title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring with Former ValueWise CEO Michael Mann to Defraud Lenders

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Derek R. Schwartz, age 54, of Coppell, Texas, pled guilty today to conspiring with former ValueWise CEO Michael T. Mann to defraud companies that loaned millions of dollars to ValueWise subsidiaries. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Alfred Watson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Schwartz pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud. Mann obtained millions of dollars in loans from two financing companies, located in New York and Colorado, respectively, by falsifying his companies’ receivables. Mann falsely told the financing companies that Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (“UHG”) and its subsidiary OptumInsight Inc. (“Optum”) owed millions of dollars to his Clifton Park-based companies. Mann routinely created fake invoices reflecting the fictitious debt and assigned them to the financing companies as collateral for loans. Schwartz was a high-level executive at Optum, and then began working for ValueWise in October 2013. Until about August 2016, he operated TrueHR, LLC, a ValueWise subsidiary based in Dallas, Texas. He continued to work for ValueWise until its collapse in September 2019. Schwartz was indicted in August 2021. In pleading guilty today, he admitted that in October 2013, he and Mann asked Luke Steiner, a UHG/Optum employee whom Schwartz used to supervise at Optum, to represent to the financing companies that the fake invoices created by Mann were valid and payable by Optum. With Schwartz’s encouragement, Steiner regularly made these false verifications for six years, ending in August 2019. Schwartz also admitted he took these other actions in furtherance of the fraudulent scheme: In 2014 and 2015, he asked two other UHG/Optum employees to verify false invoices that Mann submitted to one of the financing companies, identified in the indictment as “Financing Company-1.” Schwartz instructed these employees to respond to Financing Company-1’s inquiries in the same manner as Steiner. From 2014 through 2019, Schwartz lied directly to one of Mann’s lenders, identified in the indictment as “Financing Company-2.” Mann falsely represented to Financing Company-2 that one of his companies, Weitz & Associates, needed loans in order to pay its vendors. As part of its due diligence process, Financing Company-2 verified, with Weitz’ purported vendors, that they were receiving payments from Weitz. One such purported vendor was TrueHR, a ValueWise company operated by Schwartz. In fact, TrueHR was not a Weitz vendor, and Schwartz regularly lied to Financing Company-2 about TrueHR receiving payments from Weitz – and continued to do so even after TrueHR ceased to exist as a company. Sentencing is scheduled for January 24, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. On each count, Schwartz faces up to 20 years in prison and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. The Government will be seeking $12,968,505.20 in restitution. 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. Mann, formerly of Saratoga County, New York, pled guilty to various crimes in connection with his fraudulent scheme, and was sentenced in August 2021 to 144 months in prison . Steiner pled guilty in February 2020 to conspiring with Mann and is scheduled for sentencing on November 9. The FBI investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Cyrus P.W. Rieck are prosecuting this case.


title: Schuylkill County Man Pleads Guilty To Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Javier Guzman, age 51, of Pottsville, Schuylkill County, pleaded guilty on September 20, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to the charge of possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Guzman admitted to possessing between 50 and 200 grams of high-quality crystal methamphetamine for distribution in the Schuylkill County area in 2022. The charge stems from an investigation in which investigators made purchases of high-quality crystal methamphetamine from Guzman in March 2022 in Schuylkill County. The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Under federal law the charge carries a maximum sentence of up to twenty years in prison, a term of supervised release and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. ###


title: Albany Sex Offender Sentenced for Escaping From Federal Custody

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Samuel Rodriguez, age 48, of Albany, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for escaping from federal custody. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and United States Marshal David L. McNulty made the announcement. In November 2022, while Rodriguez was serving a prior federal term of imprisonment, the Bureau of Prisons directed him to reside in an Albany halfway house. On November 11, 2022, Rodriguez had permission to leave the halfway house to update his sex offender registration with the police department, but Rodriguez never returned. A week later, he voluntarily surrendered himself to the New York State Police barracks in Auburn, New York. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted the case.


title: Grand Jury - September 2023

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 9 unsealed Indictments charging 9 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. * Daniel Butt , age 38, of St. Paul, Nebraska, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I charges Butt with false statement on loan and credit application on or about December 28, 2015, and continuing to on or about February 16, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Butt with false statement on loan and credit application on or about November 27, 2017, and continuing to on or about January 3, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Butt with larceny-conversion of property on or about October 1, 2018, and continuing to on or about October 25, 2018. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges Butt with bankruptcy fraud on or about August 9, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Kene D. Coleman , age 42, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl on or about August 11, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, not less than 10 years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Brandon L. Hutchinson , age 38, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Hutchinson with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with detectable amount of fentanyl on or about July 16, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Hutchinson with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime from on or about July 16, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment consecutive to Count I, a $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. There is also an allegation to forfeit $2,033 in United States currency seized on or about July 16, 2023. * Lazaro Onasi Lopez Campos , age 47, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about March 8, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, not less than 10 years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Edwin Okoronkwo , age 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with producing, using, or trafficking in a counterfeit access device on or about August 26, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Gerardo Pedro Rafael-Antonio is charged with illegal reentry of a removed alien after a felony conviction on or about February 5, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Jonathan Dean Schelling , age 35, of Kearney, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about March 28, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. * Robert L. Thomas , age 43, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about April 25, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. There is also an allegation to forfeit $17,801.41 in United States currency seized on or about April 25, 2023. * Kristin M. Uhing , age 53, of Dodge, Nebraska, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Counts I through IV charge Uhing with bank fraud from on or about October 10, 2018, and continuing to on or about July 15, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each Count.


