyers, who in these instances were undercover officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The co-conspirator would arrange a time to meet the undercover officers at predetermined location - usually the Florida Avenue Garage – and complete the sale of the carjacked vehicles. The conspirators and Hardy would then split the proceeds. Hardy would communicate with the conspirators via text message. For example, on April 8, 2023, Hardy sent Co-Conspirator 1 a text message stating, “I’m outside now you can be on your way. Let’s get money my boy” and “[]I’m boutta get sum & bring it straight to you.” A few hours later, just 22 minutes after an armed carjacking of a Mercedes Benz SL550 in Hyattsville, Maryland, Hardy arrived at the Florida Avenue Garage in the victim’s vehicle. Co-Conspirator 1 and Co-Conspirator 2 opened the door to the Florida Avenue Garage for Hardy. The victim’s Mercedes was then sold on April 10, 2023 by Co-Conspirator 1 to MPD undercover officers for $1,200. On April 18, 2023, a victim was seated inside his Honda Civic when Hardy opened the passenger door and sat in the victim’s vehicle. Hardy pointed a gun at the victim and began to shout. The victim could not understand Hardy and tried to push him out of his vehicle, at which point Hardy fired multiple shots, striking the victim in the forearm and abdomen. Hardy exited the victim’s vehicle and fled back to Washington, D.C. Carjacking carries a statutory maximum sentenced of 15 years in prison. Transportation of stolen goods and sale or receipt of stolen vehicles each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The gun charges carry no statutory maximum and a mandatory minimum of 7 years. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington – On August 24, 2023, United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke sentenced Zachary Robert Cordova, age 30, to 10 years in in federal prison after his guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. Cordova, who is from Richland, WA, also will serve 5 years of federal supervision after he is released from custody. According to information disclosed during court proceedings, in January 2022, an investigation was initiated into Cordova, a subject already under court supervision for prior drug distribution, as he was now reportedly engaged in the distribution of deadly fentanyl-laced pills and methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Washington, specifically in the Tri-Cities, Washington area. In March of 2022, officers attempted to stop and arrest Defendant based upon the drug investigation and active arrest warrants. Cordova did not stop, and instead fled the scene at a high rate of speed, which placed the community at risk. Officers were not permitted to pursue him but were able to locate Cordova at an unrelated residence a short time later where he again attempted to flee. Cordova was apprehended, and law enforcement seized thousands of fentanyl-laced pills, methamphetamine, and several loaded firearms. Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, stated “This significant sentence demonstrates the breadth and seriousness of Mr. Cordova’s increasing drug trafficking activities. I’m grateful for our incredible law enforcement team, who devote their lives to protecting our community. I commend our METRO Drug Task Force whose work combatting organized crime and removing illegal drugs and stolen firearms keeps our neighborhoods safe and strengthens our communities.” “This case demonstrates how DEA as well as our federal, state, and local partners are working together to hold accountable those who distribute poisonous fentanyl into our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. This case was investigated by the DEA Tri-Cities, the METRO Drug Task Force, United States Border Patrol, Richland Police Department, Kennewick Police Department, Pasco Police Department, and West Richland Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter. 4:22-CR-06020-MKD


title: Knott County Man Sentenced to 190 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: PIKEVILLE, Ky. — A Pippa Passes, Ky., man, Brandy Slone, 42, was sentenced to 190 months in federal prison on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his guilty plea agreement, beginning in November 2020, Slone developed a relationship with a supplier from whom he regularly obtained multi-ounce quantities of methamphetamine, and over the course of the next two years, obtained and sold significant amounts of drugs in the Knott County area. At sentencing the Court also found that Slone had possessed and trafficked a firearm; he had attempted to smuggle drugs into the Pike County Jail, after his arrest; and that he was responsible for dealing more than five kilograms of methamphetamine. Under federal law, Slone must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; and Col. Phillip Burnett, Commissioner, Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF and KSP. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble. -END-


