title: Amherst man convicted of multiple charges by a federal jury going to prison for more than 25 years

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Tyrone Pennick, 48, of Amherst, NY, who was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine, maintaining a drug premises for the purpose of manufacturing and distributing cocaine, and for committing drug felonies while on conditions of pre-trial release, was sentenced to serve 310 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel L. Violanti, who handled the prosecution of the case at trial, stated that on November 17, 2016, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office conducted surveillance in the area of Pennick’s residence at 489 Emerson Drive in Amherst. Investigators observed a female leaving the residence carrying an open-top, tote style bag and entering a maroon colored Ford Flex. Investigators continued to monitor the vehicle and noted that Smith began watching the surveillance vehicle closely in the rearview mirror. Smith subsequently began driving in an erratic manor at which point the defendant was observed reaching to the backseat area and moving the tote bag to the front seat. Investigators activated their emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. Smith was detained and investigators removed what appeared to be two containers containing suspected cocaine from the tote bag. A search warrant was then executed at Pennick’s residence at 489 Emerson Drive. Investigators recovered a metal press, digital scale, packaging material, a box of rubber gloves, a plastic bag containing disposable dust masks, a vacuum sealer, and a vacuum sealed bag containing $49,990 in U.S. currency concealed in the dishwasher. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; and the United States Probation Department, under the direction of Chief Probation Officer Timothy Englert. # # # #


title: Delaware Man Admits Coercing New Jersey  11-Year-Old to Travel to Delaware for Sexual Activity

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, announced that a Bear, Delaware man pled guilty in federal court today to one count of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. The Honorable Jennifer L. Hall, U.S. District Judge for the District of Delaware, accepted the plea. According to court documents, Darius Matylewich, 27, was arrested by the FBI after he removed an 11-year-old from her New Jersey home and travelled with her to his Bear, Delaware home to engage in sexual activity. On September 10, 2023, the Wayne Township New Jersey Police Department (“WTPD”) received a report of a missing 11-year-old victim. Through investigative measures, WTPD determined that Matylewich took the 11-year-old victim from New Jersey to his home in Bear, Delaware. In assisting WTPD, the New Castle County Police Department safely recovered the 11-year-old victim and arrested Matylewich. A subsequent investigation revealed that Matylewich met the 11-year-old victim on the internet and communicated with the victim via the online video games and social media platforms. A forensic analysis of Matylewich’s cellphone and social media uncovered message threads in which Matylewich coerced the 11-year-old victim to perform sexual acts, and, in turn, produce child pornography, for him. Investigators also recovered messages in which Matylewich described covertly watching and following the victim near her New Jersey home. Matylewich also used an application on his iPhone to covertly record conversations, videos, and images of the 11-year-old performing sexual acts that Matylewich solicited from the victim. Matylewich stored hundreds of videos and images of the victim within the “hidden” folder of his Apple Photos application, which could only be accessed via facial recognition. U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “My office is dedicated to protecting children from those, like the defendant, who prey on the innocent and vulnerable on the internet. I urge families to be wary of sharing information with online strangers to avoid individuals like the defendant. I commend the diligent work of the FBI, New Castle County Police, and Wayne Township Police for their swift work in bring the defendant to justice.” “Darius Matylewich is a child predator whose sick and abhorrent behavior took advantage of an innocent girl, who now has significant healing ahead of her,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “Unequivocally, our community is safer with Matylewich behind bars, locked away where he can no longer victimize anyone else’s child.” The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Thurstlic-O’Neill and Kevin P. Pierce. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Taskforce with assistance from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Wayne Township New Jersey Police Department, New Castle County Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-CR-102.


title: Jersey City Man Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City man was convicted today on a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jamil King, 32, of Jersey City, was convicted after a two-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. The jury deliberated two hours before returning the guilty verdict. According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: King is a high-ranking member of the Jersey City neighborhood street gang known as Parkside. Law enforcement officials obtained a search warrant for King’s residence, and during the evening of July 8, 2022, officers executed that warrant. When the police arrived, King fled, but law enforcement recovered approximately 50 grams of cocaine from a pair of sweatpants inside the apartment. Those sweatpants contained the defendant’s DNA and matched the sweatshirt that the defendant was wearing that night. The count on which King was convicted is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 23, 2024. U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger credited the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, for the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti. This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Office’s General Crimes Unit in Newark.


title: Essex County Convicted Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Involvement in Two Shootings, Possessing Firearm with Extended Magazine, and Possessing Heroin with Intent to Distribute

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 144 months in prison for his involvement in two shootings, as well as illegally possessing a handgun and possessing heroin he intended to distribute, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Antoine Hawkins, 31, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an indictment charging him with two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Aug. 18, 2020, video surveillance footage depicted Hawkins as he fired a gun on a Newark street, striking a victim, who survived the shooting. Hawkins was also identified as the perpetrator of another shooting in Newark on Aug. 13, 2020, and cartridge casings from the locations of both shootings were a ballistics match. On Sept. 16, 2020, law enforcement encountered Hawkins and observed what appeared to be a firearm in Hawkins’s jacket. A subsequent search of Hawkins revealed a 9-millimeter pistol, which was loaded in an extended magazine containing 19 rounds of ammunition. A search warrant executed at Hawkins’s residence revealed, among other items, 626 glassine envelopes containing heroin and three 9-millimeter magazines. In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Hawkins to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Fritz G. Fragé; members of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, with the investigation leading to the charges. This investigation is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around the Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI includes the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole Board, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, and New Jersey Department of Corrections. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.


title: Essex County Man Sentenced to 65 Months in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine; and possessing with intent to distribute various narcotics, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Ali Carney, 46, of Newark, pleaded guilty on Jan. 17, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to a superseding information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Judge Wigenton imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this and other cases and statements made in court: From April 2021 through October 2022, Carney and others – members and associates of the Grape Street Crips gang – participated in a drug trafficking organization that controlled the drug trade in and around the Oscar Miles Village housing complex in Newark. Carney admitted his role in the conspiracy and that he sold controlled substances on a near daily basis during the conspiracy. In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Carney to three years of supervised release. All 11 of Carney’s co-defendants – Thomas Barney, Najuwan Blake-Williams, Altray Brown, Najee Carney, Tyrone Cradle, Jaquan McAllister, Ikaim McSwain, Latif Terry, Shaquan Ward, Taji Williams, and Zaid Williams – previously pleaded guilty in connection with their respective roles in the conspiracy. A year-long investigation revealed that the drug trafficking organization distributed over a kilogram of fentanyl-laced heroin and over 280 grams of crack cocaine. Law enforcement also seized multiple firearms, which were used in furtherance of the narcotics trade, from the members of the conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz; investigators of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; investigators from the U.S. Marshal Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos Jr.; investigators of the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Fritz G. Fragé, with the investigation leading to the guilty pleas. The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (“VCI”). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha C. Fasanello and Olta Bejleri of the Criminal Division in Newark.


