title: Former U.S. Capitol Police Officer Sentenced for Violating a Citizen’s Civil Rights in 2020

body_text: WASHINGTON – Thomas Smith, 47, a former United States Capitol Police (USCP) officer, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in prison for violating an individual’s civil rights by recklessly engaging in a dangerous pursuit that resulted in a vehicular crash involving a motorist. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office. Smith pleaded guilty on October 18, 2023, to deprivation of rights under color of law. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered 24 months of supervised release, 40 hours of community service, and restitution of $4,455. “Thomas Smith abused his position of trust by engaging in a dangerous pursuit that could have been deadly – and made matters worse by obstructing the investigation into the collision he caused,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Most police officers uphold the oath they took upon becoming officers, but when police officers break that oath and violate the public trust they must be held accountable.” "Smith's actions violated his oath to protect and serve our communities and uphold the Constitution," said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Today's sentence demonstrates the FBI's commitment to hold accountable those who misuse their power and deny the public their civil liberties." “This defendant recklessly pursued two motorcyclists, struck one of them with his car, left the victim unconscious on the asphalt, fled the scene and then switched out his cruiser and filed no report in an attempt to cover up his violent misconduct,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Endangering community members in this manner and disregarding the law violates the victims’ civil rights and erodes trust by those the police are sworn to protect and serve. The Justice Department will aggressively prosecute officials who engage in abuses of their authority, including federal law enforcement officers.” According to court documents, on the evening of June 20, 2020, Smith was on duty conducting security checks at the homes of members of Congress in Georgetown when he began pursuing two individuals riding motorized cycles. Though USCP policies prohibit vehicular pursuits outside of the Capitol grounds, except in emergencies and upon supervisory approval, Smith conducted the pursuit without seeking such approval. While following the motorcyclists closely, but without his emergency lights on, Smith’s USCP cruiser struck one of the motorcyclists at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, Northwest. The crash knocked the cyclist into the air before he hit the asphalt roadway. As the victim lay in the intersection unconscious, Smith drove his cruiser around the victim and left the scene of the collision. Contrary to USCP policies, Smith did not notify anyone of the incident, take any action to seek medical assistance for the victim or ensure that no further harm came to the victim as he lay on the road. Hours after the collision, Smith falsified several USCP records in an attempt to cover up the events related to the incident. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Visser and Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. Valuable assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendra Briggs. ## 22cr0199


title: Macomb County Doctor And Pharmacist Agree  To Pay $700,948 To Settle False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today that GMAJOS, LLC, Dr. Stephen Swetech, and Yasser Maisari have agreed to pay a total of $700,948.42 to the United States and the State of Michigan to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act. Dr. Swetech has also agreed to rescind his DEA registration and never again prescribe, administer, or dispense controlled substances. Dr. Swetech operated a medical practice in Clinton Township, Michigan. The practice was located in an office complex owned by his wife’s company, GMAJOS. The complex included separate office spaces for the medical practice, a physical therapy center, and a pharmacy. During all relevant times, Heartland Drugs, which was owned by Yasser Maisari and operated by Med Express Inc., occupied the pharmacy space. GMAJOS also had a lease with a medical laboratory to rent a room within Dr. Swetech’s medical practice. The settlement announced today resolves two sets of allegations. First, from January 1, 2018, through January 1, 2020, Biolab indirectly paid above fair market value rent to Dr. Swetech for a room rented from GMAJOS in order to induce Dr. Swetech’s referrals to Biolab. These referrals are alleged to have violated the False Claims Act as improper inducements and/or self-referrals. Second, from January 1, 2016, through January 1, 2018, Dr. Swetech prescribed medically unnecessary opioid and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder medications, and Yasser Maisari’s Heartland Drugs filled those prescriptions, in violation of the False Claims Act. “The False Claims Act is an important tool to deter and hold accountable those who submit fraudulent medical claims to the government,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “Healthcare providers whose services are tainted by improper financial relationships or who are charging the government for unnecessary medical services will be vigorously investigated by our office.” “The payment of kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals can corrupt legitimate medical decision-making and lead to the delivery of fraudulent and unnecessary medical services,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Region. “Working together with our partners, HHS-OIG will continue our efforts to identify and investigate those who seek to unlawfully benefit from such arrangements.” The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under a qui tam or whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act: United States and the State of Michigan ex rel. Doe v. Med Express Inc., et al., Case No. 17-13162 (E.D. Mich.). Under the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort among the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Michigan Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General. The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorney John Postulka from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).


title: Texas Drug Courier Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy and Possession

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ISAAC ORTIZ (“ORTIZ”) , age 23, a resident of El Paso, Texas, was sentenced on October 29, 2024 to 70 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and, possession, with the intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and 846. According to court records, ORTIZ , and his 18-year-old sister, were travelling through Louisiana on I-12 when they were stopped by Louisiana State Police for a traffic violation. During the stop, the vehicle was searched, and approximately ten kilograms of cocaine concealed in the vehicle, were discovered. U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry sentenced ORTIZ to 70 months imprisonment, a four-year term of supervised release and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Orlando Woman Sentenced For Role In Construction-Related Wire Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Wendy Cudemo (48, Orlando) to 27 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $787,911.00, the proceeds of the wire fraud conspiracy and ordered the forfeiture to the United States of real property located in Palmetto, Florida. Cudemo pled guilty on July 16, 2024. According to court documents, Cudemo owned and managed a construction company which purported to supply construction services and labor for construction contractors and subcontractors. In order to comply with Florida law, Cudemo’s company was required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Her company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Cudemo’s employees at construction sites and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Cudemo or others would then regularly receive “payroll checks” from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Cudemo’s purported “employees” and other related expenses. During the period charged, Cudemo falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that her company had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Cudemo also falsely and fraudulently sent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that her company’s employees had full worker’s compensation coverage. In reality, Cudemo’s company received and cashed more than $7,800,000 in checks from various construction contractors for these purported Cudemo “employees.” These payroll figures far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Cudemo had reported to her worker’s compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees, in reality the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover. As a result of these misrepresentations, Cudemo’s company also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the United States and that required state and federal payroll taxes were being paid for these workers. The contractors who actually paid these workers’ wages and used their services were thus also able to avoid responsibility for those duties as well. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the State of Florida Department of Financial Services. It is part of a lengthy investigation by those agencies into the use of shell companies and “ghost” employees in the construction industry. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.


