title: Madison County Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ryan Berte, age 33, of Eaton, New York, was sentenced today to serve 60 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Northeast Area Field Office, Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and New York State Police (NYSP) Acting Superintendent Steven A. Nigrelli. As part of his earlier guilty plea, Berte admitted that from at least February 24, 2021, through March 10, 2021, while employed as a mail carrier in Madison County, New York, he downloaded images and videos of child pornography which he also made available to third parties using a peer-to-peer file sharing program installed on his laptop. Berte also admitted that, on September 22, 2021, during a search of his home, he possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography on the same laptop. Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also sentenced Berte to 15 years of supervised release, to begin following his term of imprisonment. Berte will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. This case was investigated by USPS-OIG, USPIS, and the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), Troop D Oneida. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle as a part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: District Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison For Killing His Childhood Friend

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jean Paul Kearney, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 20 years in prison for second degree murder while armed, and other charges, in connection with the April 4, 2021, shooting death of Dontra Harris. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan handed down the sentence on July 18, 2023, and also ordered five years of supervised release. Kearney was convicted by a jury of assault on a police officer while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, obstruction of justice, unlawful possession of a firearm (prior conviction), and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device); he pleaded guilty on April 27, 2023 to second degree murder while armed.. According to the Government’s evidence, on April 4, 2021 shortly before 9 p.m., Kearney tailed his childhood friend, Dontra Harris, on a motorcycle. They both pulled over by the side of the road and verbally argued and then went their separate ways. Kearney, who lived nearby, went back home to switch out his motorcycle for his mother’s vehicle. He then drove to the victim’s apartment building and waited for 15 minutes for the victim to return home. When the victim attempted to enter his building, Kearney ambushed him, and shot him several times in the back. When law enforcement and paramedics arrived on scene, they located the victim near the front of the building and pronounced him dead. On May 13, 2021, when the Gun Recovery Unit executed a residential search warrant in connection with the homicide investigation, Kearney fired multiple times at the officers with an AK-47 assault rifle. Several days later, upon learning that the police had collected his cellphone during the warrant execution, Kearney provided his family member with instructions over the phone on how to remotely erase the contents of his phone. Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department arrested Kearney on May 13, 2021. He has been in custody since. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), commended the work of the MPD officers and detective who investigated the case. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and Debra Forte, Investigative Analyst Zachary McMenamin; Supervisory Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark; Victim/Witness Advocates Karina Hernandez and Paola Molina, Supervisory Victim Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams-Washington; and Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, and Litigation Technology Specialist William Henderson Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and Erin DeRiso, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Booz Allen Agrees to Pay $377.45 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations

body_text: WASHINGTON - Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation has agreed to pay the United States $377,453,150 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by improperly billing commercial and international costs to its government contracts. Booz Allen, which is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, provides a range of management, consulting, and engineering services to the Government, as well as commercial and international customers. Under government contracting rules, there must be a nexus between the costs charged to a government contract and the objective of the contract. Thus, a contractor may charge to a government contract costs directly related to that contract, as well as indirect costs that benefit multiple contracts including the government contract. A contractor may not charge costs to a government contract, however, that have no relationship to that contract. This prohibition prevents government contractors from using taxpayer funds to subsidize non-government related work. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that from approximately 2011 to 2021, Booz Allen improperly charged costs to its government contracts and subcontracts that instead should have been billed to its commercial and international contracts. In particular, the government alleged that Booz Allen improperly allocated indirect costs associated with its commercial and international business to its government contracts and subcontracts that either had no relationship to those contracts and subcontracts or were allocated to those contracts and subcontracts in disproportionate amounts. The government further alleged that Booz Allen failed to disclose to the Government the methods by which it accounted for costs supporting its commercial and international businesses. As a result, Booz Allen obtained reimbursement from the government for the costs of commercial activities that provided no benefit to the United States. “This settlement, which is one of the largest procurement fraud settlements in history, demonstrates that the United States will pursue even the largest companies and the most complex matters where taxpayer funds are alleged to have been pilfered,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves. “The Justice Department is committed to ferreting out all fraud, waste, and abuse in government programs—small or large, simple or complex.” “Government contractors must turn square corners when billing the government for costs under government contracts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our commitment to hold accountable contractors that knowingly overcharge the government and enrich themselves at the expense of the American taxpayers.” “DCAA appreciates the opportunity to support the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners by providing expert financial assistance regarding enforcement of the False Claims Act,” said Director Terri Dilly for the Defense Contract Audit Agency. “This interagency cooperation provides a strong safeguard for appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.” The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the Government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit was filed by Sarah Feinberg, a former Booz Allen employee, and is captioned United States ex rel. Feinberg, v. Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. , Civ. A. No. 16-1911 (D.D.C.). Ms. Feinberg will receive $69,828,832 in connection with the settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Contract Integrity Center, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency’s Operations Investigative Support Division, with assistance by agents from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Inspector Generals from the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, National Reconnaissance Office, Department of Homeland Security, and National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. The case was handled by Trial Attorneys Dan Schiffer and Chris Reimer of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Hudak with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from the Defense Contract Audit Agency's Operations Investigative Support Division, in particular DCAA Auditors Igor Yegoroff, Myron Antoniw, and Tim Chase. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Feinberg v. Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., Civ. A. No. 16-1911 (ACR) (D.D.C.). The claims alleged in the case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Maryland Man Found Guilty in the First Degree Premeditated Murder of two DC Residents and Charges Involving Four Others

body_text: Defendants Fired 12 Shots at Six Young Men on a Sunday Afternoon WASHINGTON – A Superior Court jury, today, returned guilty verdict on all counts against Jalen Browne, 22, of Upper Marlboro, MD, for the murders of Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley, on July 25, 2021, on Q Street NW, Washington, D.C. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Browne was found guilty of two counts of first-degree premeditated murder while armed, four counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, and six counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, shortly after 3:38pm on Sunday, July 25, 2021, the defendant disguised himself and walked around the 100 block of Q Street, NW, eventually lying in wait to shoot young men enjoying the hot summer day. The defendant, using a backpack to catch his shell casings, fired 12 shots in succession at six young men. Narrowly missing three of his targets, the Defendant hit Jovan Hill, Tariq Riley, and another man in the back. First responders found Jovan Hill and Tariq Riley on the ground. Both men were transported to nearby hospitals, but all life-saving efforts failed; both men died as a result of a single gunshot wound to the back. No witnesses provided information regarding the identity of the shooters. The government presented forensic, video surveillance, circumstantial, and motive evidence in securing a conviction on all counts. In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case, as well as members of the prosecution team, including: Charlie Bruce, Zachary McMenamin, and Paralegal Specialists Meridith McGarity, Lauren Douglas, and Tasha Harris. Finally, they thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Wojcik and Lauren Galloway who prosecuted the case.