title: Pocola Resident Sentenced To 22 Years For Abusive Sexual Contact In Indian Country

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Patrick Timothy Kelley, age 46, of Pocola, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 270 months in prison for one count of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country. The charges arose from investigations by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force in Le Flore County. On October 10, 2023, Kelley pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, during the summer of 2021, Kelley sexually abused a minor under the age of 12. As part of the plea, Kelley also admitted to creating and transporting sexually explicit depictions of two minors between 2015 and 2021. The crimes occurred in Le Flore County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Homeland Security Investigations will never relent in our pursuit to hold those accountable who prey on innocent children,” said Robert Melton, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the HSI Dallas – Oklahoma Division. “We are proud of the collaboration with our partners of the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Taskforce and U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure justice was served.” “This sentence should serve as another clear warning to those who prey on children: we will leverage all available resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute you,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners at Homeland Security Investigations and District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force for their work in bringing this defendant to justice.” The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Kelley will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Bove represented the United States at sentencing. 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 and internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources” . We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) website at www.cybertipline.com . If you prefer to speak to someone directly, you can contact NCMEC’s Call Center at 1-800-843-5678, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or HSI at 1-877-4-HSI TIP (1-877-447-4847).


title: Cedar Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of Firearms

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A prohibited person who possessed firearms pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kyler Goettsch, age 26, of Cedar Rapids, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms. At the plea hearing, Goettsch admitted that, in November 2023, he possessed a Springfield pistol and a Sig Sauer pistol after having been convicted of four felonies and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Goettsch remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Goettsch faces a possible maximum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 24-16. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Fort Dodge Sex Offender Sent to Federal Prison for 13 Years for Possession of a Firearm

body_text: A man who shot into a residence and threatened people was sentenced on May 28, 2024, to 13 years in federal prison. Archester Rodgers, age 42, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 23, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Evidence in the case revealed that on September 20, 2022, in Fort Dodge, police officers responded to a call from a woman being threatened by Rodgers, who was outside her apartment with an assault rifle. During the call, the victim heard Rodgers fire the gun and other people began calling 911 to report hearing shots. Rodgers fled from police when they arrived, eventually crashing his car. In Rodgers’ crashed car, officers found spent shell casings which were determined to be fired from Rodgers’ assault rifle, which was later recovered by police. It was later determined that earlier the same night, Rodgers shot his assault rifle into another residence in Fort Dodge at least three times. Rodgers was also in violation of his duty to register as a sex offender. Rodgers has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for: Rape, Sexual Battery, Domestic Assault—Bodily Harm (twice), Failure to Register as a Sex Offender (four times), Assault, Terroristic Threats, Criminal Sexual Conduct—Fifth Degree—Nonconsensual Sexual Contact, Domestic Assault—Commits Act to Cause Fear or Immediate Bodily Harm or Death, Possession of a Controlled Substance (twice), and Eluding (twice). Rodgers was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 156 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Rodgers 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 Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department and the United States Marshal Service. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3027. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Adair County Resident Sentenced For Involuntary Manslaughter In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bradley Jordan Eagle-Tate, age 31, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment for one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On September 22, 2023, Eagle-Tate pleaded guilty to the crime. According to investigators, on June 27, 2022, Eagle-Tate crossed into the oncoming lane of Oklahoma Highway 100 in a no-passing zone, clipping one vehicle before colliding head-on with a second vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle died at the scene, and a passenger in the first vehicle was left seriously injured. Eagle-Tate admitted during the plea hearing that he had multiple drugs in his system at the time of the collision and failed to devote full time and attention while driving his motor vehicle. The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Eagle-Tate will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: California Resident Sentenced For Federal Drug Charge

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Marco Antonio Naranjo-Aguilar, age 30, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced to 235 months for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration. On January 9, 2023, Naranjo-Aguilar pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 20, 2022, Naranjo-Aguilar led officers on a high-speed pursuit on Oklahoma Interstate Highway 40 in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma. Upon apprehending and arresting Naranjo-Aguilar, law enforcement seized approximately 22.3 kilograms of methamphetamine from his vehicle. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings. Naranjo-Aguilar was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.


title: Brazilian Man Indicted for Visa Fraud and Perjury

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian man, residing in Malden, was indicted yesterday for using and possessing a fraudulently obtained visa to enter the United States and lying on his asylum application. Upon applying for a U.S. Visa, the defendant allegedly never disclosed to U.S. Immigration authorities his involvement in the murders of 11 people, mostly teenagers, in Brazil in retaliation for the death of a police officer, an incident known as the The Slaughter of Curió. Antonio Jose De Abreu Vidal Filho, 30, was indicted on two counts of visa fraud, two counts of perjury and one count of falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday, De Abreu was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for June 5, 2024. According to the indictment, in April 2014, De Abreu joined the Ceara State Military Police – Brazilian state forces who, under the governor, do first line policing on the street. It is alleged that in the early morning hours of Nov. 12, 2015, numerous Brazilian military police officers employed by the government of the Brazilian state of Ceará, including De Abreu, participated in a mass killing event of primarily young people from the impoverished neighborhoods of Barroso, Messejana, Guajeru, Curió and Lagoa Redonda in the capital of Ceará. The killing was in retaliation for the death of another police officer earlier that evening who was shot and killed in the Lagoa Redonda neighborhood, attempting to defend his wife who was being assaulted. In total, 11 people, mostly teenagers, were murdered and many others seriously injured and tortured. This incident has come to be known as A Chacina do Curió or The Slaughter of Curió or The Curió Massacre. A total of 45 individuals, including De Abreu, were charged by the Brazilian authorities and, on Aug. 31, 2016, De Abreu was arrested and detained by the Brazilian police. He was subsequently released pending trial on May 24, 2017. According to the indictment, two weeks later, on June 9, 2017, while in Recife, Brazil, De Abreu applied for a United States non-immigrant B2 visitor visa. When asked whether he had ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, De Abreu responded “no.” Thereafter, on or about June 21, 2017, the United States Department of State approved De Abreu’s Visa Application and issued him the B2 Visa based upon his alleged false representations in the Visa Application. De Abreu used the B2 Visa and travelled to Miami on May 30, 2018. Between May 30, 2018 through Aug. 14, 2023, as a result of the approval of his Visa Application, De Abreu obtained various state driver’s licenses, a social security card, travel documents and authorizations for employment. On Jan. 29, 2020, De Abreu applied for asylum. It is alleged that De Abreau lied when asked whether he had ever been accused, charged, arrested, detained, interrogated and imprisoned in any country other than the United States. He also allegedly failed to disclose his arrest and detention in Brazil when he applied for adjustment of status with United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. On June 25, 2023, De Abreu was convicted of 11 counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder and four counts of physical and mental torture in the First Court of Fortaleza, Ceará. That same day, De Abreu was sentenced to 275 years and 11 months in prison and an arrest warrant issued. On Feb. 9, 2024, De Abreu testified under oath at an immigration hearing conducted by the Immigration Court. At that hearing, De Abreu falsely claimed that he had never lied to immigration officials and that the only reason he had left off important information on immigration documents filed with the United States government was because he had not yet been arrested. The charge of misuse of visas, permits and other documents provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of perjury provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of falsifying, concealing, and covering up a material fact provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to 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 which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Bradley Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Boston Field Office; and Mathew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Denis C. Riordan, District Director of the Fraud Detection and National Security Division of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. This matter was investigated with the assistance of the United States Interagency Human Rights Violators & War Crimes Center. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Baton Rouge City Parish-Contractor Indicted for Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: A federal grand jury recently returned an indictment charging Blake Joseph Steiner, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with distribution of child pornography. Steiner appeared for his arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charge. According to the criminal complaint that preceded the indictment, in March 2024, Steiner sent a video of child pornography to an undercover agent. The video depicts a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct with an adult male. Steiner also expressed his sexual interests in children to the undercover agent, which included incest and bestiality. Distribution of child pornography is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20–40 years in prison, depending on sentencing enhancements. Steiner also faces potential sex offender registration, supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jene C. Clayton. NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.


