title: Brookfield Counselor Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding Medicaid of More than $1 Million

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GREGORY C. BANKS, 50, of Brookfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for health care fraud. According to court documents and statements made in court, Banks owned and operated North East Counseling & Trauma Services and Gregory Banks Counseling, LLC. North East Counseling & Trauma Services, which had an office in Danbury, provided counseling services to individual patients, including those with mental health and trauma issues. Banks was enrolled individually as a Behavioral Health Clinician provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program (“Medicaid”), but North East Counseling & Trauma Services and Gregory Banks Counseling LLC were never enrolled as providers in Medicaid. Between January 2018 and July 2022, Banks submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for counseling services that were purportedly provided to Medicaid clients. Specifically, Banks submitted claims for dates of service when no services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims. In October 2020, the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) audited Banks and his businesses and requested documentation from Banks for six sample clients. In response, Banks made multiple false statements for the purpose of delaying the progress of DSS’s audit and to conceal his offense. For example, in February 2021, Banks sent an email to DSS in which he falsely represented that one of the files DSS requested was destroyed by a water leak above his office when, in fact, no such water leak had occurred. Through this scheme, Banks defrauded Medicaid of $1,044,387.08. Judge Shea ordered Banks to pay full restitution. Banks, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 8. This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Attorney Avery acknowledged the valuable cooperation of the Connecticut Department of Social Services in the investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David T. Huang. People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.


title: Physician assistant admits to unlawful practice of medicine

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 50-year-old Brownsville man has pleaded guilty to health care fraud in relation to his work at an area mental health clinic, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. In July 2021, the Texas Medical Board deemed Fernando Mendez a “continuing threat to public welfare” and suspended his license as a physician assistant. However, he continued to practice medicine at CCI Therapy Counseling Centers International P.C. (CCI), which has locations in Harlingen and Brownsville, following the suspension. Mendez further admitted he manufactured medical records to make it appear a different medical provider had seen CCI patients when he was the one who had actually done so. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. accepted the plea and will impose sentencing Oct. 2. At that time, Mendez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and possible $250,000 maximum fine. Mendez was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (OIG), Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Department of Homeland Security-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.


title: Prince George’s County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for a Conspiracy to Obtain Over $1 Million in COVID-19 CARES Act Loans and Unemployment Insurance Benefits

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang today sentenced Jerry Phillips, a/k/a “Tian Juzo,” age 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for a wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and illegal possession of a machine gun, related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million in COVID-19 CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program loan applications (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster loan applications (“EIDL”), and unemployment insurance claims. Judge Chuang also ordered Phillips to pay restitution of $1,235,213. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Acting Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”); Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Washington, D.C. Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General (“SBA-OIG”), Eastern Region, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano, of the Mid-Atlantic Region, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (“FDIC-OIG”). “Once again, the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office’s COVID fraud enforcement strategy is taking illegal guns out of the hands of criminals,” said United States Attorney Erek L. Barron. “This case highlights two of our office priorities—taking illegal guns off the streets and holding accountable those who fraudulently took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to line their pockets.” According to his plea agreement, from March 2020 to February 2022, Phillips worked with his brother and co-defendant, Jaleel Phillips, and at least one other person. to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 related benefits, including filing fraudulent PPP loan applications, EIDL loan applications, and unemployment insurance claims. As detailed in the statement of facts, Phillips and his co-conspirators created fictitious aliases, used the personal identifying information of real people, and used defunct corporate entities or new business entities with no actual business operations to apply for PPP and EIDL loans, and unemployment benefits. As part of the scheme, Phillips admitted that he created and used multiple fake identities to submit fraudulent PPP and EIDL loan applications and used the personal identifying information of more than 20 real people in furtherance of fraudulent unemployment claims. The fraudulently obtained PPP and EIDL loans and unemployment insurance claims were deposited into the bank accounts opened in the names of the aliases. The money was then withdrawn by Phillips and his co-conspirators through ATM withdrawals and purchases made on the associated debit and credit cards or transferred between the various financial accounts established in the aliases’ names. Phillips used $65,538.95 of the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro, which he registered in his name at the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Jerry Phillips also admitted that he personally obtained and controlled more than $1 million in fraud proceeds from the fraudulent PPPs and EIDLs. A search of the defendant’s residence recovered more than 25 fake driver’s licenses from multiple states and multiple identification documents from different jurisdictions with Jerry Phillips’ photograph and the same alias. Law enforcement also recovered four “ghost guns” which Jerry Phillips purchased online, using an alias. Phillips admitted that he illegally modified one of the ghost guns into a machine gun capable of firing multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger. Jaleel Phillips, age 25, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the wire fraud conspiracy and was sentenced on June 22, 2023, to 30 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,142,769. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of three strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, SBA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office for their work in the investigation and thanked the Office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch-Public Integrity Division, for its assistance. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Gruber, who is prosecuting the case and recognized the assistance of the Maryland COVID-19 Strike Force Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Drug and Weapons Violations

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On June 22, 2023, BRIAN TARDY , age 31, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to 106 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to a three-count superseding bill of information, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Count One charged TARDY with possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and (b)(1)(D). Count Two charged TARDY with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1). Count Three charged TARDY with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g) and 924(a)(2). According to court documents, on July 8, 2021, NOPD was conducting proactive surveillance in New Orleans East. While doing so, officers witnessed TARDY exit and re-enter a vehicle with an assault rifle. Upon discovering that the vehicle was uninsured, NOPD conducted a traffic stop and saw marijuana in plain view and detected strong smell of same. After arresting TARDY , officers discovered additional marijuana on his person and obtained a search warrant for the vehicle. During the execution of the warrant, officers located the same assault rifle TARDY was seen with, along with other controlled substances. 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. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit .


title: Salina Couple Convicted of Child Abuse and Neglect

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA – On Friday June 23, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Amanda Irene Smith, 44, and Joel Richard Smith, 48, for Child Abuse in Indian Country and Child Neglect in Indian Country following a four-day trial. The jury deliberated into the evening. “The abuse of children will never be tolerated or go unpunished,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “The years of abuse the victim suffered at the hands of those she should have been able to trust is both heartbreaking and unconscionable. My office and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting perpetrators of child abuse.” According to the victim’s testimony presented at trial, she “escaped” to a neighboring home on April 5, 2019, when she was 9 years old. She was filthy, in need of medical attention and extremely hungry. She was wearing a diaper and showed signs of physical abuse, and the neighbor alerted authorities. The victim, who weighed 41 pounds and was wearing a toddler size-four t-shirt, was hospitalized for a week to treat malnutrition and inflections from her wounds. The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office investigation showed that the defendants routinely denied the victim food and access to the bathroom, handcuffed her to a “pack n’ play,” and beat her with a belt and livestock whip. Testimony at trial also revealed the defendants forced her to work outside moving rocks and dirt with her hands, pulling weeds and picking up sticks for several hours at a time. Previously released on bond prior to trial, the couple was permitted to remain on bond for two weeks and self-report to federal custody for formal sentencing. U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman presided over trial and sentencing is yet to be scheduled. At that time, both face up to life in federal prison. Mayes County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Ihler and Melody Nelson prosecuted the case.


title: Union Financial Recording Secretary Sentenced for False Entry in a Union Record

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – WILBERT BARNES, a resident of Angie, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 22, 2023 to 2 years of probation, 100 hours of community service, and a $25 mandatory special assessment fee, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. Pursuant to the Mandatory Victim Restitution Act, United States District Judge Barry Ashe further imposed restitution of $12,500, which BARNES has already paid. BARNES previously pled guilty to making a false entry in a union record, having misappropriated $12,500 of funds from United Steelworkers Local 1362. According to court records, BARNES held the position of Recording Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 1362. BARNES confessed to the local sheriff’s office that he took $12,500 of Local 1352’s funds via two unauthorized checks in June 2021. Upon further investigation, it was determined that BARNES had misappropriated at least $25,000 of Local 1362’s funds since 2017. In 2017, BARNES negotiated a Local 1362 check worth $9,000. In May of 2021, BARNES negotiated a check for $4,000 with a memo entry falsely stating that the check was for “school books, t-shirts.” In June of 2021, BARNES forged a check for $7,500 and made a cash withdrawal from the union’s account in the amount of $5,000. BARNES confessed that he used this money to pay his gambling debts. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Labor in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Riverside County Tax Preparer Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Preparing False Returns that Caused Over $3 Million in Losses to IRS

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Inland Empire tax preparer was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for knowingly filing thousands of tax returns that falsely claimed deductions, such as fake medical expenses and bogus mortgage interest, and which caused more than $3 million in losses to the IRS. Andrew Zepeda Hansack, 40, of Riverside, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson, who said Hansack’s crimes were “one of the most serious offenses I’ve encountered while on the bench.” In addition to the six-year prison term, Judge Wilson ordered Hansack to pay a $50,000 fine and $3,369,886 in restitution. Hansack pleaded guilty on February 27 to two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. Judge Wilson imposed the statutory maximum sentence for each of the two counts. Starting in January 2015, Hansack prepared personal income tax returns at AJ Loyal Income Tax Service, a Riverside-based company. Hansack filed tax returns for some of his clients that included false itemized deductions. Specifically, Hansack filed tax returns for these clients that indicated they had paid mortgage interest for their homes, when in truth, as Hansack knew, his clients did not own a home. Hansack also claimed false medical expenses, sales tax, and gifts by cash or check on some tax returns he prepared that he knew to be false. For the tax years 2015 through 2019, Hansack filed approximately 2,533 tax returns with false deductions on behalf of his clients, according to court documents. Because of Hansack’s criminal activity, the IRS was prevented from assessing and collecting the correct amount of taxes owed by the clients. Judge Wilson found that the IRS suffered losses of approximately $3.37 million. For example, in February 2020, Hansack aided and assisted the preparation of a federal income tax return for a South Gate resident. This tax return falsely claimed $30,488 in itemized deductions, including deductions for mortgage interest. The false and fraudulent deductions caused the South Gate taxpayer to claim a refund from the IRS in the amount of $7,318 to which the taxpayer was not entitled. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Mitchell of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: Federal Inmate Sentenced to an Additional 10 Years in Prison for Threatening Federal Prosecutor and U.S. District Judge

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: FORT WORTH, Texas– A 58-year-old federal inmate has been sentenced for threatening a federal prosecutor and United States district judge, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Kevin Dean Riedle was sentenced to an additional 120 months in federal prison for retaliating against a United States judge and a federal law enforcement officer. According to information presented in court, Riedle was previously convicted and sentenced in the Northern District of Texas for transporting and shipping child pornography. In 2022, while serving time in federal prison in Loretto, PA, Riedle mailed multiple letters to the Assistant United States Attorney who prosecuted him and to the United States district judge who sentenced him. In these letters, Riedle threatened, in gruesome detail, to violently murder the prosecutor, the judge, and their families in retaliation for his previous conviction and sentence. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Taylor. # # #


title: Taunton Woman Agrees to Plead Guilty in Conspiracy to Issue Driver's Licenses to Applicants Who Did Not Take Road Test