title: Missoula man sentenced to prison for firearms crimes

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MISSOULA — A Missoula man convicted by a federal judge of multiple firearms crimes was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. After a two-day bench trial, U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen found Michael Blake DeFrance, 30, guilty on May 1 on all counts charged in a second superseding indictment, including prohibited person in possession of a firearm and three counts of false statement during a firearms transaction. The court presided at sentencing and ordered DeFrance to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons. “DeFrance was previously convicted of partner or family member assault after he assaulted his then partner, Jermain Charlo. Because of this, he lost his right to possess firearms and yet he made false statements on firearms forms so he could illegally obtain guns at a pawn shop. Keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them is critical to the safety of others, particularly women, domestic partners, and families, and I applaud and thank Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer S. Clark and Timothy J. Racicot and the FBI and Missoula Police Department for their hard work in holding DeFrance accountable for these crimes,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on June 27, 2018, a Missoula Police Department detective located a .357-caliber revolver and a box of .357-caliber ammunition in the console of DeFrance’s truck. Two .22-caliber rifles were located under the back seat. On Oct. 2, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant on DeFrance’s residence and located a .357-caliber revolver on a desk by the front door. The detective recognized this gun as the revolver DeFrance had in his truck in June. DeFrance also had two rifles in his bedroom. When asked if he knew he was not supposed to have guns, DeFrance replied, “I was never clear on that.” The government further alleged that in May 2013, DeFrance was sentenced for partner or family member assault on Jermain Charlo in Sanders County. DeFrance signed a waiver of rights form in which he acknowledged his rights, which included – on a list of possible consequences of pleading guilty – the loss of firearms rights. The same form contained space for DeFrance to explain the basis for his guilty plea, and his form stated, “On 4-14-2013, in Sanders County I caused bodily injury to my girlfriend.” In addition, the government alleged that on three occasions in 2018, DeFrance completed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives forms at a Missoula pawn shop in which he represented that he had not been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Prior to and after the assault in 2013, Charlo stayed with DeFrance in a camper on property belonging to the DeFrance family. Charlo and DeFrance were in an intimate relationship. The government alleged DeFrance was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence and that he knowingly made false written statements in 2018 at a Missoula pawn shop in connection with his acquisition and attempted acquisition of three firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer S. Clark and Timothy J. Racicot prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and Missoula Police Department. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Federal Grand Jury B Indictments Announced- September 2023

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the June 2023 Federal Grand Jury B. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Nathan Dwayne Burks . Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence . Nathan Dwayne Burks, 32, a Cherokee citizen is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country, and carrying, using, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence following a standoff with the Sand Springs Police Department and subsequent arrest. Sand Springs Police Department and FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Cyran is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-312 John Arthur Walker Jr., Eric Ray Myers . Kidnapping . John Arthur Walker Jr., 49, and Eric Ray Myers, 31, both Muscogee citizens, are charged with kidnapping a person on or about Aug. 16, 2023. The Broken Arrow Police Department and FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Harder and Kate Brandon are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-311 Jason Dale Hurt . Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl Resulting in Death . Jason Dale Hurt, 49, is charged with distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in death after he allegedly distributed a mixture and substance containing heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance, and fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, resulting in the death of the victim. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Bailey and Michael Harder are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-308 Julia Lydia Savage . Drug Conspiracy . Julia Lydia Savage, 33, from Atascadero, California, is charged with drug conspiracy after she allegedly conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Brasher and Nate Michael prosecuting the case. 23-CR-309 Rolando Alvarado-Villanueva . Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien . Rolando Alvarado-Villanueva, 33, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after he was arrested by the Tulsa Police Department on unrelated charges. He had been previously deported and removed from the United States on or about Sept. 19,2014, at or near New Orleans, Louisiana. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Anderson is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-306 Jorge Becerra-Ambriz . Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien . Jorge Becerra-Ambriz, 43, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being arrested by the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office on unrelated charges. He was previously deported and removed from the United States on or about July 31, 2020, at or near Hidalgo, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-307 Carlos Manuel Rivera-Lopez . Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien . Carlos Manuel Rivera-Lopez, 23, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawful reentry of a removed alien after being arrested by Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police Department on unrelated charges. He was previously deported and removed from the United States on or about Aug. 13,2018, at or near Houston, Texas. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cymetra Williams is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-310


title: Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 10 Years’ Imprisonment For Fentanyl Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Eric Hill, age 34, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on September 19, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani, to 10 years’ imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hill previously pleaded guilty and admitted to conspiring with other individuals to distribute between 400 grams and 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl in the Luzerne County area between 2019 and 2020. The charge against the defendant resulted from an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Federal Inmate Charged With Possessing A Weapon

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kahlil Shelton, age 28, a federal prison inmate, was indicted by a federal grand jury for the offense of possessing contraband in prison. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on or about June 20, 2023, while an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), in Minersville, Pennsylvania, Shelton possessed a 6.5-inch metal implement with a cloth handle capable of being used as a stabbing weapon. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffery St John is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Dumas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Transportation of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A Dumas, Texas man was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for Transportation of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Landon Joseph Garcia, 39, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to one count of transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, who also ordered him to pay $46,500 in restitution. “Those who create, view and distribute child sexual abuse materials reinforce a cycle of victimization and trauma each time the content is shared,” said Lester R. Hayes, Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “Prosecuting the predators that traffic these images is truly a collaborative effort and we are grateful for the support we share with our law enforcement partners.” According to court documents, in June 2022, Texas Department of Public Safety received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an online Kik user was transporting child pornography. Law enforcement later determined that Mr. Garcia was associated with the Kik account. In July 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Mr. Garcia’s residence and located Mr. Garcia in a restroom deleting child pornography images from his cell phone. Mr. Garcia later admitted to using his cell phone to view, download and transport child pornography for over ten years. The cell phone contained 1,620 video files containing child pornography. The Texas Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security Investigations’ Amarillo Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.


title: Monroe County Man Charged With Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rodney Wilcox, age 55, of Monroe County, Pennsylvania, was indicted on September 19, 2023, by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Wilcox with distributing fentanyl and cocaine between June 2023 and August 2023, in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Wilcox was also indicted for possessing multiple firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking operation and for possessing firearms as a previously convicted felon. This matter was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police Troop N, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Scranton Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brian J. Gallagher is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Wilcox faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a one million dollar fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Van Buren Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: Fort Smith – A Van Buren man was sentenced today to 130 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on one count of Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute. The Honorable P.K. Holmes, III presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fort Smith. According to court documents, in September 2022, a patrol officer with Van Buren Police Department attempted to perform a traffic stop on Philip Ray Jones , age 44. Jones failed to pull over and a high-speed chase ensued. Ultimately Jones abandoned his vehicle in a residential area and tried to flee on foot. During the foot pursuit Jones dropped a bag on the ground. A search of Jones and the bag yielded methamphetamine, cash, a digital scale and other illegal controlled substances. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Van Buren Police Department and Crawford County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carly Marshall and Tyler Williams prosecuted the case. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov .


title: Two Drug Traffickers Sent to Prison for Decades for the Execution-Style Murder of Two Men