title: Man Sentenced To 28 Years In Prison For Child Sex Abuse  Following Extradition From Spain

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Kristian Ignacio Feliz, age 24, of Connecticut, was sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child. Feliz was indicted in March 2023, and extradited from Spain to face federal charges in November 2023. In sentencing Feliz, U.S. District Court Judge Jane Beckering emphasized the “manipulative” and violent nature of his crimes, which the Court stated will impact the victim “for the rest of her life.” “Every child deserves to grow up safe, healthy, and free from abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “In this case, a sexual predator living abroad targeted a child in Kalamazoo, traveled here to abuse her, and then left the country. Working closely with state, federal, and international partners, we made sure Feliz was hauled back to Michigan to face justice in our courts. Let today’s sentence serve as a warning that my office takes the protection of children extremely seriously.” In October 2022, Feliz was a 23-year-old graduate student in Barcelona, Spain, studying quantum physics. He had also struck up an online relationship with a 12-year-old girl living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Feliz told the girl that he loved her and called her “my little wife,” while at the same time repeatedly pressuring her to create and send him pornographic videos. Then, in January 2023, Feliz traveled to Kalamazoo and recorded videos of himself abusing the girl in her home over a three-day period. After he left town, Feliz instructed the girl to sell the videos online, and to have the money sent to his accounts. “Today's sentencing is a shining example of the brilliant interagency and international coordination between the FBI's Western Michigan Violent Crime Task Force, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the Government of Spain,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . No matter how far away those who commit these crimes may be, we will use all of our available resources to extradite you to the U.S. to face justice.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office worked with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) to prepare and submit a request for Kristian Ignacio Feliz’s provisional arrest, with a plan to seek his extradition soon after. U.S. Attorney Totten and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Michigan Cheyvoryea Gibson extend their appreciation and thanks to Spain’s Ministry of Justice, Spanish National Police, and Guardia Civil. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Castle, and investigated by the FBI the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State provided critical assistance in securing Feliz’s arrest and extradition. ###


title: Beaver County Farmer and Employee Sentenced for Using Toxic Pesticide to Kill Migratory Birds

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Two Western Pennsylvania men were sentenced on May 29, 2024, for their use of a toxic, banned pesticide to kill migratory birds, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy sentenced farm operator Robert Yost, 52, of New Galilee, to a year of probation, a $21,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service. Judge Hardy sentenced Jacob Reese, 27, an employee of Yost and resident of Enon Valley, to a year of probation, a $5,500 fine, and 50 hours of community service. Yost and Reese were found guilty by Judge Hardy in January 2024 following their October 2022 bench trial. The evidence presented at trial established that, in June 2020, Yost—as operator of Yost Farms in Beaver County, Pennsylvania—and his employee Reese conspired to kill migratory birds present on leased farmland operated by Yost Farms using carbofuran, a registered restricted-use pesticide. The Environmental Protection Agency concluded no later than 2009 that the risks for all uses of carbofuran were unacceptable and that all products containing carbofuran generally caused unreasonable adverse effects on humans and the environment. As part of the conspiracy, Yost directed Reese to spread whole kernel corn coated in carbofuran in and around a leased field used for soybean cultivation where children were regularly present. The tainted corn attracted protected migratory birds that were killed within a short distance of where they ingested the corn. Yost and Reese thereafter took steps to conceal their efforts to poison and kill the migratory birds, including destroying the feed bag containing the carbofuran-laced whole corn kernel. When confronted by officials from the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Reese and Yost also lied about their use of poisoned corn to kill the birds. In total, Yost and Reese were responsible for killing approximately 17 Canada geese, 10 red-winged blackbirds, and one mallard duck. Yost and Reese were each convicted of one count of conspiracy, one count of violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for their use of carbofuran, and one count of violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Court indicated at sentencing that the defendants’ required community service should be focused on wildlife conservation or farm safety. In imposing the sentences, Judge Hardy emphasized that the defendants’ crimes were serious, created a risk to the environment, and harmed the public’s trust in the source of their food. The Court also highlighted the defendants’ lack of remorse and noted that imposing a term of community service would serve to redeem the public’s trust in safe and ethical farming. Assistant United States Attorneys Jacqueline C. Brown and Nicole A. Stockey and Special Assistant United States Attorney Perry D. McDaniel prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement, Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigation Division, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Yost and Reese.


title: Illegal Possession of Drugs and Guns and Threatening Communications Being Sent Result in Federal Prison Sentences for Three Alexandria Area Men