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Taunton woman has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) into issuing driver’s licenses to applicants who did not take the road test. Neta Centio, 55, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. According to the charging document, Centio used CashApp to pay a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when in fact they did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. It is alleged that after Centio’s fraud was discovered, she told the road test examiner, “Don’t say nothing about the CashApp. . . . Break the phone.” The charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charging document also seeks a $20,215 forfeiture money judgment. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. The Mattapoisett Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of Levy’s Public Corruption Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Accessory to Zambia Safari Murder Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER –The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lori Milliron, 65, formerly of Paradise Valley, Arizona, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for her role as an accessory in the murder of Bianca Rudolph. Milliron had previously been convicted of being an accessory after the fact to murder, obstruction, and two counts of perjury before a grand jury after a trial last summer. The jury acquitted her of three other counts of perjury. Evidence presented at trial proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Lawrence Rudolph murdered his wife Bianca while the two were on a hunting trip in Zambia on October 11, 2016. Rudolph shot his wife through the heart with a 12-gauge shotgun that was enclosed in a soft-shell case on the last day of a scheduled hunt, scheming to make the murder look like an accident. Upon his return to the United States, Rudolph filed false and fraudulent claims on nine separate life insurance policies issued by seven different companies to obtain $4,877,744.93. Lori Milliron was subpoenaed to provide information to the grand jury investigating Bianca’s death. During her appearance, on January 5, 2022, she lied and otherwise obstructed that investigation to help Rudolph avoid prosecution. Asked about the nature of her relationship with Rudolph and the purpose of cash payments Rudolph had made to her before Bianca’s death, she testified that she didn’t know why and that Rudolph was simply being generous. But it was actually because she was Rudolph’s long-time mistress. Asked about what Rudolph had told her after he found out he was under investigation by the FBI, Milliron told the grand jury that Rudolph was irritated by the investigation because he was “probably innocent;” actually, Rudolph had told her in Spring 2020 that “I killed my (expletive) wife for you.” The Court granted an upward variance from the sentence recommended by the United States Sentencing Guidelines, referencing the underlying nature of the murder and trial evidence indicating that it was more likely than not that Milliron aided and abetted its execution by helping Rudolph obtain several vials of propofol, an anesthetic drug that is deadly at certain doses, before two of Rudolph and Bianca’s scheduled Zambian safaris. The Court also referenced Milliron’s torment of the victim’s family, and her lack of remorse. In addition to a sentence of 204 months in federal prison, the Court imposed the maximum fine of $250,000. “Justice has arrived for Lori Milliron,” said United States Attorney Cole Finegan. “We thank our partners at the FBI, as well as our prosecutors and professional staff, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that this Defendant would not evade responsibility for her role in this terrible murder.” United States Senior District Judge William J. Martinez presided over the sentencing. The sentencing for co-defendant Lawrence Rudolph was recently vacated and will be re-set at an appropriate time after the parties have consulted with one another and the Court. The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI Denver Division. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Fields, Garreth Winstead, and Bishop Grewell. CASE NUMBER: 22-cr-00012-WJM-2


title: Methamphetamine Trafficking on Menominee Indian Reservation Leads to Five-year Prison Sentence

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Peter J. Boyd (age: 36), formerly of Keshena on the Menominee Indian Reservation, received a sentence totaling five years following a conviction for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence, imposed on June 21, 2023, by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant on March 30, 2023. Boyd will also face five years of supervised release once he completes his prison sentence. An investigation revealed that on October 15, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence on SE Bass Lake Road, which is on the Menominee Indian Reservation. The warrant was based on several weeks of drug activity occurring at the house. Officers seized a total of 111 grams of methamphetamine, scales and other paraphernalia associated with the use and sale of illegal drugs, over $2,000 in cash, along with nine firearms. In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crime the defendant committed and remarked upon the need to deter those who might consider similar actions to protect the community from the destructive effects of abuse of controlled substances. The Menominee Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, with assistance from the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office, Menominee Conservation Department, and Shawano County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case in United States District Court. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Logan County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Anthony Ryan Webb, 42, of Logan County, was sentenced today to three years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Webb admitted to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on May 3, 2021, in Ethel. At the time, Webb was an employee with the United States Postal Service. As a result of his job duties, Webb had access to packages that had been placed in the United States Mail and was responsible for sorting out packages that had been damaged in transit. Webb admitted that he stole approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine from a package which he then sold to the confidential informant. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the West Virginia State Police. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Alex Hamner prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-123. ###


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nathaniel Jarvis Kennard, 39, of South Point, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 12, 2022, Kennard sold approximately 20 grams of fentanyl for $1,000 to a confidential informant at a location on U.S. Route 60 in Huntington. Kennard admitted to that transaction and further admitted to five additional transactions with the confidential informant between July 20 and September 21, 2022. Kennard sold a total of approximately 82 grams of fentanyl, 10 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, and 10 grams of methamphetamine during these transactions. On September 28, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington residence where Kennard lived. During the search, officers found approximately 96 grams of fentanyl and 274 grams of methamphetamine in a vacant lot across the road from the residence. Kennard admitted that he hid the controlled substances in the vacant lot and intended to distribute them. Kennard told officers that he had distributed controlled substances “off and on” in the Huntington area for at least the previous three years. Kennard is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-189. ###


title: Attorney and Former U.S. Congressional Candidate Indicted for Defrauding Clients of More Than $5 Million in Escrow Funds

body_text: BOSTON – An attorney and former candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives was arrested today in connection with a scheme to defraud a business-to-business supply company based in India of millions of dollars and using client funds for business and personal expenses, including the purchase of a $2.7 million home in Boca Raton, Fla. Abhijit Das, a/k/a “Beej,” 50, of North Andover, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on June 20, 2023 on 10 counts of wire fraud. Das was arrested today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and appeared in the Southern District of Florida this afternoon. In June 2021, Das was arrested for allegedly violating the Federal Election Campaign Act and false statements. According to the indictment, Das was an attorney and principal manager of a boutique law and advisory firm called Troca Global Advisors with offices in Boston and New York. Beginning in or about May 2020, Das began providing legal representation and escrow services to two twin brothers and their logistical supply company in India that was coordinating large shipments Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. The indictment alleges that Das diverted more than $5 million in escrow funds from his clients’ accounts to other accounts and used the funds for personal expenses – including expenses for his law firm, a yacht owned by one of his hotels, as well as $2.7 million for his Boca Raton home. . Das allegedly induced his clients to transfer funds to accounts he controlled in multi-step, layered transactions under the guise of legal advice about the risk of potential litigation and provided clients with fraudulent and forged account statements to conceal the scheme. The indictment further alleges that Das committed nine of the 10 counts of wire fraud while on court mandated pre-trial release conditions resulting from his June 2021 indictment. That earlier indictment charged Das with campaign finance violations, embezzlement of campaign funds and making materially false statements to the Federal Election Commission. The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of Levy’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Declaration in Bankruptcy Case