title: Jury Finds Oahu Man Guilty of Sending E-Mail Threats to Bomb Buildings

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – After a jury trial before United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi, a federal jury today found Oahu resident and former Utah resident Brian Melvin Brandenburg (age 64) guilty of seven counts of sending e-mail threats to bomb buildings in the State of Utah and across the United States. Judge Kobayashi ordered the defendant’s continued detention in custody pending his sentencing, before her on November 9, 2023. At trial, the evidence as to Counts 1 and 2 showed that on May 4, 2022, while in Hawaii, the defendant sent an e-mail to, among other people, persons identified as Victim 1 and 2 in the indictment, State of Utah Court employees who were within the Courthouse, threating to bomb the 3rd District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah. Both employees were involved with the defendant’s then pending divorce case. According to the evidence presented at trial as to Count 3 – 7, on May 4 and 6, 2022, the defendant sent more e-mails to various recipients in Utah threatening to bomb the Utah State Capitol; Mayor’s Office in the Salt Lake City, Utah; every Ivy League School; the United States Courthouse in San Diego; and Hall Labs and the University of Utah Center for Medical Innovation both in Utah. According to the evidence presented at trial, the defendant told the FBI that he “wanted to get their attention.” Count 1 carries a maximum sentence of 20 years of imprisonment and Counts 2 – 7 carry a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for each count. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Provo Police Department, and the University of Utah Police department conducted the investigation that resulted in this conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorneys KeAupuni Akina and Darren W.K. Ching prosecuted the case.


title: Leader of “Genesis II Church of Health and Healing,”  Who Sold Toxic Bleach as Fake “Miracle” Cure for  COVID-19 and Other Serious Diseases,  Guilty of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami has found Mark Grenon, 65, and his three sons, Jonathan Grenon, 38, Jordan Grenon, 29, and Joseph Grenon, 36, guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States by distributing an unapproved and misbranded drug. Jonathan and Jordan Grenon were also found guilty of contempt of court. The Grenons, all of Bradenton, Florida, manufactured, promoted, and sold a product they named Miracle Mineral Solution (“MMS”). MMS is a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper. The Grenons claimed that ingesting MMS could treat, prevent, and cure COVID-19. The FDA, however, had not approved MMS for treatment of COVID-19, or for any other use. Rather, in prior official warning statements, the FDA had strongly urged consumers not to purchase or use MMS for any reason, explaining that drinking MMS was the same as drinking bleach and could cause dangerous side effects, including severe vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening low blood pressure. See https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/danger-dont-drink-miracle-mineral-solution-or-similar-products . In fact, FDA received reports of people requiring hospitalizations, developing life-threatening conditions, and even dying after drinking MMS. Before marketing MMS as a cure for COVID-19, the Grenons marketed MMS as a miracle cure-all for dozens of other serious diseases and disorders, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and leukemia, even though the FDA had not approved MMS for any use. The Grenons sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS nationwide, including to consumers throughout South Florida. They sold this dangerous product under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing (“Genesis”), an entity they created to avoid government regulation of MMS and shield themselves from prosecution. Genesis’ own websites describe Genesis as a “non-religious church,” and defendant Mark Grenon, the co-founder of Genesis, has repeatedly acknowledged that Genesis “has nothing to do with religion,” and that he founded Genesis to “legalize the use of MMS” and avoid “going [ ] to jail.” The Genesis websites further stated that MMS could be acquired only through a “donation” to Genesis, but the donation amounts for MMS orders were set at specific dollar amounts, and were mandatory, such that the donation amounts were effectively just sales prices. The Grenons received more than $1 million from selling MMS. The federal jury also found defendants Jonathan and Jordan Grenon guilty of criminal contempt of court. The United States previously filed a civil case against the defendants and Genesis II Church of Health and Healing. See United States v. Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, et al. , Case No. 20-21601-CV-WILLIAMS. In that civil case, the United States obtained court orders halting the Grenons’ distribution of MMS. The Grenons willfully violated those court orders and continued to distribute MMS. The Grenons also threatened the federal judge presiding over the civil case, and threatened that, should the government attempt to enforce the court orders halting their distribution of MMS, the Grenons would “pick up guns” and instigate “a Waco.” During trial, the jury saw photos and video of a dirty rundown shed in Jonathan Grenon’s backyard in Bradenton, Florida, where the defendants were manufacturing their MMS. These photos showed dozens of blue chemical drums containing nearly 10,000 pounds of sodium chlorite powder, thousands of bottles of MMS, and other items used in the manufacture and distribution of MMS. The blue chemical drums of sodium chlorite powder—the primary active ingredient in MMS—had warning labels advising the product was toxic, flammable, and highly dangerous to consume. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 6. At sentencing, the defendants face up to 5 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Assistant Commissioner Justine Green of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations announced the conviction. FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Homer and John Shipley of the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting it. U.S. Attorney Lapointe commends and thanks the government of Colombia for its assistance. U.S. Attorney Lapointe also extends his gratitude to the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) Judicial Attachés in Bogota, Colombia for their substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Mark Grenon to the United States. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 21-cr-20242. ###


title: Former South Florida Pharmacy CEO Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal Investigators

body_text: MIAMI – Patrick Smith, 71, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the former CEO of Patient Care America (PCA), a compounding pharmacy located in Broward County, pled guilty today to one count of lying to federal agents who were investigating PCA for various health care fraud offenses. According to court records, Smith admitted that in March of 2020 he voluntarily met with DCIS agents who were investigating PCA on allegations of health care fraud and payment of illegal kickbacks. During that interview, Smith lied to agents about his role in hiring the marketing groups who were paid by PCA to recruit Tricare patients. Smith claimed that he played no role in vetting the marketing groups, when in fact documents and witness testimony establish that he frequently met with the marketing groups and decided which to hire and on what terms. PCA paid over $40 million in kickbacks to the marketers. To date, a dozen of PCA’s marketers have been convicted and sentenced to prison terms of up to 13 years for their roles in the scheme. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southern Field Office, made the announcement. Patrick Smith faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The Court has not set a date for sentencing yet. DCIS investigated the case, with assistance from the Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General, the Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigation, and FBI Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Juenger is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-20532. ###


title: Defendant on the Run for 12 Years Extradited from Spain to Face Child Pornography Charges in Miami Federal Court

body_text: MIAMI – After skipping bond and remaining on the lam for 12 years, 71-year-old Carlos Blanco has been extradited from Spain to the United States to face federal child pornography possession and distribution charges in the Southern District of Florida. Blanco made his initial appearance in Miami federal court this week after arriving on a flight from Spain, where he was arrested pursuant to a request from the U.S. government. Federal law enforcement originally arrested Blanco (a citizen of the United States, Honduras, and Cuba) on November 3, 2010, charging him by criminal complaint with possessing and distributing child pornography. He was released on bond following initial hearings before a federal magistrate judge. Following a grand jury’s decision to indict Blanco, the court set a February 24, 2011 hearing, at which Blanco was expected to plead guilty. Blanco failed to appear for the change of plea hearing, and the judge issued an arrest warrant. The court declared Blanco a fugitive on February 25, 2011 -- a designation Blanco held for over 12 years. In March 2023, Blanco was arrested in Spain pursuant to a request for his provisional arrest made by the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs (OIA). Blanco consented to his extradition to the United States. Blanco lived in Spain from July 2022 through the date of his arrest. Before that, he lived in Honduras for 11 years. Markenzy Lapointe, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami, announced the extradition. U.S. Attorney Lapointe extends his gratitude to FBI Miami’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Task Force and the government of Spain for making the extradition possible, as well as OIA for its significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition. The U.S. Attorney also extends his gratitude to the Spanish Civil Guard and Interpol for their assistance in capturing this fugitive and in bringing him back to the United States. FBI Miami investigated the criminal case against Blanco, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Cory O’Neal is prosecuting. An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number Case #10-20837-CR-King. ###


title: Las Vegas Man Convicted of Possessing Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute After Traffic Stop on I-80