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

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced the resolution of three separate cases in the Alexandria Division of the Western District of Louisiana late yesterday. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell has sentenced the following defendants: Kenneth Wayne Williams, Jr. , 33, of Pineville, Louisiana , was sentenced to 180 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, on drug and firearms charges. Williams was arrested on May 23, 2023, after a Louisiana State Police trooper stopped his vehicle for a traffic violation. When Williams exited the vehicle, the trooper observed Williams put a plastic bag containing a crystal-like substance into his pocket. After an open-air K-9 sniff of Williams’ vehicle, the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics. A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the discovery of two bags of methamphetamine. Meanwhile, a search warrant was obtained and executed at Williams’ residence. Law enforcement agents searched Williams’ room and found more than one kilogram of methamphetamine, digital scales, over $20,000 in cash, an AK-style rifle, and a Glock 22 semi-automatic pistol. The total amount of methamphetamine seized was approximately 1,305.85 grams. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Louisiana State Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody. Daniel Lee Ellsworth , 33, of Alexandria, was sentenced to a total of 42 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On November 16, 2022, Ellsworth was a passenger in a vehicle fleeing from an Alexandria Police Department officer. The vehicle was pursued by police across the City of Alexandria. Once the vehicle stopped, Ellsworth attempted to flee on foot, and was subsequently arrested. Law enforcement officers found a loaded Manual Escodin revolver on his person. Ellsworth was previously convicted in the Western District of Louisiana in 2020 of being a felon in possession of a firearm and was on supervised release at the time of his arrest. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. As a result of this offense, Ellsworth’s supervised probation was revoked. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Alexandria Police Department and prosecuted by Criminal Chief Allison L. Duncan. James Gantt , 55, of Alexandria, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for sending threatening communications to a Social Security Administrative Law Judge. On December 15, 2022, Gantt placed a handwritten letter into an authorized depository for United States Mail matter in Alexandria. The letter written and signed by Gantt contained a threat to injure the Administrative Law Judge. Gantt pleaded guilty to the charge on February 5, 2024. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig R. Bordelon. # # #


title: Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry into the United States

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Mexican National, illegally residing in London, Rafael Martinez, 41, was sentenced on Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, to 77 months in prison, for illegal reentry to the United States following a conviction for an aggravated felony. According to his plea agreement, Martinez was ordered removed to Mexico from the United States, on August 30, 2004, following his conviction and service of a sentence for child molestation from Grant County, Indiana. At the time of his conviction, Martinez was unlawfully present in the United States. On September 14, 2018, Martinez was arrested in Laurel County, Kentucky, on new state charges, and he was identified as a previously removed alien who had made no attempt to apply for re-admission to the United States. Martinez was ultimately convicted on these Kentucky charges and his federal sentence was ordered to run consecutively to this prior Kentucky sentence. Under federal law, Martinez must serve 85 percent of his federal prison sentence. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and LaDeon Francis, Director, Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, (ICE-ERO) Chicago Field Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ICE-ERO. Assistant U.S. Attorney Parman prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Announce Guilty Plea by Former Williamson Mayor and Hospital CEO

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join with law enforcement officials on Thursday, May 30, 2024, at 4 p.m. for a press conference to discuss the guilty plea scheduled earlier in the afternoon in U.S. vs. Charles Hatfield . WHAT: Press Conference for U.S. vs. Charles Hatfield WHEN: Thursday, May 30, 2024, at 4 p.m. WHERE: Front Plaza, Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office and Fulton County District Attorney Office Launch Summer Youth Mentorship Program

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia in partnership with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office will launch the fourth annual Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Credible Messenger Youth Summer Violence Intervention Program (“Summer Mentorship Program”). The kick-off for this year’s program will be held on May 31, 2024, at the Atlanta Technical College Preparatory Academy. “This intensive mentoring program is an investment in our youth that will offer a solid foothold on a path to economic, social, and educational opportunities, while keeping them engaged over the summer,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our continued partnerships with community leaders, law enforcement, and families are all vital to successfully reducing recidivism and improving community safety.” “Every summer during my time as District Attorney, our team has joined with U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan and his team to bring the Credible Messenger Program to at-risk youth in Fulton County,” said Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. “Our cooperative efforts have made a real difference in getting kids back on track, and we look forward to another summer of working with kids and making Fulton County a safer, more just place for everyone.” “Community involvement remains the key to maintaining an environment of structure and accountability for our at-risk youth,” said Shawanda Reynolds-Cobb, Commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice. “Over the past several years, Project Safe Neighborhood has become an invaluable tool in promoting positive outcomes through reduced recidivism.” The Summer Mentorship Program will engage youth between the ages of 15 and 19 who are on felony probation, in a 10-week intensive mentorship initiative. Through 10 hours of mentor engagement per week, youth will participate in support forums, career readiness training, community engagement, and an evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral, life-skills session utilizing the Forward Thinking and Project EGRESS curriculum. This year, participants will also be encouraged to simultaneously enroll in Atlanta Technical College’s Dual Achievement Program to earn a high school diploma while also obtaining a technical certificate in a specific career pathway. Youth who actively participate each day will also receive a weekly stipend for their work. This initiative is being implemented by the Southeast Credible Messengers and the PSN Prevention and Reentry program of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Southeast Credible Messengers is a community-based collaboration between organizations and individuals working together to achieve common goals: positive youth and young adult mentorship, recidivism reduction, public safety, and family & community engagement. The Southeast Credible Messenger team for this initiative is led by the Offender Alumni Association (OAA), Inc. We would also like to thank leadership from the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice Office of Reentry Services, Fulton County Juvenile Court, the City of Atlanta Cure Violence Initiative, the Credible Messenger Mentoring Movement (CM3), Emerging 100 of Atlanta, the Rocket Foundation, and the local business community for their continued partnership and support of the summer program. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Shelburne, Vermont Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Drug and Gun Offenses

