title: Twelve Defendants Charged in Federal Drug Trafficking Probe Targeting Fentanyl-Laced Heroin and Cocaine Sales in Chicago

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal drug trafficking investigation has resulted in charges against a dozen individuals for allegedly trafficking fentanyl-laced heroin, cocaine, or other drugs on the South Side of Chicago. The multi-year investigation, led by the FBI Chicago Field Office, utilized numerous controlled narcotics purchases, covert surveillance operations, and wiretapped communications to shut down two separate drug trafficking operations. Some of the defendants allegedly supplied or sought to supply drugs to customers in other states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ohio. One of the defendants allegedly possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun while engaged in his drug trafficking activities. During the investigation, law enforcement seized nearly $400,000 in suspected illicit cash proceeds, distribution quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz automobiles, and a custom-built motorcycle. Most of the defendants were arrested Friday or early this week and have begun making initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Law enforcement also recently executed court-authorized searches of multiple locations in Chicago. The charges and arrests were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Fred Waller, Interim Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Rock County (Wisc.) Sheriff's Office, and the Indiana State Police. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee and Thomas P. Peabody of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorney Gerald A.A. Collins of the Justice Department’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. Criminal complaints unsealed in federal court in Chicago charge two separate drug trafficking organizations, as well as an individual who allegedly distributed cocaine. U.S. v. Johnson, et al , 23 CR 412 Charged in this federal drug conspiracy are RONALD JOHNSON, 57, of Darien, Ill., SULSTINE BROWN ROBINSON, 69, of Chicago, CHARLES LAWRENCE, 48, of Chicago, and DARRELL JONES, 58, of Chicago. Lawrence is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. TROY BONAPARTE, 58, of Chicago, is charged with possessing cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute. The charges allege that Johnson is a large-scale supplier of multiple narcotics, including cocaine and marijuana. Law enforcement observed Johnson making several cocaine sales in the summer and fall of 2022, the complaint states. The conspirators allegedly utilized an apartment in Chicago’s Oakland neighborhood as a “stash house” to store narcotics and cash. During a meeting outside the stash house in December 2022, Johnson allegedly provided a woman with approximately $300,500 in suspected drug proceeds. The cash was stuffed into a duffel bag that law enforcement later seized from the woman, the complaint states. In January 2023, law enforcement in Rock County, Wisc., stopped a vehicle Robinson was driving and discovered that she had transported approximately seven kilograms of suspected cocaine from Chicago. Law enforcement seized the drugs, which were packaged in six individual bricks and wrapped in green cellophane, the complaint states. U.S. v. Donley, et al , 23 CR 413 Charged in this federal drug conspiracy are DEREK DONLEY, 29, KENDALL BANKS, 31, NIGER GRAY, 25, JAMARI MC NEAL, 29, and APRIL THOMAS, 60, all of Chicago. BYRON MURPHY, 39, of Chicago, is charged with distributing fentanyl-laced heroin. According to the charges, the conspirators distributed and intended to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin, cocaine, and marijuana on the South Side of Chicago. Donley allegedly conducted several drug deals in the 7700 block of South Yates Boulevard in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. One of the alleged deals occurred in April 2022 and involved the distribution by Donley to Mc Neal of approximately 100 grams of substances that later tested positive for fentanyl, the complaint states. U.S. v. Toney , 23 CR 424 Charged with distributing cocaine is CHANTELL TONEY, 37, of Chicago. Toney allegedly sold crack cocaine on the South Side of Chicago on several occasions in 2022 and 2023. One of the deals occurred last month in an apartment in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, the complaint states. ~~~ The public is reminded that complaints contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Johnson et al complaint Donley et al complaint Toney complaint


title: Local woman handed 40-year-sentence for sexually exploiting toddler

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 29-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced to federal prison following her conviction on four different child pornography convictions, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Elexis Kiera Sidney pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child as well as distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography May 24, 2022. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Sidney to serve a total of 480 months in federal prison - 360, 120, 120 and 120 months for the sexual exploitation of a child, distribution, receipt and possession convictions, respectively. The distribution, receipt and possession convictions will run concurrently for a total of 120 months which will run consecutive to the 360 months imposed in the sexual exploitation of a child conviction for a total of 480 months. At the hearing, the court heard from the mother of a three-year-old relative that Sidney had recorded herself sexually abusing. This woman detailed how she felt betrayed by what Sidney did to her daughter when she was supposed to be babysitting her. During the hearing, the court noted a psychological evaluation Sidney underwent in which the doctor concluded she was at an average to high risk to reoffend. The court also heard how Sidney has a strong interest in children and has had since she was 10-years-old. Sidney was further ordered to pay $18,ooo in restitution to the victims and will serve the rest of her life on supervised release for the sexual exploitation conviction following completion of his prison term. During that time, she will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict her access to children. Sidney will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. “The depravity of what this woman did to her own relatives – two and three-year-old children - is abhorrent,” said Hamdani. “Instead of protecting the toddlers, she used them to feed her sick sexual deviancy, one she displayed on social media. Thankfully, we can now protect these young lives and mitigate future dangers by helping put Sidney where she belongs for the next few decades – behind federal prison bars.” Sidney came to the attention of law enforcement in December 2018 when authorities had observed her posting sexually-explicit material involving children in a private Kik chat group. After posting an image of herself naked in the bathroom, she then posted a video of herself again in the same situation. However, this time, a nude, pre-pubescent male child approximately two years of age was with her while she was touching herself. Other videos included the minor and Sydney touching each other in a sexual manner. On Dec. 10, 2018, authorities went to her residence, at which time she admitted to creating the videos and utilizing the Kik account. At the residence at the time was the minor victim who was identified as her relative. A forensic examination of her electronic devices and online storage account revealed Sidney had been distributing and receiving child pornography in the Kik chat group since November 2018. Authorities also found additional images and videos of Sidney sexually abusing the same minor victim as well as two images of a three-year-old minor relative. Law enforcement also found approximately 100 images and 120 videos of child pornography. Sidney will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.