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Patrick Lewis McKinney, 42, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced McKinney to 78 months’ imprisonment. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system. On August 3, 2022, law enforcement had a sign out indicating a checkpoint was ahead on I-80 in Dawson County, Nebraska. Jeno Paulucci was the driver and McKinney was the passenger of a vehicle approaching that sign. Paulucci exited the highway and parked on the wrong side of the road. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop and smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Paulucci did not have a driver’s license, registration, or insurance. Law enforcement subsequently searched the vehicle and located 63 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl pills, kief, and ecstasy pills. Law enforcement also located various dangerous weapons to include two machetes, multiple bladed weapons, a baton taser, and a firearm. Jeno Paulucci has also pleaded guilty in this case. He will be sentenced on August 15, 2023. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Zachary Northey, 30, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln for distributing heroin. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Northey to 110 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. From November 26, 2018, to January 2, 2019, Northey was distributing heroin in Lincoln. During this time, one of Northey’s customers overdosed twice but was revived through medical intervention. On January 8, 2019, Northey delivered heroin to that same individual, who overdosed on a third occasion and subsequently died. This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Fentanyl Resulting in Death and Serious Injuries

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Russell L. Rucks, Sr., 52, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 26 years’ imprisonment, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and a detectable amount of fentanyl, resulting in the death of one person and serious bodily injuries to two others, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following his release from prison, Rucks will serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Rucks will also forfeit $5,084.00 in cash to the United States of America, and he was ordered to pay $9,700.00 in restitution to the mother of victim who died. On July 24, 2021, a Lincoln woman called 911 after her fiancé collapsed after returning home from a trip to a gas station. Lincoln Fire and Rescue, (LFR), arrived and performed lifesaving measures, including administering two doses of Narcan. After the second dose of Narcan, the victim began to regain consciousness and was transported to a Lincoln hospital. The victim later told investigators he had been purchasing small amounts of cocaine about every seven to 10 days from Russell Rucks, Sr. for about a year. Just before his overdose, he said he met with Rucks and bought $20 worth of what he believed to be cocaine. He snorted the cocaine and suffered an overdose. Phone records for the victim and Rucks confirmed the victim had been communicating about drug transactions. A medical expert reviewed first responder and hospital records for the victim and found he faced a substantial risk of death had he not been given Narcan. On July 27, 2021, two Lincoln men overdosed at a residence in Lincoln. Both were found unconscious. Both were given Narcan and were hospitalized. One of the victims died on August 19, 2021, but the other victim eventually recovered. The surviving victim told investigators he pooled money with the victim who died, and they bought what they believed to be cocaine from Rucks. The surviving victim said he and the victim who died both used the “cocaine” which led to their overdoses. Investigators found phone messages between the surviving victim and Rucks on the day of the overdoses in which the surviving victim arranged to meet with Rucks. Several items of drug paraphernalia, all containing drug residue, were seized from the residence where the two victims were found, and lab testing showed these items all contained cocaine and fentanyl. A medical expert reviewed the first responder and hospital records for both victims determined that one victim died due to ingesting cocaine laced with fentanyl and the other was seriously injured due to ingesting those substances. On August 11, 2021, Rucks was arrested and found in possession of a small amount of cocaine. On the same day, his son, Russell Rucks, Jr., was also arrested and was found in possession of $1,634 in cash. A search warrant was executed at their Lincoln residence which resulted in the finding of 6.8 pounds of cocaine, a scale, and $3,950 in currency. Rucks, Sr. waived his Miranda rights and told investigators he had been selling what he believed to be cocaine in the months prior to his arrest. Russell Rucks, Jr., faces similar charges and is awaiting trial currently scheduled to begin in October of 2023. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force (Lincoln Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and UNL Police Department) and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Marijuana Trafficking Conspiracy

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

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Ryan D. Terry, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana. Terry received a sentence of 37 months’ imprisonment with a three-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. Terry was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. A cooperating individual (“CI”) met with Terry and co-defendant Jeffrey Dailey (“Dailey”) for the purpose of buying 5 pounds of marijuana. Terry brought a tub containing pound quantities of marijuana in vacuum-sealed packages. Terry showed the CI two types, stating he had 20 pounds of one and 35 of the other. Terry and Dailey indicated they could obtain anything the CI wanted, and that the product was being transported directly from California. The CI agreed to buy all 20 pounds of one variety, take 5 pounds of the other variety, and obtain the remainder if the CI’s customer liked the 5 pounds. Terry and Dailey agreed to transport the marijuana to another location once they retrieved some additional bundles of the product from Terry’s home. Agents observed Terry and Dailey retrieve large black duffel bags from Terry’s home and then place them into Dailey’s vehicle before driving away. A marked police cruiser began following Dailey’s car from several blocks away. As the cruiser tried to catch up with Dailey’s vehicle, Dailey pulled over and Terry began walking away on foot. Terry was apprehended nearby, and an officer conducted a traffic stop of Dailey’s vehicle. In the trunk police found approximately 49 pounds of marijuana. A post-arrest, Mirandized statement by Terry indicated he had been selling marijuana in various quantities over the past 6 or more years, making between $100 per pound to $200 per pound, that he would receive anywhere from 10 pounds to up to 30 pounds per month, but that it varied based on the market conditions. According to Terry, the most he had ever received in a given month was 70 to 90 pounds. A search of Terry’s Omaha home found several pounds of THC wax, “shatter” and edibles, electronic scales, packaging materials, and $116,500 in United States Currency, later confirmed as narcotics sales proceeds. A financial investigation into Terry’s activities found that TNT Associates, LLC, the real properties located at 7610 Hartman Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska and 8608 Templeton Drive, Omaha, Nebraska were derived from proceeds of narcotics sales or otherwise used to facilitate the commission of narcotics sales. Each property was forfeited to the United States as part of the plea agreement in the case. Terry was allowed to retain his family home after paying to the United States $41,440, the amount of equity from drug proceeds. Terry’s co-defendant, Jeffrey Dailey, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing which is scheduled for September 21, 2023. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Omaha Police Department.


title: Healdton Resident Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Victim Of More Than One Million Dollars

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Amber Nicole Pickelsimer, age 44, of Healdton, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to an Information charging her with one count of Wire Fraud. The Information alleged that between February 2019 and August 2020, Pickelsimer, for the purpose of executing or attempting to execute a scheme to defraud, caused to be transmitted, by means of wire communication in interstate commerce, a message through Facebook Messenger from a fictitious Facebook account to the victim’s Facebook account. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation revealed that Pickelsimer created two fictitious Facebook accounts and used those accounts to extort the victim, demanding that the victim deliver large quantities of cash to a drop site. Pickelsimer eventually defrauded the victim of over $1,000,000.00. Because Pickelsimer operated in the Eastern District of Oklahoma and Facebook maintains its servers outside of the state of Oklahoma, Pickelsimer’s Facebook messages qualified as federal wire fraud. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Pickelsimer posted a personal recognizance bond at the conclusion of the plea hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Kara Traster represented the United States.