title: Riverview Woman Pleads Guilty To Sending Threatening Messages To Palestinian Americans

body_text: Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Andrea Rubiano (49, Riverview) pleaded guilty to transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and making false statements to a federal agent. Rubiano faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, in October 2023, Rubiano sent threatening text messages to 12 Palestinian Americans residing in the Middle District of Florida. By way of example, one of the victims received the following messages from Rubiano: Palestinians in Tampa must die!! You Family [the victim’s surname] are fucking shit They are trash they should die first The [victim’s surname] family is shit in Tampa In the mosque we are going to behead them and drag them alive like rats fucking Palestinians with their wives and children We took you out of your land like rats, now we are going to get you out of here you fucking bastards, [the victim’s surname] brothers. Rubiano also sent the victim the Israeli flag, two images of what appears to be a public demonstration, 12 Palestinian flag emojis, 23 skull-and-crossbones flag emojis, 10 Star of David emojis, seven lit cannonball emojis, and five rat emojis. A few days after Rubiano sent the threatening messages, a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Rubiano. At the time, Rubiano denied sending the threatening messages and affirmatively stated that she would never threaten [the Victim’s] family. Several months later, Rubiano admitted that she had willfully and knowingly lied to the Special Agent during the first interview. More specifically, Rubiano admitted that, on October 13 and 14, 2023, she had sent threatening messages to several Palestinian Americans and that she had not been truthful when she told the Special Agent otherwise. As part of the plea agreement, Rubiano also agreed to a special finding that she intentionally selected Palestinian Americans and/or Arabic individuals as the objects of her threats based on their actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Schmidt.


title: Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Heroin, Tapentadol and Marijuana Distribution Conspiracy and Possession

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODNEY COOPER (“COOPER”) , age 33, a resident of Metairie, Louisiana was sentenced on October 30, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Jane T. Milazzo, to time served in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. COOPER previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, heroin, tapentadol, and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846; and possession with intent to distribute those substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). According to court documents, on January 6, 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO), conducted surveillance in the 500 block of N. Elm Street in Metairie, Louisiana. COOPER was observed selling drugs, both individually, and with his co-conspirators, to customers who arrived in the area. When JPSO detectives approached COOPER , he fled and discarded a backpack containing heroin, tapentadol, and marijuana. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Justice Department to Monitor Compliance in Wake County, North Carolina

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: United States Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr., announced today that the Justice Department will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Wake County for the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at 919-856-4808 or Karen.Haughton@usdoj.gov. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section . Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.


title: Cholo Abdi Abdullah Convicted For Conspiring To Commit 9/11-Style Attack At The Direction Of Al Shabaab

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that a jury returned a guilty verdict against CHOLO ABDI ABDULLAH on all six counts in the Indictment, which included conspiring to provide, and providing, material support to a foreign terrorist organization; and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit transnational acts of terrorism. ABDULLAH is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today, the jury returned a unanimous verdict holding Cholo Abdi Abdullah responsible for trying to replicate one of history’s most heinous acts of terrorism. Abdullah trained with al Shabaab for months in Somalia to become a deadly terrorist, and then spent months at flight school preparing to hijack a commercial aircraft to crash it into a building in the United States. Abdullah relentlessly pursued his goals and was on the cusp of getting a commercial pilot license while conducting extensive attack planning, such as how to breach an airplane cockpit door. I commend the tireless work of our federal law enforcement partners and the career national security prosecutors of this Office. This effort has been carried forward by generations of agents and prosecutors who never relented in their effort to bring Abdullah to justice and keep this nation safe. Thanks to their work and today’s verdict, Abdullah will now serve a lengthy sentence in federal prison.” As reflected in the Indictment and the evidence presented at trial: ABDULLAH was an operative for the foreign terrorist organization Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mijahideen, commonly known as “al Shabaab,” based in Somalia. After training with al Shabaab for months with AK-47 assault rifles and explosives at a series of safe houses in Somalia, ABDULLAH participated in a plot to hijack a commercial aircraft and crash it into a building in the U.S. He spent months at a flight school in the Philippines working toward a commercial pilot license, and researched how to obtain pilot jobs, targets such as the tallest buildings in a major American city, transit visas to the U.S., and how to open a cockpit door from the outside. ABDULLAH also sent encrypted messages reporting his progress to his al Shabaab handler, including his extensive research on post-September 11th hijackings. ABDULLAH conspired to commit this attack on behalf Al Shabaab, which has sworn allegiance to al Qaeda and is responsible for numerous deadly terrorist attacks, including attacks that have claimed American lives. Starting in or about 2019, al Shabaab embarked on a string of terrorist attacks as part of an operation in response to the U.S.’s decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which the group has dubbed “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized.” In particular, these terrorist attacks perpetrated by al Shabaab included an attack on January 15, 2019 at a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 21 people, including a U.S. national and survivor of al Qaeda’s 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, New York; a September 30, 2019 attack on a U.S. military facility in Somalia; and a January 5, 2020, attack on another U.S. facility in Kenya, in which three Americans were killed. * * * ABDULLAH, 34, was convicted on six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, which carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (“FBI”) New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”). Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the New York State Police; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialist Sabrina Jim Munoz and trial attorney John Cella of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.


title: Man Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Use a Weapon of Mass Destruction and to Destroy an Energy Facility in Nashville