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – William Howard Gregory, 73, of Scott Depot, pleaded guilty today to knowingly and fraudulently making a false declaration in a bankruptcy case. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 1, 2018, Gregory filed false documents in his bankruptcy case that failed to disclose the existence of five life insurance policies with the collective surrender value of approximately $235,000. Gregory admitted that he knew he was required to disclose the existence of his policies and chose not to disclose them. Gregory is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The U.S. Trustee’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The United States Trustee Program is the component of the Department of Justice that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-95. ###


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Latesha Lashae Nappier, 29, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Nappier admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, Nappier admitted to conspiring with others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl between November 2022 and March 22, 2023. Nappier lived with one of her co-defendants in Charleston during that time. Nappier admitted that this co-defendant had her sell the controlled substances to individuals while he was at work and collect the payments from the sales. Nappier would later give the money to this co-defendant. On January 30, 2023, Nappier’s co-defendant directed her by phone to sell methamphetamine to a female customer. Nappier admitted to selling approximately 10.5 grams of methamphetamine to the customer as instructed at her residence in exchange for $160. Nappier is scheduled to be sentenced on October 12, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Nappier is among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement has seized of well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash. Ten other co-defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31. ###


title: Wayne County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – David Lee Pinson, 41, of Ceredo, pleaded guilty today to possession of prepubescent child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, Pinson admitted to uploading several images and videos of child pornography to his Google Photos account on May 28, 2022, in Ceredo. One of the videos depicts a prepubescent boy and girl engaging in sexual intercourse and sexually explicit conduct. Pinson further admitted to possessing six images and 332 videos of child pornography on a memory card on August 16, 2022, and to viewing the images using his cell phone. Pinson also admitted that 44 of the images and videos depict known child victims, and that some of the images depict infants and toddlers. Pinson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Pinson is a registered sex offender as a result of his conviction for possession of child erotica in Wayne County Circuit Court on August 20, 2020. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Julie M. White is prosecuting the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-173. ###


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of a Stolen Firearm and For Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Cocaine

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman today sentenced Davon Hemphill, age 40, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 54 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a stolen firearm and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Acting Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department. According to his guilty plea, on January 1, 2022, Baltimore Police Department officers were monitoring a closed-circuit television (“CCTV”) camera that captured the area between the intersections of Carey and Baltimore Street and Carey and Hollins Street, an area known for its high level of drug activity and violence. Officers saw Hemphill make two hand-to hand exchanges, which officers believed were drug transactions. Officers also noted that Hemphill was wearing clothing identical to clothing worn by a person of interest in a homicide that had occurred in the same area the prior week. As detailed in the plea agreement, the officers relayed their observations to other officers in the area so they could initiate a stop. The responding officers walked north on Carey Street and saw Hemphill walking toward them. As the officers walked toward him, Hemphill fled, holding his front waistband area as if he were supporting the weight of an object, which the officers suspected was a firearm. After a short foot-chase, Hemphill was arrested. A subsequent search of his person recovered a stolen 9mm handgun loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, approximately 65 pills of methamphetamine, one small vial containing a white rock substance, later determined to be cocaine, approximately $2,843 in cash, one clear plastic bag and one clear green flip-top container containing suspected marijuana, and a cell phone. Hemphill admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine and cocaine with the intent to distribute them and that he knew or had reasonable cause to believe that the firearm was stolen at the time that he possessed it. 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. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Tsuei and Patricia C. McLane, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Plaquemines Parish Men Indicted  for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JORDAN MEAUX , age 32, and LEON THOMPSON , age 38, both residents of Plaquemines Parish, were charged on June 22, 2023, in a four-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846, and possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. MEAUX was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). If convicted of the conspiracy count, MEAUX AND THOMPSON each face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, and at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. If convicted of the possession with intent to distribute counts, MEAUX and THOMPSON each face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 5 years up to a maximum term of imprisonment of forty years, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. If convicted of the felon in possession count, MEAUX faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to three years of supervised release. As to each charged count, MEAUX and THOMPSON also face payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Hamden Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm Offense

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RASHAWN SAMMS, 30, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 4, 2022, New Haven Police officers arrested Samms on state charges after he conducted a hand-to-hand drug transaction from his car and officers found him in possession of a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, distribution quantities of cocaine, crack, fentanyl, and marijuana; two digital scales; and $628 in cash. Analysis of the seized handgun, which was not registered to Samms, revealed that it had been purchased at a pawn shop in South Carolina in November 2018, and had been used in two shots-fired incidents in Hartford in 2021. On April 3, 2023, Samms pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Samms has been detained since that date. This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara E. Levens through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts, is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Browning man admits shooting, wounding man during argument

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man admitted today that he shot another man during an argument in Browning on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Johnathan Charles Gifford Oldchief, 24, pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Oldchief faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the assault crimes and a mandatory minimum five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm crime. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 16. Oldchief was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on April 7, Oldchief spent the evening drinking heavily with others. Shortly after midnight, five persons left the house in a vehicle driven by Oldchief. After driving less than two blocks, Oldchief and the victim, identified as John Doe, got into a verbal argument. Oldchief stopped driving and another person intervened to keep the two from coming to blows. Oldchief ordered Doe out of the vehicle. Doe complied, and another person also got out. After driving a short distance, Oldchief stopped the vehicle. Removing a pistol from near the console, Oldchief got out, approached Doe, racked the pistol and shot him point blank one time. Oldchief returned to his car and left the scene. Others called emergency services. Doe was flown to a hospital in Great Falls where he underwent lifesaving surgery. Law enforcement recovered a live round and a spent shell casing from the scene. Officers also recovered a 9mm magazine in a search of the vehicle. The bullet and a description of the gun matched a 9mm pistol that Oldchief bought in February. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Virginia-area man who groomed a child online and sexually assaulted her after moving to Wisconsin receives 20 years in federal prison.