title: Michoacan trafficker captured in Panama sent to U.S. prison

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 48-year-old Mexican national has been sent to prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute meth for Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Homero Guerra-Moreno pleaded guilty Dec. 6, 2022. Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Guerra-Moreno to serve 324 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Guerra-Moreno is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described how, from 2013 to 2018, Guerra-Moreno was responsible for monthly transportation and distribution of hundreds of kilograms of crystal meth into the United States from Mexico. “Today we dealt a blow to the Mexican cartels. Guerra-Moreno trafficked drugs into local communities like Laredo, Texas, for years, trafficking about 15,000 kilograms of meth for the CJNG, a ruthless Mexican cartel,” said Hamdani. “He tried to run and hide abroad, but the prosecutors and investigators of the Southern district of Texas are relentless; law enforcement located and detained him before he could escape. Guerra-Moreno’s capture and sentence sends a message to those who work with the cartels, you can run, but you cannot hide.” “Reaching the source of supply is crucial in stopping the flow of devastating drugs into our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Houston Division. “The exemplary collective and persistent efforts between DEA and its federal partners brought down one of CJNG’s most significant meth source of suppliers in South Texas." The investigation revealed a complex conspiracy which began in 2014. Authorities identified Guerra-Moreno as the source of supply for several drug trafficking organizations importing “ice” from Mexico through the United States. Guerra-Moreno worked in association with the CJNG and personally recruited traffickers to transport meth into Laredo. Guerra-Moreno resided in Mexico and evaded capture for years. On May 26, 2022, law enforcement detained Guerra-Moreno at Tocuman International Airport as he was attempting to depart for Mexico. He was subsequently deported to Texas to face conspiracy charges. Guerra-Moreno will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The DEA conducted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, Laredo Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, Georgia State Patrol, U.S. Embassy Panama City, Panama Immigration, Panama National Police Interpol Unit and the Panamanian government. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, mutlti-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Charles City Man Falsely Applying for a Passport

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Charles City man yesterday of attempting to obtain a passport using false identifying information. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, O’Ryan Jones, 54, after having been denied a passport in his own name, applied for a passport in the name and using the identifying information of his brother. In preparation for the passport fraud, the defendant also obtained his brother’s birth certificate and a driver’s license in his brother’s name featuring the defendant’s own photograph. Jones was convicted of false statement in application for a passport and aggravated identity theft, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison with a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison when sentenced on December 4, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and Karen Brown Cleveland, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Washington Field Office for the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), made the announcement after U.S District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Podlesni and Brian Samuels are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-cr-09.


title: Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Traffic “Ghost Guns” And To Laundering Money

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ROBERT ALCANTARA pled guilty today in Manhattan federal court to conspiracy to traffic firearms and conspiracy to launder money from his firearms trafficking. ALCANTARA conspired to sell more than 100 “ghost guns” to individuals in the Dominican Republic. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Robert Alcantara built untraceable ghost guns and conspired to sell more than 100 of them to individuals in the Dominican Republic. Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners, his brazen gun trafficking scheme has been stopped.” According to the Indictment and statements made in court proceedings and filings: On November 20, 2021, ALCANTARA was stopped in his vehicle in possession of kits to build approximately 45 ghost guns. ALCANTARA was interviewed by law enforcement agents and stated that he was planning to turn the 45 kits into working firearms and that he had 50 additional similar ghost guns at his home. A photograph of the 45 seized ghost gun kits is below: ALCANTARA used his Rhode Island home as a factory to machine ghost gun kits into working firearms. Below is a photograph of his home factory: After ALCANTARA purchased ghost gun kits and machined them into working firearms, he sold those working firearms in the Dominican Republic. Below are photographs of firearms ALCANTARA sent to buyers in the Dominican Republic to advertise the firearms he had available for sale: ALCANTARA received payments for the guns he sold in the Dominican Republic and laundered those funds. * * * ALCANTARA, 36, of Providence, Rhode Island, pled guilty today to one count of conspiring to traffic firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of conspiring to launder money, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. ALCANTARA is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Broderick on November 15, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Department of Commerce. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Police Department, the New York State Police Department, the Providence Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island for their assistance in the case. The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mead is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A convicted felon has pleaded guilty in connection with firearm and drug offenses that occurred in 2019 and later possessing a variety of firearms and narcotics while on pre-trial release for the charged offenses. Christian Soares, a/k/a “Eazy,” 30, of Brockton, pleaded guilty on July 27, 2023 to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and buprenorphine (suboxone); and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA (methylenedioxyamphetamine) and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Nov. 15, 2023. In 2019, Soares fled on foot from law enforcement during a traffic stop. Soares threw a backpack during the chase before he was ultimately apprehended, arrested and searched. A firearm with rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as a digital scale, firecrackers, a hooked knife and buprenorphine (Suboxone) strips were recovered from Soares’ backpack. Additionally, cocaine and fentanyl intended for distribution were recovered from Soares’ person. As a result, Soares was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug and firearm offenses. In December 2020, following a period of detention, the Court ordered Soares released on pre-trial conditions that included 24-hour confinement to a residence. Those conditions also prohibited Soares from possessing firearms, dangerous weapons, narcotic drugs, or other controlled substances. In March 2021, while still on pre-trial release, a search of Soares’ residence resulted in the recovery of over 100 grams of fentanyl, over 30 grams of MDA, over 40 grams of methamphetamine and over 70 grams of cocaine, as well as multiple firearms and numerous rounds of assorted ammunition. Soares is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to a 2013 state conviction of possession of a firearm, for which he served more than one year in prison. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and buprenorphine, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, MDA and 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistance with the investigation was provided by the Suffolk, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorneys’ Offices; the Suffolk, Plymouth and Norfolk County Sheriffs’ Office; and the Braintree, Cambridge, Canton, Randolph and Weymouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This effort is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Columbus man sentenced to 10 years in prison for armed robbery

