title: U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners take action against money mules in order to disrupt transnational fraud schemes and educate the public

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, alongside its law enforcement partners to include FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), are committed to educating the public regarding the Money Mule Initiative, an annual campaign to identify, disrupt, and criminally prosecute networks of individuals who transmit funds from fraud victims to international fraudsters. Fraudsters rely on money mules to facilitate a range of fraud schemes, including those that predominantly impact older Americans, such as lottery fraud, romance scams and grandparent scams as well as those that target businesses or government pandemic funds. Law enforcement continues to take action to stop money mules responsible for facilitating a range of fraud schemes. Acts include criminal prosecutions designed to punish those intentionally assisting fraudsters and warning letters intended to advise those who may have been unknowingly recruited by fraudsters. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners continue to engage in outreach in order to educate the public about how fraudsters use money mules and how to avoid unknowingly assisting fraud by receiving and transferring money. Many money mules begin as victims of romance or lottery scams and are unknowingly lured by fraudsters into transmitting fraud proceeds based on lies. Other money mules are recruited into what they initially believe to be legitimate work-at-home jobs. “Our Office is committed to dismantling criminal networks, to include those designed to inflict financial harm upon older Americans,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to disrupt money mule networks, educate consumers about scams, and prosecute criminals who defraud the public. Our goal is to keep money out of the hands of domestic and international fraudsters and in the pockets and bank accounts of the South Florida residents and visitors we serve.” “Money mules help criminals launder illicit proceeds derived from online scams, financial frauds, drug trafficking, or other crimes to make it harder for law enforcement to accurately trace,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami Field Office. “To be very clear, acting as a money mule is illegal. Go to FBI.GOV to learn more about this growing and pernicious problem.” “The U.S. Secret Service remains dedicated to combatting financial crimes, including those involving money mules who unwittingly aid fraudsters in scams that target the elderly”, said Rafael Barros Special Agent in Charge of the U.S Secret Service, Miami Field Office. “By working closely with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to disrupting criminal networks and protecting the public from falling victim to these fraudulent schemes." The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has charged and will continue to charge defendants criminally for knowingly receiving and forwarding victim funds or otherwise laundering fraud proceeds. These cases include: Daphne De la Caridad Gonzalez, 23, of Miami, Florida, and Neovordo Gordon, 24, and Collins Oleh, 24, both of Pembroke Pines, Florida, were charged for their involvement in a money laundering conspiracy that spanned multiple continents and millions of dollars. According to court documents, federal agents began investigating a bank impersonation scheme in 2022. It is alleged that to facilitate the scheme a fraudster(s) would contact small business owners and impersonate their bank representatives to coerce them into giving sensitive bank account information. The fraudster(s) would then use the victim’s bank account information to log into the victim’s accounts and initiate wire transfers from the victim’s bank accounts into the accounts of various money launderers. According to allegations in the charging documents, Gonzalez, Gordon, and Oleh were among the money launderers that received fraud proceeds from the victim’s bank accounts. They would receive the funds themselves or assist others that they recruited in receiving the funds and withdrawing the money, keeping a portion and directing a portion back to the fraudster. Gonzalez pled guilty and, on April 26, 2024, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for her role in the conspiracy, wherein she laundered between $1.5 million and $3.5 million dollars (Case No. 23-CR-20467). Gordon pled guilty on March 18, 2024, to laundering between $3.5 and $9.5 million dollars. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26, 2024 (Case No. 23-CR-20399). Oleh is scheduled for trial on July 1, 2024 (Case No. 23-CR-20399). A criminal complaint and an indictment contain allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. U.S. Secret Service and FDIC-OIG investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moore and Michael Brenner are prosecuting the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture. Michael Gonzalez, 30, a Venezuelan national residing in Doral, Florida, was charged via superseding indictment with conspiring with two other men to commit money laundering (Case No. 20-CR-20515). According to Court records filed at the time of the co-conspirators’ guilty pleas, between 2018 and 2019 Gonzalez directed Jose Manuel Samame and Leonardo Villa Lazo to open bank accounts in South Florida in order to receive and withdraw hundreds of thousands of dollars sent by fraud victims around the country. The victims believed they were paying for goods and services they purchased via eBay, Booking.com, AirBNB, and other online marketplaces. Of course, the victims never actually received the goods and services, which included vintage automobiles, commercial vehicles, and short-term vacation rental homes. According to Samame and Villa Lazo’s plea agreements, Gonzalez directed them to withdraw and transfer the victims’ money and to invite friends to participate in the scheme. Gonzalez assured Samame that the money came from a “fake website scam” and would “jump around,” thus ensuring the money mules would not get caught, according to the facts admitted by Samame during his guilty plea. In total, Gonzalez, Samame, and Villa Lazo, recruited at least four additional, high-school-age participants to receive, withdraw, and transfer the victims’ funds. Samame, 25, and Villa Lazo, 24, each pled guilty on Feb. 10, 2021, to money laundering conspiracy charges. They received sentences of 18 and 13 months’ imprisonment, respectively, and were ordered to pay $127,646.00 in restitution to their victims. Gonzalez is scheduled for trial on July 8, 2024. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture matters. Consumers are encouraged to be on the lookout for signs someone is trying to recruit them to receive and transmit fraud proceeds. Do not agree to receive money or checks mailed to you or sent to your bank account for someone you have met over the phone or online. Do not open a bank or cryptocurrency account at someone else’s direction. Fraudsters will lie to persuade you to help them. They may falsely tell you that they are helping you get a lottery prize, initiate a purported romantic relationship and then tell you that they need money, or pretend to offer you a job, an opportunity to invest in a business venture, or the chance to help in a charitable effort. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov to receive consumer complaints. More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . The Justice Department provides information about a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which are available at www.ovc.gov . You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov . ###


title: West Roxbury Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-Relief Funds

