title: Two Sentenced To Prison For ‘We Build The Wall’ Online Fundraising Fraud Scheme

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that BRIAN KOLFAGE and ANDREW BADOLATO were sentenced today by United States District Judge Analisa Torres. KOLFAGE was sentenced to 51 months in prison, and BADOLATO was sentenced to 36 months in prison, for their respective roles in carrying out a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign known as “We Build The Wall” by soliciting donations using false statements and then stealing the resulting donations. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Brian Kolfage and Andrew Badolato abused the trust of donors to We Build the Wall and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to line their own pockets. The defendants have now been held accountable for their criminal conduct.” According to court filings and evidence introduced during court proceedings: Starting in approximately December 2018, BRIAN KOLFAGE, ANDREW BADOLATO, their co-defendant TIMOTHY SHEA, and others orchestrated a scheme to defraud hundreds of thousands of donors, including donors in the Southern District of New York, in connection with an online crowdfunding campaign ultimately known as “We Build The Wall” that raised more than $25,000,000 to build a wall along the southern border of the United States. In particular, to induce donors to donate to the campaign, KOLFAGE repeatedly and falsely assured the public that he would “not take a penny in salary or compensation” and that “100% of the funds raised…will be used in the execution of our mission and purpose.” Those representations were lies. In truth, KOLFAGE, BADOLATO, SHEA, and others received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donor funds from We Build the Wall, which they each used in a manner inconsistent with the organization’s public representations. For example, KOLFAGE covertly took for his personal use more than $350,000 in funds that donors had given to We Build the Wall. To conceal the payments to KOLFAGE from We Build the Wall, KOLFAGE, BADOLATO, SHEA, and others devised a scheme to route those payments through entities and bank accounts that they controlled. They took various steps to obscure or conceal these payments, including by using fake invoices and sham contracts — conduct for which SHEA was convicted at trial of obstruction of justice. In imposing today’s sentences on KOLFAGE and BADOLATO, Judge Torres noted that “this was no ordinary financial fraud,” because when victims donated to We Build the Wall, “they were expressing their views about a political issue that was important to them.” Noting that the offense cast doubt on the efficacy of political involvement and that the scheme would “undoubtedly have a chilling effect” on political donations, Judge Torres remarked that “the fraud perpetrated by Mr. Kolfage and Mr. Badolato went well beyond defrauding individual donors. They hurt us all.” * * * KOLFAGE, 41, of Miramar Beach, Florida, and BADOLATO, 58, of Cocoa, Florida, each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. KOLFAGE also pled guilty to tax and wire fraud charges originally filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida. SHEA, 52, of Castle Rock, Colorado, was convicted after trial of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and obstruction of justice, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Torres on June 13, 2023. In addition to the prison terms, KOLFAGE was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $17,872,106 and pay restitution in the amount of $2,877,414. BADOLATO was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $1,414,368 and pay restitution in the amount of $1,414,368. Judge Torres also separately ordered forfeiture of $1,376,597.39 of funds held by We Build the Wall and real property located in Sunland Park, New Mexico, on which We Build the Wall had constructed a portion of a wall. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mollie E. Bracewell, Alison G. Moe, Nicolas Roos, Robert B. Sobelman, and Derek Wikstrom are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Weston Man Sentenced to 137 Months for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Ryan P. Murray, 45, Weston, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 137 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The prison term will be followed by 8 years of supervised release. Murray pleaded guilty to this charge on January 31, 2023. On January 10, 2022, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to a report of a one vehicle crash. The driver, Murray, had left the scene of the crash and was found some distance away. Next to Murray, deputies located a bag that contained 291 grams of methamphetamine. Deputies located a loaded Glock 9mm handgun along the path Murray had travelled leaving the crash scene. Within Murray’s crashed vehicle, deputies found a Kel-Tec rifle, ten loaded extended magazines, and a suppressor. At the time of this incident, Murray had five active arrest warrants and had nine open state criminal cases, including four involving possessing a firearm as a felon and another involving substantial battery. Murray has since been convicted and sentenced in many of his state cases and is currently serving multiple state prison sentences with an anticipated release date of February 16, 2028. As it relates to the firearms involved in this case, Murray was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon in Lincoln County Circuit Court Case No. 2022CF14 on April 11, 2022, and was sentenced to 180 days in county jail. Judge Peterson ordered Murray’s 137-month federal sentence run concurrently to the remainder of his state prison sentences and to any sentences imposed on his still pending cases. At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that the protection of the public was the primary driver of the sentence in this case. He highlighted Murray’s nearly unrelenting pattern of criminality for over 25 years and that Murray was a drug dealer who goes heavily armed. Murray’s history of guns, violence, and drug trafficking represented a clear danger to the community. The charge against Murray was the result of an investigation conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.


title: D.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Rodney Burton 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting SAC Michael Weddel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Robert J. Contee III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Burton entered the guilty plea in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 19, 2023. According to the government’s evidence, on November 22, 2022, the defendant was arrested by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) on an outstanding warrant and was found to be in possession of two firearms. The defendant was in possession of a Springfield Armory XD .45 caliber handgun which contained one round in the chamber and thirteen rounds of ammunition in the magazine with a total capacity of thirteen rounds. The second recovered firearm was a Sig-Sauer P220 .45 caliber handgun with one round of ammunition in the chamber and seven rounds of ammunition in the magazine. Furthermore, on August 12, 2022 officers conducted a search of an apartment where the defendant was known to reside and recovered a black Masterpiece Arms pistols with no rounds in the chamber but with twenty-two rounds of ammunition forced into a twenty round capacity magazine. In announcing today’s plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, Acting SAC Weddel, and Chief Contee commended the work of those who investigated the case from Project Safe Neighborhood from both the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They acknowledge the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Karla Nunez. Finally, they commended the efforts of Assistant United States Attorney Shehzad Akhtar who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Emphasizes Commitment to Survivors of Crime During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas joins the rest of the nation in commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) April 23-29. NCVRW is an annual week of recognition to honor victims of crime and ensure their rights are upheld. This year’s theme is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” It calls upon communities to amplify the voices of survivors and create environments where survivors have the confidence that they will be heard, believed, and supported. “Survivors of crime often face physical, emotional and psychological trauma that can have long-lasting effects. They deserve our support, our compassion and our protection,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “As U.S. Attorney, I am committed to ensuring that criminals are held accountable for their actions, and that victims are treated with dignity and respect. This week, we stand in solidarity with survivors and remain focused on working toward a society in which all victims are treated with dignity and respect so that they can heal and rebuild their lives.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas has a dedicated team of prosecutors and victim assistance professionals who work together to ensure victims of crime receive the services and support they need. In 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas obtained a default judgement against Samantha Mueting and her company, iCORE Global . Mueting led a real estate scam, perpetrating a series of frauds upon couple nearing retirement. One of the victim couples lost approximately $600,000 to Mueting and iCORE Global when they sent wire transfers to Mueting’s bank accounts in San Antonio. Immediately after the wire transfers were deposited, Mueting made a large cash withdrawal. Suspecting fraud, bank officials closed the account and issued a check to Mueting who then deposited the funds into another bank account in San Antonio under the name of iCORE Global LLC and ICG Secure Deposit Funds LLC. Working with the United States Secret Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas filed a civil forfeiture case against the funds, which then totaled $482,194.05. The funds were returned to the victims in or about Oct. 2022. On Aug. 4, 2022, Jose Gomez III was sentenced in Midland to 25 years in prison on hate crime charges for attacking an Asian family he believed was Chinese and therefore responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Gomez further admitted that he had attempted to kill the family’s six-year-old child. In addition to the prison sentence, Gomez was ordered to pay the victims $16,782.74 in restitution. On Aug. 24, 2022, two men were sentenced in Waco for robbing five area merchants at gunpoint, causing severe harm to each of their victims through violent crime. Roosevelt Jones IV is now serving a 20 year prison sentence, while co-defendant Christopher Teon Fults is serving 10 years. Combined, Jones and Fults were ordered to pay more than $21,000 in restitution to the victims. On Jan. 23, 2023, Jaycob Andrew Bustamante was sentenced to 204-months imprisonment , a 30 year term of supervised release, and $13,500 restitution, for cyberstalking, distribution of child sexual abuse material and extortion. Between January 2021 and September 2021, he created multiple social media accounts posing as the victim, through which he posted the sexually explicit images and sent the child pornography to her friends and family. Over the course of Bustamante’s constant harassment, he repeatedly threatened and stalked the victim through social media, placing her and her family in fear of violence, while demanding more sexually explicit images. On Feb. 8, 2023, Connor Flores Jimenez , of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Reservation near Eagle Pass, was sentenced in Del Rio to 20 years in prison after he severely injured his two-month-old baby and choked his wife unconscious. On April 4, 2023, Alberto Jimenez Pastrana was sentenced in Pecos to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Pastrana had shot at a vehicle containing his children and their mother, then crashed into it with this own vehicle and drove away, fleeing numerous law enforcement vehicles from various agencies. Pastrana was a convicted felon with four prior felony convictions and received the statutory maximum sentence. Visit ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2023/overview for more information on National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. ###