title: Adair County Resident Pleads Guilty To Coercion And Enticement And Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jakoma Twohat Sanders, age 35, of Adair County, Oklahoma entered a guilty plea to one count of Coercion and Enticement, and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Indictment alleged that beginning on or about June 5, 2018, and continuing until on or about August 6, 2018, Sanders used a means of interstate commerce to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a minor child to engage in sexual activity. The Indictment also alleged that on September 24, 2019, Sanders was found to knowingly be in possession of a firearm while having previously been convicted of a felony punishable by more than one year in prison. The charges arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The investigation began after Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about the Sanders communicating with minor females over the internet and inducing them to engage in sexual activity. When the defendant was arrested, he was found to be in possession of a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.” If you have information about the physical or online exploitation of children, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov . You can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE–LOST (1-800-843-5678) or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org . The Honorable Judge Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Sanders was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Caila Cleary represented the United States.


title: Danville Man Who Sold Fatal Dose of Fentanyl Sentenced to 12 Years

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A Danville man, who sold a fatal dose of fentanyl in October 2019, has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Chauncey Lamont Montague, 49, pleaded guilty in March 2023 to distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents, on October 23, 2019, A.R., a regular user of opiates, wanted to purchase $20 of heroin from Montague. After being unable to reach Montague by phone, A.R. began walking towards Montague’s home. During the walk, A.R. met up with a close family member who agreed to take her money the rest of the way to Montague’s home and purchase the drugs for her. After making the drug transaction with Montague, the family member delivered the heroin to A.R. who then used the drugs and was found dead a short time later. It was determined that she died from a fentanyl overdose. The following morning, Danville Police executed a search warrant on Montague’s residence and an additional 8.2 grams of fentanyl was discovered in the pocket of a jacket in his bedroom. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Jared Forget made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Danville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bassford prosecuted the case.


title: Federal Search Warrants Executed

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa -- On Thursday, July 20, 2023, federal search warrants were executed at the following locations in the Des Moines metropolitan area: • 900 block of Creston Avenue, Des Moines, • 1200 block of 23rd Street, Des Moines, • 200 block of East Caulder Circle, Des Moines, • 400 block of East Thornton Avenue, Des Moines, • 2500 block of East Sheridan Avenue, Des Moines, • 1500 block of South 50th Street, West Des Moines, • 9000 block of Burkwood Drive, West Des Moines, and • 15000 block of Boston Parkway, Clive. The searches at these locations were an official law enforcement action involving officers, agents, and investigators from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Des Moines Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Iowa State Patrol SWAT, United States Marshals Service, Clive Police Department, West Des Moines Police Department, Ames Police Department, Altoona Police Department, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Suburban Emergency Response Team (SERT), and Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR).


title: Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs Stolen from the Nebraska State Patrol

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Anna Idigima, 38, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 21 years and 10 months’, (262 months’), imprisonment, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 kilograms or more of marijuana, resulting in serious bodily injury, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following her release from prison, Idigima will serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Beginning in June of 2021, Idigima, a Nebraska State Patrol, (NSP), stored evidence room employee, began stealing drugs held in completed NSP cases which were awaiting destruction orders. She provided the drugs to her boyfriend and co-defendant, George Weaver, who sold them in Lincoln. Video surveillance from NSP’s Lincoln evidence storage facility shows Idigima opening sealed boxes, taking items from those boxes, putting them in garbage bags and loading the bags into her personal vehicle on several occasions between June 16, 2021, and August 12, 2021. The Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, (LLCNTF), conducted an audit of the NSP evidence storage areas to which Idigima had access during this timeframe. Idigima was fired by NSP because of this investigation in September of 2021. Through the audit, the following approximate totals of drugs were found to be missing: Marijuana - 154 pounds Cocaine - 19 pounds Fentanyl - 6 pounds Heroin - 10 pounds Methamphetamine - 3 pounds THC - 32 pounds THC vape cartridges - 1,720 Numerous assorted pills In August of 2021, LLCNTF investigators searched Weaver’s SnapChat account and found drug-related conversations and a photo of several large bags of marijuana on a bed. One of the bags had a piece of red evidence label tape on it which was consistent with evidence tape used by NSP. In a search of an apartment rented by Weaver, believed to be the location where the photo of the marijuana was taken, investigators found residue containing cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. On August 4, 2021, a Nebraska City couple overdosed at their home in Nebraska City. One of them required CPR and both were given Narcan. They were both hospitalized in Omaha. During a search of their residence, two bags of white powder containing cocaine and fentanyl, weighing a total of just under one ounce, were found. A review of first responder and hospital records for the couple by a physician, board certified in emergency medicine and medical toxicology, determined the couple would have been at a substantial risk of death had they not been given Narcan due to their use of cocaine laced with fentanyl. After they recovered, the couple told investigators they bought what they believed was an ounce of cocaine from a Lincoln resident. That person was contacted by law enforcement and told them he had purchased what he believed to be cocaine from Weaver and sold it to the Nebraska City couple. It was this cocaine, laced with fentanyl, which caused the couple’s overdoses. On August 18, 2021, a Lincoln man was found unconscious by first responders. He was given CPR and Narcan and was hospitalized. A search of his car turned up approximately two grams of white substance. An additional two grams were found in his wallet. Both items were found to contain cocaine and fentanyl. The government’s expert in emergency medicine and toxicology determined the victim would have been at a substantial risk of dying had he not been given Narcan. The victim later told investigators he bought what he thought was cocaine earlier that day from another Lincoln resident and said he had used some in his car just prior to his overdose. On August 20, 2021, the seller of the cocaine and fentanyl involved in the August 18, 2021, overdose was arrested and found in possession of approximately one ounce of cocaine and fentanyl. He agreed to cooperate with law enforcement and told them he got the drugs from Weaver one to two weeks prior to his arrest. After his arrest, working with investigators, the seller met with Weaver and engaged Weaver in a conversation about paying Weaver for previously purchased drugs, including the cocaine which caused the August 18, 2021, overdose. This conversation took place at Idigima’s residence. Other cooperating witnesses provided information to the LLCNTF regarding purchases of cocaine made from Weaver beginning in about June of 2021. One of those witnesses was arrested on August 12, 2021, after the execution of a search warrant at his Lincoln residence resulted in the finding of approximately six pounds of cocaine and more than $3,400 in cash in his Lincoln residence. Weaver told the witness his source was a female. The witness saw this female on one occasion and later identified her as Idigima after seeing photos which appeared in the press after Weaver’s and Idigima’s arrests in the fall of 2021. In addition to purchasing cocaine from Weaver, the witness reported seeing Weaver in possession of approximately 20 one-pound bags of marijuana, THC, and three large gray evidence bags containing a white dust which Weaver claimed was cocaine, but the witness said the appearance and taste were not consistent with cocaine. Two other cooperating witnesses reported buying pills from Weaver and Idigima in August or September of 2021 with one of the witnesses saying payment for the pills was sent to Idigima’s CashApp account. In January of 2023, Idigima, at that time incarcerated in the Saline County Jail, sent a letter to an inmate at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York, Nebraska. The letter was intercepted by jail staff pursuant to policy. In the letter, Idigima identified herself as “Anna Idigima” and wrote, “You may have heard about the case. I was the evidence tech from the Nebraska State Patrol who took 1.2 million in drugs and sold them.” In response to Idigima’s sentencing, Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins said, “We would like to thank the Lincoln / Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force and its members for working tirelessly to find those responsible for the loss of life and those also impacted in our community. We would like to give our heartfelt condolences to the families of these victims because we know it has been a long road to getting justice for them. We hope this allows them to heal from their loss. Thank you to the US Attorney’s Office for their partnership and hard work to bring those to justice.” This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force (Lincoln Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and UNL Police Department), the Nebraska State Patrol, the Nebraska City Police Department, and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to 87 Months for Possessing a Firearm