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A West Roxbury man pleaded guilty on May 15, 2024 in federal court in Boston to a fraud charge in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain pandemic-related relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Donovan Scarlett, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 5, 2024. Scarlett was charged and arrested in February 2024 along with over 40 alleged Heath Street Gang members/associates, who were charged with racketeering conspiracy; drug trafficking; firearms charges; and financial frauds, including COVID-related fraud. In March 2021, Scarlett submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of his purported business. The fraudulent PPP loan application contained multiple false statements, including false representations regarding the purported business’s total gross income in 2020 and Scarlett’s criminal history. Scarlett also submitted false tax records in support of his loan application. Based on the fraudulent application, Scarlett received approximately $13,600 which he spent on non-business-related expenses. The CARES Act created a temporary loan program directed at small businesses called the PPP. PPP loans were processed by private financial institutions and fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If the small business used the loan funds for approved purposes, such as payroll, the loan could be forgiven by the financial institution and paid for by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. 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; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Harry T. Chavis Jr, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Hoefle and Lucy Sun of the Organized Crime & Gang 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 . On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Former Montgomery County Restaurant Owner Charged with PPP and RRF Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Giuseppina “Josephine” Leone, 61, of North Wales, PA, was charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud for making false representations in documents relating to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Restaurant Revitalization Fund (“RRF”) program, which provided emergency financial assistance to business owners suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment alleges that Leone and her husband were owners of Ristorante San Marco (“RSM”), an Italian restaurant located in Ambler, PA. Leone and her husband executed an Agreement for Sale of Real Property dated October 20, 2019, listing themselves as the “Sellers” of the RSM property and a third party as the “Buyer” for a purchase price of $1,575,000. Subsequently, on or about March 18, 2020, Leone posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page informing the public that RSM would be temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. RSM remained closed and never reopened. The indictment further alleges that despite the restaurant not being in operation in April 2020, Leone submitted a fraudulent application for a PPP loan in the amount of $138,000. This application misrepresented that RSM, which had been closed for approximately a month, had 17 employees, and would use the loan for payroll and other operating expenses. The fraudulent application was approved, and the loan funds were deposited into RSM’s bank account later that month. The loan was subsequently forgiven based on further misrepresentations by Leone. In January 2021, while the restaurant was still not in operation, Leone submitted another fraudulent application for a PPP loan, this time seeking $120,000. The application made similar misrepresentations and was approved, resulting in the requested funds being deposited into RSM’s bank account in February 2021. Again, the PPP loan was forgiven due to misrepresentations by Leone. Finally, Leone defrauded another COVID-19 relief program. While RSM was still not in operation in May 2021, Leone submitted a fraudulent application for a grant under the RRF program, requesting $699,196 for restaurant operations. This RRF application mispresented that RSM , which had not been operating since March 2020, was in operation and that the money would be used to pay employee wages. As a result of this deception, the request was approved, and the funds were deposited into RSM’s bank account later in May 2021. One month later, in June 2021, Leone closed on the sale of RSM. Nonetheless, over a year later, Leone misrepresented to the federal government that the RRF funds had been used for eligible purposes, even though RSM was never reopened by Leone. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison for each count and a total fine of $750,000. The defendant will also be required to forfeit all proceeds received as a result of the alleged fraud, including, but not limited to, the sum of $957,196. The case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Angella Middleton. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Owner of Construction Companies Pleads Guilty to Tax and Mail Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A Hopkinton man pleaded guilty this week to defrauding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Travelers Insurance Company in relation to wages he paid to employees of his two construction companies. Dariusz Pietron, 51, pleaded guilty on May 15, 2024 to three counts of failure to collect and pay over employment taxes to the IRS and one count of mail fraud relating to underpaid workers’ compensation insurance premiums. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Aug. 28, 2024. Between 2012 and October 2018, Pietron owned and operated TJM Construction, Inc. (TJM) and Point Construction, Inc. (Point). Pietron failed to report his employees’ wages to the IRS, failed to withhold required employment taxes and failed to pay employment taxes to the IRS. Pietron also failed to disclose to Travelers Insurance Company the actual wages he paid to employees, which resulted in him paying less in workers’ compensation insurance premiums than what he would have otherwise owed. As part of the scheme, Pietron recruited and paid two employees to establish three shell companies – companies that would make it appear as if TJM and Point’s employees were subcontractors to whom Pietron had no tax obligations. Pietron thereby failed to pay more than $1.1 million in employment taxes and defrauded Travelers of approximately $244,000. The charge of failure to pay over taxes provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Pietron has also agreed to pay restitution to the IRS and Travelers Insurance and to forfeit $244,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Katherine Mulligan, Chief of Investigations for the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Six Defendants Indicted on Federal Fraud Charge for Allegedly Staging Robberies To Apply for Immigration Visas

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — Six individuals conspired to stage armed robberies in Chicago and the suburbs so that the purported victims could apply for U.S. immigration visas reserved for certain crime victims, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Chicago. PARTH NAYI and KEWON YOUNG allegedly organized and participated in staged armed robberies at restaurants, coffee shops, liquor stores, and gas stations in Chicago and the suburbs of Lombard, Elmwood Park, St. Charles, Hickory Hills, River Grove, Lake Villa, and South Holland, as well as restaurants in Rayne, La., and Belvidere, Tenn. The indictment alleges that BHIKHABHAI PATEL, NILESH PATEL, RAVINABEN PATEL, and RAJNIKUMAR PATEL arranged with Nayi to be “victims” of the staged robberies so that they could submit applications for U nonimmigrant status (“U-visa”), which is set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and are helpful to law enforcement or government officials in an investigation or prosecution. The indictment alleges that individuals paid Nayi thousands of dollars to participate in the scam. During the staged robberies, individuals acting as robbers brandished what appeared to be firearms, approached the purported victims, and demanded money and property, the indictment states. Afterwards, some of the purported victims submitted forms to local law enforcement to obtain certification that they were victims of a qualifying crime and had been or would be helpful in the investigation, the indictment states. Upon receiving certification, some of the purported victims then submitted fraudulent U-visa applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services predicated upon their alleged status as a robbery victim. Nayi, 26, of Woodridge, Ill., Young, 31, of Mansfield, Ohio, Bhikhabhai Patel, 51, of Elizabethtown, Ky., Nilesh Patel, 32, of Jackson, Tenn., Ravinaben Patel, 23, of Racine, Wis., and Rajnikumar Patel, 32, of Jacksonville, Fla., are charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Ravinaben Patel is also charged with an individual count of making a false statement in a visa application. The conspiracy charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, while the false statement charge against Ravinaben Patel is punishable by up to ten years. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Moyer and Saqib M. Hussain. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Nayi et al indictment