title: Homer Man Indicted for Illegal Transportation of Black Bears and Making False Records, Lacey Act Violations

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: Anchorage – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment on April 21, 2023, charging a Homer man with unlawful transportation of four black bears and making false records in violation of the Lacey Act. According to court documents, Travis Larson, 47, of Homer, and his company Alaska Premier Sportfishing, LLC, were named as defendants in the six-count indictment. The indictment alleges that in May 2018, Larson and Alaska Premier Sportfishing illegally transported four black bears they knew had been unlawfully harvested by four Norwegian hunters. The defendants used a 65-foot vessel, the Venturess , and a 16-foot motorboat to commit these offenses. The indictment further charges that Larson and Alaska Premier Sportfishing made and submitted false records, which stated the four bears had been transported from Nuka Island, when in truth they had been transported from Beauty Bay and Surprise Bay on the Kenai Peninsula. Larson is charged with four counts of Unlawful Transportation of Wildlife, in violation of 16 U.S.C. § 3372(a)(2)(A); and two counts of Making False Record, in violation of 16 U.S.C. § 3372(d). If convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $20,000 fine on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearance May 11, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement. The United States Fish Wildlife Service, National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Alaska State Troopers are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### usao/ak/23-032


title: Final Two Members of Baltimore Drug Trafficking Organization Receive Significant Sentences in Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty to Possessing Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute and to Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Jermaine Steward, age 33, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland today to nine years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after Steward pleaded guilty to federal charges for possession with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Steward is the last defendant of the drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) to plead guilty. Co-defendant Jamar Middleton, age 35, of Edgewood, Maryland, pleaded guilty on April 13, 2023, and was sentenced to 138 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, on the same charges. The guilty pleas and sentences were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration - Washington Field Division; Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad; Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department; Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger. “Our comprehensive approach to preventing violence includes today’s Reentry and Resource Fair to provide resources to returning citizens to keep them from reoffending, as well as our efforts to remove guns and repeat offenders from the streets by any legal means necessary. And we are having success,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “As of today, homicides in Baltimore are down more than 18% from last year and non-fatal shootings are down more than 15%. We remain laser-focused on reducing violent crime.” According to his guilty plea, the DEA investigated the Burton DTO operating in Baltimore. On December 15, 2021, law enforcement searched a stash house used by DTO leader Edward Burton, Steward, Middleton, and co-conspirator Jerrell Simms, and recovered approximately 431.25 grams of mixtures or substances containing fentanyl, including a bag of 6,450 gelatin capsules containing approximately 231.67 grams of fentanyl and another bag containing 644 gelatin capsules containing 113 grams of fentanyl, as well as narcotics packaging materials and other drug paraphernalia. The search of the stash house also recovered seven firearms and ammunition, including three 9mm handguns; an AR-15 style rifle; a .45-caliber handgun; a 7.62 x 39mm caliber pistol; a .40-caliber rifle; .45-caliber magazines; and 7.62 x 39mm and 9mm ammunition. Law enforcement also recovered $4,376 in cash and jewelry valued at $13,550, which constituted proceeds of drug trafficking. Additional firearms, cash and jewelry were recovered from other search locations associated with the defendants. Edward Burton, age 38, of Jessup, Maryland, pleaded guilty on October 12, 2022, and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison. Jerrell Simms, age 37, of Baltimore, previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison. 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 prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through relationships forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The specific mission of the Baltimore OCDETF Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DEA, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joan C. Mathias and Ariel Evans, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Local President Of “We Build the Wall” Sentenced To 51 Months In Federal Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Brian G. Kolfage, 41, of Miramar Beach, Florida, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to crimes charged in the Northern District of Florida relating to the filing of his 2019 federal income taxes, along with a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for defrauding donors to “We Build the Wall.” The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “The United States relies on the honest payment of taxes to defend our country and maintain its operations,” stated U.S. Attorney Coody. “With the assistance of our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to investigating and prosecuting those who falsely misrepresent their income – whether by traditional evasion or the filing of fraudulent documents to further their criminal schemes. This sentence should serve as a significant deterrent to such illegal conduct.” Court documents reflect Kolfage pled guilty to three federal charges related to filing false income tax returns for the tax year 2019. With this plea, Kolfage admitted, under oath, that between January 2019 and July 2020, he engaged in a scheme to defraud the United States in relation to his 2019 federal income tax returns. Kolfage admitted illicitly receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from multiple organizations during 2019, including We Build the Wall, Inc., which were deposited into his personal bank account. Kolfage failed to report this income to the Internal Revenue Service. Upon learning of an investigation into his federal income taxes, Kolfage then filed amended tax returns for 2019 that were also false. These amended tax returns continued to fraudulently fail to report income deriving directly and indirectly from We Build the Wall. Kolfage spent his unreported income on things such as personal boat payments, a luxury SUV, jewelry, and cosmetic surgery. “Mr. Kolfage deliberately and egregiously side-stepped his legal duty to pay taxes when he devised an elaborate scheme to hide income from his non-profit organization, We Build the Wall,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “Kolfage repeatedly falsely claimed he would not take a salary and preyed on the generosity of hundreds of thousands of donors through his vast online fundraising scam. Today’s sentencing should serve as evidence that this type of blatant disregard for the rules and obligations that govern non-profit fundraising will not be tolerated.” Kolfage’s federal prison sentence will be followed by 3 years supervised release, and he will also be required to pay restitution, to the United States of America, in the amount of $143,003 for his tax crimes, along with millions of dollars’ worth of forfeiture and restitution for his scheme to defraud We Build the Wall donors. "Mr. Kolfage deliberately and intentionally preyed on the hearts and pocketbooks of hardworking Americans as a way to fund his own lavish lifestyle," said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Jacksonville. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate this type of blatant fraud against unwitting donors, and this sentencing should serve as a warning to those who attempt to take advantage of others." The Northern District of Florida case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg along with prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html