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that BJ Jaquez Rice, 30, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 18, 2023, to 87 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm. After Rice is release from prison, he will begin a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Rice pleaded guilty to the offense on February 15, 2023. On March 11, 2022, an officer with the Lincoln Police Department stopped a vehicle in downtown Lincoln. A female was driving the vehicle and Rice was in the front passenger seat. During the stop, the officer noticed a strong odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle and performed a search of the vehicle. During the search, the officer located a Smith & Wesson, model M&P M2 Shield, .380 caliber handgun tucked between the driver’s seat and the center console. The officer also located a Glock, model 19, 9mm caliber handgun underneath the front passenger seat. When asked for identification, Rice gave the officer a false name, date of birth, and stated that he had an identification issued to him in Florida. After Rice was arrested, police discovered his true name and that he had prior felony convictions in North Carolina. In addition to the Lincoln Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, contributed to this investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Grand Island Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Drug and Firearm Offenses

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Mohamed Gamar Ahmed, 20, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 18, 2023, to 48 months’ imprisonment for possession of cocaine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and to a consecutive 60-month term of imprisonment for possession of firearms in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Ahmed pleaded guilty to the offenses on April 18, 2023. On March 28, 2022, officers with the Grand Island Police Department were called to a residence in Grand Island. When officers arrived, they found a juvenile female unconscious and not breathing. Officers began administering CPR and paramedics with the Grand Island Fire Department arrived a short time later. The female was revived with the use of Narcan and transported to the hospital. A juvenile male, who was present when police arrived at the residence, reported previously purchasing a blue pill from Ahmed, which the juveniles believed was Percocet. Within minutes of ingesting the drug, the female began showing signs of an overdose and became unconscious. Officers obtained a search warrant for Ahmed’s apartment. Inside the apartment, officers located loaded handguns, digital scales, plastic bags used for packaging drugs, ammunition, about 1.2 pounds of marijuana, THC vape pens, 31 grams of cocaine, and around 30 suspected Percocet pills. Testing completed by the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory showed the suspected Percocet pills contained fentanyl. This case was investigated by the Grand Island Police Department and the Trident Drug Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Doctor and Office Manager Charged for $1.3M COVID-19 Loan Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging a Nevada doctor and his wife with fraudulently obtaining approximately $1.3 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief loans through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). According to court documents, Kofi Sarfo, 58, of Las Vegas, is a medical doctor and the owner and president of Vista Medical Associates, a Las Vegas medical practice. His wife, Rose Sarfo, 54, also of Las Vegas, is the office manager and treasurer of Vista Medical Associates. Kofi and Rose Sarfo allegedly conspired to submit false loan applications to obtain EIDL and PPP pandemic relief funds. Rather than spending the money on their business as represented in the loan applications, the Sarfos allegedly used at least some of the funds to purchase stocks and cryptocurrency. The Sarfos are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. In addition, Kofi Sarfo is charged with one count of money laundering. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for each count of wire fraud. Kofi Sarfo also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the money laundering charge. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts 27 Individuals for Roles in a Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain COVID-19 Relief Funds

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – W. Stephen Muldrow, U.S. Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, announced the indictment of 27 individuals for their participation in a scheme to illegally obtain federal recovery funds under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Grand Jury charged the defendants with multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering. The charging documents allege that from April 2020 through July 2023, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused the submission of at least 23 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications seeking the illegal disbursement of at least $458,923 in federal recovery funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Bank 1. “This is the third round of defendants charged since April 2023 relating to this fraud scheme, and the investigation remains ongoing,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “The EIDL and PPP loans were supposed to benefit those whose legitimate businesses were suffering from losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prosecution of those who illegally obtain government benefits will continue to be a priority for our office.” The United States Secret Service, the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, the Puerto Rico Bureau of Special Investigations, the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and the Guaynabo Municipal Police. According to court documents, defendant Brian Oniel Blassini, together with Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus, a.k.a. “Man/Contable/El Gestor”, Rodolpho R. Pagesy Roussel, a.k.a. “El Banquero”, Augusto A. Lemus Berrios, a.k.a. “Primo”, Jonatan Ben David Prieto Ruiz De Val, a.k.a. “Johnny Millones”, Ligia María Lemus De Pentzke, and others knowingly devised a scheme to defraud the SBA and Bank 1 to obtain federal money and property by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises submitted through applications for EIDL and PPP loans made available to help small businesses recover from the impact of the pandemic through the CARES Act. Pentzke Lemus, Pagesy Roussel, Lemus Berrios, Prieto Ruiz De Val, and Lemus De Pentzke were previously charged in April in a separate indictment. The defendants are: [1] Brian Oniel Blassini [2] Denise Marie Torres Polonio [3] Rosario Polonio Báez [4] Isaac Adorno Polonio [5] Luis Manuel González Blassini [6] Carlos J. Negrón Flores [7] Christopher Molina Chévere [8] Edgar R. Rodríguez Torres [9] Giovanni Hernández Collazo [10] Ismael Ramírez Zayas [11] Jancarlo Morales [12] Julio Vera De Jesús [13] Kiara Lee Sierra Bermúdez [14] Luis Miguel Burgos Dávila [15] Maximino Vera Rivera [16] Michael Jovany Pagán Ruiz [17] Nelson Yadiel Rodríguez Vega [18] Roberto Argenis Fragoso Negrón [19] Saúl L. Maldonado Acosta [20] Homar Javier Horta Torres [21] Carlos E. Nevárez Correa [22] Elías Díaz Delgado [23] Michelle Crespo Blanco [24] Norberto Torres Colón [25] Stephanie D. Ruiz Martínez [26] Victor L. González Barbosa [27] Yanhzee Puig Maisonet The CARES Act authorized federal assistance through the issuance of SBA loans to small businesses and non-profit entities that experienced revenue loss due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic. The EIDL program was one such loan assistance program for small businesses. To procure the loan, applicants had to fill out an online application detailing operational information for the 12‑month period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the number of employees in the business, the gross business revenues realized, and the cost of goods sold. Another form of assistance provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of United States taxpayer funds in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, such as interest on mortgages, rent and utilities, through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The indictment alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators submitted at least 23 fraudulent EIDL and PPP loan applications containing materially false and fraudulent information and false documents, including false and fictitious tax documents, payroll records, bank records, and identification documents, to procure the disbursement of EIDL and PPP assistance loans by Bank 1. The indictment further alleges that the defendants and their co-conspirators directed the recipients of the fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL loans to remit a portion of the proceeds of the loans to the defendants and their co-conspirators and used the loan proceeds to benefit themselves and others, and to pay for expenses prohibited under the requirements of the EIDL and PPP programs. The court documents claim that defendant Manfred A. Pentzke Lemus was the principal organizer of the fraudulent scheme and the efforts to launder the proceeds; defendant Rodolpho R. Pagesy Roussel worked at Bank 1 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and used his position to obtain the approval of fraudulent PPP applications; defendant Augusto A. Lemus Berríos assisted in the preparation of fraudulent PPP applications; defendant Jonatan Ben David Prieto Ruiz De Val acted as a money courier and coordinated the delivery of “kickback” payments to further the fraudulent scheme; defendant Ligia María Lemus De Pentzke received “kickback” payments from proceeds of the fraudulent scheme and forwarded them to her co‑conspirators; and defendant Carlos Manfredo Pentzke Chamorro received fraudulent PPP and EIDL loans in furtherance of the conspiracy. Defendants Brian Oniel Blassini and Homar Javier Horta Torres are facing one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, for knowingly conducting financial transactions involving the proceeds of wire fraud, together with other individuals previously indicted. The defendants, including Brian Oniel Blassini, are also alleged to have recruited other unindicted co-conspirators to not only obtain additional EIDL and PPP loans under false pretenses, but recruit others to submit fraudulent applications. If convicted, the defendants are facing up to 30 years in prison for the wire fraud counts. Brian Oniel Blassini and Homar Javier Horta Torres are also facing up to 20 years of imprisonment for the money laundering count. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy R. Henwood and Daniel J. Olinghouse. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Staffing Services Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Employment Discrimination Claim