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: View the complaint here . Skyler Philippi, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, was arrested by federal agents and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility. “As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments away from launching an attack on a Nashville energy facility to further his violent white supremacist ideology – but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This case serves as yet another warning to those seeking to sow violence and chaos in the name of hatred by attacking our country’s critical infrastructure: the Justice Department will find you, we will disrupt your plot, and we will hold you accountable. I am grateful to the public servants of the FBI for their extraordinary work on this case and for the work they do every day to keep our country safe.” “Those fueled by hate and inspired to violence by racial or ethnic bias pose a grave threat to our national security,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged in today’s charges, Skyler Philippi, a man dedicated to white supremacist ideology and the destruction of our critical infrastructure, planned to attack Nashville’s power grid using a drone carrying an explosive device. Thanks to brave work by the FBI, his scheme was thwarted. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable those who seek to wage such hate-fueled violence, which has no place in America or anywhere else.” “Driven by a racially motivated violent extremist ideology, the defendant allegedly planned to attack the power grid with a drone and explosives, leaving thousands of Americans and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI’s swift work led to the detection and disruption of the defendant’s plot before he could cause any damage. We are committed to holding accountable anyone who threatens the security of our critical infrastructure or seeks to harm American communities through domestic violent extremism.” “Dangerous threats to our critical infrastructure threaten every member of this community and will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will always work with our law enforcement partners to identify and stop any and all efforts to wreak this kind of havoc and will not hesitate in prosecuting those involved to the fullest extent of the law.” “As alleged, the defendant in this case conducted extensive research into explosive devices and potential targets to launch an attack against critical infrastructure,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI is committed to doing everything in our ability to detect, disrupt, and deter attacks by domestic violent extremists, and will continue to pursue those who look to commit acts of violence in furtherance of their ideological beliefs.” Beginning in June 2024, Philippi told a confidential human source (CHS) about his desire to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility located in or around Columbia, Tennessee. In July 2024, Philippi told another CHS about the impact of attacking large interstate substations and said that attacking several substations would “shock the system,” causing other substations to malfunction. Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations and concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient. Philippi, therefore, planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it and to fly the drone into the substation. In September 2024, Philippi drove with undercover employees (UCEs) of the FBI to an electric substation previously researched and targeted by Philippi, and Philippi conducted reconnaissance of the substation. While driving, Philippi ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other explosives from the UCEs. Philippi later purchased black powder to be used in pipe bombs, which Philippi intended to use during the attack on the substation. Philippi texted the CHS: “if you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis.” Referring to the substation, Philippi stated, “Holy sh**. This will go up like a fu**in fourth of July firework.” Philippi talked about operational security, including the need for disguises, the use of leather gloves (because latex and nitrile gloves can transfer fingerprints), wearing shoes that are too big, the need to burn their clothes after the attack, and not bringing smartphones on the night of the attack. On Nov. 2, 2024, Philippi participated in a Nordic ritual, which included reciting a Nordic prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin. Philippi told the UCEs that “this is where the New Age begins” and that it was “time to do something big” that would be remembered “in the annals of history.” Philippi and the UCEs drove to the operation site. The UCEs moved to their assigned positions as lookouts for Philippi. Law-enforcement agents arrested Philippi. When he was taken into custody, Philippi was at the rear of the vehicle, with the drone powered up, and the explosive device was armed and located next to the drone. Philippi is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Nashville Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gary Allen Swift Jr., 62, was sentenced today to one year and nine months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failure to provide information related to interstate travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about July 1, 2023 through on or about February 6, 2024, Swift failed to register or update his registration as required by SORNA after he relocated to West Virginia from Iowa. Swift traveled from Iowa to Huntington, West Virginia, following his conviction for failing to register as a sex offender in Scott County, Iowa, District Court on January 4, 2023. On April 7, 2023, Swift was convicted in Cabell County Magistrate Court for failing to register as a sex offender in West Virginia. Swift then moved from Huntington to Charleston, where he continued his pattern of failing to register until February 2024, resulting in his prosecution by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Swift is required to register as a sex offender and comply with SORNA because of his convictions for first-degree sexual abuse in Nicholas County, West Virginia, Circuit Court on March 18, 1986, and criminal sexual assault in Rock Island, Illinois, Circuit Court on November 20, 2006. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS). Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case. SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school. 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. 2:24-cr-27. ###


title: Sequoyah County Resident Sentenced For Federal Firearm Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that James Timothy Mathis, age 43, of Muldrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. The charge arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On August 8, 2023, Mathis pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. According to investigators, on March 4, 2023, a Sequoyah County deputy performing a routine traffic stop discovered Mathis in possession of a loaded .38 SPL caliber revolver. At the time of the stop, Mathis had been convicted of a punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was prohibited from possessing firearms. 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. The Honorable John C. Coughenour, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Mathis will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States at the sentencing hearing.


title: Carjacker Sentenced to 10 Years for Stealing the Scooter of an Uber Eats Driver in Southeast

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Larry Fisher, 31, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for the carjacking of an Uber Eats delivery driver on February 27, 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Fisher pleaded guilty on August 30, 2024, to carjacking in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld. According to the government’s evidence, with which Fisher agreed, on February 27, 2024, Fisher and another individual approached the victim at the McDonald’s located at 1539 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Washington, DC, while the victim was on his motorized scooter. Fisher pulled a hard, black object out of his waistband and ordered the victim off his motorized scooter. Fisher then struck the victim on his helmet with the hard object before pushing him off his motorized scooter. Fisher’s accomplice then fled the scene on the victim’s motorized scooter while Fisher walked away from the scene. Surveillance footage captured both Fisher and his accomplice removing the victim from his motorized scooter. Specifically, surveillance captured Fisher pulling the hard, black object, which appeared to be a firearm, from his waistband and striking the victim with it. After this incident, Fisher was seen placing the object back in his waistband and walking away from the scene. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief. Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorney Katerina Qesari, who prosecuted the case.