title: Keene Man Indicted for Threatening to Kill a Member of Congress

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A federal grand jury has indicted Allan Poller, 23, for calling the office of a member of the United States House of Representatives and threatening to kill the Congressman, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. The indictment includes one count of threatening to assault and murder a federal official, and one count of transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to injure the person of another. Poller will appear in federal court for arraignment at a later date. According to the charging documents, on March 29, 2023 at approximately 12:20 a.m., Poller called the congressional office in Washington D.C. and left a voicemail, stating: Hi, my name is Allan Poller, A-L-L-A-N P-O-L-L-E-R, phone number []8931. And I just want to let you know, Representative [Name], if you keep on coming for the gays, we’re gonna strike back and I guarantee you, you do not want to fuck with us. We will kill you if that’s what it takes. I will take a bullet to your fucking head if you fuck with my rights anymore. And then if you want to keep going down that path, you know who’s next. Count one provides for a sentence of up to ten years in prison, and count two provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison. Each count also provides for up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division and the United States Capitol Police led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Keene, New Hampshire Police Department and the Springfield, Vermont Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarad E. Hodes is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Justice Department Challenges Tennessee Law that Bans Critical, Medically Necessary Care for Transgender Youth

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department today filed a complaint challenging Tennessee Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), a recently enacted law that denies necessary medical care to youth based solely on who they are. The complaint alleges that SB 1’s ban on providing certain medically necessary care to transgender minors violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. The department is also asking the court to issue an immediate order to prevent the law from going into effect on July 1, 2023. SB 1 makes it unlawful to provide or offer to provide certain types of medical care for transgender minors with diagnosed gender dysphoria. SB 1’s blanket ban prohibits potential treatment options that have been recommended by major medical associations for consideration in limited circumstances in accordance with established and comprehensive guidelines and standards of care. By denying only transgender youth access to these forms of medically necessary care while allowing non-transgender minors access to the same or similar procedures, SB 1 discriminates against transgender youth. The department’s complaint alleges that SB 1 violates the Equal Protection Clause by discriminating on the basis of both sex and transgender status. Doctors, parents and anyone else who provides or offers to provide the prohibited care faces the possibility of civil suits for 30 years and other sanctions. “No person should be denied access to necessary medical care just because of their transgender status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The right to consider your health and medically-approved treatment options with your family and doctors is a right that everyone should have, including transgender children, who are especially vulnerable to serious risks of depression, anxiety and suicide. The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department will continue to aggressively challenge all forms of discrimination and unlawful barriers faced by the LGBTQI+ community.” “SB1 violates the constitutional rights of some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Left unchallenged, it would prohibit transgender children from receiving health care that their medical providers and their parents have determined to be medically necessary. In doing so, the law seeks to substitute the judgment of trained medical professionals and parents with that of elected officials and codifies discrimination against children who already face far too many obstacles.” Today’s filings are the latest action by the Justice Department to combat LGBTQI+ discrimination, including unlawful restrictions on medical care for transgender youth. On March 31, 2022, Assistant Attorney General Clarke issued a letter to all state attorneys general reminding them of federal constitutional and statutory provisions that protect transgender youth against discrimination. On April 29, 2022, the Justice Department intervened in a lawsuit challenging a law in Alabama (Senate Bill 184) that imposes a felony ban on medically necessary care for transgender minors. As a result of that litigation, the most significant provisions of Alabama’s Senate Bill 184 have been preliminarily halted from going into effect, and the United States continues to challenge its constitutionality. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work to uphold and protect the civil and constitutional rights of LGBTQI+ individuals is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/lgbtqi-working-group . Complaints about discriminatory practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division through its internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov .


title: Austin Man Sentenced for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man was sentenced in a federal court in Austin Tuesday to five years in prison for possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Tucker Smith, 31, had searched for, accessed, viewed, downloaded, possessed, stored, and distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM) since approximately 2018. Smith stated that he maintained between 15 and 20 gigabytes of CSAM depicting minors ranging from two to three years old to 15-16 years old. Investigators seized and submitted approximately 904 images and 3,402 videos of suspected CSAM to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). “This sentencing sends the message that we will continue to pursue and prosecute the predators who engage in the heinous and indefensible act of possessing child sexual abuse material,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “Thank you to our partners at the FBI for their investigation and helping us seek justice for the dozens upon dozens of child victims exploited in this case.” “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to protect children from those who seek to exploit their innocence,” said Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Division. “These types of cases serve as a reminder of the important role the public plays in keeping our children and communities safe by immediately reporting potential public safety threats to law enforcement.” The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Devlin prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Retired General Sentenced for Wire Fraud, Falsifying Tax Returns

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A retired Air Force brigadier general was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio today to 12 months and one day in prison with three years of supervised release for wire fraud and filing a false tax return. According to court documents, Scott A. Bethel, 59, of Spring Branch began working as a government contractor and advisor to the Air Force upon his active duty retirement in 2012. During that time, he launched his own business, working directly with government staffing contracts, which he tended to simultaneously with the work he conducted for his contract employer. Bethel would seek hotel reimbursement from both his employer and the government. Bethel also submitted false hotel invoices for instances when he stayed with personal acquaintances rather than at hotels. In total, Bethel received approximately $15,140.50 from the Air Force to which he was not entitled. An examination of Bethel’s work laptop revealed that he had also falsified charitable deductions and business expenses from 2015 to 2019, resulting in a government tax loss of approximately $139,687.00. In addition to the prison sentence, Bethel was also ordered to pay $154,827.50 in restitution. “Our commitment to upholding the rule of law and safeguarding the public trust remains unwavering,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “No one is above the law, and my office will relentlessly prosecute those who abuse their positions for personal gain and undermine the integrity of our financial systems, regardless of their status or background.” “Today, the sentencing of retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Scott Allen Bethel serves as a reminder that those in positions of authority and trust are expected to uphold higher standards of integrity and accountability,” said Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “Bethel’s fraudulent actions, which included fabricating invoices, claiming false deductions, and attempting to enlist others in his criminal activities, not only tarnished his distinguished career but also undermine the very foundations of our tax and government systems. We are committed to enforcing the law and ensuring that individuals, regardless of their rank or status, are held accountable for their actions as we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to uphold the values of justice and fairness.” IRS-CI, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Harris and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Porier prosecuted the case. ###