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with FM Talent Source LLC, a Maryland-based staffing services company. The settlement resolves the department’s determination that FM Talent violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when the company rescinded a job offer from a non-U.S. citizen and delayed his eventual hiring due to unfounded suspicions based on his citizenship status. “Employers cannot make hiring decisions based solely on assumptions or stereotypes about an applicant’s citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division will vigorously enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act’s nondiscrimination mandate to ensure that all job applicants are treated fairly.” The department’s investigation began when a lawful permanent resident complained that FM Talent rescinded his job offer for a contract position with the federal government because of his citizenship status. The department found that, although the federal contract did not prohibit FM Talent from hiring a lawful permanent resident for the position, FM Talent rescinded the applicant’s offer due to unfounded suspicions that his status as a non-U.S. citizen, he would delay the hiring process. FM Talent renewed the worker’s job offer after the department opened its investigation, but the company’s discriminatory actions delayed the worker’s start date. Under the INA, employers cannot unlawfully discriminate based on citizenship, immigration status or national origin at any stage of the hiring process. Under the terms of the settlement, FM Talent will pay a civil penalty to the United States and back pay to the affected worker. FM Talent will also train its staff on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, revise its policies and procedures and be subject to departmental monitoring for a three-year period. The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; and retaliation and intimidation . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when hiring and recruiting on IER’s website . Learn more about how IER protects workers’ rights in this video . For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation ; email IER@usdoj.gov; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER. Settlement Agreement


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía de contratación para resolver una acusación de discriminación en el empleo relacionada con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con FM Talent Source LLC, una compañía de servicios de contratación radicada en Maryland. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que FM Talent vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) cuando la compañía rescindió una oferta de trabajo a un no ciudadano de los EE. UU. y aplazó su eventual contratación debido a sospechas infundadas con base en su estatus de ciudadanía. «Los empleadores no pueden basar sus decisiones en lo que se refiere a la contratación únicamente en presunciones o estereotipos sobre el estatus de ciudadanía de un postulante», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles hará cumplir con firmeza el mandato no discriminatorio de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad con el fin de garantizar que se trate de manera justa a todo postulante de trabajo». La investigación del Departamento comenzó cuando un residente permanente legal se quejó que FM Talent rescindió su oferta de trabajo para un puesto como contratista con el gobierno federal por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía. El Departamento halló que FM Talent rescindió la oferta del postulante debido a sospechas infundadas de la compañía que el estatus del postulante como no ciudadano de los EE. UU. retrasaría el proceso de contratación. FM Talent renovó la oferta de trabajo del postulante después de que el Departamento inició su investigación, pero las acciones discriminatorias aplazaron la fecha de comienzo del trabajador. Conforme a la INA, los empleadores no pueden, en ningún punto durante el proceso de contratación, discriminar de manera ilícita, con base en el estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía o bien por la nacionalidad de origen. Según los términos del acuerdo, FM Talent pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos y pagos retroactivos al trabajador afectado. Por otra parte, FM Talent capacitará a su personal en cuanto a la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA, revisará sus políticas y procedimientos y se someterá a la supervisión del Departamento durante un período de tres años. La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Hay más información disponible en el sitio web de la IER sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en los procesos de contratación y reclutamiento. Aprenda más sobre cómo la IER protege los derechos de los trabajadores en este video . Para más información sobre protecciones en virtud de las leyes migratorias contra la discriminación por parte de empleadores, llame a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscríbase a un seminario en línea en vivo o vea una presentación a la carta; envíe un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov; o visite los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER. Settlement Agreement


title: South Bend Man Sentenced to 57 months in Prison

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Kevin Brazier, Jr., 45 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Brazier was sentenced to 57 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in August 2022, law enforcement found Brazier in the early morning hours asleep in a car in a parking lot in South Bend with a gun on the dashboard. Police later learned the gun was loaded with 18 live rounds. Brazier has a history of violent crime, including convictions for felony domestic battery in the presence of a child, and misdemeanors for violating a protection order, attempted aggravated menacing, domestic violence, and intimidation of a victim. As a felon, Brazier is prohibited from possessing the firearm in this case. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the South Bend Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever. 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. ###


title: Mooresville, N.C. Man Is Facing Federal Charges For Investment Scheme And COVID-19 Fraud

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Steven Andiloro, 51, of Mooresville, N.C., is facing federal charges in connection with an alleged investment fraud scheme and for fraudulently obtaining more than $2.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, and Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to allegations in the indictment, from 2018 to 2021, Andiloro operated an investment fraud scheme in which he induced victims to invest their money in businesses that were both real and fictitious. To induce victim investors to invest their money, Andiloro allegedly made false and fraudulent representations about where and how the victims’ money would be invested. For example, the indictment alleges that Andiloro promised some of his victim investors their money would be invested in a non-existent marijuana dispensary business in exchange for a ten percent ownership stake. Instead of investing his victims’ money as promised, Andiloro used the funds to pay for personal expenses and to make Ponzi-style payments to other investors. The indictment alleges that from April 2020 to March 2021, Andiloro fraudulently obtained funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by submitting fraudulent applications for COVID-19 relief loans intended for businesses that suffered economic hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. The indictment alleges that the fraudulent applications Andiloro submitted to obtain the PPP funds contained false financial information about his businesses, including fake employment data and inflated revenues, costs, and payroll expenses. As a result of the scheme, the indictment alleges that Andiloro received more than $2.6 million in fraudulently obtained relief funds, which he used to fund his personal lifestyle and to make payments in furtherance of the investment fraud scheme. The indictment charges Andiloro with securities fraud and wire fraud, which carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine for each offense, and money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, and the SBA-OIG for the investigation which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Conover, N.C. Woman Is Charged With Mail Fraud And Identity Theft For Stealing More Than $300,000 From Elderly Couple