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Two drug traffickers were sentenced to 25 and 30 thirty years in prison for murdering two individuals over a drug debt, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Devin J. Kowalski, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division. Mariano Garcia, age 53, of Brownsville, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terrence G. Berg to a 25-year prison term. His co-defendant Michael Griffin, age 40, of Birmingham, Alabama, was sentenced by Judge Berg to 30 years in prison. Both men previously pleaded guilty to (1) conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, (2) interstate travel with the intent to kill or injure where death resulted, and (3) interstate travel in aid of illegal activity where death resulted. As part of their guilty pleas, both Garcia and Griffin admitted to engaging in a long-term drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine supplied by Garcia in Texas and distributed by Griffin and others in Birmingham, Alabama, and Detroit, Michigan. At his plea, Garcia admitted to encouraging Griffin to travel from Alabama to Detroit to collect a drug debt from a Detroit-based member of the conspiracy. In December 2016, Griffin and another individual came to Detroit for the purpose of killing that member of the conspiracy. After coming to the conspirator’s home, Griffin and the other individual tied up and shot to death the Detroit-based co-conspirator and another man. They used pillows to muffle the sounds of the gunshots. At his plea, Garcia, who remained in Texas, also admitted he encouraged Griffin to hurt the co-conspirator to collect the drug debt. After the murders, Griffin and Garcia returned to their drug business. Garcia and Griffin also admitted that they had distributed between 50 and 150 kilograms of cocaine during the conspiracy. “Today’s sentences should serve as a warning to drug dealers who commit violence in our community that my office will use every resource at its disposal to bring you to justice. I am hopeful that the families of the victims will receive some measure of solace from these substantial sentences.” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Our hope is that today's sentencings bring a sense of relief and justice to the victims’ families, whose loved ones were murdered to further a drug distribution conspiracy,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. “The defendants' actions were indefensible, cruel, and unjust. We are grateful for our federal, state, and local partners who worked so closely to solve this case.” The case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Detroit Police Department’s Homicide Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rajesh Prasad and Robert Moran. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth man has been sentenced to 188 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution for receipt of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip from Kik that a Duluth resident had uploaded over 20 separate images and videos between February 23 and March 3, 2020 on the Kik app. They investigated and obtained a search warrant for the residence and vehicles of Eric Scott Sherman, 37, and discovered multiple images and videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. A Motorola cell phone seized during the search confirmed the association between Sherman and the phone number and social media account usernames that started the investigation. In his plea agreement, Sherman acknowledged that he was charged with and pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a four-year-old child in St. Louis County in 2011. In 2012, he was sentenced to 90 months in custody and 10 years of conditional release. Sherman was still under supervision when he received and possessed the child pornography in this case. On May 16, 2023, Sherman pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Kate M. Menendez. This case was the result of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Duluth Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura M. Provinzino prosecuted the case.


title: Chicopee, Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 1 Year and 1 Day in Prison for Unlawful Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on September 20, 2023, Christopher Morgan, 20, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Chief Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford of the U.S. District Court to a sentence of 1 year and 1 day in prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Morgan previously pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm as an unlawful user of a controlled substance. According to court records, on October 13, 2022, police in Bennington, Vermont, encountered Christopher Morgan while he was carrying a Smith & Wesson 37 revolver in a bag strapped to his torso. The firearm was loaded with five rounds of ammunition and a round in the chamber. In the same bag, Morgan also possessed a small number of glassine bags containing heroin and fentanyl. Morgan admitted to being a user of and addicted to heroin at the time he possessed the firearm. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bennington Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne Smith and Jonathan Ophardt. Mr. Thomas was represented by Allan Sullivan, Esq. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.


title: Hartford Man Involved in Oxycodone and Fentanyl Pill Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE LORA, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a narcotics trafficking organization that distributed oxycodone pills, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and other drugs in the Hartford area. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation by the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad and the FBI Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force targeting individuals who were distributing oxycodone pills, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, and other drugs from neighborhood grocery stores in New Britain and Hartford. Between January 2020 and March 2021, investigators made several controlled purchases of illegal pills at the Washington Market, formerly located at 453 Washington Street in Hartford; JZ Tobacco, located at 25 New Britain Avenue in Hartford, and Prestige Market, located at 23 New Britain Avenue in Hartford. Lora worked at the stores and served as a drug runner and lookout for the organization. On December 20, 2020, investigators stopped a vehicle registered to Ray Urena and found approximately 4,000 oxycodone pills and $51,000 in cash in a hidden “trap” beneath the front passenger seat of the car. Lora, Urena, and others were arrested on May 18, 2021. On that date, searches of an apartment on Colonial Street in Hartford that was used by the drug trafficking organization, and two vehicles parked outside of the stash house, revealed approximately two kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 170 grams of heroin, more than 5,000 real and counterfeit oxycodone pills, approximately 2,000 xanax pills, approximately one kilogram of cocaine, approximately 100 grams of crack, items used to process and package narcotics, two handguns, and ammunition. A search of Urena’s residence in Waterbury revealed approximately $54,000. On May 11, 2023, Lora pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, fentanyl. Urena pleaded guilty to the same charge and awaits sentencing. Lora, who is released on a $25,000 bond, is required to report to prison on November 29. The DEA’s New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA and the Bristol, East Windsor, Hamden, New Britain, West Haven, Newington, Manchester, Glastonbury, and Watertown Police Departments. The FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.


title: Wilson Business Owner Latest to be Sentenced in National COVID-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Isaac Lamont Dawson, 45, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Act (“PPP”) COVID-19 loans on behalf of two separate businesses he owned. He is the seventh defendant to be sentenced for his role in the scheme, and he has received the longest sentence so far. To date, 16 defendants have pled guilty to this scheme in the Eastern District of North Carolina. Sentencing is pending for the remaining nine. “Stealing taxpayer money intended to help struggling businesses during a pandemic is shameless,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “We will continue to hold accountable those who criminally took advantage of our country in its time of need.” According to the filed charges and information summarized in court, Dawson conspired with Edward Whitaker, Schunda Coleman, and others to obtain fraudulent PPP loans on behalf of their businesses. Dawson’s businesses included a construction company and a holding company. Whitaker and Coleman pled guilty on January 19, 2023 for their role in operating a nation-wide scheme to help people across the country commit millions of dollars of PPP fraud from their home in Texas. Whitaker and Coleman created fraudulent supporting documents and applications for each PPP loan in exchange for 25% of the total loan proceeds. The fraudulent applications falsified the number of employees and gross wages being paid prior to the COVID-19 pandemic by backdating fraudulent IRS Forms 940 and 941, in order to help qualify for the PPP loans. Following the disbursement of the PPP loans, Whitaker gave each defendant, via text messages subsequently obtained by law enforcement, detailed instructions as to how to make it appear that the PPP loans were being paid out to employees. In reality, most or all of the money was transferred back to the defendants. The fraudulent payroll records were then submitted to the Small Business Administration (SBA) to obtain 100% loan forgiveness. Late last year , Quentin Jackson pled guilty in the same conspiracy which included the recruitment of numerous individuals within the Eastern District of North Carolina to use Whitaker and Coleman to obtain fraudulent PPP funds. “The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge in the Charlotte Field Office. “Through our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who try to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain.” Defendants that have been sentenced so far include: Shakeerah Kaneisha Yvette Vinson [Case No. 5-23-cr-00027-D] Monica Faye Barnes [Case No. 5:23-cr-00094-D] Terron Cortez Parker [Case No. 5-23-cr-00081-D] Kami D. Woodard [Case No. 5-23-cr-00095-D] Eugene Miller, Jr. [Case No. 5-23-cr-00290-D] Jonathan Fleming [Case No. 5-23-cr-00227-D] All but Fleming received sentences of 12 months plus one day. Fleming received a 15- month prison sentence. Defendants awaiting sentencing include: Quentin Jackson [Case No. 5-23-cr-180-D] Edward Whitaker [Case No. 5-22-cr-00257-D] Schunda Coleman [Case No. 5-22-cr-00257-D Nekita Hooks [Case No. 5-23-cr-00025-D] Denise Alston [Case No. 5-23-cr-00077-D] Dontrell Barnes [Case No. 5-23-cr-00094-D] Lenille Woodard [Case No. 5-23-cr-00138-D] Irene Edwards [Case No. 5-23-cr-00098-D] Jackson Ndoyo [Case No. 5-23-cr-00118-D] The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the SBA. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III announced the sentence. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00097-D. ###