title: U.S. Entertainer Convicted of Engaging in Foreign Influence Campaign

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted a U.S. entertainer and businessman today for orchestrating an unregistered, back-channel campaign beginning in or about 2017 to influence the then-administration of the President of the United States and the Department of Justice to drop the investigation of Jho Low and others for embezzlement and other offenses in connection with the international strategic and development company known as 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), and to send a Chinese national back to China, as well as conspiring to make and conceal foreign and conduit campaign contributions during the 2012 U.S. presidential election. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Prakazrel “Pras” Michel, 50, of Coconut Creek, Florida, conspired with Low Taek Jho, aka Jho Low, of Malaysia; Elliott Broidy; Nickie Lum Davis; George Higginbotham; and others to engage in undisclosed lobbying campaigns at the direction of Low and the Vice Minister of Public Security for the People’s Republic of China, respectively, to have the 1MDB embezzlement investigation and forfeiture proceedings involving Low and others dropped and to have a Chinese national sent back to China. “As proven at trial, the defendant engaged in an extensive conspiracy to use millions of dollars in foreign funds to engage in illegal back-channel lobbying and make unlawful campaign contributions,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s verdict demonstrates that anyone who engages in unlawful foreign-sponsored efforts to influence American officials, our elections, or the criminal justice system will be brought to justice.” “Mr. Michel sought to use his celebrity and access to influence U.S. government officials on behalf of undisclosed foreign interests,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This is an affront to the rule of law, and we will use the full range of tools at our disposal to hold accountable those who would covertly aid foreign actors seeking to interfere with our democratic system of government.” Michel also conspired with Low to orchestrate and conceal a foreign and conduit contribution scheme in which they funneled millions of dollars of Low’s money into the 2012 U.S. presidential election as purportedly legitimate campaign contributions, all while concealing the true source of the money. Michel received Low’s money and contributed it both personally and through approximately 20 straw donors. Michel also caused a presidential joint fundraising committee and an independent expenditure committee to submit false reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). In addition, Michel personally submitted a false declaration to the FEC, conspired to commit money laundering and make false statements to financial institutions related to the foreign influence campaigns, and attempted to cause witnesses to make false statements to and withhold information from law enforcement officials about the scheme. “Michel played a central role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to improperly influence top government officials, including the then-President of the United States and the then-Attorney General,” said Special Agent in Charge Harry A. Lidsky of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) Cyber Investigations Office. “The DOJ-OIG uncovered this activity in 2017 and led an exhaustive investigation which culminated today with the conviction of the fourth charged conspirator. I would like to thank the members of the jury for their time and careful deliberation of the facts.” “The defendant brazenly conspired to help a foreign national launder millions of dollars in illegitimate campaign contributions into the 2012 U.S. presidential election,” Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our partners are dedicated to uncovering even the most sophisticated schemes which could undermine our fair and transparent democratic process.” Michel was convicted of conspiracy, concealment of material facts, making false entries in records, witness tampering, and serving as an unregistered agent of a foreign power. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the top counts. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Broidy pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme on Oct. 20, 2020, in the District of Columbia. He received a full presidential pardon on Jan. 19, 2021. Higginbotham pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme on Nov. 30, 2018, in the District of Columbia. He will be sentenced at a later date. Lum Davis pleaded guilty for her role in the scheme on Aug. 31, 2020, in the District of Hawaii. She was sentenced to two years in prison on Jan. 19. Low was previously indicted and is a fugitive. The DOJ-OIG and the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and International Corruption Squad in New York investigated the case. Principal Deputy Chief John D. Keller, Election Crimes Branch Director of Enforcement and Litigation Sean F. Mulryne, and Trial Attorney Nicole R. Lockhart of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely a charge. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Setting Fire to a Church

body_text: An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act for setting fire to a house of worship. Benjamin Ruckel, 25, of Pickerington, pleaded guilty to a single-count information charging him with setting fire to the Mount Zion Church in Baltimore, Ohio, on Nov. 27, 2021. According to court documents, Ruckel broke into the church and spread accelerant before setting the church ablaze, causing extensive damage. During the hearing, Ruckel admitted to intentionally setting the fire because of the religious character of the church. “The defendant in this case is being held accountable for a devastating church arson that impacted an entire community of worshipers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The freedom to congregate in churches across our nation and the liberty to exercise one’s religious beliefs must be shielded and protected. The Justice Department is committed to protecting our houses of worship and ensuring that all people are able to freely engage in religious practice free from violence and forceful interference.” “Every resident in the Southern District of Ohio should be free to worship without any criminal acts occurring against them or the place in which they come together to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “Combatting these types of unlawful acts is a priority for my office, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to vigorously use every criminal enforcement tool at our disposal to address civil rights violations.” “All Americans have the right to practice their religion without fear,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to defend that right and hold those individuals accountable who would prevent the free exercise of that right.” The sentencing date has not yet been set. Ruckel faces up to 20 years in prison for the violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act. The FBI Columbus Field Office investigated the case. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian Martinez for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel E. Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Man Convicted Of 2006 Murder Of Kelly Diaz

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that EDWIN CORTORREAL, a/k/a “Crazy Ed,” was found guilty of all three counts at trial, including conspiracy to commit racketeering and two counts for robbing and murdering Kelly Diaz in 2006 in Washington Heights. The verdict followed a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In 2006, Edwin Cortorreal conducted a terrifying, gunpoint home invasion robbery in Washington Heights, during which he shot Kelly Diaz in the head, killing him in front of his wife. Kelly Diaz was only 24 years old at the time. We hope today’s verdict will bring some solace to the victim’s family and sends the message that we will not rest until justice is done.” According to the evidence presented in court during the trial: From at least 2006 to in or about 2013, a violent robbery crew known as the “Hot Boys” committed countless burglaries and robberies and sold narcotics in the Washington Heights area. EDWIN CORTORREAL was a trusted associate of the Hot Boys. In 2006, CORTORREAL and four other members and associates of the Hot Boys broke into Kelly Diaz’s apartment in the middle of the night. During the course of the robbery, CORTORREAL and his co-conspirators duct-taped Diaz to a chair and threw his wife to the ground. As they were leaving, CORTORREAL came back and shot Diaz point-blank in the head, killing him instantly as his wife looked on. Less than a year later, CORTORREAL planned to commit another armed robbery, during which he plotted to kill the victims to avoid leaving behind any witnesses. * * * CORTORREAL, 36, of the Dominican Republic, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering, which carries a maximum term of life in person; one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison; and one count of the use of a firearm resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of life 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 a defendant will be determined by the judge. CORTORREAL is scheduled to be sentenced on September 20, 2023. Mr. Williams thanked the New York Healthcare Fraud Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), and NYPD Task Force Officers assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office for their work on the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mathew Andrews, David Denton, Courtney Heavey, Adam Hobson, Emily Johnson, Ni Qian, Justin Rodriguez, and Hagan Scotten are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of paralegal specialist Mia Vuckovich.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to More than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FORT SMITH – A Fort Smith man was sentenced today to a total of 183 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute More than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine and for violating the terms and conditions of his supervised release on a similar previous conviction. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fort Smith. According to court documents, in March and April of 2022, as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the 12 th /21 st Judicial Drug Task Force, Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Smith Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and Arkansas National Guard Counterdrug intercepted three separate parcels containing approximately 871 grams of methamphetamine, 2,918 pills containing a fentanyl analog, and 3,637 pills of fentanyl, respectively. Further investigation revealed that Jesus Corral , age 40, was the intended recipient of each parcel and that Corral intended to further distribute the narcotics. Corral was under post-prison release supervision at the time of the offense. Corral was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in July of 2022 and entered a plea of guilty in December of 2022. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the 12 th /21 st Judicial Drug Task Force, Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Smith Police Department, Arkansas State Police, and Arkansas National Guard Counterdrug participated in the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offense