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Andrea Brawley, 45, of Conover, N.C., is facing federal charges for stealing more than $300,000 from two elderly relatives, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment this week, charging Brawley with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to allegations in the indictment, from August 2016 to January 2023, Brawley engaged in a scheme to defraud the elderly couple identified in court documents as J.S. and M.S., by exploiting her relationship with the victims to steal their money and property. The indictment alleges that Brawley gained access to the victims’ personal and company bank accounts, which she was expected to use to manage the couple’s personal and business affairs and to pay routine bills. Instead, Brawley allegedly misused her access to transfer funds to herself, causing the victims to sustain significant financial losses. For example, Brawley allegedly failed to make payments due on the victims’ home equity line of credit on their residence. As a result, the victims’ residence went into foreclosure and the couple lost their home. Brawley also allegedly drained the victims’ retirement accounts by forging retirement distribution forms without the victims’ knowledge and consent, causing them further financial hardship. Over the course of the scheme, Brawley allegedly defrauded J.S. and M.S. and M.S.’s company of more than $300,000. As alleged in the indictment, Brawley concealed the fraudulent scheme from J.S. and M.S. by making false representations about the cause of the foreclosure and about the state of J.S. and M.S.’s finances and personal affairs. The indictment alleges that Brawley also isolated J.S. and M.S. and limited their contact with their friends and family by taking the victims’ cell phones, impersonating them in communications with third parties, transporting them to various locations around the state, and preventing them from returning to their residence. The indictment further alleges that, in furtherance of the scheme, Brawley engaged in identity theft by using and attempting to use one or more means of identification that belonged to J.S. and M.S., including their names, addresses, and unique account numbers. “Elder financial abuse continues to rise at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, when older adults are victims of financial exploitation it is incredibly difficult for them to recover financially and recoup their losses. And when the fraud is perpetrated by a trusted friend or close family member, the added emotional devastation can be overwhelming,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office’s elder financial exploitation cases receive the priority they deserve, and we are committed to doing all we can to combat elder financial abuse and ensure that older adults are supported and protected from fraud.” “When you stop and consider the true impact of elder financial fraud, it is devastating. People should not work 40 years or longer only to have their life savings swindled away,” said Special Agent in Charge DeWitt. “The FBI will work tirelessly to protect the elderly and help educate them and those who love them, how not to fall victim to fraud.” “My office is striving to combat the victimization of our older adults,” said Sheriff Brown. “Elder financial abuse often has a lasting and debilitating effect, especially when a close trust or confidence is violated. We will continue working with our local, state and federal partners to seek justice for these victims.” The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law. The mail fraud offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, consecutive to any other term of incarceration imposed. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI in Charlotte and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.


title: El Prado Man Pleads Guilty to Charges in Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General announced today that Jeffrey Ham pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ham, 46, of El Prado, NM, will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to the plea agreement and court documents, Ham owned Timberline Environmental, LLC, an environmental restoration company. . Ham’s co-defendant James Matison, 57, of Boulder, CO, worked as a Program Director at WildEarth Guardians, a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to protect and restore wildlife, natural resources, and ecosystems of the American west. WildEarth Guardians relies on funding primarily through grants that it receives either directly from federal agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), or indirectly via the State of New Mexico or other not-for-profit organizations. Between February 2015 and April 2019, Ham conspired with Matison to inflate hours billed to WildEarth Guardians by Timberline Environmental, LLC and to pass the excess funds to Matison. All told, Matison and Ham diverted more than $240,000 from WildEarth Guardians. At sentencing, Ham faces up to 20 years in prison. The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General and the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General investigated this case which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña. # # # 23-156


title: Drug Dealers Who Dangerously Fled From Law Enforcement Prosecuted in Federal Court

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: POCATELLO and BOISE – Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the progress in two cases in which two separate Idaho men dangerously fled from law enforcement to avoid investigation into their drug trafficking activities. In the first case, Theodore Maynard Hamann, 40, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison for drug trafficking. On December 21, 2021, Hamman was arrested after hitting an Idaho State Trooper with his vehicle and leading law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase while transporting three pounds of methamphetamine. According to court records, Hamann was driving a white pickup truck when he was pulled over by an Idaho State Police Trooper. During the traffic stop, the trooper explained that investigators would be searching his vehicle due to information they received from one of the passengers. Before the trooper finished his comment, Hamann put the vehicle in drive and sped away striking the trooper with his vehicle. Assisting officers pursued Hamann and eventually apprehended him. Officers later searched Hamann’s vehicle and found over three pounds of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute to another person. The advisory sentencing guideline applicable to Hamann was increased because he recklessly placed the trooper and the public in danger when he fled from police. United States Chief District Judge David C. Nye, who sentenced Hamann, considered the advisory sentencing guideline when imposing the sentence. U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the investigations by the Idaho State Police, Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, Pocatello Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which led to the charges in the Hamann case. In a separate case, Robert Dean Glenn, 48, of Nampa, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in connection with a January 10, 2023 incident in which he fled from a Nampa Police Officer during a routine traffic stop. According to court records, Glenn jumped out of a moving vehicle during a traffic stop in an attempt to flee from law enforcement. After a foot pursuit through a grocery store parking lot, a Nampa Police Department patrol officer was able to apprehend Glenn. The officer searched Glenn and found nearly one pound of methamphetamine taped to his ankle. The bag holding the methamphetamine had a hole in it and spilled methamphetamine in a serpentine-like path through the grocery store parking lot when Glenn had run from police. Officers secured the scene and collected the methamphetamine scattered throughout the parking lot. Glenn is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2023, and faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of at least five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison, a fine of up to five million dollars, and at least four years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine Glenn’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the Nampa Police Department, which led to the charges in the Glenn case. ###


title: Middlesex County Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Filing False Corporate Tax Return

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey man was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for filing a false tax return on behalf of his company, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert, and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg announced today. Gabriel M. Ferrari of Edison, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler to Count Four of an indictment that charged him with subscribing to a false tax return. Judge Chesler sentenced Ferrari on July 19, 2023, in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Ferrari was the sole owner of Buses and Trucks Inc., an automotive repair business in Linden, New Jersey. In January 2015, Ferrari subscribed to and caused to be filed a corporate tax return for Buses and Trucks for tax year 2011. As Ferrari knew at the time, that return was false in that it understated Buses and Trucks’ gross receipts for tax year 2011. In fact, Ferrari had diverted Buses and Trucks’ gross receipts to pay personal expenses, including gambling on horse races, and did not report those diverted receipts on the Buses and Trucks 2011 corporate tax return. In addition to the prison term, Judge Chesler sentenced Ferrari to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $87,926. U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Acting Assistant Attorney General Hubbert, and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg credited special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Trombly, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, and Trial Attorney Ann M. Cherry of the Tax Division in Washington, D.C.