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 151 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that James Graves, 51, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on today in federal court in Omaha for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Graves to imprisonment for 151 months. Upon release from prison, Graves will be required to complete a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On September 27, 2022, investigators executed a warrant to search a residence on South 45th Street in Omaha, where Graves and Joshua Finken resided. Graves was present at the time of the search and admitted to investigators that he purchased distribution quantities of methamphetamine from Finken over the preceding six months. Investigators found a safe in Graves’s upstairs bedroom containing a quantity of methamphetamine. Finken resided in the basement, where investigators found several packages of methamphetamine and more than $17,000 in drug proceeds collocated in another safe. Laboratory testing confirmed at least 295 grams of methamphetamine were recovered from the basement. Finken was arrested nearly a month later on October 23, 2022, when Omaha Police Department officers responded to a motorcycle accident at South 45th and Leavenworth Streets in Omaha. When officers arrived, Finken was running away from the scene on foot, apparently injured. He left a backpack behind where the motorcycle crashed, which was searched by officers and was found to contain at least 159 grams of methamphetamine. Joshua Finken’s jury trial is scheduled to begin on October 30, 2023. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Transnational Organized Crime (TOC-West) Task Force and the Bellevue Police Department.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a convicted felon for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced David Mitchell, IV, aka “Luh Mexico”, 27, of Birmingham, to 33 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on December 28, 2022, Birmingham Police officers were patrolling the area of Norwood Bottoms. Officers observed a black Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT running, with music playing loudly, and unoccupied. As officers were looking at the Jeep, Mitchell approached yelling at them. Officers recognized Mitchell and knew he had an active felony warrant. Officers took Mitchell into custody for the warrant. Officers conducted a pat down of Mitchell and found a Glock 9mm pistol in his waistband. The pistol had been reported stolen with Alabaster Police Department, and it was loaded with fifteen rounds of 9mm ammunition. Officers found the key to the Jeep in Mitchell’s back pocket and $4,398 cash in his pocket. After running the tag on the Jeep, officers discovered that the tag was not registered to the Jeep. The Jeep had been reported stolen with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. Officers obtained a search warrant for the Jeep. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found a blue duffle bag containing marijuana, an iPhone, hydrocodone pills and two high-capacity Glock magazines. FBI investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.


title: Michigan Animal Dealer Surrenders Exotic Animals Following Alleged Violations of Animal Welfare Act and Endangered Species Act

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department entered a consent decree in federal court with Zachery Keeler, dba Even Keel Exotics LLC, to resolve allegations in a complaint that Keeler violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Animal Welfare Act (AWA). As part of the agreement, Keeler will surrender close to 150 animals including ring-tailed lemurs, kinkajous, wallabies, porcupines, foxes, prairie dogs and ground squirrels. He has also agreed to never buy, sell or otherwise engage in commerce related to animals regulated under AWA, and to not apply for AWA licensing or registration. The complaint alleges that Keeler violated the ESA by unlawfully and prematurely separating a baby ring-tailed lemur, an endangered species, from its mother to interact with the public, then tried to sell the baby lemur for $3500. Keeler also allegedly violated the AWA by not providing potable water as needed, safe and sanitary conditions and facilities for his animals, or access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspectors so that they could ensure the health and wellbeing of his animals. Photo of a baby ring-tailed lemur used to promote Even Keel Exotics. Image is from the complaint in United States v. Keeler, no. 2:23-cv-11748. “The Animal Welfare Act and the Endangered Species Act are important tools in protecting our most vulnerable species,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Even Keel Exotics violated requirements for minimum care of the animals in its possession, failed to provide required access to inspectors and illegally harmed a baby lemur, a protected endangered species.” “APHIS is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for animals protected under the Animal Welfare Act,” said Deputy Administrator Dr. Roxanne Mullaney for APHIS’ Animal Care Program. “This includes undertaking aggressive enforcement action against repeat, egregious violators of the law and working closely with APHIS partners to ensure AWA compliance.” USDA-APHIS investigated the case as well as inspected and removed animals from the Even Keel Exotics facility. The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife & Marine Resources Section filed the complaint and lodged the consent decree in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The case is United States v. Keeler , no. 2:23-cv-11748. Photo of a baby ring-tailed lemur and its mother used to promote the sale of the baby lemur. Image is from the complaint in United States v. Keeler, no. 2:23-cv-11748.