title: Michigan Man Charged in 29-Count Indictment for Allegedly Defrauding Northampton Company of Nearly $1 Million

body_text: BOSTON – A Michigan man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mass. in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud a Northampton construction company of nearly $1 million. Jonathan McCormack, 39, of Lapeer, Mich., was indicted on 17 counts of wire fraud and 12 counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000. He will appear in federal court in Springfield at a later date. According to the indictment, McCormack was employed as a project supervisor for BluRoc, LLC., a construction company based in Northampton, Mass. McCormack also owned and operated JDM Site Services, LLC (JDM), a Michigan-based company that heavy rented equipment to BluRoc. It is alleged that between January 2019 through January 2021, McCormack devised a scheme to defraud BluRoc by various means, including submitting materially false JDM invoices for purported equipment usage and by diverting BluRoc labor, equipment and materials for his own personal use and benefit. To further this scheme, McCormack allegedly entered fraudulent employee time and JDM equipment usage data in BluRoc’s tracking system that overstated both the number of hours the employees, including himself, were working on BluRoc projects as well as the number of hours JDM equipment was actually used. McCormack also allegedly emailed false JDM invoices to BluRoc personnel for inflated amounts that substantially overstated the number of hours the equipment was actually used. It is further alleged that McCormack deposited payments received for these false invoices into a JDM bank account and used the proceeds for his own personal use and benefit – including to purchase and renovate a luxury hunting lodge; make improvements to his personal residence; purchase recreational vehicles including snowmobiles; and repay a loan to his uncle. Lastly, McCormack allegedly directed BluRoc workers to conduct work at the luxury hunting lodge he purchased, including clearing an area between the lodge and an adjacent property owned by his uncle; laying timber mats that McCormack had stolen from a BluRoc worksite; and haying and seeding the area with material that he had also stolen from a BluRoc worksite. McCormack then allegedly electronically approved the workers’ time and equipment usage in BluRoc’s tracking system – so that BluRoc, rather than McCormack, paid for their work. In addition to the charges, the indictment seeks forfeiture of $920,716, the hunting lodge and six Polaris recreational vehicles. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000 provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil Desroches and Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Deven Moffitt of Bennington Convicted of Federal Gun and Drug Charges

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that yesterday, Deven Moffitt, 33, of Bennington, Vermont was convicted in U.S. District Court in Burlington of three drug and gun charges after a four-day jury trial. U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss ordered that Moffitt remain in jail pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for November 15, 2024. Moffitt has been held without bail since his arrest in June 2022. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Moffitt was arrested by the Vermont State Police in Bennington on June 1, 2022. From a search of the bags Moffitt was carrying that day, law enforcement recovered over 3,500 individual bags containing fentanyl, additional bags of cocaine and cocaine base, as well as two firearms: a .22 High Standard Manufacturing Corporation revolver and a 9mm Hi-Point semi-automatic pistol. Both guns were loaded, and the 9mm pistol had a bullet in its chamber, with its safety off. Moffitt also possessed over $16,000 in cash upon his arrest. The jury found that Moffitt possessed fentanyl and cocaine with the intent to distribute. The jury also convicted Moffitt of knowingly possessing the firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking, and of possessing those firearms while being a convicted felon. Based on the jury’s verdict, Moffitt faces a mandatory prison sentence of at least five years, with a potential maximum sentence of life. The actual sentence will be determined with reference to Federal Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigative work of Vermont State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. “This case is another example of the connection between drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms. Because of the dangers of guns and drugs, in the interest of public safety, this office, along with our investigative partners, will continue to prioritize prosecution of these federal crimes.” U.S. Attorney Kerest also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service for assistance during trial. At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew C. Gilman and Julia “Jules” Torti represented the government. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher worked on this matter for the government during the pre-trial phase. Moffitt was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq. of Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC. 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: New Orleans Man Sentenced  for Firearms Violation

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that XAVIER DUHON , a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on May 14, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry, to 87 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to unlawful possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2). Judge Guidry also ordered that DUHON be placed on supervised release for 3 years following release from imprisonment and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court records, on March 23, 2023, following a traffic collision, DUHON fired upon another vehicle while crossing the Crescent City Connection bridge, east bank bound. Law enforcement officers attempted to stop DUHON ’s vehicle, but DUHON led officers on both a vehicle and foot, pursuit. DUHON was arrested shortly thereafter in the 900 block of Magazine Street. As officers reviewed surveillance video and retraced DUHON ’s flight path, they recovered two pistols, a Glock Model 17, 9-millimeter pistol and a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, each equipped with a machinegun conversion device. 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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Driving School Owner Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud RMV

body_text: BOSTON – A Brockton man was arrested today on charges that he bribed a road test examiner to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who did not pass or even take road tests at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton. Carlos Cardoso, 70, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Boston on five counts of honest services mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. He will appear in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. this afternoon. According to the indictment, Cardoso, the owner of a driving school, paid cash bribes totaling $20,000 - $30,000 to a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not. It is alleged that some of the applicants did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. The charge of honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two additional South Florida residents plead guilty to health care fraud charges in diabetic test strip diversion scheme