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 29, 2024, Michael Burton, 48, of Shelburne, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Burton previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, on April 3, 2023, Burton was arrested by law enforcement in South Burlington, Vermont following a lengthy investigation for drug trafficking. At the time of his arrest, Burton possessed a black backpack which contained, among other things, more than 100 grams of cocaine base, approximately 200 fentanyl pills, a digital scale, and additional drug paraphernalia used for the distribution of controlled substances. Later on April 3, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search and seizure warrant at Burton's residence in Shelburne, Vermont. Inside of Burton's room, investigators found more than 30 grams of cocaine base, ammunition, magazines, and three firearms, specifically: a Ruger EC9S 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol; a HS Produkt XD9 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol; and a Smith & Wesson M&P9 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig. Burton was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. 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: Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Attempting to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Minor

body_text: BENTON, Ill. – A federal judge in southern Illinois sentenced an Indiana man to 20 years’ imprisonment after he admitted to traveling across state lines with intent to engage in sexual activity with a minor. Diego A. Montes-Roldan, 27, of Indianapolis, pleaded guilty in February to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Following imprisonment, he will serve a lifetime term of supervised release. “Predators are actively scouting for victims online, but quick detection by parents and strong action by law enforcement can help to safeguard children,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to work with our partners to help keep children safe.” According to court documents, Montes-Roldan’s charges stem from conversations he had via text message with two 14-year-old victims he met through social media. In separate conversations, Montes-Roldan discussed having sexual intercourse with both victims. “The FBI prioritizes protecting our most vulnerable and, in this case, combined law enforcement efforts saved young victims from irreparable harm,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Joe Rodriguez. “This sentence puts Montes-Roldan behind bars for a significant amount of time and prevents further exploitation of innocent children.” In October 2021, police received reports of Montes-Roldan’s conversations with one of the minors. Following an FBI investigation, he was arrested by law enforcement. “Preying on youth is a diabolical crime and ISP is relentless when it comes to investigating predators,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at all levels to identify child predators and successfully bring them to justice." This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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. The FBI Springfield Field Office led the investigation, with assistance from the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation and the Porter County, Indiana, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Bloodworth prosecuted the case.


title: Two Plead Guilty to Making False Statements to Government Investigators

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – An Amherst man and a Bedford woman pleaded guilty in federal court to charges arising out of their making false statements to the Veterans Administration (VA) during its investigation into StoneMakers Academy, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. David Montoya, 64, and Rhonda Simpson, 55, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements to a government agency. U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for Simpson on September 11, 2024 and for Montoya on September 24, 2024. Montoya was the owner and president of StoneMakers Corporation, while Simpson served as its registered agent, vice president, and in-house counsel. From its inception, a portion of StoneMakers Corporation’s business involved marketing and selling training in its concrete landscape methods under the name StoneMakers Academy. StoneMakers Academy was enrolled with the VA such that the VA would pay tuition and fee payments for eligible veterans under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. A school is ordinarily eligible to receive tuition payments for veteran students in a particular course only if the students receiving benefits total no more than 85% of the total amount of students who are enrolled in that course. That is, a school is not eligible to receive tuition payments unless at least 15% of the students who are enrolled in the course are non-veterans who are not receiving discounts to their tuition. This is commonly known as the “85-15 Rule.” In addition, a school may not charge more for veterans to attend a course than it charges civilians to attend the same course. Any school that violates “the same tuition rule” is subject to suspension or dismissal from the program. In or about January 2018, the VA Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) commenced an investigation into StoneMakers Academy’s receipt of VA tuition assistance funds for the purpose of providing education and training to eligible veterans. The defendants took steps to conceal StoneMakers Academy’s past violations of the 85/15 Rule and same tuition rule from the VA-OIG, including through the creation of false and misleading documents to conceal the fact that past educational programs offered by StoneMakers Academy had been in violation of the 85-15 Rule. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 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. The VA-OIG led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles L. Rombeau and Raphael Katz are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Gautier Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Conspiracy  to Possess with Intent to Distribute over 1800 Grams of Methamphetamine

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Gautier man was sentenced to 192 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute over 1800 grams of methamphetamine. Tevin Lashonfloyd Minor, 32, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court documents, Minor sold narcotics to buyers on three separate occasions. On July 11, 2022, Minor sold approximately 206 grams of methamphetamine at a residence in Moss Point, Mississippi. On July 26, 2022, Minor sold 446 grams of methamphetamine at a residence in Moss Point; and on October 11, 2022, Minor sold 1209 grams of methamphetamine in Pascagoula. Minor was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 10, 2023. He pled guilty on June 22, 2023, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force Pascagoula Resident Agency and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor- led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Adams County Man Sentenced For Straw Purchasing Firearms

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Donovyn Lee Smallwood, age 25, of McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to 12 months and one day imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson following his conviction for straw purchasing four firearms for individuals who were prohibited from possessing firearms. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Smallwood previously pleaded guilty to these offenses, which involved Smallwood’s purchase of a total of four 9mm handguns on two separate occasions in September 2021 from a licensed firearms dealer. At the time of the purchases, Smallwood falsely stated that he was the actual purchaser. One of the firearms was subsequently used in a homicide and a separate carjacking. 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 Baltimore Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Federal Indictment in Chicago Charges Man With Illegally Importing Suicide Drug Into the U.S. From Mexico

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a Mexican resident on drug charges for allegedly illegally importing the drug Pentobarbital into the United States from Mexico for use in committing suicide. A superseding indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges DANIEL GONZALEZ-MUNGUIA, also known as “Alejandro Vasquez,” 40, of Puebla, Mexico, with importing and distributing a controlled substance. The charges in the indictment are punishable by up to 60 years in federal prison. Gonzalez-Munguia is currently detained in U.S. custody. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled. The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Illinois Army National Guard Counterdrug Program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, and law enforcement agencies in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman is prosecuting the case. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing. Pentobarbital, also known as Nembutal, is a drug sold in Mexico in commercially available bottles for the purpose of euthanizing animals. Pentobarbital is a controlled substance in the U.S. and has been used in state-sponsored executions. According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Gonzalez-Munguia operated an online drug business to facilitate the sale and distribution of Pentobarbital to individuals in the U.S. and throughout the world who were contemplating suicide. During the investigation, law enforcement located numerous mail parcels that appear to have been shipped out of Mexico by Gonzalez-Munguia. Authorities in the U.S. and several foreign countries conducted well-being checks and recovered pentobarbital from numerous individuals who admitted to being despondent and ordering the suicide drug online via email addresses operated by Gonzalez-Munguia, the charges allege. Law enforcement offered assistance to these individuals. In other instances, individuals who purchased Pentobarbital via the email addresses were later found to be deceased, including individuals in Illinois and several other states and countries, the charges allege. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Gonzalez-Munguia complaint Gonzalez-Munguia superseding indictment


title: Three Men Plead Guilty to Role in Fraudulent Scheme to Defraud Chain of Home Improvement Stores

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Donovan Young, 60, of Hartsville, Aaron Young, 34, of Florence, and James Hoffman, 47, of McBee, have pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for their role in a scheme to defraud a chain of home improvement stores. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Youngs and Hoffman would purchase Lowe’s merchandise cards, for a discounted value, from known coconspirators who had fraudulently obtained the merchandise cards. Evidence presented shows that the Youngs and Hoffman were aware that the merchandise cards had been fraudulently obtained by the known coconspirators by stealing merchandise from the home improvement stores throughout the District of South Carolina and then, through fake identities, returning the stolen merchandise for merchandise cards. The Youngs and Hoffman face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. They also face a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Donovan Young, Aaron Young, and James Hoffman after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Former Indiana State University Student Federally Indicted on Extortion and Threat Charges Against University Officials