title: Justice Department Awards Over $21 Million in Grants to State of Louisiana to Enhance Crime Victim Services and Compensation Payments

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the State of Louisiana has received $21,243,422 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office for Victims of Crime, to enhance crime victim services in the State and to enhance State compensation payments to eligible crime victims. Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) compensation funds provide financial assistance to Federal and State victims of crime. The funds are typically awarded by the State to local community-based organizations that provide direct services to crime victims. The recipient of this award, the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community. For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov .


title: Two Men Convicted of Stalking and Almost Killing Miami Resident

body_text: MIAMI – On August 24, 2023, a jury found Jaime Serrano, 46, of New York, guilty of interstate stalking, conspiracy to use a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Julian Jimenez, 27, also from New York, pled guilty prior to trial to the same charges. The crimes related to their conduct culminating in the near fatal shooting of a Miami resident in August 2019. The evidence at trial revealed that, on August 21, 2019, Jimenez and Serrano flew together from New York to Miami. Once in South Florida, Serrano rented a sedan, and he and Jimenez surveilled the victim at his Kendall business and at his residence. As a result, they learned the victim’s normal routine. Then, on August 26, 2019, Serrano traded in the sedan and rented a SUV hatchback. On August 27, 2019, Jimenez and Serrano continued their surveillance of the victim. On that date, the victim drove into his gated development at his normal time, approximately 8:00 p.m. At or about that time, Serrano parked closed by and Jimenez exited the vehicle and entered the gated community on foot. Jimenez reached the victim as he was sitting in his car, waiting to enter his garage. Jimenez, wearing a mask and gloves, pulled out a firearm and shot at the victim multiple times, striking him several times. Jimenez then fled the gated community and entered Serrano’s vehicle, which Serrano then drove away from the scene of the crime. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman is scheduled to sentence Jimenez on November 1, 2023, and Serrano on November 14, 2023. Both men face a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the convictions. The Miami-Dade Police Department handled the investigation until the FBI began its investigation in 2021. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie Waxman, Michael Gilfarb, and Katherine Guthrie prosecuted this case. 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 22-cr-20389. ###


title: Gallup Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Ervinson Yazzie pleaded guilty to one count each of distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Yazzie, 34, of Gallup, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to court documents, on October 10, 2018, the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tip was originally submitted to NCMEC by Facebook. The tip alleged that Yazzie uploaded and sent one file of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to another Facebook user. During the resulting investigation, agents determined that Yazzie had sent approximately 90 images of CSAM to another Facebook user on September 14, 2018. On December 21, 2020, the FBI conducted an interview of Yazzie at his residence. During the interview, Yazzie indicated he had found and downloaded the CSAM from the internet and possessed more images on a hard drive. On the hard drive, the FBI located 90 images and 28 videos of CSAM. In the plea agreement, Yazzie admitted that he distributed 96 images of CSAM through Facebook messenger and that he possessed approximately 28 videos and 90 images depicting CSAM on a hard drive. At sentencing, Yazzie faces up to 20 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to up to lifetime supervised release and must register as a sex offender. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office and the New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Lab. # # # 23-203