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A local man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 120 months in prison for a January 2019 armed robbery. Michael John Smith, 29, of Columbus, pointed a pistol at two store clerks at the Circle K on Hall Road in Columbus on Jan. 27, 2019. Smith demanded money from the register and threatened to kill both women if they moved. Smith fled the store on foot with $280 in cash. According to court documents, Smith was also involved in another armed robbery in March 2019 at a Dollar General. The same gun used in both robberies was recovered in a car that was involved in a shooting on the highway near Circleville that same month. Smith and several individuals – including a 1-year-old child – had been in the vehicle on the highway. In its sentencing memorandum, the United States noted Smith’s extensive criminal history with multiple convictions beginning in 2014. In prior crimes, Smith shot two individuals in the head. “While all threats of violence should be taken seriously, there is an elevated sense of danger inherent in someone who brandishes a gun and threatens to kill people, and whose past actions demonstrate no reluctance in pulling the trigger,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “A significant term of imprisonment is warranted in this case.” Smith was charged by criminal complaint and arrested in January 2019. He pleaded guilty in March 2023 to committing robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Fairfield County Sheriff Alex Lape; and Col. Charles A. Jones, Superintendent, Ohio State Highway Patrol announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Pakiz is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Four Extradited Defendants Plead Guilty to Participating in Deadly International Human Smuggling Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Four Guatemalan nationals pleaded guilty to their involvement in a deadly Guatemala-based human smuggling conspiracy. Juan Gutierrez Castro, aka Andres, 46, pleaded guilty today, joining co-conspirators Felipe Diego Alonzo, aka Siete, 39; Nesly Norberto Martinez Gomez, aka Canche, 38; and Lopez Mateo Mateo, aka Bud Light, 43, who all pleaded guilty in July. According to court documents, the defendants admitted to conspiring with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, into the United States. They charged the migrants and their families approximately $10,000 to $12,000 for the perilous journey. One of the journeys resulted in the death of a young indigenous Guatemalan woman, who died in Texas in May 2021. The woman’s family had paid the defendants approximately $10,000 for the journey to the United States. The defendants and their co-conspirators guided her for several days on foot through the desert to Odessa, Texas, where she ultimately died. The defendants and their co-conspirators dumped her body on the side of a road in Crane County, Texas. The defendants and their co-conspirators then arranged to pay the victim’s family in Guatemala. Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States resulting in death. They are expected to be sentenced later this year and face a statutory maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As announced last year , extensive coordination between U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement authorities led to the indictment and arrest of these four defendants, as well as the apprehension of 15 additional co-conspirators in Guatemala. Pursuant to an extradition request, in March 2023, Guatemalan authorities extradited Diego Alonzo, Martinez Gomez, Mateo Mateo, and Gutierrez Castro to the United States – the first ever extraditions from Guatemala to the United States on charges of human smuggling resulting in death and the first Guatemalan human smuggling extraditions to the United States in nearly five years. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, and Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. HSI Midland led the investigation, working in concert with HSI Guatemala and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI received substantial assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations; ICE’s Parole and Law Enforcement Programs Unit; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Odessa and Midland Police Departments; the Texas Department of Public Safety; and the Ector County, Midland County, and Crane County Sheriffs’ Offices. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT) provided significant assistance in this matter. The Justice Department is grateful to Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation. The indictments, extraditions, and convictions of Diego Alonzo, Martinez Gomez, Mateo Mateo, and Gutierrez Castro, as well as the assistance provided by U.S. authorities to Guatemalan law enforcement, were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Luis Acosta for the Western District of Texas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian Gallegos for the Western District of Texas and HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland created JTFA in June 2021 in partnership with DHS to strengthen the Justice Department’s overall efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle those human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who most significantly impact the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 200 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; several dozen convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial asset forfeiture. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California. Dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Criminal Division that are part of JTFA, led by HRSP, and supported by ODPAT, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, OIA, and the Organized Crime and Gang Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other partners.


title: U.S. Attorney urges religious leaders to remain vigilant against attacks on places of worship & their congregants

body_text: CINCINNATI – Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, is urging religious leaders to watch for signs of extremism and learn how to report violent threats or incidents against places of worship and their members. In recent months, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted a man who set fire to a church in Baltimore, Ohio, and a man who made antisemitic and violent statements online while employed to provide security services at Columbus synagogues and Jewish schools. Parker and members of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies recently met with church, mosque, temple and synagogue leaders in Columbus and Cincinnati to discuss best practices for protecting places of worship and their congregants, and how federal and state laws are used to prosecute people who threaten or damage those institutions and engage in other acts of religious violence. “We want to assist the communities we serve by providing information about best practices for preventing targeted violence and guidance for how houses of worship can protect themselves against acts of vandalism and arson,” Parker told the assembled religious leaders. Parker was joined at the outreach events by J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division, Darryck Dean with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service, and investigators with the U.S. Secret Service at both meetings. Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers and Anthony Pierson with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as intelligence officers with the police departments in Cincinnati and Columbus participated. If you have information about a possible threat to a place of worship or believe you are a victim of or a witness to a hate crime, you can contact your local law enforcement agency, call the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI- or submit a tip to tips@fbi.gov . You can also report these or any other potential civil rights violations directly to the U.S. Attorney’s Office using a referral form available at the office’s main website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh , or by leaving a voicemail on our Civil Rights Tip Line at 513-684-2055. “I will continue to meet with groups concerned about hate-motivated attacks and am dedicated to providing faith-based leaders and congregations with resources like threat assessments and safety plans to help protect our places of sanctuary and blessedness from unjust and unprovoked attacks,” said Parker. Additional resources: Safety for faith-based events and houses of worship resource guide DHS security self-assessment FBI active shooter resources Protecting Places of Worship Forum Facilitator Guide for Community Leaders # # #


title: Boone, N.C. Man Is Sentenced To Prison For Possession Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Stephen Allen Hill, 75, of Boone, N.C. was sentenced late yesterday to 48 months in prison for possession of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Hill was ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release, to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison, and to pay a $100 special assessment, a $5,000 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JTVA) assessment, a $17,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act ( AVAA), and a $30,000 fine . Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), and Chief Andy LeBeau of the Boone Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and court proceedings, in October 2020, law enforcement became aware that an individual, later identified as Hill, was using a peer-to-peer network to share child pornography with other users. According to court records, on January 15, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Hill’s residence in Boone. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement seized several electronic devices, including a computer, hard drives, and Hill’s cellphone. A forensic examination of the devices revealed that they contained images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including toddlers and infants engaging in sadistic and masochistic conduct. In total, Hill possessed in excess of 29,000 images and 340 videos depicting child pornography. On December 16, 2022, Hill pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography that involved a prepubescent minor who had not attained 12 years of age. In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the SBI and the Boone Police Department for their investigation of the case. Assistant United States Attorney Nick J. Miller, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case. This case is 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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


title: St. Louis County Man Admits $149,900 Pandemic Loan Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted fraudulently applying for and receiving a $149,900 pandemic loan. Cecil Jones, 41, pleaded guilty to unlawful transfer of an identification document and admitted submitting a fraudulent application for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration. The July 25, 2020 online application contained Jones’ name but a Social Security number that was not assigned to him. The application also included a photograph of Jones holding a counterfeit Missouri driver’s license that showed Jones’ picture and name, spelled as “Cecill.” Based upon this fraudulent application, the SBA deposited $149,900 into a Regions Bank account owned and controlled by Jones. At his November 6 sentencing, Jones could face up to 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. He will also be ordered to repay the money. The case was investigated by Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting the case.


title: Border Crosser Sentenced to 47 Months for Assaulting a Federal Officer After Illegally Attempting to Reenter the United States