title: Carver Man Pleads Guilty to Oxycodone Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Carver man pleaded guilty on Oct. 31, 2024, to his involvement in an oxycodone conspiracy. Michael Atwood, 37, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 2025. Campbell was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023 along with five co-conspirators. Between approximately November 2023 and June 2023, Atwood obtained oxycodone pills from co-defendant John Campbell that he redistributed to others. The amount of oxycodone pills that the defendant obtained from Campbell ranged from hundreds to more than a thousand at a time. On July 12, 2023, during a search of Atwood’s residence approximately $63,000 in cash was seized. Campbell pleaded guilty in September 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2025. The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone pills provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division, made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office; and the Barnstable, Dennis, Bourne, Mashpee, Yarmouth, Sandwich and Falmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy, and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division and Alexandra Amrhein of the Asset Forfeiture Unit are prosecuting the case. 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: Hazelwood Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday sentenced a man to 24 years in prison for producing child pornography involving two victims. Antjuan Potts, 27, of Hazelwood, Missouri, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to two counts of sexually exploiting a child and admitted his crimes spanned from 2019 to 2022. The first victim told a St. Louis County Police Department detective in 2023 that she was 14 when she met Potts and engaged in sexual contact with him. Potts recorded that sexual contact and used Snapchat to send those videos to the victim on two occasions. The victim also said Potts was in a relationship with another juvenile. Police interviewed Potts, who admitted having sex with both juveniles and recording both with his phone. A sentencing memo says that Potts had sexual intercourse with two other minors, part of a pattern of behavior involving the sexual exploitation of minors. A 15-year-old told police Potts sexually assaulted her in 2020. He said it was consensual. He had sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old in 2021. She told police that she was drugged and sexually assaulted. “You have caused a tremendous amount of harm,” Judge Ross told Potts, referring to the four victims. The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea in Navajo Nation Shooting Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Pueblo Pintado man pleaded guilty in federal court to two charges stemming from a fatal shooting incident that occurred on the Navajo Nation in 2022. According to the plea agreement, on May 16, 2022, Rodgerick Tsosie , 31, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, aimed a firearm at an individual seated in the front passenger seat of a moving vehicle during a family altercation. Tsosie discharged the weapon, but the bullet missed its intended target and instead struck another person in the backseat, resulting in that individual's death. Tsosie will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Tsosie faces up to 10 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of no less than 7 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Tsosie will be subject to up to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI’s Albuquerque Violent Crime Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office and the Navajo Nation Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Robert J. Booth II are prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement (Tsosie).pdf # # #


title: Mississippi Man Guilty of Methamphetamine Distribution and Felon in Possession of Firearm

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on October 29, 2024, JARVIS WILSON (“WILSON”) , age 39, a resident of Jackson, Mississippi, pled guilty to Counts Two and Four of the indictment pending against him. Count 2 charged WILSON with distribution of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A). Count 4 charged WILSON with being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, on or about April 8, 2024, WILSON , sold five hundred (500) grams or more of methamphetamine, to an undercover special agent. On April 8, 2024, agents searched WILSON’s residence due to his drug trafficking. During the search, agents recovered ammunition, a Ruger Model LCR, .22 caliber revolver, and a Smith & Wesson Model 1000 Super, 12-gauge shotgun. At sentencing, as to Count 2, WILSON faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release. As to Count 4, he faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. WILSON also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each individual count. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Final men sent to prison for their roles in international cocaine and drug money conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Two Texans have been sentenced for their roles in distributing and conspiring to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Guillermo Fernando Rojo, 39, Laredo, and Gilbert Zambrano Saldivar, 45, Dallas, each pleaded guilty March 5 and April 4, respectively. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed 120-month-terms of imprisonment for both men. They must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences. Two others - Omar Acosta, 41, Laredo, and Juan Ambrosio Barrientos-Cano, 34, Austin, were previously sentenced to the same terms of imprisonment. Between November and December 2021, Acosta and Rojo directed another individual to travel from Laredo to Austin to retrieve five kilograms of cocaine and $9,000 in cash from Barrientos-Cano. He was to deliver the cocaine to their courier in Dallas and the money to the two men. The cocaine had an approximate street value of $81,150. In Dallas, he actually delivered bundles of sham cocaine to Saldivar, who was also acting on instructions from the two men and reported the bundles had been successfully delivered. Authorities intercepted the delivery and arrested Saldivar. Several days later, Rojo contacted the individual to make payment arrangements for picking up cocaine from Barrientos-Cano and delivering the drugs to Saldivar. Law enforcement arrested the remaining three co-conspirators who confessed to their roles in the crime. The investigation revealed previous incidents where co-conspirators delivered multikilogram quantities of cocaine from the Laredo border to major cities in Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi. The co-conspirators also collected several hundred thousand dollars of drug proceeds and delivered it to Acosta and Rojo to fund the organization’s operations in the United States and Mexico. Additionally, truck drivers smuggled cocaine bundles from Mexico and delivered them to Acosta, Rojo or to couriers who the men recruited, gave orders to and paid. Acosta and Rojo transported approximately $280,000 in cash proceeds three weeks before their arrest and occasionally delivered up to $500,000 to Mexico in single smuggling episodes. The investigation also revealed Mexican organizers paid Acosta and Rojo 5% of money collections from outside Texas and 2% of proceeds collected within Texas. Rojo was permitted to remain on bond while Saldivar will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and police departments in Laredo and Austin. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez handled the sentencings.


title: Burlington, Vermont Man Charged with Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that James Plunkett, 39, of Burlington, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with bank robbery. On November 4, 2024, Plunkett appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered Plunkett detained during the pendency of this matter. According to court records, on the morning of October 26, 2024, Plunkett is alleged to have robbed the M&T Bank on Pine Street in Burlington. Plunkett is alleged to have entered the bank, told the bank tellers that he had a bomb in his fanny pack, and ordered them to give him money. Plunkett did not conceal his face during the robbery. Plunkett received $683.00 in cash and left the area. Plunkett was identified from the M&T bank robbery video footage after review by law enforcement and community members who knew Plunkett and provided tips to law enforcement. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Plunkett is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Plunkett faces up to 20 years if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Burlington Police Department, the Winooski Police Department, the South Burlington Police Department, the Vermont State Police’s Northern Vermont Drug Task Force, the Colchester Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Milton Police Department. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Thomas J. Aliberti. Plunkett is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.