title: Man Arrested for Cyberstalking and Obstruction of Justice

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Colorado man was arrested on Aug. 25 and charged with cyberstalking three individuals and obstructing justice. According to the indictment filed in the District of Hawaii, around May 2022 to August 2022, John B. Hart, 53, of Louisville, while living in Hawaii, allegedly engaged in a cyberstalking campaign to harass and intimidate his former girlfriend, Jane Doe 1; her former partner, John Doe 1; and her then-partner, John Doe 2. Hart allegedly frequently posed as John Doe 1 while he targeted Jane Doe 1 and John Doe 2. To deflect attention away from himself and further falsely implicate John Doe 1, Hart also allegedly repeatedly targeted himself, typically while posing as John Doe 1. Hart allegedly falsely reported to Jane Doe 1, John Doe 1’s employer, local law enforcement, federal law enforcement, and the family courts that John Doe 1 was responsible for the conduct and posed a genuine and serious threat to Hart and others. Hart then allegedly deleted one of his personal e-mail accounts two days after being interviewed by federal investigators. Hart was arrested in Colorado and charged with three counts of cyberstalking and obstruction of justice. If convicted, Hart faces five years in prison on each count of cyberstalking and 20 years for obstruction. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii, and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara D. Ayabe and Aislinn Affinito for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.


title: Franklin County, Missouri Man Indicted on Child Sex Charge

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Franklin County, Missouri has been accused of filming a sex act with a child in June. Brandon Daniel Espinoza, 19, made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Friday and pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual exploitation of a child. He was indicted August 23. The indictment accuses Espinoza of filming a sex act with a 5-year-old boy in June. The charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Warren County Sheriff's Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Live Oak Sex Offender Arrested And Charged With Possessing Child Sex Abuse Images

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Steven Lee Carty (55, Live Oak) with possessing child sex abuse images. If convicted, Carty faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison, a potential life term of supervised release, and payment of restitution to the victims of his offense. Carty has been ordered detained pending trial. According to the complaint, in July 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Carty in response to a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that had been provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The CyberTip indicated that child exploitation material had been uploaded to an account with an electronic service provider. Account information was provided for the user, which was connected to Carty. The IP history for the account that had uploaded the material was traced to Carty. FDLE obtained a state search warrant for that account, and it was determined to contain the file from the CyberTip, along with additional files containing child sex abuse material. HSI learned that there were additional CyberTips connected to Carty indicating that accounts associated with Carty had uploaded child sex abuse material, including within a chat conversation with another user. During their investigation, law enforcement learned that Carty was listed as an offender on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Sexual Offenders and Predators registry following 2005 federal convictions for receiving, distributing, and possessing child sex abuse material. This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. It is another case that was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Kansas Community College  to Address Racial Discrimination and Harassment

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with Highland Community College (HCC) in Kansas to resolve the department’s investigation into allegations that Black students, primarily student-athletes, living on HCC’s main campus experienced discriminatory treatment in many aspects of campus life, including discipline, housing and interactions with campus security officers. The complaints alleged that Black students were targeted for searches and surveillance and disciplined more severely than their white peers, resulting in their unfair removal from campus housing or even expulsion. Under the settlement, the college will improve the fairness and transparency of disciplinary proceedings to prevent such discrimination. The agreement will also strengthen policies, procedures and training on campus security to promote consistent, non-discriminatory interactions between security personnel and students. In addition, the agreement requires HCC to strengthen policies, procedures and training to ensure an effective response to students’ complaints of racial discrimination. “No college student should have their educational experience marred or disrupted by discrimination based on their race,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Community colleges are an important pathway to four-year institutions and the workforce, and federal law requires that their campuses, programs and activities be equally available to all without regard to race. The Justice Department is committed to protecting the civil rights of college students across the country to pursue a higher education in a safe, welcoming and discrimination-free environment.” “The U.S. Department of Justice is tasked to serve as a defender of the U.S. Constitution, and the Fourteenth Amendment entitles all persons to equal protection under the law,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “When educational institutions are making decisions about student discipline, race and ethnicity are never relevant factors. Colleges and universities play a powerful role in shaping the development of young people, so it’s imperative that they help set the standard for creating environments where all students are treated with the same level of respect and fairness.” The department opened its investigation in January 2022 under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The college cooperated fully throughout the investigation and expressed a desire before the investigation was concluded to make positive changes for its students by revising its policies and practices, training employees and expanding student engagement to improve campus climate. Under the agreement, Highland Community College will: Reform policies on discipline, campus security, housing and racial harassment; Revise policies and procedures for responding to students’ complaints of racial discrimination and ensure that complaints are handled by trained employees who understand their responsibilities; Ensure that the disciplinary process is fair and equitable, including by analyzing discipline data to ensure nondiscrimination; Train campus security and other staff on effective de-escalation techniques and non-coercive methods of gathering information; Survey and improve the climate and culture of HCC’s main campus and cultivate safe and welcoming spaces for Black students; and Ensure students’ equitable access to HCC’s educational programs and activities regardless of race. Protecting students from harassment and other discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt , and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/ . View a copy of the settlement agreement here . Settlement Agreement