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Leudi Jesus Garcia-Jauregui, 25, of Mexico, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 47 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Garcia-Jauregui pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023, to Assault on a Federal Officer with Physical Contact and Attempted Reentry of a Removed Alien. Garcia-Jauregui also admitted that he had violated the terms and conditions of his supervised release after previously serving a 24-month sentence for Attempted Reentry of a Removed Alien and Importing a Stolen Vehicle. On November 12, 2022, just two days after Garcia-Jauregui had been released from federal prison and deported from the United States, Garcia-Jauregui attempted to reenter the United States. He was seen running northbound in the southbound vehicle lanes at the DeConcini Port of Entry, in Nogales, Arizona. Garcia-Jauregui disregarded U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers’ commands to stop before being tackled to the ground. He attempted to break free multiple times, attempted to bite two officers, but was finally arrested. While in custody, Garcia-Jauregui became combative again, punching an officer twice in the shoulder and chest. United States Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02612-JAS and CR-21-01247-JAS RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-116_Garcia-Jauregui # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Harnett County Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Cameron, N.C. man was sentenced today to 324 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for the production of child pornography between August and July of 2019. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $122,000.00 in restitution to the minor, hands on production victim. On August 3, 2022, Ivan Velez, 26, pled guilty to the charges. According to court documents and other information presented in court, in August of 2020 Velez posted a video of a female infant in a chat room on the messaging platform known as KIK. The following day, Velez sent an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Agent a private message containing another video, constituting child pornography, of the same infant. The IP address was traced to an address in Cameron, and Velez’s registered vehicle was parked in the driveway of the residence. Investigators with HSI, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) worked together quickly to obtain a search warrant for the residence which was executed on August 14, 2020. Velez was present when the search warrant was executed and agreed to speak with investigators. During the conversation, Velez admitted to utilizing the username associated with the KIK account that sent the video and to distributing child pornography on KIK. Velez further admitted to creating child pornography videos depicting his sexual abuse of the minor child approximately a year earlier. Investigators determined that Velez recorded his sexual abuse of the minor child, who was less than two years old at the time of the abuse, on no less than three separate occasions. The search of the residence yielded a cell phone and other media storage, containing a total of 5,150 image files and 383 video files depicting sexual exploitation of minors. The content discovered in the search included at least five different videos of depicting Velez’s sexual abuse of the minor child. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Department of Homeland Security, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan M. Stephany prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-00214-D.


title: Former DEA Task Force Officer Pleads Guilty To Unlawfully Assaulting Individual During Arrest

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ryan T. Geach, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (“DOJ-OIG”), announced today that DUSTIN GENCO, a former Task Force Officer with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) employed by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, pled guilty to depriving an individual (the “Victim”) of his constitutional right to be free from excessive force. On October 20, 2022, GENCO assaulted the Victim while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs. GENCO pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As he admitted today, Dustin Genco, a former DEA Task Force Officer, violated the constitutional rights of an individual by using excessive force during that person’s arrest. This officer violated his oath and abused his power to deprive the victim of his rights protected by the U.S. Constitution. He now faces the serious consequences of his actions.” DOJ-OIG Special Agent in Charge Ryan T. Geach said: “No law enforcement officer should ever use excessive force. These charges send a clear message that the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will aggressively pursue allegations of excessive force by DOJ law enforcement and its Task Force Officers.” According to the Information that was filed today in Manhattan federal court as well as other public statements made in court: On or about October 20, 2022, GENCO was employed as a Task Force Officer with the DEA. GENCO was assigned to assist with the arrest of the Victim. During the arrest, GENCO assaulted the Victim by forcefully kicking the Victim in the chest and stomach area while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs, resulting in injury to the Victim. After the assault, GENCO intentionally misled a federal law enforcement agent about the assault, claiming that the Victim had continued to resist arrest after he was handcuffed. GENCO also failed to truthfully disclose that he had kicked the Victim in the chest and stomach area while the Victim was restrained in handcuffs. As a condition of his guilty plea, GENCO agreed, among other things, to permanently cease and refrain from seeking or obtaining law enforcement employment on behalf of any federal, state, or local entity. * * * GENCO, 51, of Seaford, New York, pled guilty to deprivation of constitutional rights under color of law, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DOJ-OIG. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Steiner is in charge of the prosecution.


title: United States Attorney's Office Releases 2023 Second Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office announced its immigration enforcement statistics for April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2023. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the Tucson and Yuma Sectors of the Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the three-month period ending June 30, 2023, the United States brought criminal charges in Arizona against 1,552 individuals who illegally entered or re-entered the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 275 cases against individuals responsible for smuggling undocumented noncitizens to and within the District of Arizona. In this time period, the United States also prosecuted 90 reactive drug cases arising out of immigration ports of entry and checkpoints. Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continues to be a priority for the Office and its law enforcement partners. Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of alien smuggling organizations. Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include three cases brought against juvenile smugglers during this time period. These statistics represent United States Attorney’s Office prosecutions only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-117_2023 Second Quarter Immigration Enforcement Statistics # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Enid Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Government Officials

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, TYLER JAY MARSHALL , 36, of Enid, pleaded guilty to the interstate transmission of threatening communications against various government officials, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Marshall. Count 1 charged him with threatening to murder a United States official. Count 2 charged him with interstate transmission of threatening communications. According to court records, on or about May 15, 2023, the FBI learned that Marshall had been using Twitter to post threats to shoot or bomb several government officials and their families, including Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and United States Senator Ted Cruz. On Wednesday, Marshall pleaded guilty to Count 2. As part of his plea, Marshall admitted that he knew his posts would be viewed as real threats. At sentencing, Marshall faces up to 5 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.00. He has been in federal custody since May 19, 2023. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, with assistance from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Enid Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Stoneman is prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for more information.