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TERRE HAUTE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Nicholas Wheeler, 27, with four counts of transmitting extortionate threats via interstate commerce and three counts of transmitting threats via interstate commerce. According to the indictment and other court documents, on March 16 th and 17 th of 2024, Wheeler made violent threats over “X” (formerly Twitter) against Indiana State University, Indiana State University professors, and two of his former attorneys. Wheeler threatened that if the individuals did not give him $500,000 or investigate his claim that he was the victim of a crime, he was going to kill or injure them. Some of Wheeler’s messages included threats such as, “I’m coming to take your souls… closed casket funerals,” and “empty your bank accounts, I’m coming for blood Indiana State University,” accompanied by posts claiming to own a loaded machine gun and body armor. Wheeler attended Indiana State University from August 2018 through August 2023. At the time Wheeler sent the threats, he was living in California. The FBI is investigating this case. If convicted of the most serious offense, Wheeler could face up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Oliver, who is prosecuting this 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: Chief Operating Officer Of International Cargo Airline Sentenced To Four Years In Prison For Defrauding His Employer

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that LARS WINKELBAUER was sentenced to four years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman in connection with a massive scheme to defraud Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. (“Polar”), a leading cargo airline, of more than $32 million dollars in revenue. WINKELBAUER previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Lars Winkelbauer abused his high-level position at Polar for over a decade, extracting millions of dollars in kickbacks for himself and causing tens of millions of dollars of harm to the company. The substantial sentence imposed today sends an important message: corporate corruption doesn’t pay.” According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court: From at least about 2009 through about July 2021, LARS WINKELBAUER and at least nine other individuals participated in a massive scheme to defraud Polar. At all relevant times, WINKELBAUER and three co-defendants were senior executives of Polar (the “Executive Defendants”), and six co-defendants (the “Vendor Defendants”) owned and operated various Polar vendors and customers. The Executive Defendants agreed to accept millions of dollars in kickbacks from the Vendor Defendants, and also reaped substantial financial benefits as a result of their secret ownership interests in certain Polar vendors, in exchange for ensuring that those vendors received favorable business arrangements with Polar. The fraud they perpetrated — which involved a substantial portion of Polar’s senior management and at least 10 customers and vendors of Polar — led to pervasive corruption of Polar’s business, touching nearly every aspect of the company’s operations for over a decade. As a result of the scheme, the Executive Defendants, along with two co-conspirators who also worked as senior executives at Polar, received unlawful payments, either directly or through various limited liability companies they controlled, in excess of approximately $23 million in kickback payments or disbursements as a result of their ownership of conflicted companies. WINKELBAUER was Polar’s Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President and was the most senior of the Executive Defendants. He personally received kickbacks connected to approximately 11 separate vendors or customers of Polar totaling over $6 million. He also attempted to conceal the illegal kickback payments through a sophisticated money laundering scheme, including via falsified invoices and the use of shell companies in China. * * * In addition to the prison term, WINKELBAUER, 48, of Bangkok, Thailand, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. WINKELBAUER was also ordered to forfeit $6,774,039.30 and to make restitution to Polar in the amount of $32,902,847. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Reilly, Danielle Kudla, Kevin Mead, and Qais Ghafary are in charge of the prosecution.


title: New York City Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Role in Burglary Conspiracy Targeting Asian Small Business Owners

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy that targeted Asian and Asian-American small business owners for burglaries, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. James Hurt, 48, of New York, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property. Judge Padin imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From Dec. 2, 2016, to March 20, 2019, Hurt and others participated in a conspiracy to burglarize the residences of certain Asian small business owners living in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware of large sums of money, valuable jewelry, and other items, and then transport the stolen goods in interstate commerce, including to residences in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In addition to the prison term, Judge Padin sentenced Hurt to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited FBI Newark’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the South Plainfield Police Department, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of State, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Bernards Township, Bethlehem Township, Cherry Hill, Cinnaminson, Clark, Colonial Regional, Cranford, Delaware State Police-Troop 2, Delran, Edison, East Brunswick, East Hanover, Eatontown, Elizabeth, Essex County Sheriff’s Office-Bureau of Narcotics, Evesham Township, Exeter Township, Fair Lawn, Forks Township, Fort Lee, Franklin Township, Glassboro, Gloucester Township, Hackensack, Haverstraw, Hazlet, Highland Park, Hillside, Hillsborough Township, Howell Township, Jackson, Kenilworth, Lawrence Township, Linden, Lyndhurst, Mahwah, Marlboro Township, Maywood, Middletown, Montgomery County, Montville, Morris Township, Mount Laurel, Mountainside, New Castle County, New Providence, New York Police Department’s 105th Detective Squad, North Brunswick, North Plainfield, Old Bridge, Paramus, Parsippany, Phillipsburg, Piscataway, Pocono Mountain Regional, Pocono Township, Raritan, Roselle Park, Sayreville, Somerville, South Brunswick, South River, South Whitehall Township, Spotswood, Town of Tuxedo, Tinton Falls, Toms River, Township of Ocean, Union, Upper Macungie Township, Wall Township, Warren, Washington Township, Watchung, Westfield, Whitehall Township, and Woodbridge Township police departments. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dong Joo Lee of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.


title: North Dakota Man Sentenced to 40 Years Imprisonment for Receiving Videos of Toddlers Being Sexually Abused