title: New Haven Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on August 25, 2023, JOSE L. GERENA, 33, of New Haven, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 144 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine through the U.S. Mail. Gerena was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in November 2020, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force executed a federal search warrant on a suspicious package that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from New Haven to an address in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The package contained $102,450 in cash. The investigation revealed that Gerena led an extensive drug trafficking organization and supervised the receipt of numerous parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico, the resale of the cocaine to others, and the shipment of narcotics proceeds to Puerto Rico. Gerena was responsible for trafficking more than 100 kilograms of cocaine. During the investigation, the organization regularly received cocaine shipments at various addresses in New Haven. In August 2021, investigators intercepted two parcels, each containing a kilogram of cocaine, that had been sent through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico to addresses on Poplar Street and Exchange Street in New Haven. Gerena was arrested on August 10, 2021, after investigators made a controlled delivery of a parcel containing a kilogram of cocaine to the Poplar Street address. Gerena has been detained since his arrest. On November 15, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Fountain Inn Man Convicted by a Jury and Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Offenses

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Larry Anthony Ladson, Sr., 52, of Fountain Inn, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of federal gun and drug offenses. Ladson was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances including methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, and possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes. Evidence presented to the jury and the court showed that in January of 2020, officers with the Fountain Inn Police Department and deputies with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office went to Ladson’s trailer to serve search and arrest warrants in connection with a violent crime. Upon entering the trailer, officers saw drugs in plain view, and after securing a search warrant, deputies found methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and marijuana, as well as baggies, scales, cash, and other items indicative of drug trafficking. Deputies also discovered a loaded revolver in Ladson’s bedroom, which had previously been reported stolen. Ladson was charged by the state, but after being released on bond, law enforcement learned that he went right back to selling drugs. Investigators with the Fountain Inn Police Department, the Greenville County Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted surveillance and observed significant traffic to and from Ladson’s trailer. They also stopped and recovered drugs from several of Ladson’s customers. On September 9, 2020, law enforcement executed another search warrant at Ladson’s home. Once again, they found illegal drugs, cash, baggies, scales, and other tools of the drug trafficking trade. They also discovered a loaded gun hidden under Ladson’s pillow. After a police K9 alerted to an area near Ladson’s bedroom closet, investigators found a safe in a hidden compartment that had been cut into the floor. The safe contained significant amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as thousands of dollars in cash and additional ammunition. The jury was presented with dozens of exhibits, including drugs, scales, packaging, multiple guns, ammunition, and even a microwave smeared with crack cocaine residue, which was recovered from Ladson’s bathroom. Jurors were also shown text message conversations with drug customers on Ladson’s cell phone and data from a home security system indicating that his front door was often opened over a hundred times a day during the period when investigators observed drug customers coming to and from his home. After several days of trial, the jury convicted Ladson on all counts. United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Ladson to 204 months in prison, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fountain Inn Police Department, and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and Greenville County Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Schoen and Bill Watkins prosecuted the case for the United States. ###


title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Darrail Antoine Pulley, 24, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 17, 2023, Pulley sold approximately 1.39 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in an alley behind a residence on the 1800 block of Ninth Avenue in Huntington. Pulley is scheduled to be sentenced on November 27, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-41. ###