body_text: FORT SMITH – A Green Forest man was sentenced today to 240 months in prison without the possibility of parole on one count of Transportation of Child Pornography. The Honorable Judge P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fort Smith. According to court documents, in February of 2019, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual in Green Forest had posted images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to the social media platform Twitter. The resulting investigation identified the individual who had posted the CSAM files as Pedro Saldivar, Jr , age 46. In a subsequent interview, Saldivar admitted to trading items of CSAM with other users. Saldivar is a sex offender out of the State of Texas. Saldivar was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in September of 2022 and entered a plea of guilty in December of 2022. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations Fayetteville, Green Forest Police Department, Eureka Springs Police Department, Fayetteville Police Department, and Springdale Police Department participated in the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall and Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Special Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violation and is Sentenced

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON - Brandon T. Greenfield-Logan, 33, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to one misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law for violating the constitutional rights of a handcuffed prisoner. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Jia M. Cobb, who sentenced Greenfield-Logan to one year of probation and ordered him to perform 50 hours of community service. According to the plea documents and as discussed in the plea hearing, on September 27, 2021, the defendant was working as a Special Police Officer. On that date, while in full uniform and vested with police powers, Greenfield-Logan was called to assist other Special Police Officers at the Trinity Tower Apartments, located on 14th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. At approximately 12:30 a.m., an individual identified as W.S. was in the custody of Special Police Officers at the Trinity Tower Apartments. W.S. was seated in a chair with his hands handcuffed behind his back. Defendant Greenfield-Logan slapped W.S. across the face without warning or legal justification in violation of the individual’s constitutional rights This matter was investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Truscott. The U.S. Attorney's Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely.


title: Readout of Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta’s Meeting with Uvalde Families

component: Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

body_text: On Wednesday April 26, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta traveled to Uvalde, Texas, where she and members of the Critical Incident Review team from the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) met with families and community members to hear from them and provide an update on the department’s review of the law enforcement response to the horrific mass shooting that took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde last May. Earlier in the day, she also met with the mayor. In the days following the tragedy in Uvalde, the mayor reached out to the Justice Department seeking an independent after-action review. In response to the mayor’s request and in order to provide the families and community members of Uvalde the full accounting they deserve, the department has been conducting a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement, school, victim services, and other stakeholders’ response to the incident, which will culminate in a written report to be delivered in the next few months. The goal of the review is to provide (1) an independent account of law enforcement and other stakeholder actions and responses; (2) identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events; and (3) provide a roadmap for community safety before, during, and after such incidents. This review is consistent with the COPS Office’s Collaborative Reform Initiative and is not a criminal or civil investigation. Progress Made in the Department’s Review Since the department officially launched the review on June 8, 2022, a team from the department’s COPS Office has been working closely with ten subject-matter experts with extensive experience in emergency management and active shooter response, school safety, incident command and management, tactical operations, officer safety and wellness, and victim and family support. The review team is examining policies, training, communications, deployment and incident command, tactics, and practices as they relate to preparing for and responding to active shooter events, as well as the post-incident response, including a review of survivor and victim and family support and resources. In the course of their work thus far, the review team has visited Uvalde nine times, and has spent a total of 30 days there over the past 11 months. They have conducted, viewed, or participated in interviews of over 200 individuals, from more than 30 organizations and agencies, including personnel from the law enforcement agencies involved in the response to the mass shooting, as well as other first responders and medical personnel; family members; victim services providers; communications professionals and public information officers; school personnel; government officials; witnesses; and hospital staff. The team has collected and is analyzing almost 13,000 pieces of evidence, including policies, procedures and training materials from the responding agencies; manuals; many hours of video; photographs; interview transcripts; and other materials relevant to the review. The team has also conducted walkthroughs of Robb Elementary School and observed multiple active-shooter training sessions and meets regularly as a full group and in sub-teams on different topic areas in preparing the forthcoming written report. Extensive, detailed reviews such as this one take time, and the department is committed to taking that time to provide an accurate and detailed examination of the events, as well as guidance to other agencies and communities moving forward. The department will make its full findings and recommendations publicly available at the completion of the review, which is expected in the coming months. Resources to Support the Uvalde Community During the Wednesday meeting, Department of Justice leadership also shared with families and community members that, in advance of the one-year commemoration next month, the Justice Department is offering additional technical assistance and support to the Uvalde community. These additional resources are designed to help the community and local government prepare for and manage the time around the one-year mark, including: (1) intentional and systematic trauma therapy for victims and families, school district staff, and first responders; (2) appropriate, victim-centered, trauma-informed crisis communications; and (3) assistance with operations and planning for large gatherings. The COPS Office will be coordinating with the department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) on counseling and trauma related services. In addition to these new resources, OVC has been providing no cost expert mass violence training and technical assistance to the Uvalde community, and in October 2022, the COPS Office awarded the Uvalde Independent School District a grant through the School Violence Prevention Program, which includes funding for security training, secured doors and protective gear for law enforcement.


title: Presque Isle Man Faces Up to 20 Years for Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug Trafficking

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Presque Isle man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, Joshua Young , 32, conspired with others to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties. Young knowingly and intentionally joined and participated in the conspiracy. Young faces up to 20 years imprisonment. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. # # #


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Fentanyl and Firearm Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Anthony Jose Franco, 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Franco received a sentence of 120 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. In August 2022, Franco became the subject of a DEA investigation for his role in distributing fentanyl in Omaha. On August 5, 2022, an undercover agent purchased 21.3 grams of fentanyl directly from Franco. A second undercover buy on August 24, 2022, resulted in 29.3 grams of fentanyl being purchased. On September 9, 2022, Franco was arrested while delivering 58.7 grams of fentanyl to the undercover agent. That same day, a search warrant was executed at the residence in which Franco was staying. More than 326 fentanyl pills with venue to Franco and an AK-47 assault rifle were seized. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Readout from the Symposium for Returning Citizens  Hosted by the United States Attorney’s Office and Wayne State University