title: Meraux Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charges

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GREGORY WARD , age 24, pleaded guilty on September 20, 2023 to a one-count indictment for violating the Federal Gun Control Act. According to court documents, on November 3, 2022, a St. Bernard Sheriff's Office deputy stopped a vehicle after observing a small child freely moving around the interior of the vehicle. During the stop, the deputy smelled marijuana inside the vehicle and advised WARD of his Miranda rights. After smelling marijuana in the vehicle, the deputy searched its interior and saw marijuana. A black backpack was also seen on the seat behind the driver's seat. Located within the backpack was a Century Arms Model Mini Draco, 7.62 x 39-millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Glock Model 19, 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol. Deputies learned that WARD had a previous felony conviction on July 25, 2022, in the 22nd Judicial District Court, Parish of St. Tammany, Case No. 0863-F-2021, for Illegal Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Dangerous Substance, in violation of La. R.S. 40:969(c)(2). WARD faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown set sentencing for January 18, 2024. 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 United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Retired San Angelo Police Officer Sentenced to 35 years for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: A retired San Angelo Police Officer was sentenced to a term of 420 months imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Ricky Lynn Keeling, 62, was indicted in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in May 2023 to three counts of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor. Mr. Keeling was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who also ordered him to pay a $15,000 assessment for the Justice for Victim’s of Trafficking Act, and a $51,000 assessment for the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act. “Crimes involving child pornography are some of the most serious that the Department of Justice prosecutes,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “For a former law enforcement officer to possess child pornography is more than shocking—it is despicable. Our office will not let such crimes against children happen without repercussion.” “We swear an oath to protect and serve and the sentence imposed today will ensure the community that no matter who you are, you will be held accountable for your actions,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. “HSI Dallas will never relent in our pursuit to protect children from predators.” "The gravity of this situation cannot be overstated and our agency's commitment to the safety of our community remains unwavering. Crimes perpetrated against children are of the most serious in nature and cannot be tolerated. As soon as we became aware of these disturbing allegations against retired San Angelo Police Officer Rick Keeling, we immediately referred the matter to the Tom Green County Sherriff's Office and the Department of Homeland Security for investigation,” said San Angelo Police Chief Frank Carter According to plea documents, Mr. Keeling’s roommate inadvertently discovered child pornography on Mr. Keeling’s computer. The roommate reported the discovery to law enforcement and an investigation began. Mr. Keeling admitted to officers that he searched for prepubescent material up to three times a week and had been looking at child pornography since 2005. Homeland Security Investigations’ San Angelo Field Office and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, conducted the investigation, with support from the San Angelo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.


title: Great Falls meth trafficker sentenced to 14 years in prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Great Falls man who admitted conspiring to bring large quantities of methamphetamine from California to Montana for distribution was sentenced today to 14 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Joshua Daniel Wilson, 48, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute meth. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that in May 2021, Wilson was to have a received a shipment of meth through UPS for redistribution in Great Falls. However, the package was damaged in transit, and UPS employees in Billings discovered meth. Billings Police officers seized the package and found it contained approximately two pounds of meth, which is the equivalent of about 7,248 doses. Drug task force officers in Great Falls took possession of the package and made a controlled delivery. Wilson later admitted that he was obtaining packages of meth in the mail from California for resale and used the address of another person for the shipments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey K. Starnes prosecuted the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Russell Country Drug Task Force and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results XXX


title: Two Shipping Container Cases Between Arizona and Federal Officials Dismissed

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Two cases between Arizona and Federal officials involving shipping containers were voluntarily dismissed on Sept. 15. Both cases generated national media attention regarding the State of Arizona’s unauthorized installation of shipping container barriers on federal property at the international border with Mexico. In the first case, the then-governor brought a declaratory action against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service, claiming that Arizona was legally entitled to install shipping containers at the border. The United States followed with an affirmative lawsuit against various Arizona officials that sought a halt to the project, removal of the shipping containers and damages for trespass, ejectment, interference with easements and other constitutional violations on federal lands. Immediately upon the filing of the United States’ lawsuit, the State agreed to stop the installation project and to remove all the shipping containers from federal lands. Both cases were then stayed pending further resolution between the parties. During the stay, Arizona removed all shipping containers from United States’ properties and completed extensive remediation work on National Forest lands that had been damaged by the installation and subsequent removal of the shipping containers. Arizona also paid the United States an additional $2.1 million dollars under a Collection Agreement to allow the U.S. Forest Service to complete additional remediation and revegetation work along the border. “We worked to ensure that U.S. property rights and agency missions were respected especially since the placement of the shipping containers by the State of Arizona abutted on our international border with Mexico,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We appreciate the collective support of U.S. Attorney Restaino and his office, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture in seeing this situation through, including remediating the land where the containers were placed.” “Comprehensive border solutions require collaboration and common sense,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “When Arizona unilaterally placed hundreds of shipping containers on tribal and federal land back in 2022, it made the border less safe. The containers have now been removed and the land restored. Thanks to the Department of the Interior (through the Bureau of Reclamation) for supporting the rights of the Cocopah Tribe, and to the Department of Agriculture (through the Forest Service) for its vigilance against environmental degradation.” Because Arizona has resolved its trespass and remediated or paid to remediate the damage to federal property, the United States determined that its lawsuit was no longer necessary and voluntarily dismissed the litigation. Senior Trial Attorneys Andrew Smith and Shaun Pettigrew of the Environment and Natural Resources Division's Natural Resources Section prosecuted the cases.