body_text: WASHINGTON – Skyler Philippi, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, was arrested by federal agents and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility. “As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments away from launching an attack on a Nashville energy facility to further his violent white supremacist ideology -- but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This case serves as yet another warning to those seeking to sow violence and chaos in the name of hatred by attacking our country’s critical infrastructure: the Justice Department will find you, we will disrupt your plot, and we will hold you accountable. I am grateful to the public servants of the FBI for their extraordinary work on this case and for the work they do every day to keep our country safe.” “Those fueled by hate and inspired to violence by racial or ethnic bias pose a grave threat to our national security,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged in today’s charges, Skyler Philippi, a man dedicated to white supremacist ideology and the destruction of our critical infrastructure, planned to attack Nashville’s power grid using a drone carrying an explosive device. Thanks to brave work by the FBI, his scheme was thwarted. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable those who seek to wage such hate-fueled violence, which has no place in America or anywhere else.” “Driven by a racially motivated extremist ideology, the defendant allegedly planned to attack the power grid with a drone and explosives, leaving thousands of Americans and critical infrastructure like hospitals without power,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI’s swift work led to the detection and disruption of the defendant’s plot before he could cause any damage. We are committed to hold accountable anyone who threatens or plans harm to critical infrastructure or seeks to hurt American communities through domestic violent extremism.” “Dangerous threats to our critical infrastructure threaten every member of this community and will not be tolerated” said Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will always work with our law enforcement partners to identify and stop any and all efforts to wreak this kind of havoc and will not hesitate in prosecuting those involved to the fullest extent of the law.” “As alleged, the defendant in this case conducted extensive research into explosive devices and potential targets to launch an attack against critical infrastructure,” said Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI is committed to doing everything in our ability to detect, disrupt, and deter attacks by domestic violent extremists, and will continue to pursue those who look to commit acts of violence in furtherance of their ideological beliefs.” Beginning in June 2024, Philippi told a confidential human source (CHS) about his desire to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA facility located in or around Columbia, Tennessee. In July 2024, Philippi told another CHS about the impact of attacking large interstate substations and said that attacking several substations would “shock the system,” causing other substations to malfunction. Philippi researched previous attacks on electric substations and concluded that attacking with firearms would not be sufficient. Philippi, therefore, planned to use a drone with explosives attached to it and to fly the drone into the substation. In September 2024, Philippi drove with undercover employees (UCEs) of the FBI to an electric substation previously researched and targeted by Philippi, and Philippi conducted reconnaissance of the substation. While driving, Philippi ordered a plastic explosive composition known as C-4 and other explosives from the UCEs. Philippi later purchased black powder to be used in pipe bombs, which Philippi intended to use during the attack on the substation. Philippi texted the CHS: “if you want to do the most damage as an accelerationist, attack high economic, high tax, political zones in every major metropolis.” Referring to the substation, Philippi stated, “Holy sh**. This will go up like a fu**in fourth of July firework.” Philippi talked about operational security, including the need for disguises, the use of leather gloves (because latex and nitrile gloves can transfer fingerprints), wearing shoes that are too big, the need to burn their clothes after the attack, and not bringing smartphones on the night of the attack. On Nov. 2, 2024, Philippi participated in a Nordic ritual, which included reciting a Nordic prayer and discussing the Norse god Odin. Philippi told the UCEs that “this is where the New Age begins” and that it was “time to do something big” that would be remembered “in the annals of history.” Philippi and the UCEs drove to the operation site. The UCEs moved to their assigned positions as lookouts for Philippi. Law-enforcement agents arrested Philippi. When he was taken into custody, Philippi was at the rear of the vehicle, with the drone powered up, and the explosive device was armed and located next to the drone. Philippi is charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Nashville Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Murder Plea in 2020 Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man pleaded guilty in federal court to second degree murder for his role in the brutal killing of a man on the Navajo Nation in 2020. According to court documents, between February 6, 2020, and February 14, 2020, Tyran Begay , 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, participated in the killing of John Doe within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation reservation by binding and beating the victim, assisting in his strangulation, and leaving his body exposed to frigid weather in a remote area near Smith Lake, NM. Begay will remain detained pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Begay faces a range of incarceration of no less than 19 years up to 30 years imprisonment. Upon his release from prison, Begay will be subject to up to five years of supervised release. Begay ’s co-defendants, Camille Damon and Ronald Belone, remain in custody pending trial, which has yet been set. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark A. Probasco and Meg P. Tomlinson are prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement (Begay).pdf # # #


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing for 2021 Murder in Church Rock

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Smith Lake man was sentenced to 11 years and 4 months in federal prison for the 2021 murder of a man in Church Rock, New Mexico. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on May 17, 2021, Josiah Alan Smith , 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, arrived at a residence in Church Rock, New Mexico, armed with a rifle. Smith made threats against John Doe before briefly leaving the premises. Smith then returned with a revolver and fired two shots through a bedroom window, striking Doe in the back. The bullet pierced Doe's heart and both lungs, resulting in his death despite lifesaving attempts by a witness. Following the shooting, Smith fled the scene and attempted to conceal evidence by disposing of the murder weapon. Smith was arrested approximately three months after the incident. Upon his release from prison, Smith will be subject to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations and the McKinley County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Blake Nichols is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney's Office to Monitor Polls in Eight Massachusetts Cities for Compliance with Federal Voting Laws