title: Armed Career Criminal Who Shot Fayetteville Pawn Shop Owner Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. –Mario Whitted, 28, of Fayetteville was sentenced today to 540 months in prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. He was convicted by a federal jury in April of this year and deemed an armed career criminal. Whitted has three prior state convictions for common law robbery. “Today’s sentence puts a career criminal behind bars and sends a stronger message to the Fayetteville community. Our prosecutors are working shoulder-to-shoulder with law enforcement relentlessly pursuing those responsible for gun violence in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Mario Whitted, 28, a felon and armed career criminal shot the owner of a Fayetteville pawn shop as he closed his shop on November 30, 2019. The owner, who survived the attack, was struck twice in the leg and returned fire with his own handgun. Whitted fled the scene and flagged down a Good Samaritan who offered to take him to a local emergency room. Whitted instead insisted that he be taken home. He was later apprehended in South Carolina after having a bullet extracted from his foot which ballistics examiners matched to the victim’s gun. DNA evidence also linked Whitted to the scene after he bled in the Good Samaritan’s car. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III sentenced the defendant. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Fayetteville Police Department, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and Robeson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Rhoades and Phil Aubart prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:21-CR-87-BO. ###


title: Groton Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEVEN COLLAZO, 32, of Groton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a conspiracy to receive large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico through the U.S. Mail for distribution in Connecticut and elsewhere. Collazo must serve the first three months of his supervised release in home detention. According to court documents and statements made in court, in April 2021, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating a cocaine trafficking operation headed by Carlos Antonio Crespo-Febus. The investigation revealed that Crespo-Febus was coordinating the shipment of parcels, typically containing two kilograms of cocaine, from U.S. Post Offices in Puerto Rico to various “drop addresses” in New London County. Collazo, who served as the primary “runner” for Crespo-Febus, picked up parcels from the drop addresses and delivered them to Crespo-Febus at Crespo-Febus’s New London residence. Investigators intercepted and seized approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine that were mailed from Puerto Rico to Connecticut, and identified dozens of other suspicious parcels that likely contained kilogram quantities of cocaine. Crespo-Febus and Collazo were arrested on September 20, 2021. On November 10, 2022, Collazo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Collazo, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 4. Crespo-Febus, of New London, pleaded guilty on October 21, 2022. He is detained while awaiting sentencing. This matter has been investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New London and Town of Groton Police Departments. 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. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Konstantin Lantsman.


title: Iowa Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Failure to Pay Employment Taxes and File Federal Return

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – On Monday, July 31, 2023, an Iowa man pled guilty to Willful Failure to Pay Over Employment Taxes and Willful Failure to File an Income Tax Return. As described in public court records, Thomas James Morford, 50, operated a concrete construction business within the Southern District of Iowa. During the fourth quarter of 2019, Morford collected and willfully failed to pay more than $9,000 in employee Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes to the United States. Additionally, for the year 2020, Morford willfully failed to file a federal tax return. Morford is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1, 2023. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the case.


title: Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

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

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Parrionte H. Wallace, 22, of the 2000 block of South 12 th Street, was sentenced on August 1, 2023, to 41 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to court documents and representations in open court, on June 23, 2022, law enforcement officers from the Menard County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office stopped Wallace while he was traveling in a car in Menard County and discovered a loaded, semi-automatic firearm with an extended magazine. The defendant told officers he had illegally purchased the firearm in Chicago. The Athens, Illinois, Police Department assisted with the stop. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless found that Wallace had possessed a stolen, loaded weapon with one round in the chamber and an extended magazine while out at 12:30am in a car with a young child. Judge Lawless further found that the defendant’s prior criminal conviction was a crime of violence. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Wallace in July 2022. Wallace pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Karen L. McNaught in March 2023. The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person at the time of Wallace’s offense were up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a possible $250,000 fine, and up to a three-year term of supervised release. Congress raised the penalty for the offense of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person to 15 years’ imprisonment as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act just a few days after this offense occurred. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Illinois State Police; Menard County Sheriff’s Office; and the Athens Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Wallace is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Von Ormy Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Kidnap and Transport Non-U.S. Citizen

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A Von Ormy man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio on Tuesday to 220 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in serious bodily injury. According to court documents, Andrew Carrillo, 30, was an accomplice to Rosalio Cano Jr. in the smuggling and kidnapping of an undocumented noncitizen in September 2021. After meeting at Cano’s residence, where the kidnapped migrant had been held, Carrillo and Cano drove separately to an Econo Lodge in San Antonio. Carrillo had designated the motel’s parking lot as the location where he and Cano would hand the kidnapped migrant over to the migrant’s family in exchange for cash. Unbeknownst to Carrillo, he and another codefendant, Veronica Ortega, had been communicating and negotiating the migrant’s release with an undercover officer who had accompanied the migrant’s family member to the exchange. After the undercover officer handed Carrillo and Ortega the $9,000 in U.S. currency, Homeland Security Investigations agents moved in to arrest the three defendants. Carrillo and Ortega were taken into custody, while Cano fled and was arrested by the U.S. Marshal’s Service on Oct. 14, 2021 . Carrillo pleaded guilty to both counts on Feb. 7, 2023. In addition to the prison sentence, Carrillo was ordered to pay $7,025.78 in restitution. “The penalties in this case reflect the grave dangers of human smuggling,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “While restitution cannot erase the trauma kidnapping victims endure, we hope it will provide some measure of relief. We will not stop working to protect the vulnerable people who are targeted for human smuggling and will continue to aggressively prosecute offenders.” “Not only did these human smugglers conspire to undermine our nation’s immigration laws, but they also used intimidation and violence for their own profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee for Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio Division. “If you enter into an agreement with a human smuggler, your loved one will not be treated with respect, they will simply be seen as a commodity, and will be placed in extreme danger.” Cano was sentenced on Dec. 29, 2022 to 190 months in prison and ordered to pay $7,025.78 in restitution. On Jan. 3, 2023, Ortega was sentenced to 60 months of probation and was also ordered to pay $7,025.78 in restitution. HSI investigated the case with valuable assistance from the San Antonio Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Hail prosecuted the case. ###


title: California man pleads guilty to federal drug trafficking crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Andres Dominguez, age 25, of San Diego, California, pled guilty today to a drug conspiracy charge. According to court documents, Dominguez was a money courier for a drug supply chain that stretched from the Southwest border to Ohio and West Virginia. Dominguez flew into the Pittsburgh International Airport on several occasions to collect cash payments for drugs. He would then fly to California to deliver the cash to the supplier. Dominguez helped to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, more than 400 grams of fentanyl, and more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Dominguez faces at least 10 years and up to life 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 Carly Nogay and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Adkins prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, which includes officers from the Wheeling Police Department, the West Virginia State Police, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Belmont County (OH) Sheriff’s Office and the Belmont County Prosecutor’s Office provided important assistance. The investigation was supported by the ATF, the Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, the Allegheny County (PA) Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided. Read more about the initial indictment: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/federal-indictment-cuts-major-source-west-virginia-drug-supply