body_text: MIAMI – On May 10, two additional South Florida men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their role in a diversion scheme involving the distribution of adulterated and misbranded diabetic test strips. The scheme involved the acquisition of non-retail or international diabetic test strips ( i.e. , diabetic test strips intended by manufacturers for distribution only outside of the United States), for sale to licensed retail pharmacies as retail diabetic test strips to make a higher profit. The fraud scheme resulted in around $12 million in fraudulent proceeds. Howard Neil Frank, 60, of Marco Island, Florida, owner of two diabetic test strip wholesale businesses, Wholesale Diabetic Supplies Inc and HMF Distributing Inc, and Perfecto Fermin Hallon, 77, of Miramar, Florida, former president of another diabetic test strip wholesale business, Medical Care Supplies Inc, acquired the diabetic test strips through illegal importations, theft, or by buying the diabetic test strips from patients who obtained prescriptions but chose to sell them rather than use them. The wholesale company owners then sold the adulterated and misbranded diabetic test strips to licensed retail pharmacies, some of which they also owned. These licensed retail pharmacies sold the adulterated and misbranded diabetic test strips to patients who did not know the real source of the diabetic test strips. In turn, these licensed retail pharmacies then submitted claims for reimbursement through private and government health benefit plans as retail diabetic test strips. To deceive auditors and inspectors, Frank and Hallon altered invoices, purchase orders and shipping records, counterfeited National Drug Code (NDC) numbers, bar codes and accompanying labeling, to appear like they had acquired the diabetic test strip from legitimate manufacturers. Hallon’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29 in West Palm Beach. He faces up to 10 years in prison. Frank’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2 in West Palm Beach. He faces up to 10 years in prison. To date, a total of four defendants have been indicted in connection with this scheme. In 2021, Mohamed Mokbel, was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. The trial is scheduled for October in West Palm Beach. Mokbel is also charged with health care fraud and money laundering in the Southern District of Texas. The trial is scheduled for August in Texas. In 2022, Jason Grama, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, was sentenced to three years supervised release and ordered to pay almost $300,000 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA - OCI), Miami Field Office, announced the guilty plea. FDA - OCI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurence M. Bardfeld is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling asset forfeiture. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 21-cr-60113. ###


title: Sioux City Man Sent to Federal Prison for Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who was convicted by a jury for receiving and possessing child pornography was sentenced, May 16, 2024, to 16 years in federal prison. Anthony Michael Tucker age 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a jury verdict finding him guilty of Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Evidence at trial showed that in January 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a Cybertip from Google that accounts belonging to Tucker contained over 85 images and seven videos of child sexual abuse material. The images and videos included depictions of sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers. During trial, jurors watched a video-recorded interview of Tucker speaking with an Iowa DCI agent where he admitted he was responsible for the content on the Google account and stated, “there’s more that I run across…those are just the ones I kept.” In 2010, Tucker was previously convicted for Lascivious Acts with a Child. Tucker, then 21, had sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old female. Tucker was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Tucker was sentenced to 192 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victims of the offense. He was also ordered to pay $1,200 in additional fines and assessments. Tucker must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Tucker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, Cyber Crime Bureau and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-4045. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Laredo resident sent to prison for impersonating licensed nurse

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas - A 36-year-old woman has been sentenced for her conviction of false statements in a health care matter, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Nora Nely Avila pleaded guilty Jan. 3, 2021. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Avila to serve 18 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that Avila incorrectly took out stitches from a patient’s wound, leading to an infection. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Ellison entered a money judgement against Avila for $52,241.66. Avila admitted that from January 2017 through December 2019, she impersonated a nurse and performed unlicensed work at multiple hospitals and home health companies in the Laredo area. From 2017 until 2019, Avila stole the identity of a licensed nurse and repeatedly and fraudulently presented the license and credentials of this licensed nurse at federally-funded Medicare and Medicaid providers throughout Laredo. At other home health agencies, Avila falsified patient records and failed to show up to work which left patients without needed care. Avila also obtained employment as nurse trainer in the federal-funded Job Corps program and was assigned to train future nurses. Previously released on bond, Avila was permitted to remain on bond and to surrender at a later date. FBI, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Department of Labor – OIG, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson prosecuted the case.


title: Local woman sent to prison for decades-long use of stolen identity

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 53-year-old woman has been sentenced for passport fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Elizabeth Ann Berbel pleaded guilty Aug. 28, 2023. Berbel is also known as Ana Elizabeth Gomez-Garcia, Ana Elizabeth Gomez Garcia, Ana Elizabeth Gomez, Anna Elizabeth Gomez Garcia, Anna Elizabeth Gomez, Elizabeth Berbel, Elizabeth Ann Gomez, Tina Gomez-Manns and Anna Gomez. U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison has now ordered Berbel to serve six and 24 months for the passport fraud and aggravated identity theft convictions, respectively. They will run consecutively for a total 30-month-term of imprisonment. Berbel was also ordered to pay $3,083.43 in restitution. During the hearing, the court heard testimony from the victim who described the trauma she has experienced as a result of Berbel’s conduct as well as the negative impact the use of her identity has had on her life and career. On March 22, 2019, Berbel applied for a passport in Laredo. Part of the application required her to include the names of her parents, her place of birth and her Social Security number. At the time of the plea, Berbel admitted she included information that actually belonged to another person. Berbel had been using the victim’s Social Security number and other information as early as 2001. The investigation further revealed that in August 2005, law enforcement had stopped at Berbel at the Laredo Port of Entry. At that time, she was carrying multiple forms of identification including a Social Security card with the victim’s number. At the time, Berbel admitted she was not the person on the identification documents and that she was in fact Ana Elizabeth Gomez Garcia, a citizen and national of Mexico. She also acknowledged having other identification documents hidden in her car. Berbel claimed she waited a week or two before returning to the United States by using these other documents. Authorities were also able to locate and identify several of Berbel’s biological family members. The investigation confirmed her true identity and not the one she had been assuming by using the victim’s information. She will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Department of State conducted the investigation with assistance from the Social Security Administration and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew prosecuted the case.


title: Former CEO and Office Manager Sentenced and Ordered to Repay More than One Million in Restitution

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – This week, the court sentenced Dawna Rochelle Sanders and Tracy Glenn Whyburn . Sanders and Whyburn are former employees of Premier Community Services (PCS). “For several years, Sanders and Whyburn took advantage of their employer whose mission is to help people with special needs,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This sentencing sends a clear message that those who defraud others for their own personal gain will be brought to justice.” “Together Mr. Whyburn and Ms. Sanders embezzled more than $1.1 million from their employer and attempted to hide the money through various transactions,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. “The financial expertise of CI Special Agents identified their illicit activity and, working with other agencies, brought them to justice.” According to court documents, PCS provides community-based residential support services to people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. From 2009 through 2016, Sanders conspired with her colleague, Whyburn to defraud PCS and the Bank of Oklahoma. As the CEO, Sanders was entrusted with managing the daily business affairs for PCS. As the office manager, Whyburn reported directly to Sanders. Part of the duo’s elaborate scheme included “ghost employees.” Sanders would direct funds to Whyburn through the ghost employees. Whyburn would cash the check and split the proceeds with Sanders. The duo’s scheme cost PCS more than $1.1 million. U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Sanders , 55, for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud. Judge Hill ordered Sanders to 33 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and to pay more than $999k in restitution. U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Whyburn , 64, for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud; and Willfully Making and Subscribing a False Income Tax Return. Judge Russell ordered Whyburn to 24 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and to pay more than $603k in restitution. Sanders and Whyburn were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The IRS Criminal Investigations assisted in the investigation of both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi prosecuted the case.