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that on May 30, 2024, Nicholas Morgan-Derosier , age 36 of Grand Forks, ND, appeared before Chief Judge Peter D. Welte, U.S. District Court, Fargo, ND, and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison; lifetime supervised release; $700.00 in special assessments; and ordered to pay $39,000 in restitution to the 13 victims for Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography. Morgan-Derosier pled guilty to one count of Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, and six counts of Possession of Child Pornography on September 29, 2023. The charges stemmed from videos and images that Grand Forks Police and HSI found during a search warrant at Morgan-Derosier’s residence. The search warrant was based on Morgan-Derosier’s fraudulent lawn service business activity. Officers located more than 6,000 images and videos of graphic sexual abuse of prepubescent minors on at least six devices. Morgan-Derosier also possessed nude images of prepubescent family members, along with explicit chats about raping them. The evidence at sentencing showed that Morgan-Derosier raped or sexually assaulted several other individuals when those individuals were minors. Morgan-Derosier’s total offense level was 42 and he fell into a criminal history category II, yielding a recommended guideline range of 360 months – 120 years in prison. The Receipt of Child Pornography Count carried a minimum-minimum sentence of five years. “The monstrous conduct of this defendant towards children makes this strong sentence an appropriate one,” said Mac Schneider, United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota. “This defendant preyed on kids online and in real life, and the public is safer now that he is in the long-term custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I commend our office’s First Assistant United States Attorney, Jenifer Puhl, our colleagues at Main Justice, and our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement for ensuring this defendant faced justice.” “Morgan-Derosier was a significant threat to the community, and his conviction and sentencing highlights the fact that predators like him will face significant penalties for their crimes that leave victims and families traumatized,” said Jamie Holt, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “HSI special agents work tirelessly to combat child predators like Morgan-Derosier. We will continue to fight against the exploitation of children and support victims by providing critical resources and services. Well done to the special agents and law enforcement community partners for bringing him to justice for his reprehensible crimes.” Homeland Security Investigations, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Grand Forks Police Department investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Puhl and Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 . # # #


title: Former Executive Of Airline Pleads Guilty To Participating In A Money Laundering Conspiracy

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SHUKHRATJON MIRSAIDOV pled guilty to participating in a money laundering conspiracy from June 2019 to February 2022, while MIRSAIDOV was a senior executive for an international airline (“Airline-1”) with a hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. MIRSAIDOV pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Shukhratjon Mirsaidov used his position as an executive for an international airline to participate in a complex scheme to launder the proceeds of healthcare fraud. While all forms of money laundering are pernicious, such conduct is particularly severe when it involves executives at major businesses abusing their positions to launder the proceeds of fraud. This case demonstrates that money launderers – no matter what their station – will be held accountable by this Office.” According to allegations in the Indictment, the criminal Complaint, public filings, and statements made in court: In the course of the money laundering conspiracy charged in the Indictment, MIRSAIDOV used a U.S. company bank account for Airline-1 (the “Airline-1 Bank Account”) to operate a check-cashing scheme and to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars of healthcare fraud proceeds. As a senior executive, MIRSAIDOV was one of two signatories for the Airline-1 Bank Account. Between approximately June 2019 and August 2021, MIRSAIDOV deposited into the Airline-1’s Bank Account over 100 checks drawn from accounts controlled by seven shell companies that were used to launder the proceeds of healthcare fraud. For example, the shell companies had received insurance payments for medical services purportedly provided by a doctor, but the doctor did not, in fact, provide such services. The shell companies were primarily funded by payments from medical clinics, physicians, and medical diagnostic testing companies and had no relation to the airline industry. MIRSAIDOV obtained the checks from the shell companies from his co-defendant, SHUKHRAT ABDULLAEV. In exchange for the checks, MIRSAIDOV provided cash generated from Airline-1 ticket sales to ABDULLAEV to give to the perpetrators controlling the shell companies. MIRSAIDOV not only used the Airline-1 Account to launder healthcare fraud proceeds from the shell companies, but also used the Airline-1 Account to launder funds represented to be fraud proceeds in a series of sting transactions. Between approximately June 2021 and February 2022, law enforcement, with the assistance of a confidential source (“CS-1”), conducted a series of sting money laundering transactions involving MIRSAIDOV, ABDULLAEV, and the Airline-1 Bank Account. CS-1 asked ABDULLAEV to cash checks and transmit funds abroad and agreed to pay ABDULLAEV a four percent fee to do so. ABDULLAEV told CS-1 a portion of the fee went to MIRSAIDOV. During the transactions, CS-1 represented to ABDULLAEV that the funds were healthcare fraud proceeds. Overall, CS-1 provided ABDULLAEV with 14 checks totaling $210,000 issued from a covert law enforcement account held in the name of a fictitious company. MIRSAIDOV, working with ABDULLAEV, deposited 12 of the checks totaling $190,000 into the Airline-1 Bank Account. CS-1 received cash from ABDULLAEV in exchange for the checks, and in one instance, ABDULLAEV coordinated the delivery of U.S. currency to an individual abroad in exchange for some of the checks. During the course of these sting transactions, in a recorded conversation with CS-1, MIRSAIDOV admitted, in sum and substance, that he received many checks from ABDULLAEV and that MIRSAIDOV gave ABDULLAEV cash in exchange for the checks. CS-1 informed MIRSAIDOV, in sum and substance, that the checks from CS-1 came from a medical company and that the company disguised the check payments in its financial reporting by claiming the check deposits were for business class flight tickets. MIRSAIDOV nevertheless expressed a willingness to work directly with CS-1 to conduct check cashing using the Airline-1 Bank Account. * * * MIRSAIDOV, 46, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. As part of his guilty plea, MIRSAIDOV agreed to forfeit to the U.S. $674,171, as well as funds seized from the Airline-1 Bank Account. MIRSAIDOV will be sentenced on September 4, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. by U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cecilia Vogel, Christopher Brumwell, and Vladislav Vainberg are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Richmond County man sentenced to prison for trafficking heroin, illegally possessing a firearm

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: A Richmond County man has been sentenced to nearly 15 years in federal prison after his conviction on drug trafficking and gun possession charges. Kelvin Laron Howard , 68, of Augusta, was sentenced to 175 months in prison after a U.S. District Court jury convicted him on charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also fined Howard $2,500 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “Kelvin Howard was identified as a significant distributor of illegal drugs in the Augusta area, and held to account through a jury trial,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “His sentence demonstrates there is no tolerance for armed drug dealers in our community.” A U.S. District Court jury convicted Howard on all charges in December 2023. As presented at trial, an investigation by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office identified Howard as a heroin distributor in the Augusta area. During a search of his apartment investigators found enough heroin for more than 700 individual doses, along with drug scales and packaging materials, nearly $1,000 in cash, and a loaded semiautomatic pistol. “There is nothing more critical to ATF than increasing the safety of our communities. Cases which result in the arrests and prosecution of violent criminals are fundamental to continuing to show criminals that ATF and its law enforcement partners will not falter in this mission,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “We will pursue criminals wherever they may operate, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” “The arrest and subsequent conviction of Kelvin Howard by way of a jury trial is an example of the community’s support we have in Richmond County,” said Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree. “Mr. Howard was not only identified as participating in illegal drug activity, but he was also found to have a firearm in his possession as a convicted felon. His conviction has the potential to save lives by having one less illegal firearm on the streets and illegal drugs in our community.” The case was investigated by the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia G. Rhodes and L. Alexander Hamner.