title: El Dorado Springs Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years for Coercing a Child for Illegal Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An El Dorado Springs, Mo., man with a history of child sex crimes was sentenced in federal court today for making plans to coerce the fictional child of an undercover federal agent to engage in illegal sexual activity. Jarrett Lee Vann, 49, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 35 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Vann to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following incarceration. On Oct. 11, 2022, Vann pleaded guilty to one count of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and one count that charges additional penalties for registered sex offenders. At the time of the offense, Vann was required to register as a sex offender due to a federal conviction for receiving or distributing child pornography in the District of Idaho. Vann admitted that he engaged in an online conversation with an undercover federal agent, whom he met in a chat room on the dark web on Nov. 1, 2021. The conversation continued through a mobile instant messaging application through February 2022. Vann expressed interest in engaging in sexual acts with the purported four-year-old daughter of the undercover agent and engaged in graphic discussions about what he wanted to do to her. Vann discussed having a long-term sexual relationship with the child, which included graphic details about specific sex acts, dressing her up like a bride, keeping souvenirs of his rape of the purported child, and having the undercover agent show her “daughter” pornography so that she would be prepared for the sexual encounters. During those conversations, Vann claimed he had many relationships with “young girls,” from three years old to 15 years old. He clarified his favorite ages were four to five years old. He admitted that he was emailing with an individual he believed to be a minor, had sent nude images to individuals he believed to be minors, and was chatting with others about exploiting children. They made plans for the undercover agent to travel to Missouri with her purported daughter for the purpose of Vann having sexual contact with her. Vann met the undercover agent at a restaurant in El Dorado Springs. When they left the restaurant, Vann was arrested. His electronic devices were seized and searched, and files of child sexual abuse material were located. In addition to his federal conviction in the District of Idaho, which followed his attempt to meet a fictional nine-year-old victim for sex, Vann was caught in an undercover Air Force police operation trying to meet another child for sex. This conduct was also underlying conduct for his District of Idaho conviction, for which he was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison. While Vann was on supervised release following incarceration, his probation officer found child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices. Vann received an additional prison term when his supervised release was revoked. In 2008, he was convicted of possessing sexually exploitative material and sentenced to 10 years in Idaho state prison. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Connecticut Resident Pleads Guilty in Federal Court in Rhode Island  to a Charge of Bank Fraud

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Bridgeport, Connecticut man admitted to a federal court judge in Rhode Island that he fraudulently created an online bank account in the name of a Rhode Island resident without that person’s knowledge, and then accessed and transferred $65,500 to that account from a separate bank account controlled by the Rhode Islander, again without that person’s knowledge, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Michael Joshua Saint-Victor, 26, also admitted that he submitted an application for an ATM/debit card tied to the bank account that he opened in the Rhode Island resident’s name, and that he also used this individual’s name to apply for a credit card with a second bank. According to information presented to the court, when the banks discovered the fraudulent activities, the bank returned the $65,500 that Saint-Victor had transferred to his Rhode Island victim, and both the ATM/debit card and the credit card applications were denied. Saint-Victor pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 1, 2023. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service. ###


title: Allegan County Woman Charged For Posing As A Nurse

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that an Allegan County woman was charged with identity theft for fraudulently posing as a licensed nurse. “The allegations in this case involving a woman faking as a professionally licensed nurse are dangerous and put unsuspecting patients in harm’s way,” said U.S. Attorney Totten . “My office takes these accusations very seriously.” According to allegations made in court documents, Leticia Gallarzo, 48, used the Michigan licensing number and the name of a person licensed as a nurse to obtain employment as a nurse at an area hospice facility. Gallarzo did not possess a valid nursing license and represented that she earned a master’s degree in nursing from The George Washington University despite having no formal degree of any kind in nursing. The hospice facility learned that Gallarzo was a nurse impostor when her fingerprints matched the fingerprints on record due to her previous state and federal convictions for practicing nursing without a license in Texas in 2015 and 2016. Gallarzo is charged with identity theft related to the transfer of the means of identification of another person in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028(a)(7). If convicted, Gallarzo faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. “Any unqualified person who poses as a medical professional puts the lives of innocent patients at risk, as alleged in this case,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I would like to thank the Michigan State Police for their outstanding investigative work during this case. The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to ensure identity theft cases like this one are thoroughly investigated.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation Grand Rapids Field Office and U.S. Health & Human Service Office of Inspector General are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Stella is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. gallarzo_complaint.pdf ###


title: Jury Recommends Sentence of Death for Pennsylvania Man Convicted for Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: After two months of trial, a federal jury in Pittsburgh unanimously recommended today that a Pennsylvania man be sentenced to death for killing 11 congregants at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, critically wounding two others, and injuring five responding police officers in October 2018. On June 16, after three weeks of hearing evidence, the jury found Bowers guilty on 63 counts, including hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of the free exercise of religion resulting in death, that were potentially punishable by a death sentence. After hearing additional evidence, the jury found on July 13, that Robert Bowers, 50, was eligible to receive a death sentence. During the Sentence Selection phase of the trial, which lasted from July 17 through July 31, the jury then heard testimony on aggravating and mitigating factors before arriving at its unanimous recommendation of a death sentence. “The horrific attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue on October 27, 2018, stole the lives of 11 innocent victims, shattered their families, gutted their congregation and the Pittsburgh community, and struck fear in the lives of Jewish people across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Hate crimes like this one inflict irreparable pain on individual victims and their loved ones and lead entire communities to question their very belonging. All Americans deserve to live free from the fear of hate-fueled violence and the Justice Department will hold accountable those who perpetrate such acts.” “The men and women of the FBI hold the Tree of Life Synagogue victims and the Pittsburgh community in our hearts as we continue to protect communities of faith from violent acts of hate,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The damage caused by antisemitism cannot be understated, just as the tragic loss of the eleven victims cannot be measured. Healing will be a life-long journey for the survivors, families, and communities affected by this vile attack, and the FBI will be there to support them throughout that journey.” “The massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue imposed grievous and far-reaching harms and is a reminder about the ongoing threat that we face as a result of antisemitic violence and hatred in our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The victims of these senseless murders were community and religious leaders and loving family members and friends. A jury of his peers held the defendant accountable for his hateful actions and provided justice for those killed and injured. The verdict, though, cannot bring back the 11 people killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Nor can it heal the physical and psychological wounds of the survivors or dispel the hurt and fear of community members. We hope that this civil rights prosecution brings a measure of closure and highlights the determination of the Justice Department to protect people from antisemitic violence and other hate crimes in our country.” “The evidence in this trial proved that the defendant acted because of white supremacist, anti-Semitic and bigoted views that unfortunately are not original or unique to him,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Our Constitution protects a person’s right to hold repugnant beliefs. But our Constitution also protects every person’s right to practice his or her faith. When people who espouse white supremacist, anti-Semitic, and bigoted views pick up weapons and use them to kill or try to kill people because of their faith, our Office and our partners in law enforcement will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Each and every time.” The evidence showed that on Oct. 27, 2018, Bowers drove to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, where members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light Jewish congregations gathered to engage in religious worship. Bowers entered the building armed with multiple firearms, including three Glock .357 handguns and a Colt AR-15 rifle. While inside the Tree of Life Synagogue, Bowers opened fire, killing and injuring members of the three congregations, as well as injuring multiple responding police officers as they attempted to rescue surviving victims. The victims include 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue who were killed: Joyce Fienberg, 75; Richard Gottfried, 65; Rose Mallinger, 97; Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; Cecil Rosenthal, 59; David Rosenthal, 54; Bernice Simon, 84; Sylvan Simon, 86; Daniel Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 87; and Irving Younger, 69. In addition, the defendant critically injured two congregants. Another 12 congregants escaped physical injury. Additionally, the victims include five responding police officers who were injured while attempting to rescue surviving victims and apprehend the defendant. The evidence showed that the defendant meticulously planned his attack based on his violently antisemitic beliefs, reflected in dozens of online posts admitted into evidence. The court will impose the sentence on Aug. 3. U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy Rivetti, Soo C. Song and Nicole Vasquez Schmitt for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Trial Attorney Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division, and Trial Attorneys Barry K. Disney and Aaron J. Stewart of the Criminal Division’s Capital Case Unit prosecuted the case. Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer of the Civil Rights Division and Trial Attorney Sonia Jiminez of the Criminal Division also made significant contributions to the prosecution of this case.