body_text: BOSTON – Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the Department of Justice, will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in eight Massachusetts cities. On Nov. 1, 2024, the Justice Department announced plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 86 jurisdictions in 27 states for the Nov. 5 general election. Election monitors in Massachusetts will be assigned to polling locations in Everett, Fitchburg, Leominster, Lowell, Malden, Methuen, Quincy and Salem. Assistant United States Attorney Anuj Khetarpal has been appointed as Voting Rights Coordinator for the District of Massachusetts and will lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Election Day monitoring efforts. Nationally, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort which includes monitors from the Civil Rights Division, other Department divisions, U.S. Attorney’s Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. On Oct. 31, 2024 , the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the appointment of a District Election Officer to oversee the handling of Election Day criminal complaints, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department in Washington. The Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act (VRA), National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts. The Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote. The Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion. The Voting Rights Act (VRA) makes it illegal for states and local governments to use voting practices or election rules that deny or restrict voting rights because of a citizen’s race or color, or which result in citizens who belong to a particular language minority group having less of an opportunity than everyone else to vote for and elect their chosen public officials. The VRA also protects voters’ rights to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English). “The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program is vital to combatting discrimination at the polls and furthering public confidence in the electoral process. Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination. My office is proud to be a part of this important effort to protect the sacrosanct right to vote,” said Acting United States Attorney Levy. The public can direct concerns or complaints about voting rights to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston at 833-634-8669. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov . Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place). Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted. More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting . Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section .


title: Ten People Indicted for Federal Firearm and Violent Crimes in Western Tennessee

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – A federal grand jury returned indictments charging ten people in West Tennessee with federal gun and violent crime offenses, including Lavaughn Gilmore, 26 , who is facing charges for illegally possessing a machine-gun conversion device (also known as a “switch”). Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren announced the indictments today. “Violent crime endangers every resident and every family in Western Tennessee,” said Acting United States Attorney Fondren. “These indictments reflect our commitment to tackling violent crime and sending a strong message: if you break federal gun laws, you will face significant penalties. The safety of our citizens remains our top priority and we will continue to pursue justice for our communities.” The following defendants were charged with other firearm or violent crime offenses: Colton Sisco, 30 , was indicted on multiple charges involving making and possessing a firearm – specifically a pipe bomb – in violation of the National Firearms Act; Anthony Wells, 33 , was indicted with being a felon in possession of a firearm; Derrico Childs, 21 , Exavier Spivey, 25 , and James Howard, 22, were charged in a superseding indictment for four counts of armed carjacking and four counts of use of a firearm during a violent crime; Derrion Turner, 19, was indicted for two armed car jackings and an attempted armed carjacking in Memphis committed over a 10-day span in August and September 2023; Justin Bobo , 33, was indicted for possession of a firearm after having at least three prior convictions for serious drug offenses or violent felonies; Keihdra Bledsoe , 28, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm; and Mike Alex Burks Jr., 46, was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm. These cases are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force; the Project Safe Neighborhoods Gun Task Force; the Memphis Police Department; and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Anyone with information about switches or other federal gun crimes can call 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867). The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law. If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of the factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal records (if any), the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. These indictments are 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, using data-driven methods to set focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked the Assistant United States Attorneys prosecuting these cases, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the cases.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Weapons Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –MERVYN LUCAS (“LUCAS”) , age 33, pled guilty on October 31, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon, to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and possession of a car stolen from the Norfolk Southern Railyard, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 659. According to court documents, law enforcement tracked a brand-new Ford F-150 Raptor, stolen from the Norfolk Southern Railyard, to LUCAS ’s residence. The vehicle had a fraudulent temporary license plate and, inside the residence in an envelope addressed to LUCAS, was a second fraudulent plate. Additionally, law enforcement found over 10 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana for distribution in LUCAS ’s residence as well as a Romarm/Cugir Model Micro Draco firearm loaded with over 40 rounds of ammunition. LUCAS possessed the firearm and ammunition in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. As to his conviction for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, LUCAS faces up to five years in prison and a minimum of two years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, and up to three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possession of the stolen F-150 Raptor, he faces up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release. Each count also carries up to a $250,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. 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. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Brooklyn, New York Man Sentenced to 52 Months Incarceration for Drug Distribution in Winooski, Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on November 4, 2024, Dwayne Walcott (a/k/a “Moo”) of Brooklyn, New York was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 52 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Walcott previously pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine base. According to court records, on August 9, 2023, Walcott sold cocaine base to another person inside of a residence in Winooski, Vermont. During that drug transaction, Walcott cooked cocaine from powder into cocaine base on a stove inside of the house. Investigators executed a federal search and seizure warrant at the residence on October 31, 2023 and found cocaine base, drug paraphernalia, and a shotgun inside of the residence. Walcott was arrested pursuant to a federal arrest warrant on December 19, 2023 in a hotel room in Williston, Vermont. From inside of the hotel room, law enforcement located over $8,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia. Walcott’s co-defendant, Justin Bolio, pleaded guilty to drug and firearm charges for his role in the offenses and was sentenced to time served by Chief Judge Reiss on September 16, 2024. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Winooski Police Department, the Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig. Walcott was represented by Natasha Sen, 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 Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Registered Sex Offender from West Gardiner Sentenced to 50 Years for Child Sexual Abuse Material Offenses