title: Former IRS Revenue Officer And His Brother Among Six Defendants Sentenced To Prison In Multi-Million-Dollar Covid-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Six defendants, including a former IRS revenue officer and his brother, have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 12 to 30 months following their convictions on charges that they fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of the Oakland Field Office; Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the Western Region; and Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Special Agent in Charge Jon Ellwanger of the Western Region. The sentences were handed down by the Hon. Araceli Martínez-Olguín, United States District Judge. Five defendants—Frank Mosley, 58, of Oakland; his brother Reginald Mosley, 60, of Sacramento; Marcus Wilborn, 50, of Elk Grove, California; Aaron Boren, 56, of Roseville, California; and Scott Conway, 52, of Rocklin, California—pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. The Mosley brothers, both of whom were sentenced to 30 months in prison, also pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and advising in the filing of false tax returns, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7201(2). Wilborn was sentenced to 18 months in prison and Boren and Conway were each sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for their roles in the scheme. The sixth defendant—Kenya Ellis, 55, of Los Angeles—pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344, and was sentenced to 12 months in prison. All six defendants were originally charged in May 2023. According to the defendants’ plea agreements and the parties’ sentencing memoranda, Frank Mosley was a tax enforcement officer for the City of Oakland and a former IRS revenue officer who conspired with others between July 2020 and September 2021 to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications and to spend his portion of the more than $3 million in loan funds he and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained on personal investments and expenses. “At the height of a global pandemic wreaking havoc on American businesses and families, these defendants fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in aid money intended to help those who desperately needed it and used that money to enrich themselves,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “That one of these defendants was a former IRS revenue officer makes their crime that much more concerning. These sentences should help rebuild some of the public trust eroded by the defendants’ greed.” “Frank and Reginald Mosley, along with their co-conspirators, ran an abhorrent scheme that fraudulently obtained over $3 million of funds designed to help struggling businesses in the wake of a global pandemic. Even worse, Frank Mosley, a former IRS revenue agent, exploited his expertise to help cover up the scheme,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley. “No one is above the law. Fostering confidence in our financial system and public institutions is at the core of IRS Criminal Investigation’s mission.” “The Mosley brothers orchestrated a scheme that defrauded the federal government of over $3 million in pandemic relief funds intended to help distressed businesses for their own personal gain,” said Jon Ellwanger, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “They and their co-conspirators have now been brought to justice for their actions. We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to achieve this result.” “This sentencing sends a clear message that those who defraud SBA’s programs will be held accountable,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “Our office will remain steadfast in pursuing those who exploit such vital resources for personal gain, ensuring accountability, and justice for the American taxpayer. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their unwavering commitment to pursuing justice in this case.” According to their plea agreements, the Mosley brothers, Wilborn, Boren, and Conway each admitted their involvement in a scheme to obtain millions of dollars in PPP loans by submitting fraudulent documents on behalf of companies the defendants falsely certified had dozens of employees and hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly payroll expenses. In fact, these were shell companies with no legitimate employees and no payroll expenses. The defendants also admitted they did not use the PPP loan funds they fraudulently obtained on legitimate business expenses; rather, they admitted using those funds for personal expenses and investments, to pay their personal credit card bills, and to transfer money to family members. According to their plea agreements, Frank and Reginald Mosley submitted a fraudulent loan application on behalf of Forward Thinking Investors, Inc., an entity they controlled, in August 2020. They received more than $1 million in PPP funds, and Reginald Mosley thereafter recruited acquaintances (including Wilborn, Boren, and Conway) who owned companies that existed before February 2020 to submit additional fraudulent loan applications. Frank and Reginald Mosley helped prepare fraudulent loan applications for Wilborn, Boren, and Conway, who kicked back some of the PPP funds they received to the Mosley brothers. In fact, Frank and Reginald Mosley admitted they drafted a contract under which they would receive at least 15 percent of any fraudulently obtained PPP funds in exchange for their assistance in preparing and submitting fraudulent applications for Wilborn, Boren, and Conway. Finally, Frank and Reginald Mosley admitted filing fraudulent payroll tax returns with the IRS to cover up their scheme. In her plea agreement, Ellis admitted she aided and advised the Mosley brothers and others in connection with their fraudulent PPP loan applications. She also admitted that, in 2020 and 2021, she fraudulently obtained almost $300,000 in PPP loans and other pandemic-relief aid in connection with an entity she falsely claimed to own and about which she made other material false statements, including regarding its number of employees and monthly payroll expenses. In fact, Ellis was unaffiliated with the entity, whose true owner had no awareness of, or involvement in, the preparation and submission of Ellis’ loan applications. The PPP was administered by the SBA as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide billions of dollars in emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other qualified business expenses. In addition to sentencing all six defendants to prison, Judge Martínez-Olguín ordered each of them to serve three years of supervised release to begin after their prison terms are completed. Judge Martínez-Olguín also ordered each defendant to pay restitution in an amount to be set at a later date. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abraham Fine is prosecuting these cases with assistance from Kay Konopaske. The prosecutions are the result of an investigation by IRS-CI, SBA OIG, and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.


title: Former San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Charged with Civil Rights Violation for Fatally Shooting Unarmed Man