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 23, 2023, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Stanley J. Seifert III (age: 45) to a total sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, followed by 20 years’ supervised release, and a lifetime sex-offender registration after Seifert pled guilty to child enticement and receiving child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A and 2422. According to court records, when Seifert was living in Virginia, he met a then-15-year-old from Wisconsin in an online game platform. Unknown to the child’s parents, Seifert groomed her for months, including sexually explicit chats and live videos of child pornography. Seifert moved to Green Bay in July 2022 to be closer to the victim. Soon thereafter, Seifert bought the victim a phone and began surreptitiously picking her up for sexual encounters in a secluded wooded area. The child’s mother first learned of Seifert’s existence and conduct when she went into the child’s room and interrupted a live video where Seifert was directing the child to perform sexually explicit acts. Officers were immediately contacted and began investigating. They found and arrested Seifert in Michigan, where he was working for his Wisconsin-based employer, a job he recently obtained to move closer to the victim. Seifert was extradited to Wisconsin by the Kewaunee County District Attorney’s Office, and Seifert remained in continuous custody as state and federal prosecutors worked collaboratively toward the outcome. In sentencing Seifert, Judge Griesbach emphasized that Seifert targeted, groomed, and sexually assaulted the child, with an obviously devastating impact and loss of her childhood, and potentially residual impact going forward into adulthood. The judge said that Seifert’s conduct called for strong punishment and the need to protect the public from him, as well as the broader deterrent message for others contemplating similar conduct. United States Attorney Haanstad said, “The United States Department of Justice has made the protection of our nation’s children a top priority through Project Safe Childhood and other efforts. Prosecutions like this one promote that critically important goal.” He added: “Anyone involved in the enticement of children, including anyone who travels for the purpose of meeting with a child for sexual purposes, will be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” Kewaunee County District Attorney Andrew P. Naze stated “I applaud the hard work of all the local law enforcement agencies that worked to bring Mr. Seifert to justice, especially the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s office and Inv. Vandermoss for their diligent investigation and apprehension of Mr. Seifert. AUSA Funnell and the FBI should be applauded for their work in securing a just sentence for Mr. Seifert as well.” The investigation was spearheaded by the Kewaunee County Sheriff’s Department, with critical assistance from the Brown County Sheriff’s Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Michigan State Police ICAC, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Green Bay. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy W. Funnell. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Madera Methamphetamine Transaction

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Jesus Alberto Reyes-Parra, 31, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Reyes-Parra brought nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine to an undercover drug transaction in Madera following negotiations by a third party for the sale of 50 pounds of methamphetamine for $125,000. Following a traffic stop of Reyes-Parra’s vehicle, a law enforcement officer recovered the methamphetamine and located a stolen Colt .38 caliber handgun with a loaded magazine inserted in the center console of the vehicle. This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team, a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative task force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case. Reyes-Parra is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Oct. 10, 2023. Reyes-Parra faces a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, as well as a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Bogalusa Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CARLOS WALKER , age 33, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 20, 2023 by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to 87 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $300.00 special assessment fee after pleading guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. The sentence consisted of 27 months’ imprisonment for the felon in possession and possession with intent to distribute counts and 60 months’ imprisonment for the possession in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime count, to run consecutive to the 27-month sentence. According to court documents, on September 24, 2021, Bogalusa Police Department officers observed a black Nissan Altima with a non-functioning headlight driving in Bogalusa, Louisiana. After stopping and approaching the vehicle, the officers saw WALKER in the front passenger seat kicking his legs as if he was shoving something under the seat. One of the officers recognized WALKER and remembered that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. After the confirming the warrant, the officers arrested and searched WALKER , locating approximately $4,000.00 in his pocket. Officers also saw a Taurus Model G2C, nine-millimeter handgun under the passenger seat and located a small clear wrap containing seventeen (17) grams of methamphetamine in the front passenger door pocket. A review of WALKER’s criminal record revealed that he had a prior felony drug conviction for drug and firearm violations. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bogalusa Police Department, and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Bosque Farms Man Charged with Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Daniel Vincent Olguin was arraigned on an indictment charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury, domestic assault by a habitual offender, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. Olguin, 36, of Bosque Farms, and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Olguin on May 24. According to the indictment and other court records, on Aug. 9, 2022, Olguin assaulted his intimate partner, Jane Doe. As a result of the assault, Doe was diagnosed with a concussion. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Olguin faces up to 15 years in prison. The Isleta Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-133


title: Readout from United States Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez’s Violent Crime Listening Session with Community Leaders in the International District

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, federal prosecutors, and other staff from the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) met with representatives from organizations that serving Albuquerque’s International District (ID) last week at the International District Library to discuss violent crime. John Bulten, Co-Executive Director of East Central Ministries, Sachi Watase, Executive Director of the New Mexico Asian Family Center (NMAFC), Khadijah Asili Bottom, the founder of Vizionz-Sankofa, and Will Williams, a community coordinator from Vizionz-Sankofa, presented statements. This listening session focused on violent crime, community-based solutions, and the relationship between law enforcement and the community. This was the first of a series of listening sessions to be held throughout the Albuquerque this summer. United States Attorney Uballez opened the session by asking how the Department of Justice could support the ID in confronting violence. Participants described the link between violence and fentanyl trafficking, use, and addiction, and the need for additional resources in the ID—from funding community organizations to increasing law enforcement visibility. Others described a harrowing federal grant process that felt incongruous with the level to which federal law enforcement relies on their organizations. All participants emphasized the importance of building authentic relationships between law enforcement and the community. John Bulten and Will Williams described how fentanyl changed the violent crime landscape. “I’ve seen how quickly and aggressively . . . fentanyl took over and just it's deteriorating these people out here and it's causing a lot of the violence,” said Williams. “If fentanyl isn't made like a public health emergency,” Williams added, “everything we're talking about now is going to be ten times worse five years from now.” Sachi Watase highlighted the importance of building trust in the Pan-Asian community. Following an arrest, she said, the “tension does not disappear.” Watase described how language barriers, a lack of cultural competency, and a reactive approach to enforcement stand in the way of authentic relationships with the Asian community in New Mexico. Watase also expressed frustration with the federal grant process. She described the heavy reliance of federal law enforcement on NMAFC for translation, intelligence, and community connection and contrasted it against the onerous process of seeking federal grants. “It is too much for us to constantly have to . . . go through a competitive process when we're the only ones who are doing this and [federal law enforcement] need us to do it.” said Sachi Watase. “We know that these [federal law enforcement] entities trust us and that we're doing a good job because they're the ones who are asking us to do this.” All participants stressed the importance of authentic investment in the ID. Khadijah Asili Bottom stated that, “[I]t'll take time . . . to get the trust of the community. So, I think that’s a cool thing to start having and being visible at community functions.” Williams complemented Albuquerque Community Safety’s Violence Intervention Program, describing community walks as a critical way to achieve a positive police presence and avoid over-policing. This was the first in a series of listening sessions USA Uballez will convene in the coming months as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program. USA Uballez will meet with community leaders from the Westgate community, service providers for the unhoused, social justice advocates, addiction and treatment service providers, and families impacted by violent crime. These sessions are an opportunity for the USA, federal prosecutors, and USAO staff to recognize the vital role that these leaders, providers and advocates play in our community. PSN is an evidence-based program proven effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. In New Mexico, the United States Attorney’s Office pursues a community violence intervention approach. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based intervention, prevention, and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented. (left to right) AUSA Tom Aliberti, Sachi Watase, EAUSA Aja Brooks, Law Enforcement Coordinator Specialist Alyssa Skrepcinski, USA Uballez, FAUSA Holland Kastrin, AUSA Paul Mysliwiec, AUSA Kim Bell, AUSA David Hirsch, Khadijah Asili Bottom, Will Williams and AUSA Nora Williams. # # # 23-134