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A West Gardiner man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for transporting, receiving, distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material, as well as failing to register as a sex offender. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jon A. Hall (aka L.J. (Little Jon) Hall) , 30, to a total of 600 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution. Hall pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024. According to court records, on August 29, 2022, Maine State Police investigators executed a search warrant in West Gardiner on Hall’s person. In the search, they seized an iPhone belonging to Hall, and child sexual abuse material was recovered from that phone. Some of the images and video files depicted Hall sexually abusing a young child while earlier living in another state. The phone also included messages with a person in Maine while Hall was out of state. In many of those messages, Hall inquired about obtaining nude images of underage children and sent the user child sexual abuse material. There was also evidence of Hall receiving payments for the images via Cash App. The images were of victims under the age of 12 and included images Hall had solicited and received from boys he knew or met online. In April 2015, Hall pleaded guilty to and was convicted of two counts of possessing sexually explicit material depicting a child under 12 and was notified of the requirement as a Tier III lifetime registrant of the sex offender registry to maintain current registration information. “Mr. Hall has a lengthy and troubling history that makes it clear that children are in danger as long as he is free,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee . “Any sentence, no matter how lengthy, can only go so far in providing justice for such heinous acts inflicted upon children, but I hope it provides comfort to all he victimized. My office will continue to prioritize child exploitation prosecutions to protect Maine children from predators like Mr. Hall.” “Hall was a repeat offender who not only possessed and traded in child sexual abuse material, but directly abused and exploited children. His previous conviction shows he is clearly a danger to the community and today’s significant sentence will keep him away from children for a very long time,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England . “With the conclusion of this case, we hope those he victimized can find some amount of closure and peace as they move forward.” Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Northern Minnesota Man Indicted for “Cryptojacking” Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A northern Minnesota man has been indicted for an illegal “cryptojacking” scheme that caused significant financial losses, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, in February 2020, Joshua Paul Armbrust, 44, of Orr, Minnesota, resigned from his employment at Digital River, a Minnetonka-based global e-commerce and payment processing company. After leaving his job, between December 2020 and May 2021, Armbrust engaged in a cryptojacking scheme using accounts belonging to his former employer. Cryptojacking is a form of cybercrime where an unauthorized party uses someone else's computing resources to mine cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, by leveraging the victim's hardware, which can lead to reduced system performance, increased energy consumption, and higher operating costs. As part of the scheme, Armbrust remotely accessed the company’s Amazon Web Services (AWS) account on multiple occasions without authorization and utilized AWS computers to mine Ethereum cryptocurrency. This unauthorized access resulted in substantial costs for the company, totaling over $45,000. The mined Ethereum was directed into a digital wallet and subsequently transferred to two Coinbase accounts registered solely in Armbrust’s name. Armbrust then liquidated the mined Ethereum, totaling over $7,000, and transferred the proceeds to his Wells Fargo banking account. The indictment charges Armbrust with one count of computer fraud. Armbrust made his initial appearance on November 1, 2024, in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge John F. Docherty. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley M. Endicott is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Victims of cryptocurrency scam awarded restitution

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – After a $47.1 million cryptocurrency scheme caused a Kansas bank to fail, a federal judge ordered during a restitution hearing that millions of dollars seized by the government be divided among investors who suffered financial losses. In August 2024, Shan Hanes, 53, of Elkhart was sentenced to 293 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of embezzlement by a bank officer. While the chief executive officer (CEO) of Heartland Tri-State Bank (HTSB), Hanes initiated outgoing wire transfers of bank funds to a cryptocurrency wallet belonging to third parties. This caused Heartland to collapse, and the bank investors to lose approximately $9 million. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was able to recover $8 million in funds associated with the fraud. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Kansas thanks the FBI for its diligent investigations that led to the discovery and recovery of over $8 million in stolen funds. Through Hanes’ conviction and prison sentence, the Department of Justice obtained justice for the victims, and now with this court order, those victims will receive some financial relief,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Federal Reserve Board - Office of Inspector General (FRB-OIG), and Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General ((FHFA-OIG) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith prosecuted the case. ###


title: Justice Department Awards Over $3 Million to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, has awarded $3,364,666 to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (“LCLE”) to provide resources to help Louisiana agencies fight the drug epidemic and violent crime throughout the state of Louisiana. The project activities include providing state and local units of government funding to enforce drug control laws and to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, with an emphasis on violent crime and serious offenders. Expected outcomes for this program include continuing programs to improve drug control via enforcement of the laws against violent and non-violent crime; addressing recidivism by strengthening the areas of the criminal justice system that focus on prevention of crime and on drug abuse intervention; and responding to the need for specialized law enforcement and prosecution training. Subrecipient activities will be determined by data gathered from district planning meetings, as well as information collected by the Louisiana Law Enforcement Commission staff and policy board. These activities along with other statutory program areas will include promoting law enforcement, prosecution and adjudication efforts necessary to provide for a safe and drug-free society. LCLE is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community. For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or OJP.OCOM@ojp.usdoj.gov .


title: New Jersey Man Admits Aiding Conspiracy to Defraud the Elderly

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from New Jersey pleaded guilty Monday and admitted picking up cash and gold bars from elderly victims of a fraud conspiracy. Andy R. Miqui-Castillo, 35, of Newark, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. He admitted being recruited in October of 2023 to act as a courier for a conspiracy that targeted the elderly. The conspirators contacted victims falsely claiming to be from various financial institutions or government agencies. They told them that their accounts had been compromised and were being used for illegal activity and induced victims to give them cash or valuables to stop that illegal activity. Miqui-Castillo was provided with the victims’ addresses, picked up cash or other valuables and then delivered or shipped it to co-conspirators in exchange for money. Miqui-Castillo retrieved or attempted to retrieve cash and gold bars totaling more than $550,000 from four victims in October and November of 2023. He was paid $4,500. He picked up a total of $50,000 in cash and two 100-gram gold bars from two victims in New York and five 1-kilogram gold bars from a North Carolina victim. Miqui-Castillo was arrested by law enforcement on Nov. 17, 2023, while attempting to pick up three 1-kilogram gold bars worth $196,000 from a St. Louis area victim. Miqui-Castillo is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 11, 2025. The conspiracy charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.


title: Former Mexico City Resident Who Oversaw International Drug Money Laundering Conspiracy Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Prison