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in San Diego returned a two-count indictment charging former San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Russell for fatally shooting Nicholas Bils on May 1, 2020. Russell is charged with depriving Bils of his right to be free from officers using excessive force and with discharging a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. The indictment alleges that Russell, while acting as a San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy, shot Bils after Bils had escaped from a California Parks vehicle and was running away from law enforcement officers who were chasing him. Without warning Bils or his fellow officers, Russell fired five shots at Bils, who was unarmed, as he ran away. One or more of the shots hit Bils in the back and caused his death. None of the other officers on scene fired a shot or drew a weapon. If convicted, Russell 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. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California and Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBI San Diego Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Seth Askins for the Southern District of California, Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer and Trial Attorney Lia Rettammel of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: FBI Arrest District of Columbia Man Following Indictment on Charges of Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Gustav Donald Seestedt, 37, of Northwest Washington D.C., was taken into custody on Thursday, May 16, 2024, following an indictment charging him with distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The government alleges that on May 7, 2024, Seestedt exchanged messages with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) assigned to the FBI’s Washington Field Office (WFO) through an encrypted messaging application. During the chat, Seestedt expressed a sexual interest in children and sent the UC four videos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including one video depicting the anal rape of a toddler who was crying and resisting her assailant. Distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a statutory maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guideline and other statutory factors. The case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy in and around the Quincy and Weymouth areas. Neylton Fontes, 36, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including cocaine, fentanyl and fentanyl analogue; and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and fentanyl analogue. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Sept. 16, 2024. Fontes was indicted along with three others in October 2023 . Around January 2021, Fontes possessed with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and fentanyl analogue and participated in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and fentanyl analogue in Quincy and Weymouth. The charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogue and conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $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 and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department; Massachusetts State Police; and the Brockton, Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Boston, Bridgewater, East Bridgewater and Barnstable Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang 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 . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: California Man Charged With Selling Illegal Depressant Etizolam Over the Internet

body_text: BOSTON – A California man has been charged for allegedly conspiring to sell the illegal depressant Etizolam over the internet. Paul Z. Lamberty, 52, of Folsom, Calif., was charged in a two-count information with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of the introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, Lamberty operated websites encern.com and ohmod.com to sell the drug Etizolam to customers throughout the United States, including customers in Massachusetts. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Etizolam for use as a drug, and thus it cannot be sold or prescribed in the United States. Despite this, Lamberty allegedly purchased drugs from suppliers in China, imported those drugs into the United States and sold the drugs with false labelling stating that the products were sold “For Research Purposes Only,” and “Not for Human Consumption.” According to the charging documents, Etizolam is a drug known as a thienodiazepine – a class of drugs chemically related to benzodiazepines, which produce central nervous system depression. Physicians may prescribe FDA-approved benzodiazepines to treat insomnia and anxiety, but benzodiazepines and thienodiazepines also carry risks of dependency, toxicity and even fatal overdose, particularly when combined with other central nervous system depressants. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of introduction of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead provides for a sentence up to three years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Lauren A. Graber of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Shooting Teenager in the Face

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Delmar Whitley, also known as Damar Whitley, 47, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to a total period of 13 years in prison for shooting a 17-year-old teen in the face and back, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Honorable Marisa J. Demeo of D.C. Superior Court sentenced Whitley on May 17, 2024, to 13 years for assault with intent to kill while armed and five years for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Whitley entered his guilty plea on March 15, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, with which Whitley agreed, on the morning of August 31, 2022, Whitley returned home to his apartment building in the 4700 block of Alabama Avenue SE. While walking through the common area of the building, Whitley exchanged words with the first victim, a 17-year-old who was visiting the building before he and his classmates were to go to school. After that exchange, Whitley went inside his apartment briefly, came back out armed with a firearm, and shot the teenaged victim in the face. Whitley then chased that victim outside and shot him a second time, hitting him in the back. Video footage showed that Whitley also pointed the gun at another teen who had been with the victim and was also trying to get away. Whitley fled the scene immediately after the shooting. Police arrested him on September 22, 2022, and Whitley has been detained since that date. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Prins and Michael Roberts, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Man Sentenced for $1.9M Baby Formula Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A New York man was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison and ordered to pay approximately $738,000 in restitution and forfeit approximately $1 million for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain specialty baby formula. According to court documents, Vladislav Kotlyar, 45, of Staten Island, submitted and caused the submission of forged prescriptions and medical records for specialty baby formula that was paid for by health insurers. Kotlyar obtained prescriptions and medical records for infants who were prescribed baby formula and forged those records with respect to the type and amount of formula prescribed to obtain high volumes of expensive specialty baby formula. After receiving the specialty baby formula, Kotlyar fabricated issues with the shipments, including by impersonating the infants’ fathers, to falsely claim that shipments were damaged or contained the incorrect formula to acquire additional formula at no additional cost. Kotlyar then sold the fraudulently obtained formula. A portion of Kotlyar’s scheme occurred during a national shortage of infant formula. Kotlyar previously pleaded guilty in March 2023 to mail fraud. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Assistant Director in Charge James Smith of the FBI New York Field Office made the announcement. The FBI New York Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian for the Eastern District of New York assisted with forfeiture. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Cleveland Clinic to Pay Over $7 Million to Settle Allegations of Undisclosed Foreign Sources of Funding on NIH Grant Applications and Reports