title: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Timothy Duncan, 43, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 24, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Duncan’s residence and seized electronic devices including a cell phone. A forensic analysis of the cell phone revealed 18 videos and 13 images of child pornography. One image depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female. A search warrant executed for Duncan’s email account revealed 10 videos of child pornography, including one video that contained 69 individual videos. One of the 69 videos in the collection depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a prepubescent female. Duncan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Duncan must also register as a sex offender. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Francesca C. Rollo and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-46. ###


title: Houma Man Sentenced for  failure to Account for  and Pay Federal Taxes

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RENE CLEMENT (“CLEMENT”) , age 76, of Houma, Louisiana, was sentenced on August 25, 2023 in United States District Court for failing to account for and pay federal income taxes and Federal Insurance Contributions Act (“FICA”) taxes, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7202, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, CLEMENT owned a company named Vinyl Products, LLC. Between 2014 and 2018, CLEMENT withheld taxes from employees of Vinyl Products but kept the money instead of paying it to the IRS. In total, CLEMENT failed to pay approximately $750,368.68 in taxes for Vinyl Products. U.S. District Court Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced CLEMENT to four years of probation, during which time he must complete seventy-five hours of unpaid community service. CLEMENT was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $28,809.73. Judge Lemelle also imposed a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the Internal Revenue Service on this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 4 ½ Years for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen sentenced Richard T. Rich Jr. , 55, to 54 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Rich pleaded guilty on October 24, 2022. According to court records, in May 2022, the Maine State Police (MSP) Computer Crimes Unit relayed to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that it was investigating Richard T. Rich Jr. for using the website Quora to solicit child sexual abuse material. After learning that Rich was a registered sex offender with prior convictions in New Jersey for aggravated sexual assault, possessing/viewing sexually explicit material and other offenses, an MSP detective and Rich’s Maine State Probation Officer visited the defendant’s Portland home and recovered numerous electronic devices that Rich was not authorized to possess. A subsequent analysis of those devices by HSI revealed child sexual abuse material. During sentencing, Judge Torresen noted that while the defendant himself had not sexually abused the children depicted in the images, the continuing sexual abuse of the children “is fueled by your desire to see these images.” The Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer re-victimization every time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org/ or 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: West Virginia man admits to federal drug charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Cedric Pierre Young, age 32, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has pled guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl in proximity to a protected location. According to court documents and statements made in court, Young, also known as “Billy,” sold heroin and fentanyl near Fifth Street Park playground and the Marion County Adult and Community Education Center, both in Marion County. A search of two properties connected to Young yielded hundreds of grams of fentanyl. Young faces at least one and up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Three Rivers Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Owner, Manager, and Maintenance Worker of California Rental Properties

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Javier Salazar Jr., Javier Salazar Sr. and Ricardo Covarrubias, a maintenance worker, the manager and the owner, respectively, of rental properties in Bakersfield, California, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, alleges that Javier Salazar, Jr., a maintenance worker, sexually harassed a female tenant from December 2018 through March 2019 by repeatedly asking the tenant to engage in sexual acts with him, asking her to be in a relationship with him, describing the sexual acts he wished to engage in with her and persistently commenting on her appearance. According to the complaint, on two occasions, Javier Salazar Jr. touched the tenant’s body without her consent, and surreptitiously took digital photographs of framed print pictures in her home of her and her daughter. The tenant reported Salazar Jr.’s conduct to Salazar Sr., who was both the property manager and Salazar Jr.’s father. After she reported the harassment and threatened to contact a lawyer or the police if it continued, the Salazars refused to fix a leaking gas line in her dwelling, causing her to go without heat for one month and consequently forcing her to move out. The complaint also alleges that Covarrubias, the property owner, is vicariously liable for the Salazars’ conduct because they were his agents when they engaged in sexual harassment and retaliation. “Sexual harassment in rental housing preys on tenants who are especially vulnerable, including those who rely on their housing provider for critical maintenance services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to holding accountable any person in the housing sector who sexually harasses, assaults or retaliates against tenants, from the housing owner to the maintenance worker. A home should be a place of refuge and sanctity, not sexual assault and exploitation, and we will continue to use the Fair Housing Act to hold violators accountable.” “For four months this tenant refused the repeated sexual advances by the maintenance worker at her rental home, and when she reported the sexual harassment, she faced retaliation,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “The actions of Salazar Jr. and the failure or refusal of Salazar Sr. and Covarrubias to act on the tenant’s behalf caused her harm and distress. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold accountable any landlord who enables or engages in sexual harassment in violation of the Fair Housing Act.” “Preying on renters who have few housing options is abhorrent and illegal,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Demetria McCain of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD will continue to work with DOJ to enforce the law and protect tenants.” Today’s lawsuit arose from a complaint that the former tenant filed with HUD. After HUD investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination, and the matter was referred to the Justice Department. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the victim and a court order barring future discrimination. The Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative is led by the Civil Rights Division, in coordination with U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. The goal of the initiative is to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers or other people who have control over housing. Since launching the Initiative in October 2017, the Justice Department has filed 34 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment by Javier Salazar Jr., or at rental dwellings owned or managed by Ricardo Covarrubias or Javier Salazar Sr., or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, should call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov , or submit a report online . Individuals can also report sexual harassment and other forms of housing discrimination by contacting HUD at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a HUD complaint online . Salazar complaint