title: Quad City Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison Related to Escape

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Quad City man was sentenced on yesterday to 21 months in federal prison for escape. According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Maurice La’Von Cowan, 31, had been transferred from federal prison to the Residential Re-entry Center to serve the remainder of his federal prison sentence stemming from a conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On February 18, 2023, Cowan walked out of the Residential Re-entry Center. Staff members noticed Cowan was not in his bed when conducting a head count. Surveillance footage showed Cowan leaving the center around 5:00 p.m. Cowan was arrested on May 2, 2023. After completing his term of imprisonment, Cowan will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to 300 Months in Prison Related to Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on September 19, 2023, to twenty-five years in federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography. According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Adam Michael Anderson, 24, was convicted in Iowa of sexual exploitation of a minor in 2019. As part of his sentence, Anderson was required to register as a sex offender. Anderson absconded from his Iowa probation and was caught in Texas. Anderson was then charged with failing to register as a sex offender in the Western District of Texas and received five years’ supervised release. Anderson transferred his supervision to the Southern District of Iowa. During a home contact with the United States Probation Office in October 2022, Anderson was found to have two cell phones with internet capabilities, which Anderson was prohibited from possessing. The cell phones were forensically evaluated and contained evidence where Anderson was communicating with a minor victim in New York. Anderson coaxed the victim into sending him numerous sexually explicit images and videos. Additionally, there were other images and videos of child sexual abuse material on Anderson’s cell phones which he knowingly possessed. After completing his term of imprisonment, Anderson will be required to serve fifteen years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Anderson was also ordered to pay $9,000 to the victims in this case. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.


title: Durham Man Convicted for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearms Possession

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, N.C. - A jury in federal district court convicted SHAY NEIL JOHN today on multiple violations of drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession, including possession of a machinegun and fentanyl trafficking, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina. According to court documents, SHAY NEIL JOHN, 50, was charged by Indictment on December 19, 2022, and by Superseding Indictments on May 30, 2023 and August 28, 2023, with one count of possession with intent to distribute para-fluorofentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of unlawful possession of a machinegun, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The events of the indictment and superseding indictments stemmed from an incident in Durham County that occurred on December 13, 2022. A jury convicted JOHN on all counts of the Superseding Indictment on September 21, 2023 after a three-day trial. At sentencing, JOHN faces a minimum of 30 years in prison and a 3- to 5-year term of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2023, before United States District Court Judge William L. Osteen in Greensboro. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Durham Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jake D. Pryor and Stephen T. Inman. ###


title: Picayune Man Sentenced to 52 Months in Prison  for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Picayune man was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Justin Paul Berry, Jr., 35, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court records, in 2015, an investigation began into a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO), located largely in Picayune, MS (Pearl River County). In 2018, Justin Paul Berry, Jr. was identified as being part of the conspiracy. Federal Agents determined that Berry was responsible for the exchange of narcotics and currency in furtherance of the large-scale drug trafficking organization. Berry pled guilty on June 21, 2023 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor- led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert Jared Smith, 44, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 16, 2023, law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Smith on the 1000 block of Virginia Street East in Charleston. The vehicle was traveling at night with its headlights off. Smith refused to stop, leading officers on a brief pursuit before crashing at the intersection of Kanawha Boulevard and Brooks Street. While attempting to flee on foot following the crash, Smith tripped and a loaded Glock Model 45 9mm pistol fell from his waistband. Smith grabbed the firearm and threw it under a nearby porch before continuing to flee. Officers recovered the firearm and captured Smith after he again fell to the ground. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Smith knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for aiding and abetting robbery affecting interstate commerce on May 13, 2015, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute cocaine base on November 17, 2000, all in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to 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 Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Frank W. Volk presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson 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. 2:23-cr-111. ###


title: United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown Convenes Annual Training, Leadership Development and Award Conference in Bossier City