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Results of Recent Efforts to Crack Down on Gun Violence Throughout Idaho

body_text: BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today that, in the past week, eight individuals pleaded guilty or were sentenced in federal district court for firearms offenses and related drug trafficking offenses. These Idaho investigations are all part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is a key component of the Department of Justice violent crime reduction strategy. The following defendants were sentenced within the past week: Jeffery Donald Manchester , 36, of Auburn, Washington, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Manchester sold a confidential informant an unlawfully‑possessed AK47 style rifle. Manchester possessed the firearm he sold to the confidential informant knowing that he had previously been convicted of several crimes punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. Those convictions included the manufacturing/delivery of a controlled substance in King County, Washington, drug trafficking in heroin and unlawful possession of a firearm in Ada County, Idaho, and conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and heroin in the Idaho. Anthony Erasmo Madrid , Sr. , 45, of Nampa, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, for unlawful possession of a firearm, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Madrid sold a Remington 6mm rifle to a confidential informant for $500. Madrid was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2019 conviction for burglary. Madrid had previously been convicted of battery on two occasions, domestic battery on two occasions, forgery on two occasions, burglary on two occasions, violation of a no contact order, identity theft, possession of methamphetamine, and grand theft. At the time Madrid unlawfully possessed the firearm, he was under a criminal justice sentence in four separate cases. Gary Carl Partee , 39, who was squatting on public land outside of Mountain Home, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On August 4, 2022, Bureau of Land Management served a search warrant on a motorhome that had been illegally parked on public land for several months. At this time, Partee was living in a makeshift tent next to the motorhome, which was broken down. Law enforcement observed a rifle in a parked vehicle that Partee admitted to possessing. Partee also possessed a rattlesnake, which he kept in a box next to the motorhome, that he was ordered to release. Partee was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2017 conviction for delivery of a controlled substance. Partee had also previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. In 2016, he was charged with possessing prohibited wild animals for possessing a rattlesnake. Spencer Gibson, 32, of Nampa, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for dealing firearms without a license, to be followed by two years of supervised release. According to court records, between January 2020 and April 21, 2022, Gibson purchased and resold approximately 22 firearms with the principal objective of livelihood and profit. Gibson also sold an AR style rifle to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Gibson is not a licensed firearms dealer and admitted knowing that his conduct was unlawful. One of the firearms sold by Gibson was transported out of state and used by another person to shoot and kill a police officer. Travis Johnson , 50, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to four months of home detention, to be followed by three years of probation, and a $55,000.00 fine, for dealing firearms without a license. According to court records, between November 21, 2020, to June 7, 2021, Johnson sold approximately 15 firearms to another individual. Approximately five of those firearms were ordered by that individual and Johnson thereafter purchased and resold them to this customer. Johnson is not a licensed firearms dealer and admitted knowing that his conduct was unlawful. One of the firearms sold by Johnson was recovered in Los Angeles, California, 53 days after purchase, and seized as part of an investigation of criminal activity. Thomas Downs , 37, of Blythe, California, was sentenced to 136 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, to be followed by five years of supervised release. According to court records, in April 2022, the Idaho State Police stopped Downs on the interstate for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, troopers located four pounds of methamphetamine and a firearm in the vehicle. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Downs’s cell phone, which revealed additional evidence of drug trafficking, messages about acquiring firearms, and pictures of firearms. Downs has a criminal history that includes domestic violence and making threats. In addition, the following defendants pleaded guilty in the past week: Shane Michael Bohn , 35, of Lewiston, Idaho, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms. Bohn was initially charged in November of 2022 after officers found multiple firearms at his residence. He was on probation at the time and had previously been convicted of aggravated assault. Bohn was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior conviction. Matthew Durham , 24, of Lewiston, Idaho, also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms. In December of 2022, Durham was in possession of a shotgun that was ultimately located and seized by officers. At the time Durham possessed the firearm, he had previously been convicted of possession of controlled substances, was on parole, and had an active civil protection order pending. Bohn and Durham are now scheduled to be sentenced in October of 2023, and each faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “Reducing violent crime is a top priority for my Office,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Our law enforcement partners and prosecutors are very effective at identifying and removing from our streets those individuals who pose the greatest risk of violence in our communities. And I am grateful to our state and local partners who support our efforts and help us to better understand the particular issues in their communities. It’s all about maintaining our quality way of life throughout Idaho.” “In almost every case highlighted here the individual knew that they were not supposed to possess firearms,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson. “Further, some of these individuals were dealing in firearms illegally, and in one case it led to the murder of a police officer. We will never stop investigating those who are illegally possessing or illegally selling firearms.” Project Safe Neighborhoods is an evidence-based program which has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of participants in identifying the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses on strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders and prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships. In 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening Project Safe Neighborhoods 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. In addition to the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, U.S. Attorney Hurwit has continued to strengthen programs sponsored by state and local partnerships. In Southwestern Idaho, the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho hired a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) to address gang crimes. This position, which was created in 2007, has been instrumental in combatting violent crime. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org . In Southeastern Idaho, a similar SAUSA position was created in 2016 by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho. In North Idaho, the Nez Perce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has designated one of its Deputy Prosecuting Attorney’s as a SAUSA to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including on the Bohm and Durham cases announced today These SAUSA programs allow law enforcement to leverage the federal criminal justice system to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals, and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive significant penalties in federal prison that are served outside of Idaho, saving the State of Idaho millions of dollars as measured by what it would cost to prosecute and house these offenders through the state system. The cases described above were investigated by various law enforcement agencies including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as well as other federal, state, and local partners. ###