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Transitioning formerly-incarcerated individuals back into their communities requires a team effort, which is why the United States Attorney’s Office, along with Wayne State University, the Michigan Department of Corrections, and other community partners organized a symposium that brought together returning citizens and support networks to share ideas and best practices for improving the success for citizens returning to the community. The symposium was part of Second Chance Month where we raise awareness of the collateral consequences of a criminal conviction and help individuals who have completed their sentences make the best of their second chance. “Our justice system must be vigilant in holding individuals accountable when they commit crimes, but we must be equally vigilant in helping those who want to take advantage of their second chance by becoming contributing members of society,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “Helping returning citizens effectively reintegrate into society is a matter of public safety. This work helps us carry out our obligation to make our community safer. I salute the individuals who are here today making the best of their second chance and helping others to successfully reenter our communities.” “This is a full circle moment for me to be a part of helping to empower the lives of our brothers and sisters returning back to our community,” said Darryl Woods, Founder and CEO of Fighting the Good Fight. “While preventing recidivism and crime remains a key priority for the MDOC, under the direction of Director Heidi Washington, the department has been focused on supporting the success of those impacted by this system with goals such as fostering employment and self-sufficiency,” said Kyle Kaminski, Offender Success Administrator. “Access to high quality vocational and post-secondary programs is just one way that we are working to prepare people for success, and that work continues in the community with our reentry, education, and community partners. The value of this type of event is the ability to bring all those groups together, along with men and women impacted by the criminal justice system, to have an open dialogue about how we can have a great impact.” Raising awareness of and finding solutions for the barriers that exist for individuals who have either served time in prison or have otherwise been impacted because of criminal convictions was the focus of today’s symposium at Wayne State University. Detroit Pistons Assistant Coach Jerome Allen spoke about his own experience in the criminal justice system and how taking responsibility for his own mistakes helped him find peace and take advantage of his second chance. Coach Allen directly addressed the returning citizens in the audience and offered them an inspirational message that you do not have to be defined by your mistakes. More than 115 returning citizens attended the symposium, along with parole and probation officers, law enforcement officials, service providers, and other community leaders. Vendors from Project Clean Slate, City of Detroit Skills for Live, Blast Detroit, Recovery 4 Detroit, Goodwill Industries, Genesis House, Team Wellness, and Detroit Rescue Mission were in attendance to provide guidance, resources, and assistance to symposium participants. The symposium addressed breaking through the obstacles to successful re-entry, such as housing barriers, employment, mental health and trauma, child support debt, and family obligations. Speakers addressed how each of these issues impact successful reintegration into society. Additional speakers included U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison; Shirley Stancato, Vice Chair of the Wayne State University Board of Governors; Darryl Woods, Founder and CEO of Fighting the Good Fight; and, Kyle Kaminski, Offender Success Administrator for Michigan Department of Corrections.


title: Bingham Farms Physician Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Illegally Distributing Over One Million Opioid Pills and Health Care Fraud

body_text: D ETROIT - Bingham Farms physician David Jankowski was sentenced today to 20 years in prison based on his conviction following a jury trial of thirty charges related to the unlawful distribution of prescription drugs and for health care fraud, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. He was also ordered to forfeit over $35 million which represents the proceeds of drug-trafficking, property that facilitated the commission of the offense, and proceeds of the health care fraud conspiracy. In addition, Jankowski was also ordered to pay restitution to Medicare in the amount $5.2 million. Joining Ison in the announcement were James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Mario Pinto, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. Jankowski, age 63, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Bernard Friedman. The charges on which he was convicted stemmed from the operation of Summit Medical Group, a purported medical clinic formerly located in Dearborn Heights and Southfield, Michigan and owned by Jankowski. Federal agents first executed search and arrest warrants against Jankowski and Summit in June 2017. According to court records, Jankowski gave the Summit Medical Group the false appearance of a legitimate medical center, when in reality Summit was a pill mill supplying narcotics to drug-seeking customers. In July 2022, a jury found Jankowski guilty of thirty criminal counts, including conspiracies to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and health care fraud, the unlawful distribution of controlled substances, and multiple counts of health care fraud. According to the evidence presented at trial, Jankowski wrote medically unnecessary prescriptions for drugs like Oxycontin, Oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and Xanax. Jankowski persuaded one patient to receive unnecessary shoulder surgery in return for prescribing medically unnecessary controlled substances. He also prescribed controlled substances after receiving cash from patient recruiters who brought their own patients to his practice. Trial testimony demonstrated that Jankowski issued or authorized the issuance of more than 1 million opioid pills to individuals outside the course of professional medical practice and for no legitimate medical purpose in exchange for compensation. During the trial, the jury heard testimony that Jankowski sent out an unlicensed medical school graduate to perform home visits to Medicare beneficiaries and issue them prescriptions for controlled substances with had been pre-signed by Jankowski. Jankowski, who was not present during the visit, directed that the fraudulent claims to Medicare be submitted as if he himself had performed the service. Jankowski induced patients into his practice by providing medically unnecessary controlled substances that were subsequently diverted to the illicit street market. In return, Jankowski submitted false and fraudulent claims to Michigan auto insurance companies, private health care insurers, as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Based upon this fraudulent scheme, Jankowski received more than $35 million from insurance companies and approximately $5 million from Medicare and Medicaid. “Michigan communities have seen devastating losses relating to opioid overdoses in the last five years,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Doctors who illegally dispense powerful prescription drugs bear some of the responsibility for this harm to our community. We hope prosecutions like this one will stop medical professionals from abusing their positions by dealing drugs and stealing from insurance companies and taxpayers. .” “By prescribing medically unnecessary prescription medications and defrauding health insurance programs, this defendant put vulnerable patients at risk and contributed to the high cost of medical care for all of us,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “Today’s sentence should serve as a warning to any medical professional willing to engage in this type of health care fraud that agents from the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General will work diligently and collaboratively to bring them to justice.” “Medical providers who prescribe powerful controlled substances without regard for medical necessity and submit fraudulent claims for unnecessary services, place their patients at risk and waste valuable taxpayer dollars,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto. “We will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals who endanger patients through their prescribing practices and commit fraud against our federal health care programs are held accountable.” The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Regina R. McCullough, Wayne F. Pratt, Philip A. Ross, Jessica Nathan and Peter Schneider.