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced today that the Western District of Louisiana’s United States Attorney’s Office Annual Training and Leadership Development Conference will be held September 20-22, 2023, at the Bossier Parish Sheriff Substation in Bossier City, LA. The district is headquartered in Shreveport with approximately 50 employees and has a branch office in Lafayette with roughly another 40 employees. The annual conference is the only time over the course of each fiscal year when the District’s employees convene in one location and the conference usually rotates between the Shreveport and Lafayette areas. Sheriff Julian Whittington assisted U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown with the opening of the conference. The remainder of the agenda for the conference included presentations by: Chief District Judge Terry Doughty, General Counsel for the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) Jay Macklin, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Marvin Richardson EOUSA White Collar Crime & Covid-19 Fraud Coordinator Mandy Riedel and EOUSA Attorney Advisor Cristina Burbach. Additionally, Britney Green, Susette Bryant and retired Assistant United States Attorney William J. Flanagan will conduct leadership development sessions and renowned trial attorney, Roger Dodd of the Dodd Trial Skills Clinic will instruct on cross examination strategy and techniques. The conference also included several team building exercises and for the first time a district award’s luncheon. During the luncheon, US Attorney Brown recognized the exceptional work of federal, state and local law enforcement officers, Assistant United States Attorneys and members of the district’s professional staff for their efforts in outstanding investigations, prosecutions, appellate advocacy and leadership over the last fiscal year. “Over the years, we have given out awards at our conference, but I wanted to put more of an emphasis on the awardees’ work this year with a luncheon. Every day, the men and women of this district have accepted the calling to show up and give the government an honest day’s work and it is incumbent upon upper management to celebrate them for their achievements. Likewise, law enforcement officers across the district have collaborated with us as partners to help keep our communities safe, hold those accountable who defraud the government and those who violate the civil rights of the citizens of this district,” said United States Attorney Brown. “Today’s awardees exemplify that it takes a team effort from our attorneys, professional staff and our law enforcement partners to support and defend the Constitution of the United States to the best of our ability.” The following case related awards were announced by U.S. Attorney Brown: Outstanding Appellate Award Awarded to the following for outstanding appellate advocacy in the prosecution of United States v. William Holdman. Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Michael Shannon Assistant United States Attorney Forrest Phillips Legal Assistant Stephanie Stewart Paralegal Specialist Lisa Alwert Special Agent Brad Rabalais, U.S. Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Game Warden Kurt Hatten, LA Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Outstanding Affirmative Civil Enforcement Award Awarded to the following for the investigative and prosecutive efforts in a civil action to recover government money lost to fraud and other misconduct in the matter of US ex rel Goodley, Acadiana Management Group, Lafayette Physical Rehabilitation Hospital & Dr. Carolyn Smith. Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Missy Theriot Legal Assistant Tanya Trahan Special Agent Rita Bergeron, Department of Health & Human Services Outstanding Defensive Litigation Award Awarded to the following for the civil defensive employment law litigation on behalf of the United States in the matter of Steven Katz v. Christine Wormuth. Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Frederick Paralegal Specialist Terri Comeaux Outstanding Civil Rights Prosecution Award Awarded to the following for superior investigative and prosecutive performance in the hate crime related matter of United States v. Chance Seneca. Recipients: Deputy Criminal Chief Myers Namie Former Assistant United States Attorney Robert Abendroth Legal Administrative Specialist Melissa Morris Paralegal Specialist Jennifer Broussard Special Agent Dan English (Ret.), Federal Bureau of Investigation Outstanding Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force/Narcotics Prosecution Award Awarded to the following for superior performance in the thwarting of drug/narcotics trafficking in the matter of United States v. Brian Broussard. Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Vermaelen Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon Special Agent Doug Herman, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Bobby Bodin, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Outstanding Public Corruption Prosecution Award Awarded to the following for an investigation revealing conduct that affected government integrity and/or offenses involving public official misconduct in the prosecution of United States v. Harold Wayne Sanford, Jr. Recipients: Special Counsel to United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook Legal Assistant Kristi Viola Paralegal Specialist Emily Favrot Legal Administrative Specialist Ginger Green Legal Administrative Specialist Melissa Morris Secretary to USA Tanya’ Porter Victim Witness Coordinator Vicki Chance Special Agent Raquel Mobley, Federal Bureau of Investigation Outstanding Violent Crime/Domestic Terrorism Prosecution Award Awarded to the following for outstanding performance in an investigation leading to the arrest and prosecution of an individual who committed acts of violent crime in the prosecution of United States v. Daniel Aikens. Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Jamilla Bynog Assistant United States Attorney Daniel McCoy Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte Murphy Paralegal Specialist Emily Lanphier Legal Administrative Specialist Melissa Morris Victim Witness Coordinator Vicki Chance Special Agent Theresa Mesa, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Special Agent Andrew Erdmann, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Outstanding White Collar Fraud Prosecution Award Awarded to the following for outstanding performance in white collar crime involving bankruptcy fraud and tax evasion in the prosecution of United States v. Joseph Boswell. Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Cytheria Jernigan Criminal Chief Earl Campbell Paralegal Specialist Emily Lanphier Legal Administrative Specialist Laura Borque Victim Witness Coordinator Vicki Chance Special Agent Cory Moton, Internal Revenue Service Special Agent Holly Deshotel, Internal Revenue Service Outstanding White Collar Fraud Prosecution Award Awarded to the following for outstanding performance in white collar crime involving Cares Act (Covid-19) fraud in the prosecution of United States v. Michael A. Tolliver. Recipients: Assistant United States Attorney Seth Reeg Legal Assistant Kristi Viola Special Agent Darrin Heusel, Internal Revenue Service. Additional federal, state and local law enforcement officers were also recognized for overall exemplary performance in violent crime investigative efforts and they are as follows: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms Special Agent Christina Curtis, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Travis Coyman, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Heath White, Deputies Steven Shankle and Erik Wikstrom of the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Brent Young of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Detective Anthony Cowan of the Monroe Police Department, and Shreveport Police Department officers/analysts Stacy Coleman, Sara Gilmour, Erin Heflin, Donald Henry and Brent Ouzts. Lastly, in late 2022, US Attorney Brown convened a community advisory group called “Focusing on the Future” that U.S. Attorney Brown meets with on a monthly basis. This group will be recognized for their contributions to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in an advisory role in terms of violent crime prevention strategies and civil rights awareness matters. Members of that group are: Mario Chavez, MersaTech; Dr. Jerome Cox, We Care Ministries Outreach Program; Dr. Lamar Goree, Caddo Parish Schools; Dr. John Henson, Church for the Highlands; Dr. Theron Jackson, Morning Star Baptist Church; Ms. Von Jennings, City of Shreveport; Rev. Lee Jeter, Bossier Parish NAACP; Mansfield Mayor Thomas Jones, Ms. Debbie Martin, Roberts & Murphy, Inc.; Dr. Russell Minor, Community Renewal; Dr. Heath Peloquin, Summer Grove Baptist Church; Oil City Mayor James Sims; Clay Walker, Caddo Parish Assistant Administrator; Billy Wayne, Urban Support Agency, Inc.; and Ryan Williams, Seedlinks Behavioral Management. “I have learned a great deal this year from this group, and they have educated me on ways prosecutors, law enforcement and the community can work together for the common good. Simultaneously, my goal was to educate the group on how the Department of Justice and our local district functions so that citizens will start to have a better understanding of what our purpose is and why we exist,” said U.S. Attorney Brown. For more information on the Western District of Louisiana’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla . # # #


title: Chicago Carjacker Sentenced to Six and a Half Years in Federal Prison

body_text: CHICAGO — A man has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for carjacking a rideshare driver’s vehicle at gunpoint in downtown Chicago. NOAH RANSOM forcibly stole a Lexus RX350 from a Lyft driver on April 9, 2022. The Lyft driver picked up Ransom and four other men at a downtown Chicago hotel around 4:00 a.m., and shortly thereafter Ransom pointed a gun at the driver and ordered him to stop the car and get out. The victim complied and Ransom drove off with the other men in the victim’s car. About 90 minutes later, Illinois State Police identified the vehicle on the South Side of Chicago and ordered it to stop, but Ransom continued driving. After a high-speed chase on multiple expressways for nearly 30 minutes, ISP forced the vehicle to a stop in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood. Ransom was arrested and the handgun was seized. Ransom, 19, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal carjacking and firearm charges. U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly imposed the sentence Tuesday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by ISP and the Chicago Police Department. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Jodrey and Bradley A. Tucker. “Committing a senseless act of violence like carjacking is a serious crime that will earn you a substantial federal prison sentence,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “We are working tirelessly with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to pursue, prosecute, and detain violent carjackers.”