body_text: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF) has agreed to pay $7,600,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by submitting to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) federal grant applications and progress reports in which CCF failed to disclose that a key employee involved in administering the grants had pending and/or active financial research support from other sources. The settlement resolves allegations that CCF made false statements to NIH, a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in connection with three federal grant awards. Despite NIH requirements to do so, CCF repeatedly failed to disclose that the employee who it designated as the Principal Investigator on each grant had pending and/or active grants from foreign institutions that provided financial assistance to support the employee’s research and already obligated that employee’s research time. CCF falsely certified that the grants submissions were true and accurate. NIH requires full transparency in applications and throughout the life of the grants it awards. This includes a requirement that grant applicants disclose all sources of research support, from any source, on grant applications and on follow-up documents relating to grant awards. NIH uses this information to determine if the applicant has the time necessary to allocate to the proposed research project, and if the research proposal has other sources of funding that are duplicative. It also assists NIH in determining if an applicant’s financial interests may affect its objectivity in conducting research. The settlement also resolves allegations that CCF violated NIH password policies by permitting CCF employees to share passwords. Some of the false submissions wherein CCF failed to disclose the Principal Investigator’s foreign grant support were made by CCF employees who were inappropriately given access to NIH’s online grant reporting platform. “Each year, NIH awards federal grants to support research to improve public health, but those funds are limited and the grant process is competitive. Every entity or person who seeks such grant money must strictly play by the rules. As stewards of taxpayer dollars, our Office takes seriously its responsibility of ensuring that grant recipients fully and accurately report all required information to NIH so that it may properly award its limited funds to deserving institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Today’s settlement illustrates the importance of being truthful at every stage of the grants process.” In addition to the $7.6 million settlement, NIH has imposed Specific Award Conditions on all CCF’s grants for a one-year period. Federal regulations allow NIH to impose Specific Award Conditions on grant recipients, including on recipients that do not comply with the terms of a federal award. In this case, NIH is requiring a high-level CCF employee to personally attest to the truth, completeness, and accuracy of all “other grant support” information CCF provides to NIH. CCF must also develop a corrective action plan that includes an assessment of internal controls related to other grant support and foreign-component reporting; create a mandatory training program addressing requirements for disclosing other grant support, research security, and cyber security; and develop an improvement plan for its internal controls, ensuring that CCF has oversight at the institutional level to confirm that the information its Principal Investigators disclose is true, complete, and accurate, among other requirements. The Specific Award Conditions will begin Oct. 1, 2024, and remain in effect through Sept. 30, 2025, or until NIH is satisfied that CCF has successfully completed the Corrective Action Plan. “The accuracy of information reported in applications and other documentation related to federal grants is critical to ensuring that these limited funds are utilized in the most efficient and effective manner and that the integrity of the application process is upheld,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto, of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agency is committed to ensuring that those who submit false statements in grant applications are identified and investigated, in cooperation with our federal law enforcement partners.” A cooperative effort between HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio resulted in the resolution obtained in this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Heyer and Elizabeth Berry investigated the matter on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating fraud. If you have information regarding potential fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ programs, please file a report with OIG's Hotline. You can submit your tip or complaint online at https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/ or contact the OIG Hotline at 1-800-447-8477. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. Cleveland Clinic Settlement Agreement Fully Executed.pdf


title: Former Arizona Licensed Insurance Agent Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Elderly Clients

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Victoria Totten, 72, of Green Valley, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 21 months in prison. Totten pleaded guilty to Mail Fraud on November 8, 2023. For years, Totten defrauded many of her elderly clients while working as a licensed insurance agent. Totten fraudulently over-collected insurance premium payments by falsely representing the terms of the insurance policies to her clients. Totten falsely claimed that payments should be made in advance to lock in a lower rate. After receiving the funds, instead of transmitting the victims’ premium payments directly to the insurance companies, Totten misused large portions of the victims’ money for her own personal gain and to pay insurance premiums for other clients. To disguise her scheme, Totten used her P.O. box on insurance paperwork so correspondence from insurance companies went to Totten instead of the victims. As part of Totten’s sentence, the court ordered her to pay $114,781 in restitution. The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00282-JGZ RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-066_Totten # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Springfield man sentenced to 100 years in prison for creating, distributing child pornography by documenting sexual abuse of children

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A Springfield, Ohio, man was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 1,200 months in prison for producing and distributing videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Marcus Leon Davis, 34, was arrested on Oct. 25, 2023. His case was unsealed today. Davis received the maximum sentence on each count as charged and will serve those sentences consecutively. “Davis’s sexual abuse is among the most abhorrent acts that one can perpetrate against a child. If his behavior against the victims wasn’t bad enough, he chose to record his sexual abuse against them,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “By publishing videos of his sexual abuse against these victims, Davis ensured the abuse will never end. Each time one of those images or videos is shared, traded, downloaded and viewed the children are victimized again. This sentence will forever protect the community from future harm committed by Davis.” "This sentencing was the result of an intensive investigation by the U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement partners," said Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service's Cincinnati Field Office. "The Secret Service and our partners are working relentlessly so predators that exploit innocent children face justice for their heinous actions." According to court documents, from January 2022 until October 2023, Davis sexually abused children and documented the abuse on video. The defendant published the videos on a child pornography website. Investigators have now tracked the content to other users and websites. Davis pleaded guilty in February 2024 to two counts of producing child pornography and two counts of distributing child pornography. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Yvonne DiCristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service; and Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott announced the sentence imposed on May 13 by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Elizabeth L. McCormick are representing the United States in this case. U.S. Attorney Parker commended the investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, who worked with the Queensland Police Service, Australian Federal Police, Europol and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations to quickly identify and locate Davis based on the images of child sexual abuse he shared online. # # #


title: Virginia Man Admits to Online and Sexual Contact with Minor

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Daniel Eliazar Ramos Rosa, 24, of Manassas, Virginia, has admitted to the coercion and enticement of a 10-year-old Jefferson County girl. According to court documents and statements made in court, Rosa, also known as “Jay,” exchanged over 1,000 messages, photos, and videos with the victim via Snapchat, later traveling to the victim’s Harpers Ferry home and engaging in sexual activity with her. Rosa recorded the encounter on his phone. Rosa faces at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley D. Crockett is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The FBI and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography Over Social Media

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 300 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for coercing minors to produce child pornography over social media, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, in 2019, Nelson Thomas Harner, 41, admitted to connecting with multiple minors on Instagram and Facebook and coercing them to engage in sexual activity for the purposes of producing child pornography. Harner also possessed numerous images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material. On July 11, 2023, Harner pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement. He was sentenced on May 15, 2024, in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. 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. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Assistant U.S. Attorney Esther Soria Mignanelli prosecuted the case.


title: McKees Rocks Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearms Crimes