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The lead defendant in a criminal case who oversaw a money laundering conspiracy that moved millions of dollars in narcotics-related funds from the United States to international drug trafficking organizations was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison. Daniel Shaun Zilke, 49, a.k.a. “The Englishman,” most recently a resident of Mexico City, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay $150,000 in restitution to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and fined him $50,000. Zilke pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, conspiracy to launder money, and obstruction of an official government proceeding for stealing and attempting to cover up the theft of $150,000 in DEA undercover funds. Zilke has been in federal custody since May 2023. Federal prosecutors have secured two other convictions in this case. Gustavo Adolfo Aldana-Martinez, 58, of Pico Rivera, is serving a four-year prison sentence and was fined $25,000 after a jury in December 2023 found him guilty of money laundering conspiracy to conceal drug proceeds. Jeffrey Mark Thompson, 63, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, money laundering conspiracy, and concealment money laundering of drug trafficking proceeds and is awaiting sentencing when he will face up to life imprisonment. Beginning in 2015 and continuing until approximately February 2020, Zilke laundered money on behalf of drug trafficking organizations. According to court documents, the investigation into Zilke’s operation started in late 2015 when an undercover DEA agent posing as a money launderer contacted Zilke. When he pleaded guilty, Zilke admitted telling the undercover “he had a client in Europe who needed hundreds of millions of dollars moved to Mexico, and that he could use the bank account of a charity in Dallas, Texas to assist in laundering the money.” The undercover agent agreed to assist Zilke by allowing him to use bank accounts associated with cash-intensive businesses. Subsequently, Zilke and his associates arranged numerous pickups of large sums of cash from drug traffickers in cities all over the country, funds that were deposited at Zilke’s direction into various bank accounts, including one controlled by Aldana-Martinez and another in the name of a purported charity, Peace Through Water Foundation. Zilke and other co-conspirators each earned a commission that was a percentage of the amount laundered through their respective accounts, according to court documents. During the investigation, Zilke approached the DEA in 2019 and offered his cooperation to expose the money laundering organization. After being made a cooperator and agreeing to always be truthful, Zilke received $200,000 in official government funds to be delivered to defendant Thompson. The intent was for Thompson to launder the money through his bank accounts and return the money to DEA undercover accounts. However, approximately two weeks after the cash delivery, Zilke returned to Thompson’s residence and took back $150,000 without telling the DEA agents. After this theft of government funds, he repeatedly lied to the agents about the money and made excuses for why it was taking so long to receive the wire transfers for the full $200,000. DEA Seattle and DEA San Ysidro investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Julie J. Shemitz of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Virginia company and two senior executives charged with illegally exporting millions of dollars of U.S. technology to Russia

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, made their initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to a now unsealed complaint charging them with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act. “We must not allow critical systems and technologies to be transferred to anyone who may use them against America and our global partners,” said Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Guarding against these transfers is imperative, and violations of the laws that protect our national security will be met with ardent prosecution.” “As alleged, the defendants — a Virginia company and two of its senior executives — conspired through three evasion schemes to circumvent the export restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen. “U.S. companies are responsible for complying with laws that protect our national security. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals and companies who violate these laws and place financial profit over our collective security.” “This company allegedly used not one, not two, but three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia,” said Assistant Secretary for the Department of Commerce Export Enforcement, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Matthew S. Axelrod. “Today’s charges, against both the company and two top executives, are a prime example of our work to bring to justice both the companies and the corporate executives alleged to have circumvented our rules in search of a fatter bottom line.” “Export control evasion schemes put the American public at risk by concealing the true recipient,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “In this instance, HSI, working in partnership with our colleagues at Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, uncovered this scheme was supporting a sanctioned country, thus threatening our national security and the safety of other countries. HSI is dedicated to preventing technology with military applications from falling into the wrong hands.” According to the complaint, between approximately March 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc. (Eleview), a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, allegedly conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia. As alleged, the defendants operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly. The defendants then allegedly consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries, in exchange for a fee. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the defendants allegedly began shipping items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan, knowing that the items were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, the defendants allegedly made numerous false statements to the Department of Commerce and other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants allegedly engaged in three export-control evasion schemes, each specific to a different intermediary country. In the Turkey scheme, the defendants allegedly exported about $1.48 million worth of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey, knowing that the equipment was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The telecommunications equipment that the defendants allegedly exported illegally as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks in its war effort against Ukraine. In the Finland scheme, the defendants allegedly exported about $3.45 million worth of goods purchased to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, the defendants allegedly affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods that the defendants allegedly exported illegally as part of the Finland scheme included “high priority” items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets. In the Kazakhstan scheme, the defendants allegedly exported about $1.47 million worth of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that the defendants allegedly exported illegally as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled, dual-use items. If convicted, Nayandin and Borisenko face up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. BIS and HSI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with past assistance provided by then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh. The case is being coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Rocky Hill Pharmacy And Its Owners Indicted For Conspiring To Submit False Pharmacy Claims, Making False Statements, And Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A federal grand jury in Knoxville returned an eight (8) count indictment on October 16, 2024, against Rocky Hill Pharmacy, LLC, and its co-owners, Anne Warren (“Warren”), 44, and Tiffany Haney (“Haney”), 41, both of Knoxville, Tennessee, for Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud, False Statements in Connection with Health Care Matters, and Aggravated Identity Theft. Warren and Haney appeared in court on November 1, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill E. McCook for an initial appearance. They were released pending trial, on a date to be set, in United States District Court, in Knoxville, Tennessee. The indictment alleges that Warren and Haney altered or forged prescriptions in support of claims for reimbursement to various drug plans. The indictment also alleges that Warren and Haney made false statements and used the names and National Provider Identification (NPI) numbers of another person without lawful authority. If convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud (Count 1), Warren and Haney face a term of ten (10) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of up to three (3) years. If convicted of False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters (Counts 2 – 4), Warren and Haney face a term of five (5) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of up to one (1) year, and if convicted of Aggravated Identity Theft (Counts 5 – 8), Warren and Haney face a term of two (2) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release of up to one year. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. This indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation – Medicaid Fraud Control Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy S. Dykes will represent the United States. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. ###