title: Connecticut Resident Indicted, Arraigned in Federal Court in Rhode Island In Multi-State Scheme to Defraud Home Depot

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A West Hartford, CT, resident has been arraigned in U.S. District Court in Providence, RI, on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud, as reflected in an indictment that alleges that he participated in a scheme to defraud Home Depot stores in eight states, including Rhode Island, of approximately $297,332, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. It is alleged in charging documents that, from at least June 2021 to February 2022, Alexandre Henrique Costa-Mota, 26, executed non-receipted return fraud schemes at more than two dozen Home Depot stores located primarily in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, but also in Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. It is alleged that Costa-Mota entered stores empty handed, dressed to appear like a contractor. He then collected Anderson doors, which he brought to each store’s Service Department where he made non-receipted returns of the doors. With each successful return, Costa-Mota was provided with a store credit that he later redeemed at other stores, mainly located in Connecticut. At times, when the stores refused to accept the receiptless returns, Costa-Mota simply exited the stores with the Anderson doors without paying for them and then returned the doors at other stores for store credit. It is alleged that Costa-Mota received approximately 370 fraudulent store credits, valued at $297,332. A federal grand jury in Providence returned an indictment on July 26, 2023, charging Costa-Mota with wire fraud and conspiracy. He was arraigned before a United States Magistrate Judge on August 1, 2023, and ordered detained. A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan. The matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service. ###


title: Chalmette Man Pleads Guilty to Cares Act Fraud

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JULIO A. GONZALEZ, JR. of Chalmette, LA, has plead guilty on July 26, 2023 to one-count of making false statements related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001. On March 27, 2020, The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments. GONZALEZ made false statements to an approved lender for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining a PPP loan, which he later received in the amount of approximately $20,832.00. GONZALEZ stated in his PPP application that he was an independent contractor impacted by the pandemic when, in truth, he had no such business in 2020. GONZALEZ faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to $250,000 in fines, and up to three years of supervised release for the false statements. There is also a $100 mandatory special assessment fee due after conviction. Sentencing is scheduled for November 8, 2023. For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Stolen Check Scheme Leads to Bank Fraud Sentence for Georgia Man

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: An Atlanta, Georgia man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland today for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Mantavious Jones , 35, to 16 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Jones pleaded guilty on March 23, 2023. According to court records, in March 2022, Jones and coconspirators stole checks out of the mailboxes of local businesses then used the stolen checks to create counterfeit checks. The counterfeit checks were made payable to unhoused individuals Jones and others recruited to cash them. Jones and his coconspirators netted just under $70,000 from the cashed counterfeit checks. The New England Cyber Fraud Task Force and Kennebunk Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Saco and Scarborough police departments. ###


title: Two New York Men Sentenced for Operating Mass Mailing Fraud Scheme Targeting Elderly and Vulnerable Victims

body_text: Two New York men were sentenced today for participating in a 12-year scheme to mail fraudulent prize notices that tricked elderly and vulnerable consumers into paying fees for falsely promised cash prizes. Sean Novis, 53, and Gary Denkberg, 59, both of Long Island, were sentenced to 90 and 66 months in prison, respectively. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, who also ordered Novis to forfeit $60 million and Denkberg to forfeit $19 million. In August 2020, Novis and Denkberg were charged with operating mass mailing fraud schemes that tricked thousands of victims, many of whom were elderly, into providing the defendants with money by falsely promising prizes. Evidence presented at trial showed that, from January 2003 to September 2016, Novis and Denkberg mailed millions of prize notices that falsely represented that the victims had been specifically chosen to receive a large cash prize and would receive the prize if they paid a fee. Victims who paid the requested fee, however, did not receive the promised cash prize. Although the notices appeared to be personalized correspondence, they were merely mass-produced, boilerplate documents that were bulk mailed to recipients whose names and addresses were on mailing lists. During 12 years of perpetrating these mail fraud schemes, Novis and Denkberg stole more than $90 million from thousands of victims. In May 2022, a federal jury in Central Islip, New York, convicted both men of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, fraudulent use of fictitious names, and aiding and abetting other mail fraud schemes. “Today’s sentencing is an important step in delivering justice for the thousands of victims who had more than $90 million stolen from them by the defendants in this case,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is accelerating our efforts to investigate and prevent scams that target seniors, to return stolen funds to the victims, and to hold accountable the criminals who prey on vulnerable Americans.” “Those who commit fraud that targets America’s seniors face serious penalties,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department is committed to pursuing these prosecutions and is thankful for the Postal Inspection Service’s assistance with this matter.” “Today’s sentence clearly demonstrates that defrauding Americans has serious consequences,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale. “Postal Inspectors are committed to investigating fraud targeting our customers and bringing those responsible to justice.” The trial resulted from a multi-year investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Consumer Protection Branch Trial Attorneys Charles Dunn and Carolyn Rice and Assistant Director J. Matt Williams are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanisha Payne for the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice .


title: Independence Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearm

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man who was arrested after he drove two victims of an accidental shooting to the hospital emergency room was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms. Jason Ruben Breedlove, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 15 years in federal prison without parole. On March 28, 2022, Breedlove pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. After two people were shot at a residence in Butler, Mo., on Feb. 5, 2018, Breedlove drove the gunshot victims to the Bates County Memorial Hospital in Butler and dropped them off at the emergency room. Deputies of the Bates County Sheriff’s Department apprehended Breedlove and took him into custody the same day. When deputies searched the residence where the shooting occurred, they found 25 grams of methamphetamine, which Breedlove admitted belonged to him, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber pistol. Breedlove told investigators this was the pistol that had discharged and wounded the two shooting victims. An additional round of ammunition was found in Breedlove’s pants. When deputies searched Breedlove’s vehicle, they found a Savage 6.5 Creedmoor caliber rifle and ammunition. The firearm had been reported as stolen. Breedlove admitted that he purchased methamphetamine for others to distribute. Breedlove told investigators he could obtain kilogram amounts of methamphetamine from several individuals, for which he took money off the top as the middleman. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Marquez. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bates County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Butler, Mo., Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.


title: Leader of St. Louis Fentanyl Ring Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced the leader of a large-scale, long-term St. Louis fentanyl trafficking ring to 15 years in prison. Jamore Clark, 40, of unincorporated St. Louis County, admitted in a guilty plea in January that he had been caught with over 800 grams of fentanyl on March 6, 2020 after fleeing law enforcement. He also admitted possessing firearms while involved in fentanyl dealing. "The fentanyl Drug Enforcement Administration investigators seized the day Jamore Clark was arrested would have been the equivalent of nearly 45,000 lethal doses," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colin Dickey, lead of DEA investigations in Eastern Missouri. "DEA investigators know the seriousness of fentanyl’s impact on the safety and health of St. Louis citizens, which is driving drug-induced deaths to new highs. That makes this sentence particularly satisfying.” Clark pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. All nine others indicted in the case have also pleaded guilty and received sentences of up to 10 years in prison. They include Jason Stanley Jones, 38, of Ballwin; Arie T. Graham, 34; Clarence Lee Totten, 33; Justin Lee Hughes, 36, of Florissant; Martez Lamar Murphy, 29, of Florissant; Keven Treyvon Huddlen, 30, of Florissant; Kevin Cunningham, 37, of St. Louis; Alaena C. Patrick, 37, of Flordell Hills; and Natalie J. Westerman, 46, of St. Peters. The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Kenner Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Stealing Mail in Elmwood Area Using Stolen Postal Key

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On August 2, 2023, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the sentencing of ADOLPH KENDRICK , age 27, of Kenner, who previously pleaded guilty on April 18, 2023, to Unlawful Possession and Use of a United States Postal Service (USPS) “arrow” key used by USPS employees to access authorized mail receptacles. According to the indictment, on November 14 and 15, 2022, KENDRICK stole mail from the Citrus Post Office in New Orleans, Louisiana. On November 15, 2022, KENDRICK was observed stealing mail and was caught after a brief police chase near Williams Boulevard. KENDRICK was also found in possession of a United States Postal Service “arrow” key. U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter sentenced KENDRICK to 30 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Justice Department closes language access and retaliation civil rights matter in Fort Bend County

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: Note: This press release has been translated in various languages. See attachments below. HOUSTON – The Justice Department announced it has secured a final resolution in its civil rights matter involving the Fort Bend County (FBC) courts. FBC has complied with all the terms of a June 2021 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and as a result, the department is closing the matter. The department initially opened the matter based on allegations that FBC courts discriminated against people with limited English proficiency (LEP) based on their national origin and retaliated against a complainant in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) which prohibits race, color and national origin discrimination by any recipient of federal financial assistance. One complaint alleged that the FBC District Court denied a criminal defendant with LEP a Vietnamese interpreter he needed for a plea hearing and said that the defendant or his attorney must find and pay for a Vietnamese interpreter. On June 29, 2021, the department and FBC resolved the investigation with an MOA that required significant changes to FBC’s language access policies for court users with LEP. Since then, FBC has made significant changes to improve access for court users with LEP and to comply with Title VI requirements. For example, FBC: Provides interpreter services at no cost to anyone with LEP, regardless of income, in all civil and criminal cases as described in the court’s language assistance policy ; Revised its language access plan ; Created a language access training for court staff and a Judge’s Guide to Language Access ; Maintains a public webpage that explains how to request interpretation or translation services; Provides a language access complaint form in several languages on its website; and To ensure Title VI compliance, FBC staff have also received Title VI retaliation training. “The new policies and practices adopted by the Fort Bend County courts are helping to provide meaningful language access for people with limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I hope other court systems follow Fort Bend County’s example and take action to provide interpreter services to court users at no cost. Access to justice in our country should not be limited or denied simply because of your proficiency in English.” “Fort Bend County is one of the most diverse counties in Texas where almost half the population is of Spanish, East Asian and South Asian origin. As a prosecutor, an immigrant and the son of Indian-born, working-class parents, I have seen, first-hand, the struggles of America’s newest residents who speak English as a second language, and the need for interpreters, especially during court proceedings,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Because of the hard work of the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and at the Civil Right Division, all residents, irrespective of national origin, will have full access to the court system to handle everything from family court matters, criminal and general civil matters. I look forward to working with other counties and the Office of Court Administration to replicate these efforts throughout the Southern District of Texas.” This matter was handled jointly by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website , and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available here . Translations: العربية 简体字 簡體字 Gujarati हिन्दी Malayalam Español Tagalog اُردُو Tiếng Việt


title: Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MILTON ROSARIO, also known as “Little,” 41, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 70 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from an investigation into gang-related drug trafficking and firearm possession by members of Los Solidos. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, revealed that Luis Feliciano, also known as “Louminaty,” distributed fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack to customers and other distributors in the Hartford area, including Jose Tirado, also known as “Joselito” and “Leet,” and also to individuals in New York and Maine. Tirado further distributed fentanyl to Rosario, who sold the drug to his own customer base. On June 8, 2022, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Rosario, Feliciano, Tirado, and 13 others with various narcotics distribution and firearm possession offenses. Rosario was arrested on June 9, 2022. On February 9, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. He has been detained since his arrest. Feliciano and Tirado pleaded guilty and await sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department. The Task Force includes members of the FBI, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian P. Leaming and Robert S. Ruff 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 .