title: Winchester Man and Former Medical Device Sales Rep Arrested for Defrauding Boston Hospital and Lying to Federal Authorities

body_text: BOSTON – A former DePuy Synthes sales representative and team lead was arrested today for allegedly defrauding a Boston area hospital and lied to federal authorities investigating his interference with the hospital’s sterilization processes. Matthew Capobianco, 45, of Winchester, Mass., was indicted on eight counts of wire fraud and one count of making material false statements. Capobianco was arrested today and, following an initial appearance and arraignment in federal court in Boston this afternoon, was released on conditions. According to the indictment, from January 2016 through June 2017, Capobianco defrauded a Boston area hospital out of hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of spine products that he falsely represented were used in spine surgeries he covered. As a sales representative at DePuy, Capobianco was present in operating rooms at the hospital during spine surgeries dressed in scrubs and a surgical mask. In that role, Capobianco was responsible for tracking the type and quantity of DePuy products used in the spine surgeries on usage forms that he submitted to the hospital’s billing department, among other things. It is alleged that Capobianco’s compensation was tied to the volume of products that surgeons at the hospital and elsewhere used in their surgeries. To boost his sales numbers, increase his compensation, and attain higher rankings within DePuy’s sales organization, Capobianco falsely represented on usage forms that more—and more expensive—DePuy products were used during the spine surgeries than were actually used. Capobianco’s alleged fraudulent overbilling caused the hospital to pay DePuy for products that were not used in spine surgeries and caused DePuy, in turn, to pay Capobianco commissions that he was not entitled to. It is further alleged that, in late 2016, Capobianco instructed a subordinate DePuy sales representative to bring certain DePuy spinal implants into an operating room at the hospital for a surgery, without those implants first being sterilized. As Capobianco and his sales colleagues understood, using unsterile implants in a spine surgery could lead to serious infection or death. It is alleged that on May 30, 2017, after this 2016 incident, , Capobianco himself brought DePuy spinal implants that were not in compliance with the hospital’s sterilization policies to an operating room at the Boston area hospital. Concerned about the dangers posed by unsterile implants, hospital employees confiscated the spinal implants to ensure they were not used in a scheduled surgery that day, and Capobianco was banned from the hospital that afternoon. During a subsequent interview with federal agents that day about the sterilization incident and his interference with the hospital’s sterilization processes in the months leading up to it, Capobianco allegedly made false statements, including about his actions earlier that day. The charges of wire fraud provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Robert Coviello Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement today. Patrick M. Callahan, Deputy Chief of Levy’s Health Care Fraud Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Brady of Levy’s Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two sentenced to a combined 23 years for bank robberies in West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Virginia couple was sentenced today for bank robberies that spanned three states. William Birdsall, 51, of Boones Mill, Virginia, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to bank robbery. Jaqueline Elizabeth Havens, 56, also of Boones Mill, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for disposing of the money that was stolen. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh heard testimony today that Birdsall carried out a series of bank robberies in West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania over an eight-month span, stealing more than $162,000. The targeted banks in West Virginia were the Bank of Romney, in Augusta; Summit Community Bank, in Rupert; and M&T Bank in Fort Ashby. Following the robberies, Havens assisted Birdsall with hiding the money and spending the proceeds on three vehicles, Havens’ mortgage, and a down payment on land. Birdsall previously served a 15-year sentence for robbing six banks in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Nevada in 2004 and 2005. Birdsall must pay $162,475 in restitution, and Havens is jointly responsible for $129,300 of that amount. The judge ordered Birdsall and Havens to forfeit the three purchased vehicles, a firearm, and cash. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pittsburgh Division; the West Virginia State Police; the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office; the Augusta County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office; and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.


title: Connecticut Sex Offender Sentenced to 327 Months for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – David Feeney, age 57, of Bristol, Connecticut, was sentenced today to 327 months in prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of his prior guilty plea, Feeney admitted that between March and April 2022, he exchanged sexually explicit messages online with people he believed were a father and a 10-year-old child, in an attempt to entice the child into engaging in sexual acts with him. Feeney also admitted that on April 24, 2022, he traveled from Connecticut and arrived unannounced at a residence in Albany County, New York, with the intent to engage in sexual acts with the 10-year-old child. Feeney was arrested by law enforcement shortly after arriving at the location. Feeney was a registered sex offender at the time of the offense; he had raped a child he had met online in 2011. Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a life term of post-imprisonment supervised release. This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department and New York State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted this case as 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: Watervliet Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm Crimes

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ronnie Robinson, age 29, of Watervliet, New York, pled guilty today to possessing a firearm as a felon, possessing and intending to distribute marijuana, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Robinson admitted that on November 30, 2021, he possessed approximately 268 grams of marijuana that he intended to distribute and that he possessed a firearm in order to protect the marijuana, drug proceeds, and his marijuana trafficking business. Robinson had been previously convicted of three felonies and was on supervised release for a 2015 conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon when he was caught with the marijuana and the firearm in this case. Sentencing is scheduled for October 26, 2023, before United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. Robinson faces a minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of at least 2 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. This case was investigated by the FBI, New York State Police, and the United States Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin C. Segovia and Cyrus P.W. Rieck are prosecuting the case.