title: Ferguson Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Ferguson, Missouri who was caught in 2021 with fentanyl, methamphetamine and two guns after a police chase was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison. Derenta Street, 33, pleaded guilty in May to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He admitted fleeing from police and throwing out drugs and a gun while doing so. On Sept. 29, 2021, St. Louis County Police Department officers spotted Street near the intersection of Trask and Crowley Drives in north St. Louis County in a Chevrolet Corvette bearing license plates that belonged to another vehicle. Officers tried to pull Street over, but he sped off. After they used spike strips to deflate his tires, Street threw out a Remington 1911-RlS, .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol, baggies containing fentanyl and methamphetamine and capsules containing fentanyl. Once Street stopped and officers arrested him, they found more fentanyl and a Glock 17 9mm pistol equipped with an illegal, aftermarket device that converted it into an automatic weapon, commonly referred to as a “switch,” his plea agreement says. The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican National Sentenced To Two Years For Illegally Re-Entering The United States

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Joel Gamez-Orozco (43, Mexico) to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation for an aggravated felony. Gamez had been indicted on December 11, 2019. He entered a guilty plea on November 23, 2022. According to the court records, Gamez is a native and citizen of Mexico. On August 28, 2006, he was convicted of a felony – trafficking in marijuana – and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Following his release from state prison, Gamez was deported to Mexico on August 2, 2008. On September 14, 2019, law enforcement officers from Lake County, who were arresting Gamez on new state criminal charges, discovered Gamez had illegally returned to the United States after he was deported. This case was investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and Michael Felicetta.


title: Posey County Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: EVANSVILLE- Gabrial Isaac Appel, 28, of Cynthiana, Indiana, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, Gabrial Appel trafficked methamphetamine in the southwest Indiana area from November 2019 through 2020. On October 20, 2020, Appel orchestrated the shipment of over 1.4 pounds of crystal methamphetamine from California to his parents’ house in Cynthiana, Indiana. Law enforcement officers intercepted the methamphetamine before delivering the package to the home. Appel’s mother received the package and informed officers that she was getting it for her son, who sent him text messages inquiring about the delivery. Appel also tracked the status of the package using his cellular phone. The investigation revealed that Appel had shipped multiple packages containing methamphetamine to the same residence over the past year. United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers and Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement. “Drug traffickers like this defendant seek to make easy money by bringing poisons from across the country to harm all of our communities, including smaller towns right here in southwest Indiana,” said U.S. Attorney, Zachary A. Myers. “Methamphetamine and other deadly drugs have devastating impacts on the lives of families in every community. I am grateful for the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and our federal prosecutor to disrupt this drug trafficker and hold him accountable.” The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Richard L. Young. Judge Young also ordered that Appel be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Lauren M. Wheatley, who prosecuted this case. ###