title: Couple handed significant prison time for beating Uber driver

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Two Houston residents have been ordered to federal prison following their conviction of carjacking with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Frank Lewis Blanco, 28, and Destinee Guerrero, 24, pleaded guilty June 23. U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now imposed a 120-month term of imprisonment for Blanco, while Guerrero received 72 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard from the victim who described what happened to him and his subsequent injuries. He noted how Blanco and Guerrero treated his head like a football and the lasting damage to his eye and nose. The court also heard additional testimony including how the victim is an immigrant who is a hard-working man to support his wife and children. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Hittner commented on the “extreme violent nature and circumstances of the offense.” “Justice is blind” said Hamdani. “Whether a businessman heading to the office or an immigrant climbing into the driver’s seat, everyone deserves to be safe at work. As the son of an immigrant cab driver, I am heartbroken for what the victim endured and suffered for just doing his job. Thankfully, the court, today, provided justice to this working class man.” “Blanco and Guerrero’s actions tear apart the fabric of our community by targeting those who keep our community running. They disguised themselves as passengers to savagely beat and rob a carshare driver trying to earn an honest living,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez of the FBI Houston field office. “These two attackers not only robbed their victim of his livelihood but his sense of security. We hope today’s sentence demonstrates to these types of criminals, and others still out there, that we will not allow them to target and terrorize hard-working members of our community.” On Nov. 13, 2022, Blanco and Guerrero hailed an Uber at approximately 8:30 a.m. However, once inside the vehicle, they repeatedly changed their destination, directing the driver around Houston for approximately half an hour. The driver ultimately asked the couple to get out of the car, but they refused. He stopped at a gas station and asked the attendant to call the police. While awaiting the arrival of authorities, the driver again asked Blanco and Guerrero to get out of his car. The couple then began to attack him, knocked him unconscious, repeatedly stomped and kicked his body and then stole his car. The gas station cameras captured the beating. Both have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet is prosecuting the case.


title: Rochester Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Rochester man was sentenced today in federal court for sexually exploiting a minor, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Richard Crispin, 26, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Crispin plead guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor on June 15, 2023 “Sexually exploiting children is a particularly heinous crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Thanks to the survivor’s courage, the defendant will no longer be able to abuse other vulnerable minors. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to prevent the production of child sexual abuse material and ensure that those who produce such material are prosecuted and sentenced to long periods of incarceration.” “Crispin abused and exploited a minor for years, creating videos documenting his abuse and soliciting her to send him even more. It takes real bravery to come forward to report an abuser, and HSI commends this survivor for speaking up. Today’s sentence ensures Crispin will be behind bars and unable do harm for a long time,” said Michael Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. According to documents and statements made in Court, the defendant engaged in sexual acts with a minor beginning when the minor was fourteen years old. The defendant made videos depicting some of these sexual acts, which are the subject of the federal charges. The defendant also requested that the survivor send him sexually explicit images via text message. The offense took place over an extended period of time and came to light when the survivor disclosed her contacts with the defendant to a school resource officer. The defendant has pending state charges in both New Hampshire and Maine related to the same survivor. Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by Somersworth Police Department, Stratford County Sheriffs Office, Rochester Police Department and North Berwick, Maine Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cam Le and Kasey Weiland prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Hartford Man Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing Firearms

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAIME DIAZ, 30, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally purchasing, possessing, and selling firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, between August 2020 and November 2021, Diaz purchased approximately 17 handguns from two Connecticut firearm dealers. At the time of the purchases, Diaz was an unlawful user of controlled substances. After obtaining the firearms, Diaz sold them to others in exchange for cash, as well as narcotics. On November 30, 2021, ATF special agents interviewed Diaz and seized the only firearm that remained in his possession. Diaz sold one handgun back to the firearm dealer he had purchased it from. Another handgun that Diaz purchased was recovered by the Hartford Police Department from an individual charged with drug trafficking. The remaining 14 firearms handguns have not been recovered. On September 7, 2022, Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of dealing in firearms without a license. Diaz has been detained since April 10, 2023, when his bond was revoked. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Reed Durham through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Iowa City Man Sentenced to 132 months in Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – An Iowa City man was sentenced on September 20, 2023, to 132 months in federal prison for receipt of child pornography. According to public court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Yasir Elamin Babekir Hamid, 65, was identified by law enforcement as a person of interest after a cybertip was received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) from a social media platform on which videos of child sexual abuse material had been uploaded. Law enforcement traced the account to Hamid. During a search warrant of Hamid’s residence, law enforcement seized five electronic devices and forensically searched the devices. Officers located hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material. In total, Hamid was held responsible for 17,105 images. After completing his prison term, Hamid will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Hamid was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.


title: Ugandan Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Federal Prison for Money Laundering Charge

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Ugandan man was sentenced on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, to 121 months in prison for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. According to public court documents, Kingsley Ogbeide, 50, also known as “James Oreye,” “Emmanual Richson,” and “King,” was involved in a business email compromise (BEC) scam which defrauded a business within the Southern District of Iowa. Ogbeide worked with co-conspirators and co-defendants to trick employees of legitimate businesses to change their bank information via email. Large sums of money were subsequently wired to illegitimate bank accounts controlled by fraudsters. Ogbeide worked as a top-level conspirator arranging and communicating on which fraudulent bank accounts would receive illegally obtained funds and managed how the funds would be distributed to other members of the conspiracy. Ogbeide admitted to helping to manage fraudulent activity totaling between approximately $3.5 million and $9.5 million. Following his prison sentence, Ogbeide was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Ogbeide was ordered to pay about $1.5 million in restitution to 16 victims. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.


title: Justice Department Tribal Access Program Will Continue to Improve the Exchange of Critical Data

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department has selected 14 federally recognized Tribes to participate in the continued expansion of the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP), a program that provides Tribal governments with means to access, enter, and exchange data with national crime information systems, including those maintained by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. This announcement follows Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s trip to Alaska last month, during which he visited Anchorage and the village of Galena. Attorney General Garland met with Tribal leaders and advocates to discuss the public safety challenges that Alaska Native individuals and communities face. “Meeting the most urgent public safety challenges in Tribal communities requires strengthening cooperation and collaboration between Tribal and federal law enforcement,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This latest expansion of access to national crime databases will empower Tribal governments with better tools and technology and will help make Tribal communities and communities across the country safer.” The program provides training as well as software and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to CJIS systems. With these additional Tribes, there are now 132 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP. The Justice Department began TAP in 2015 in response to concerns raised by Tribal leaders about the need to have direct access to federal systems. Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; registered convicted sex offenders; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; run criminal histories; identified and arrested fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children. The following Tribes have been selected for participation in TAP: Pauma Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Chickaloon Native Village Nez Perce Tribe Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Quechan Tribe Pueblo of Isleta Pala Band of Mission Indians Lovelock Paiute Tribe Tonto Apache Tribe Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Yakutat Tlingit Tribe Ho-Chunk Nation Comanche Nation TAP is managed by the Justice Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and the Office of Tribal Justice. It is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART), the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). For more information on TAP, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap .


title: Davenport Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport man was sentenced on September 20, 2023, to 71 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm as a felon. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, witnesses identified Jonathan Lee Sutton, 40, as the shooter following a shots fired incident in June 2022. Officers were able to identify a vehicle associated with Sutton and, following a search, recovered a stolen, .22 caliber handgun. Sutton had previously been convicted in federal court of Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Base, a felony charge, which bars him from possessing a firearm. Following his prison term, Sutton will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.


title: Fentanyl trafficking in Kalispell area sends Mexican citizen to prison

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Mexican citizen who admitted to trafficking fentanyl in the Kalispell area after law enforcement seized 12,000 fentanyl pills, more than $72,000 in U.S. currency and a pistol from his vehicle was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Cuauhtemoc Cervantes Samaniego, 30, pleaded guilty in May to a superseding information charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The government alleged in court documents that Samaniego trafficked fentanyl in the Kalispell community from about May 2022 through Oct. 5, 2022. Investigators received information that Samaniego was in Kalispell with a large amount of fentanyl to distribute. At about 2:50 a.m. on Oct. 5, 2022, law enforcement officers located Samaniego at a gas station in Kalispell and searched his vehicle. Officers found 12,000 fentanyl pills, $72,687 in U.S. currency and a 9mm pistol. An individual later told an agent that Samaniego had met with a person prior to law enforcement stopping him and that Samaniego had provided the person fentanyl pills. The person gave Samaniego a firearm. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations, the Northwest Drug Task Force and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Multi-million dollar COVID-19 fraudster trades mansion for a prison cell

body_text: HOUSTON – A 33-year-old Richmond man who operated a medical supply company in Porter has been ordered to federal prison for a massive fraud that resulted in losses of $17 million, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Caleb M. McCreless pleaded guilty May 2. U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered him to prison for 110 months to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release and restitution of $36,279,780 to 11 different victims. Before imposing the sentence, the court noted the opportunistic nature of the crime. Given the sheer amount of loss McCreless caused, Judge Lake added that the victims would probably never be paid back in full. “Mansions, a Rolls Royce, a lavish lifestyle, and good old fashioned greed motivated Caleb McCreless to take advantage of a nation’s emergency, exploiting the most vulnerable amongst us,” said Hamdani. “McCreless started his scheme by taking almost $1 million from the hands of those trying to treat Native American elders at a time when COVID-19 was decimating that population. His action were deplorable, and now it’s time to pay. No more cars, no more mansions, just a small cell.” McCreless orchestrated a scheme to defraud retail buyers in the medical services sector by promising to deliver high-grade surgical gloves he did not have. He took initial payments that ran into the millions, but never delivered gloves or only delivered a small portion of them at a vastly inferior quality. McCreless admitted when he ran out of victims from May 2020 through spring 2021, he induced millions in payments from his victims by offering surgical gloves from a trusted Chinese company. But, McCreless actually had no such relationship. After taking the money, he would try to stall the victims and then eventually stopped communicating with them. Many failed deals ended in civil litigation. McCreless used the money to pay off co-conspirators and fund a lavish lifestyle such as buying exotic vehicles and a mansion. Almost a dozen victims from across the United States, including Texas, lost over $17 million in the scheme. McCreless has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI and Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 1 conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter prosecuted the case.


title: Union Financial Secretary  from Franklinton Louisiana  Sentenced for Stealing Union Funds

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – BRIAN GERALD , age 51, a resident of Franklinton, Louisiana, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to (5) five years of probation and (6) six months of house arrest for stealing money from a local labor union, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. The Court also ordered GERALD to pay restitution in the amount of $112,594.18. According to court records, GERALD was the Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 13-189. GERALD was responsible for organizing Local 13-189’s financial records, keeping an accounting of its income, and filing IRS forms and reports. GERALD was also responsible for maintaining Local 13-189’s debit card in a safe location. From January 2015 through September 2020, GERALD used the union’s debit card to make 493 ATM cash withdrawals totaling $107,387.90 in cash and fees. GERALD also used the union’s debit card to make payments for his personal accounts for a total of $36,589.41. GERALD misappropriated a total of $143,977.31 of union funds. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Labor in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit and Troy Bell of the General Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Lee’s Summit Man Sentenced for Extortion Scheme

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for a $1 million extortion scheme against two Kansas City, Mo., victims. Leon L. Dudley III, 25, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to seven years and five months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Dudley to pay $5,729 in restitution to his victims for the damage done to their home. Dudley was found guilty at trial on Nov. 9, 2022, of one count of extortion. Dudley delivered an extortion note to a Kansas City, Mo., residence on Aug. 24, 2018. The victims reported to law enforcement that a contractor arrived at the residence that morning to complete some work and found an envelope containing a handwritten letter taped to the front of the house near the front door. The letter contained a threat to vandalize and burn down the residence if the victims did not pay $1 million by the next day. The note included a cell phone number for the victim to text when the money was ready, and warned against contacting law enforcement. The next day, Dudley used a pellet gun to break several windows in the house. The homeowners hired a private security firm, but Dudley returned that evening and broke more windows and a sliding glass door. Dudley caused a total of $5,729 in damage to the house. Investigators traced the cell phone number on the extortion note to the residence where Dudley lives with his mother. Investigators also located Dudley’s Facebook account, which included a photograph of a handwritten note with similar handwriting to the extortion note, as well as photos of Dudley that matched the physical profile captured in surveillance video at the residence. Investigators searched Dudley’s residence and found an Apple iPad in his bedroom. The iPad had been stolen during a burglary at the extortion victims’ residence while it was still under construction in June 2018. During a forensic examination of the iPad, investigators found it contained internet searches related to the victims, to burning down a house and purchasing explosive items, and two extortion notes similar to the handwritten note that was left at the victims’ residence. According to court documents, Dudley had prepared to deliver a second note threatening to shoot the homeowners, which was found by investigators on the stolen iPad before it could be delivered. Investigators found fingerprints on the extortion note and on the envelope that matched to Dudley. They also matched the extortion note to Dudley through handwriting analysis and paper impression analysis, and matched the edges in the paper of the note with the fragment remaining in the spiral notebook from which it was torn, which was recovered in Dudley’s possession. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregg R. Coonrod and Stephanie C. Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.