title: Florida Attorney Deported To The United States After Being Charged With Sexually Abusing Children In Cambodia

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return from Cambodia of Rugh James Cline (40, Tampa) for his first appearance after being charged in a federal indictment with five counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and one count of possessing child sex abuse materials. If convicted, Cline faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possessing child sex abuse materials. Cline made his initial appearance in federal court on June 7, 2023, in Tampa. On June 26, 2023, a bond hearing was held, and Cline was released on GPS monitoring, home detention, and a $100,000 signature bond. Cline is also not allowed to have access to the internet or to minors while on home detention. According to the indictment, in February and May 2019, Cline, a U.S. citizen and Florida-licensed attorney living in Tampa, traveled to Cambodia. While in Cambodia, he paid to engage in sexual conduct on multiple occasions with four minors. The indictment also charges Cline with having traveled from the Middle District of Florida to Cambodia while knowingly possessing materials depicting the sexual abuse of young children. 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 investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Department of State and the Cambodian National Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Lakeview Man Going To Prison For Distribution Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Daniel Fitzpatrick, 36, of Lakeview, NY, who was convicted of distribution of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 156 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that in October 2021, Fitzpatrick, using the display name “back2school” and username “bttm4anon,” shared a link containing multiple images of child pornography in a public chat room on the Kik Messenger application titled “Join a boys only group.” In April 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at Fitzpatrick’s residence in Lake View. Child pornography images were located on a cell phone a laptop computer, and a personal computer. A total of 148 images and 108 videos of child pornography were recovered, some of which depicted a prepubescent minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, and the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Dienes.


title: Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced for Assault With a Dangerous Weapon In Road Rage Confrontation

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: Defendant Pointed Firearm at Mother and Daughter WASHINGTON – Jacobi Williams, 36, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 72 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for felony assault, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Interim Chief Ashan Benedict, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Williams was found guilty by a jury on December 9, 2022, of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon (firearm) following a two-week trial in D.C. Superior Court. On April 26, 2018, Williams began honking his horn at a mother and daughter sitting in the vehicle ahead of him in traffic at the intersection of 4 th and I Street NW. Mr. Williams tried to drive around them but was unable to do so. He reversed his vehicle and threatened the mother and daughter at gunpoint before driving away when the traffic cleared. Williams was identified from surveillance footage in the immediate moments before and after the assault. Mr. Williams is awaiting trial on an unrelated 2021 homicide offense, which is set for trial in September 2023. Mr. Williams is facing another homicide offense in Charles County, Maryland. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Interim Chief Benedict commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Omeed Assefi and Anna Forgie, who tried the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Steven A. Russell Announces Retirement

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: After 37 years of service, United States Attorney for the District of Nebraska Steven A. Russell announced today that he intends to retire on June 30, 2023. An alumnus of the University of Nebraska College of Law (Class of 1982), Russell joined the United States Attorney’s Office in 1985, briefly serving in Omaha before moving to Lincoln in January 1986. Russell handled a wide variety of civil and criminal matters, including civil litigation, white collar fraud, tax crimes, drug trafficking, civil rights violations and crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. During his time in the office, Russell has served at various times as Branch Manager for the Lincoln U.S Attorney’s Office, Senior Litigation Counsel, Appellate Coordinator and First Assistant United States Attorney. On June 1, 2022, Russell was appointed as Acting United States Attorney and later appointed by the United States District Court to serve as Interim United States Attorney, a position he has held since. The United States District Court will appoint Russell’s successor to take over as Interim United States Attorney following the end of his service until such time as a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorney is named. Russell said, “It is an honor to have served the citizens of Nebraska in the United States Attorney’s Office for the past nearly 38 years. It is a privilege to have worked with many talented law enforcement agents who are dedicated public servants truly desiring to make their communities safer every day. I am humbled to have been employed with so many excellent attorneys and support staff during my tenure here. I was incredibly fortunate to have practiced before the finest judges in the country, whose intelligence, temperament, and commitment to the rule of law made each of them the living embodiment of what a great judge should be. There can be no greater source of professional pride than saying to the Court or a jury that ‘my name is Steve Russell, and I am an Attorney representing the United States of America.’ It has been a joy and pleasure to have worked in the United States Attorney’s Office.”


title: Alliance Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking Crimes

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ryan Arrants, 43, of Alliance, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Arrants to 180 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Arrants will begin a five-year term of supervised release. On April 20, 2021, law enforcement in Alliance conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine and a Ruger handgun from Arrants. A confidential informant went to Arrants’s residence and purchased the methamphetamine and the handgun for $450. On August 9, 2021, officers executed a search warrant of Arrants’s Alliance residence and located approximately 115 grams of methamphetamine. Arrants was knowingly in possession of the methamphetamine and intended to distribute it. This case was investigated by the Alliance Police Department, the Scottsbluff Police Department, the WING Drug Task Force, and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Chesapeake Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking a minor. According to court documents, in September 2022, Denzel Akeem Loftin, 32, began chatting with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 17-year-old girl living in Pennsylvania. Loftin said he was a pimp and proposed that the girl come to Virginia to work for him. The next month, he posted advertisements for her on online sex trafficking sites. Then, in October 2022, the FBI learned of a 14-year-old missing child from Colorado who had been located in sex trafficking advertisements in the Hampton Roads area. Law enforcement set up a “date” for commercial sex with the 14-year-old and another juvenile. Loftin was observed with the girl and two other female individuals immediately before the appointment. One of the other individuals was identified as a missing 17-year-old from Missouri. A review of seized electronic devices revealed that Loftin not only sex-trafficked the minor but himself engaged in a sex act with the 17-year-old. Loftin is scheduled to be sentenced on November 2, 2023. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas E. Miller accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Rebecca Gantt is prosecuting the case. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-44.