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal drug and firearms charges, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Reginald Bernard Blunt, 32, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police between August 2022 and June 2023 into a drug trafficking organization operating in McKees Rocks revealed that Blunt was a member of the organization and lived at a residence where firearms and controlled substances were being stored. On June 14, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant upon that residence and recovered from Blunt’s bedroom a backpack containing two prescription pill bottles bearing Blunt’s name, a loaded handgun containing 17 rounds of ammunition, and a “Glock switch” that, when attached to the handgun, would render the firearm fully automatic. Law enforcement also recovered from the residence approximately 60 grams of a fentanyl and methamphetamine mixture, 20 grams of fentanyl, and approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, in addition to seizing $4,300. The firearm recovered by law enforcement was determined to be the same one that Blunt—who has previous felony drug trafficking and firearms convictions—had used just before law enforcement responded to a call at Blunt’s residence nearly one month earlier, where it was reported that two individuals were fighting and that one of the individuals possessed a gun. Traffic camera footage of this May 16, 2023, incident obtained by investigators in preparation for the federal search warrant revealed Blunt repeatedly pointing a firearm at an adult male who was accompanied by a child, with the adult carrying the child while ducking behind a vehicle to avoid Blunt as he pointed the firearm. The footage further recorded Blunt permitting the adult to place the child in the vehicle before Blunt brought the individual back to his residence, where, on the porch, the two males began exchanging punches. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for August 15, 2024. The maximum penalty for the drug trafficking crime is at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. The maximum penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is a term of imprisonment of at least five years and up to life, which must be served consecutively to the sentence imposed on the drug trafficking crime, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The maximum penalty for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Pending sentencing, Judge Fischer ordered Blunt remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Blunt.


title: Puerto Rico Legislator and Her Husband Sentenced for Theft, Bribery, and Kickback Scheme

body_text: A Puerto Rico legislator and her husband were sentenced today for engaging in a multi-year theft, bribery, and kickback conspiracy scheme to fraudulently inflate the salary of a legislative assistant in exchange for a portion of the assistant’s inflated salary. María Milagros Charbonier-Laureano, also known as Tata, a member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Her husband, Orlando Montes-Rivera, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from early 2017 until July 2020, Charbonier-Laureano, her husband, and her assistant, Frances Acevedo-Ceballos, executed a scheme to defraud the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by engaging in a theft, bribery, and kickback scheme. Over the course of the scheme, Charbonier-Laureano inflated Acevedo-Ceballos’ salary from $800 on a bi-weekly, after-tax basis to nearly $2,900. Out of every inflated paycheck, it was agreed that Acevedo-Ceballos would keep a portion and kick back approximately $1,500 to Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera. After learning of the investigation into illegal activities in her office and of a warrant that had been obtained for one of her phones, Charbonier-Laureano proceeded to delete certain data on the phone. In particular, Charbonier-Laureano deleted nearly all call log entries, WhatsApp messages, and iMessages associated with the phone. The jury convicted Charbonier-Laureano and Montes-Rivera in January of one count of conspiracy; two counts of theft, bribery, and kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds; six counts of honest services wire fraud; and two counts of money laundering. The jury also convicted Charbonier-Laureano of obstruction of justice for destroying data on her cell phone. Acevedo-Ceballos, who pleaded guilty to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, was sentenced in February to three years and one month in prison. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph Gonzalez of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement. The FBI San Juan Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Jonathan E. Jacobson and Kathryn E. Fifield of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney María L. Montañez Concepción for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case.


title: Former assistant scoutmaster pleads guilty to receiving child sexual abuse material

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A former Assistant Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America from Virginia Beach pleaded guilty today to receiving images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to court documents, in June 2023, Virginia Beach Police (VBPD) investigating individuals sharing child sexual abuse material using file-sharing technology identified Andrew Harris Reshefsky, 42, as a distributor and recipient of the abuse material On Aug. 17, 2023, VPBD officers executed a search warrant at the residence and seized multiple electronic devices in Reshefsky’s possession. Reshefsky’s phone contained images of sexual exploitation of children received in WhatsApp messages in 2021 and 2022. Forensic analysis of Reshefsky’s other electronic devices yielded numerous additional videos and imagery involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) spanning years. Reshefsky is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 18. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of twenty years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton D. LaForge and Joseph L. Kosky are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-146. Anyone who believes they or someone they know may have been victimized by Reshefsky is encouraged to contact the HSI tip line at 1-877-4-HSI-TIP or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's website.


title: Vancouver, Washington man sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for illegally acquiring arsenal of guns, ammo and silencer

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A Brazilian National with multiple convictions for domestic violence assault, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 30 months in prison for federal felonies charging illegal possession of firearms, lying in connection with the purchase of firearms, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, and unlawful possession of a firearm silencer, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Joao Ricardo DeBorba, 48, of Vancouver, Washington, has been detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac since he was convicted at a bench trial in February 2024. He was sentenced today by Chief Judge David G. Estudillo. According to records filed in the case, DeBorba entered the United States on a tourist visa in 1999. DeBorba overstayed the visa and falsified documents to work in the U.S. and to acquire firearms. In April 2019, while purchasing firearms in Portland and Lebanon, Oregon, and Lacey, Washington, DeBorba entered false information on government forms stating he was a U.S. citizen. Shortly after the first three gun purchases, DeBorba was arrested for drunken driving and was found to have a Glock pistol. Despite that arrest, DeBorba continued to purchase firearms: a rifle in Gresham, Oregon, and a revolver in Vancouver, Washington, again providing false information about his citizenship on required forms. In November 2019, DeBorba was arrested for domestic violence assault. DeBorba was served with a “No Contact” order and was instructed to surrender all of his firearms. On November 16, 2019, DeBorba was arrested for violating the no contact order and 20 firearms were seized from his residence. In January 2022, DeBorba was convicted in a second case of domestic violence assault. He was again informed that he could not possess firearms. When law enforcement served a search warrant at DeBorba’s residence, agents seized five firearms: three AR-15 style rifles with no serial numbers or manufacturers marks and two handguns – one without any serial number or manufacturers mark. The firearms, so-called “ghost guns,” appear to have been manufactured from parts ordered online. In addition to the guns, DeBorba had a large amount of ammunition, a workbench with firearms parts and tools, firearms silencers, magazines, and various gun cases. In asking the court for a five-year prison term, Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner wrote to the court, “following his first reported domestic violence incident, DeBorba’s conduct only became more troubling. He increased his threatening conduct toward his wife. He threatened his roommates, who feared him because they knew he was accustomed to carrying a rifle with him. Despite having firearms seized from him, he replenished his cache of weapons and ammo, and began to obtain ghost guns as well as a firearm silencer, a highly restricted weapon under federal law.” The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from the Vancouver Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and the Social Security Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Shiner. The case is US v. DeBorba CR22-5139-DGE