title: Former Chief Financial Officer Is Sentenced To Prison For Embezzlement Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – John M. Casper, 60, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised for embezzling thousands of dollars from his employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, between 2018 and 2020, Casper misused his position as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to embezzle more than $694,000 from the victim company. Court documents show that Casper executed the embezzlement scheme by conducting approximately 112 unauthorized financial transactions, transferring funds from the victim company’s accounts to bank accounts under Casper’s control. As the victim company’s CFO, Casper used his access to the company’s accounting system to disguise the fraud, by creating fake or incorrect financial entries in the company’s books and records so that the victim company’s books would reconcile. On September 19, 2023, Casper pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Casper will be ordered to report to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to begin serving his sentence of incarceration. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI in Charlotte for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Trenton Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Spree of Armed Carjackings, Armed Robbery, and Firearms Offenses

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Trenton man was sentenced today to 192 months in prison for committing a series of carjackings, armed robberies, and firearms offenses, U.S. Philip R. Sellinger announced. Joshua M. Perez, 25, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to a five-count Superseding Information, charging him with two counts of carjacking, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Judge Castner imposed sentence today in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in this case: On Oct. 10, 2020, Perez and his unidentified conspirators carjacked two individuals in Trenton. As the victims were exiting their car, Perez and his conspirators got out of a white sedan, pointed handguns at the victims and robbed them of their money, cell phones, and vehicle. On Dec. 5, 2020, Perez and an unidentified conspirator carjacked another individual in Trenton. As the victim was sitting in his parked car, Perez and his conspirator ran up to the victim’s window, pointed handguns at the victim, and ordered the victim out of the car. They stole the victim’s money and cell phone and fled the scene in the victim’s car. Approximately one hour later, Perez and multiple unidentified conspirators used the victim’s carjacked vehicle as the getaway car in the armed robbery of a nearby gas station. Perez and his conspirators arrived at the gas station in the victim’s vehicle. As Perez entered the gas station, one of his conspirators ordered two victims outside the station to the ground at gunpoint and pistol-whipped them. Upon entering the gas station, Perez robbed the attendant at gunpoint, emptying the cash register. On Dec. 7, 2020, law enforcement officers responded to Perez’s residence to execute a search warrant. During the court-authorized search of Perez’s residence, Perez pointed a firearm at the officers and was placed under arrest. In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Perez to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution to the victims of his offense. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti, and officers of the Trenton Police Department under Police Director Steve Wilson, with the investigations leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Ashley Super Pitts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.


title: Charlotte Woman Is Sentenced To Prison For Dealing In Firearms Without A License

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kayrin English, 27, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for dealing in firearms without a license, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court records and today’s sentencing hearing, ATF agents learned that between February 2020 and August 2021, English had applied for 36 firearm purchase permits. ATF agents also learned that in September 2021, English had applied for an additional seven firearm purchase permits. ATF agents approached English when she arrived to collect the seven permits and conducted a consensual interview. During the interview, English told ATF agents that she would generally obtain the permits and use them to purchase firearms, which she would then resell for profit to individuals who were prohibited from owning or purchasing their own firearms. Court records show that English admitted to ATF agents that, since January 2021, she had illegally sold approximately 15 to 20 firearms. English also told ATF agents that most of the illegal firearms transactions were local, however, she had previously travelled to New Jersey where she sold several firearms she had purchased in Charlotte. On October 31, 2023, English pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. She is currently released on bond and will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The ATF led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Avery County Man Is Sentenced To Prison For Making A Destructive Device And Related Charges

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – An Avery County man was sentenced today to 97 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for making a destructive device and related offenses, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, Robert Schurmeier, Director of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NC SBI), and Sheriff Mike Henley of the Avery County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. Thomas Dewey Taylor, Jr., 45, of Newland, N.C., previously pleaded guilty to attempting to damage and destroy a building used in interstate commerce by fire and explosive, possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act weapon, and making a destructive device. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger imposed Taylor’s sentence today in federal court. According to court records and today’s sentencing hearing, Taylor was a former employee of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, Inc. (GMHG), located in Linville, N.C. On September 27, 2021, Taylor disabled the alarm system to the GMHG office, turned off the main power breaker, and hid a destructive device in an office closet. The destructive device consisted of a 48-quart cooler housing fuses bundled together and tied to an electric burner hotplate. The fuses ran to fireworks and containers of ignitable liquids. The hotplate was plugged into an extension cord which was plugged into an electrical receptacle in the closet. Also inside the cooler was a glass pitcher with rocks and a PVC pipe bomb. Court records show that the destructive device was constructed so it would ignite once someone turned on the main power breaker, resulting in an explosion designed to cause property damage, injury, and death to persons nearby. Taylor remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending placement by the Bureau of Prisons. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the ATF, the NC SBI, and the Avery County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville, prosecuted the case.


title: Former Professor Sentenced for Setting Multiple Fires Blocking in Firefighters Responding to the Dixie Fire

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gary Stephen Maynard, 49, of San Jose, was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $13,081 in restitution for three counts of arson on federal property, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. “Maynard went on an arson spree on federal land while California faced one of the worst fire seasons in history. He intentionally made a dangerous situation more perilous by setting some of his fires behind the men and women fighting the Dixie fire, potentially cutting off any chance of escape,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “It is only because of the quick response by the U.S. Forest Service — and the actions of civilian witnesses — that those fires were extinguished as quickly as they were. Today’s sentence underscores the danger that Maynard’s fires created and serves as a reminder that federal law enforcement takes seriously the threats to life, property, and our national forests caused by arson.” U.S. Forest Service Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tony Magarrell praises the actions of his Agents and fellow cooperating law enforcement agencies who identified Maynard early in the investigation, “These actions led to the quick arrest of Maynard before more damage was done to Forest Service lands and increasing the threat of firefighter lives. This is a great example of how cooperation between law enforcement agencies serves our public and makes us safe.” According to court documents, Maynard set a series of fires in the Shasta Trinity National Forest and in the vicinity of the then-ongoing Dixie Fire in the Lassen National Forest. Maynard set some of his fires behind firefighters who were actively fighting the Dixie Fire, effectively surrounding these firefighters as they responded to one of the largest wildfires in California history. Maynard admitted to setting the following fires during this arson spree: the Cascade Fire (July 20, 2021), the Everitt Fire (July 21, 2021), the Ranch Fire (Aug. 7, 2021), and the Conard Fire (Aug. 7, 2021). This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, CalFire, the California Highway Patrol, and the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shea J. Kenny and Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case.