title: United States Attorney’s Office Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

body_text: DETROIT, MI – In observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 23-29, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan will be recognizing crime victims and those who have dedicated their lives to serve and assist victims of crime. “My office affirms our unwavering commitment to serving victims of crime,” stated United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “Our staff of professionals are dedicated to ensuring that victims’ rights are protected, and that their voices are heard in every case.” “The rights of crime victims are critically important. They have been victimized, traumatized, injured, and some are surviving family members of a loved one that has been killed,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. “Hopefully, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week will not only bring awareness of crime survivors and will make others think about their plight beyond this week.” Each year in April, the federal Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week by raising awareness of victims' rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. This year’s theme is “Survivor Voices: Elevate. Engage. Effect Change.” Partner organizations are committed to engaging with victims of crime; learning from their lived experiences; amplifying their voices; and fostering an environment where they are heard, believed, and supported. This year Crime Stoppers of Michigan, in partnership with the Detroit Crime Victims Action Team (DCVAT), which is comprised of special agents and victim advocates from federal and local law enforcement agencies in the Detroit area, will honor the YWCA of Metropolitan Detroit-Interim House Domestic Violence Shelter for their work with domestic violence victims and their children. For years, the YWCA has provided safe housing and counseling for women and children who are seeking shelter from an abusive situation. This year’s Crime Victims’ Rights Week event will be held on Thursday, April 27, 2023, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, 1441 St. Antoine, Detroit, Michigan. Katrina Carmichael, Founder/CEO of Sister2Sister Connection, LLC, a mentoring program for young women and Founder/Executive Director of SADA’s House, a non-profit organization providing assistance for victims of domestic violence, will be the guest speaker and share her emotional story of how she lost her sister as a result of an act of domestic violence. There will also be a butterfly release following the presentation to honor those who have been victimized by crime. Following the event, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office will be hosting a Wellness Event featuring vendors, food trucks, resources, and more. For more information about the wellness event, contact Mechelle Donahoo at 313-224-5626 or Pat Little at 313-559-6624. All are welcome to attend this event. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2021, there were more than 4.6 million violent victimizations and 11.7 million property crimes, the latest year for which such information is available. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime. For more information about how to support all victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov.


title: United States Attorney’s Office Hosts United Against Hate Meeting in Cedar Rapids

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – As part of the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate (UAH) initiative, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa invited the citizens of Cedar Rapids to participate last night in a forum to discuss hate crimes and bias incidents. UAH is an initiative launched by the Department of Justice focused on improving the prevention of hate crimes and hate incidents by building relationships at the local level. Through this initiative, the Justice Department seeks to create and strengthen partnerships among law enforcement, community leaders and residents. Joining in the forum were representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Linn County Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service, and the Cedar Rapids’ Civil Rights Commission. United States Attorney Timothy T. Duax emphasized the importance of citizens reporting hate crimes to law enforcement. “In civil rights cases, enforcement begins with regular reporting of potential civil rights violations. The reporting of hate crimes is vital because these crimes have a devastating impact not just on the victims, but their families and communities as well. That’s why the Department of Justice has engaged communities through the United Against Hate initiative, bringing together citizens, law enforcement, and prosecutors. However, we cannot investigate and prosecute unless such crimes are reported. Therefore, we encourage citizens to report to the Federal Bureau of Investigation or local law enforcement whenever they witness conduct they believe to be a hate crime.” To report a hate crime to the FBI, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov, or contact your local field office.


title: Courier who Transported Hundreds of Pounds of Ice Methamphetamine from California to Cedar Rapids Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: A man who drove loads of ice methamphetamine from California to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a drug trafficking organization was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison. Albert Henry Bailey, age 53, from Cedar Rapids, received the prison term after a November 8, 2022 guilty plea to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence at prior hearings showed that during a wiretap investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration in Cedar Rapids in late 2021 and early 2022, Bailey was discovered to be a driver for a group of individuals who were purchasing ice methamphetamine in California and selling it in eastern Iowa. Bailey traveled to California and then drove between 30 and 60 pounds of methamphetamine back to Iowa, where other individuals would sell it. In February 2022, intercepted communications over the wiretap indicated that Bailey would be transporting methamphetamine from California to Iowa. Investigators tracked Bailey’s vehicle and stopped it in York County, Nebraska. During a search of the vehicle, investigators located and seized approximately 60 pounds of ice methamphetamine. Bailey was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Bailey was sentenced to 88 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Bailey is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids consists of the DEA; the Linn County Sheriff's Office; the Cedar Rapids Police Department; the Marion Police Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22‑CR‑87‑CJW‑MAR. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pickerington man pleads guilty to setting fire to local church

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pickerington man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to committing a civil rights violation by burning a house of worship. Benjamin Darrell Ruckel, 25, pleaded guilty to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act. A federal bill of information charges Ruckel with setting fire to the Mount Zion Church in Baltimore, Ohio, on Nov. 27, 2021. During an arraignment hearing this morning before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison, the defendant admitted to intentionally setting the fire because of the religious character of the church. “The defendant in this case is being held accountable for the devastating church arson that impacted an entire community of worshipers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that religious practice is protected from forceful interference and will continue to prosecute those who commit acts of violence against houses of worship because of their religious character.” “Every resident in the Southern District of Ohio should be free to worship without any criminal acts occurring against them or the place in which they come together to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Combatting these types of unlawful acts is a priority for my office, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to vigorously use every criminal enforcement tool at our disposal to address civil rights violations.” “Religious freedom is a cornerstone of our nation, and the FBI will continue to protect the rights of Americans to worship safely,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers. “As the lead agency for investigating criminal violations of federal civil rights statutes, the FBI works closely with law enforcement, religious organizations, and community groups to reduce civil rights abuses.” According to court documents, Ruckel broke the windows of the church and spread accelerant before setting the church ablaze, causing extensive damage. Violating the Church Arson Prevention Act is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Parker and Special Agent in Charge Rivers announced today’s guilty plea. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel E. Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. The FBI Cincinnati Division investigated the case. Information related to potential civil rights violations in the Southern District of Ohio can be submitted online here: /media/1227446/dl?inline . # # #


title: ST. CROIX WOMAN CHARGED WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A MINOR

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that the District Court unsealed an indictment charging Cherise King, age 39, of St. Croix with a single count of sexual abuse of a ward or minor. If convicted, King faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, King served as a paraprofessional teacher at the St. Croix Youth Rehabilitation Center (YRC), a youth detention facility. The indictment charges that between September 9, 2022, and September 15, 2022, King engaged in sexual acts with a juvenile male detainee, over the age of 12, but under the age of 16, who had been incarcerated at YRC. The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations and the Virgin Islands Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Evan Rikhye. 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 United States Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children through the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: ST. CROIX MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF 50 KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Leroy Roebuck, Jr., 36, of St. Croix, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, for his initial appearing hearing after being charged with possession with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine. Roebuck was ordered detained pending a detention hearing on April 28, 2023. If convicted, Roebuck faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, on April 25, 2023, Roebuck agreed to sell 60 kilograms of cocaine at a price of $900,000.00 to an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agent. On April 26, 2023, Roebuck contacted the undercover agent to advise that he was only willing to sell 50 kilograms of cocaine as the remaining 10 kilograms were of poor quality. After arriving at the location of the exchange, Roebuck showed the undercover agent four containers located inside his 2019 Jeep Wrangler and filled with 50 individually wrapped bricks of cocaine. Roebuck was immediately arrested and taken into custody by federal and local agents. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Virgin Islands Police Department are jointly investigating the case and Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Ortiz is prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. United States Attorney Delia L. Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to Six Years