title: Seventeen Charged In Multi-State Drug Trafficking And Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a superseding indictment charging 17 individuals with a drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy as a result of a joint investigation. Two of the defendants have also been charged with two additional counts of distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court records, over the course of the past six years, the Drug Enforcement Administration has been involved in an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operates largely out of Lake County, Florida, with sources of supply or distributors in California, Texas, the eastern United States, and China. The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) has investigated the laundering of drug proceeds by the DTO. Since at least 2017, the DTO (led by Dudzinski Poole) has been responsible for trafficking thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl via commercial planes, trains, and the mail. So far, DEA has seized more than 250 pounds of drugs (mostly methamphetamine and fentanyl). The defendants played various roles in the DTO, such as suppliers, distributors, couriers, and courier coordinators. Each defendant is also charged with money laundering conspiracy. See defendant chart for details. Multi-State Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Conspiracy Defendant Chart Name (Age, Residence) Charges Potential Penalties Dudzinski Edwinn Poole a/k/a “Zink” (48, Apopka, FL) Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (two counts) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Melvin Tyrone Patterson, Jr. a/k/a “Goon” (31, Wildwood, FL) Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (two counts) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Andrew Woodruff, Jr. a/k/a “Smurf” (38, Mount Dora, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Jose Ivan Carbajal a/k/a “Primo” (33, California) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Diego Navarro- Martinez a/k/a “Shooter” (32, California) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Michael Andre Chester a/k/a “Dre” (48, Apopka, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Samantha Tiesha King a/k/a “Mamp” (32, Altamonte Springs, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Felisha Denise Williams a/k/a “Lil Momma” (34, Apopka, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Rodrieka Lashay Manning a/k/a “Drieka” (25, Apopka, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Janice Denise Anderson a/k/a “Butter” (65, Mount Dora, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Oveda Denise Miller a/k/a “Gangsta Granny” (60, Mount Dora, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Roland Richardson (63, Mount Dora, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison Latonya Sharee Conley a/k/a “Hershey” (46, Mount Dora, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison George Nelvin King, Jr. (46, Altamonte Springs, FL) Drug trafficking conspiracy Money laundering conspiracy Mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in prison The DTO has operated largely through the use of couriers who fly to California from Florida with large sums of cash to purchase drugs and transport checked luggage full of drugs back to Florida on commercial flights. These flights were typically between the Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida and the Palm Springs Airport (PSP) or the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California. Flight records during a two-year period show more than 350 flights between California and Orlando among the various conspirators. The DTO also used couriers to transport large amounts of methamphetamine from Orlando to Virginia via train. In April 2022, one of these couriers was arrested at a train station in Virginia with approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine inside a suitcase. In addition to transporting drugs on commercial flights and trains, Poole and his associates had multiple stash houses and received hundreds of mailed packages of methamphetamine from California and other drugs, including fentanyl, from China. Poole’s source of supply in California would ship packages containing anywhere from one pound to ten or more pounds of methamphetamine at a time. Poole would provide the source of supply various addresses to ship the drugs, including co-conspirators’ residences. Investigators have identified almost 400 packages that were shipped from California as part of this conspiracy from 2021 to 2023. The members of this DTO also conspired with one another to engage in money laundering. A key aspect of this conspiracy was Poole’s development of an entertainment business that he used to promote concerts with legitimate artists, whom he paid with drug proceeds. Poole then commingled the profits from the ticket sales with the drug proceeds in the same business account. Members of the conspiracy also used drug proceeds to pay for various expenses of the DTO, and they engaged in other financial transactions to conceal the drug proceeds. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Secret Service; the Orlando Police Department’s Special Enforcement Division and Crime Center and Forensics Division; the Orange County Sheriff’s Office’s Gang Enforcement Unit; the Florida Highway Patrol; the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office; the Casselberry Police Department; the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation; the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office; the Marion County Sheriff’s Office; the Kissimmee Police Department; the St. Cloud Police Department; the Winter Park Police Department, and the St. Cloud IRS Financial Crimes Task Force. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Crockett.


title: East Bay Resident Charged With Fraud In Alleged Quarter-Million Dollar Embezzlement Scheme

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Athena Harven, charging her with four counts of wire fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to embezzle more than a quarter of a million dollars from the now-defunct San Francisco non-profit organization where she formerly worked, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”) Special Agent in Charge Mark Kaminsky. Harven made her initial appearance in federal court this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alex Tse to face the charges. According to the indictment, Harven, 53, of Vallejo, Calif., was Director of Operations at a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that provided academic support and employment assistance to students in the Sunnydale and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods of San Francisco. The non-profit received funding from, among other sources, the City and County of San Francisco and HUD. As Director of Operations, Harven had access to, and control over, the non-profit’s finances. According to the indictment, for almost four years between April 2015 and December 2018, Harven engaged in a scheme to defraud the organization. Specifically, Harven allegedly wrote herself 119 checks on the non-profit’s bank account and prepared paperwork to suggest that the funds from many of those checks would be used to pay the non-profit’s payroll taxes; in fact, Harven allegedly deposited the checks into bank accounts she controlled and spent the funds to enrich herself, including to withdraw cash from ATMs; to pay for travel expenses, rent, utilities, and groceries; to shop online; to make purchases at various retail stores, restaurants, hotels, casinos, and gas stations; and to shore up the finances of—and to pay expenses associated with—a bakery that she owned and operated. The indictment alleges that Harven took money earmarked to pay the non-profit’s payroll taxes and spent it instead at merchants including Victoria’s Secret, Forever 21, VIP Luggage & Leather, H&M, and Hollister. She also allegedly withdrew thousands of dollars in cash and allegedly used the funds to pay business rent for her bakery. The indictment further alleges that Harven took several steps to conceal her fraud from the non-profit allowing the fraud to continue. For example, she allegedly altered the non-profit’s records to show the payee on many of the checks she wrote to herself was ADP, a payroll processing company that formerly worked with the non-profit; in fact, Harven was the payee on the checks. Further, Harven allegedly intercepted dozens of communications over several years from the state tax authorities to the non-profit regarding the organization’s unpaid payroll taxes, allowing her fraud to continue undetected. Additionally, Harven allegedly concocted a fake email, purportedly from an employee of the California Economic Development Department, to conceal her fraudulent scheme. The indictment alleges that the non-profit and Harven failed to make any payroll tax payments to the federal or state tax authorities between April 2015 and December 2018 and that, as a result, the non-profit owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes in December 2018, when the organization laid off its employees (including Harven), ceased its operations, and collapsed. Finally, the indictment alleges that “the amount of payroll taxes [the non-profit] failed to pay from 2015 through 2018 closely approximated the $256,771.84 Harven embezzled during that same time period.” The indictment charges Harven with four counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Magistrate Judge Tse released Harven on a personal recognizance bond after this morning’s initial appearance. Harven’s next appearance in this case is scheduled for August 30, 2023, for a status hearing before the Honorable Charles R. Breyer, Senior United States District Judge. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Harven faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of twice the gross loss resulting from her criminal conduct. As part of any sentence, the court also may order Harven to serve up to three years of supervised release to begin after any term of imprisonment, and may impose additional assessments and restitution, if appropriate. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Parker is prosecuting the case with assistance from Lance Libatique and Andy Ding. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development - Office of Inspector General.