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. –Taylor Melton Addington, 33, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on April 13, 2023, by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to six years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Addington also was ordered to pay a $5,000.00 fine. Addington pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. In September 2019, Addington sold approximately four pounds of methamphetamine to undercover government agents at his auto shop in Phoenix. In the weeks that followed, Addington negotiated with an undercover agent to provide an additional 100 pounds of methamphetamine, which the parties agreed would be delivered to a location in Washington State. While the transaction was being negotiated, Addington sent the attached photo to the undercover agent of a partial shipment of the drugs. Addington was arrested on October 23, 2019, in Oak Harbor, Washington, when he delivered 50 pounds of methamphetamine, as the first part of the 100-pound transaction, to the undercover agent. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Stefani K. Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR19-03120-TUC-JGZ (MSA) RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-059_Addington # # # 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: Former Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Norman Merrill II, 46, of Chester, Vermont, was sentenced yesterday to serve 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material, previously referred to as child pornography. United States District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that after Merrill’s release from prison, Merrill must serve a ten-year term of supervised release. Merrill was also ordered to pay $3,750 in restitution, a $5,000 fine, and a $3,000 special assessment to be paid to the Child Pornography Victims Reserve Fund. According to court records, on May 7, 2022, Chester Police Officers received reports concerning potential voyeurism occurring at Merrill’s home. During the investigation, witnesses alleged they had found a hidden recording device in a bathroom at Merrill’s home, and that Merrill was surreptitiously recording young girls who were walking in front of him while at Green Mountain High School, where he was employed as a teacher. After interviewing witnesses, Chester Police Officers obtained search warrants for Merrill’s home and electronics, which were executed on May 11, 2022. Chester Police Officers seized numerous electronic devices, including cellular phones, digital storage media, “pinhole cameras,” and a “spy camera.” The Vermont State Police conducted a preliminary forensic examination of a memory card seized from the residence which revealed numerous voyeuristic videos taken in residential bathrooms. Some of these videos were taken in a bathroom of Merrill’s residence and were determined to depict nude minor children. Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agreed to assist local and state authorities with examining the contents of Merrill’s devices to determine whether any of the images and videos qualified as child pornography under federal law. The HSI investigation revealed that Merrill had placed hidden cameras in a deliberate effort to obtain video footage of a particular female minor. Merrill placed hidden cameras in the bathrooms of two residences, including one hidden camera placed underneath a bathroom sink, to capture the minor female’s genitalia while she occupied the bathroom. Merrill possessed screen-captures created from the videos of the minor female, which were intentionally created to focus solely on her genitalia. With the hidden cameras, Merrill also captured voyeuristic videos of additional children and some adults who used the bathroom in his residence. Some of these videos captured nudity, such as exposed breasts and/or visible genitalia. The review of Merrill’s electronic devices revealed additional misconduct involving children, including a single file depicting the sexual abuse of a child, a file which Merrill did not create. Merrill also had a number of photographs of female children, the faces of which appear to have been clipped and digitally overlaid onto images of adult pornography. Merrill was also in possession of videos that appear to have been covertly taken at a school, suspected to be the school where Merrill was employed, depicting females in revealing clothing. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Chester Police Department, Vermont State Police, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Ophardt handled the prosecution. Devin McLaughlin, Esq. represented Merrill. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Child Exploitation Obscenity Section, Criminal Division (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Federal Inmate Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder Of Cellmate

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Romeo Lopez-Hernandez (37, Coleman) to life in federal prison. A federal jury had found Lopez-Hernandez guilty of first degree, premeditated murder on January 19, 2023. According to evidence presented during the three-day trial, on February 1, 2021, Lopez-Hernandez strangled his cellmate to death using a torn bed sheet he had made with an improvised knife. After the victim lost consciousness, Lopez-Hernandez watched for guards and continued to strangle the victim until he was sure that the victim had died. Lopez-Hernandez later confessed to the murder and bragged about it to prison personnel. At trial, however, Lopez-Hernandez changed his story and claimed the victim had committed suicide. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Crockett.


title: Lead Man Sentenced for Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Jeffrey L. Viken has sentenced a Lead, South Dakota, man convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on April 14, 2023. William Jacob Stone, 73, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Stone was indicted for Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography by a federal grand jury in September of 2021. He pleaded guilty on December 16, 2022. Between March 2020 and June 2021, Stone used the internet to download visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He then used Adobe PhotoShop software and his Apple iPad to superimpose naked images of himself sexually abusing the child pornography images he had downloaded, as well as clothed photos of local children known to Stone through his decades-long career as a school bus driver. This conduct was brought to the attention of law enforcement through a Cybertip sent by Adobe to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox Sazama prosecuted the case. Stone was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Albert Childress, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, announced today that David Wellington pled guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Wellington, 64, of Albuquerque, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in 2005, Wellington and his business partner, Stacy Underwood, 52, of Albuquerque, established National Business Services, LLC, a business that was involved in the promotion, sale, and creation of Limited Liability Companies under New Mexico state law. Through the LLC, Wellington and Underwood created LLCs in New Mexico for their clients, obtained Employer Identification Number (“EIN”) from the IRS, and opened bank accounts in the names of the LLCs, allowing their clients to remain anonymous. Between 2005 and 2015, Wellington and Underwood organized at least 192 LLCs in New Mexico and opened at least 114 bank accounts. In 2006, Wellington and Underwood created three LLCs in New Mexico for Jerry Shrock, 48, of Meadowview, Virginia. Underwood was listed as the “Organizer” and National Business Services, LLC as the initial registered agent for all three. In 2011, Underwood opened a bank account for one of the LLCs and provided Shrock with online access to the bank account and a book of pre-signed checks with her signature. Between 2011 and 2015, $4,875,940 was deposited into and withdrawn from the bank account. At the time of the deposits and withdrawals, Shrock had an outstanding IRS assessment for unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest in the amount of about $1 million. Shrock never filed personal or business tax returns with the IRS reporting the income in the LLCs bank account, allowing Shrock to generate and deposit income while evading the outstanding assessment and personal and business taxes on the income. Under the terms of his agreement, Wellington faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release. Stacy Underwood pled guilty to conspiracy on Oct. 21, 2022, and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of her agreement, Underwood faces 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release. Jerry Shrock pled guilty to conspiracy on Nov. 28, 2022, and remains on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Under the terms of his agreement, Shrock faces up to 5 years in prison followed by up to 3 years of supervised release. The IRS Criminal Investigation Phoenix Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-85


title: Arizona Man Faces Federal Charges After Eastern Oregon Traffic Stop Yields 100,000 Fentanyl Pills, Two Pounds of Powdered Fentanyl

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—An Arizona man is facing federal charges after he was caught transporting 100,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, two pounds of powdered fentanyl, and six pounds of cocaine on Interstate 84 in La Grande, Oregon. Moises Rojo Velazquez, 36, of Phoenix, Arizona, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, on April 21, 2023, an Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Rojo Velazquez on Interstate 84 westbound in La Grande. The vehicle was occupied by Rojo Velazquez, a passenger, and the passenger’s 17-year-old daughter. A second trooper located a large camo bag on the rear floorboard of the vehicle. The bag was found to contain more than 100,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, two pounds of powdered fentanyl, and six pounds of cocaine. On April 24, 2023, Rojo Velazquez made his first appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. This case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and OSP. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.