title: Van Zandt County woman sentenced to federal prison for defrauding elderly

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Wills Point woman has been sentenced to federal prison for fraud violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Lisa Lynn Smith, 62, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant. Smith was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $47,236.94 to her elderly victim. According to information presented in court, Smith carried out a scheme to defraud an elderly Plano man by telling him lies about urgent personal and family expenses that she was facing. Smith also convinced the victim that she was going to receive a lawsuit settlement for over $2.5 million, and that she would use the money to pay the victim back for the money that he was giving to her. The victim would provide funds to Smith by various means including allowing Smith access to a credit card, which she used for various purposes such as repeatedly renting cars for her family members. In fact, Smith’s lawsuit paid nothing close to this amount and Smith was using the money for personal and family expenses that she did not disclose to the victim. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Frisco Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. attorneys in the Plano office. ###


title: Taunton Woman Who Bribed RMV Road Test Examiner for Driver's Licenses Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Taunton woman was sentenced yesterday for bribing a road test examiner at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in Brockton to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who did not take road tests. Neta Centio, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 15 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $10,000 and forfeiture of $19,305. On Aug. 21, 2023, Centio pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. Centio paid a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent to the RMV that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not even showed up for the test. As a result of the fraud, the RMV mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants. Centio used CashApp to pay the road examiner in exchange for fraudulent passing scores on road tests, ultimately paying over 40 individual bribes to her co-conspirator. After Centio’s fraud was discovered, she told the road test examiner, “Don’t say nothing about the CashApp. . . . Break the phone.” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Mother, Son, Sentenced for Selling Fentanyl in St. Louis Area

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A mother and her son have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in the St. Louis area. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White sentenced Frederick Mopkins, 32, to 10 years in prison. Mopkins pleaded guilty in October to four felonies: a fentanyl conspiracy charge, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempting to destroy evidence. Last week, Judge White sentenced Vera Mopkins, 46, to 33 months in prison. She pleaded guilty to a fentanyl conspiracy charge. Both admitted involvement in fentanyl trafficking beginning in 2020. The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department began investigating in February of that year and made a series of fentanyl purchases from Frederick Mopkins and others at an extended stay hotel in Hazelwood. A search of four hotel rooms on Oct. 2, 2020, found meth, pill presses, digital scales and empty pill capsules. Some of the rooms were registered in Vera Mopkins’ name. A search of a St. Louis home associated with Frederick Mopkins that same day caught him with two pistols, fentanyl, $3,000 cash, multiple cell phones that had been used to arrange drug sales and a 60-round drum magazine for a firearm. At least one of the drug sales was coordinated by Vera Mopkins. Frederick Mopkins coordinated others. Vera Mopkins also helped prepare and package fentanyl at least once. The drug sales continued at locations in St. Louis after the hotel search. The St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.


title: Former Mayor of Plum Springs, Kentucky Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – Today, Shedrick Johnson of Bowling Green plead guilty to an information filed by the United States Attorney on January 2, 2024, charging him with wire fraud. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement. According to the information, Shedrick Johnson, 45, was charged with devising a wire fraud scheme beginning on March 23, 2020, and continuing to November 30, 2022, in which he exceeded his authorized access by withdrawing funds belonging to Plum Springs, which is in Warren County, and utilizing for his personal benefit and conducting unauthorized transactions with the Plum Springs debit card with the total amount of loss being approximately $38,168.96. On January 18, 2024, Johnson made an initial court appearance before a U.S. District Court Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, and he entered a guilty plea in which the parties agree to recommend 5 years of probation. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is set for April 25, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI Bowling Green Post of Duty Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. ###


title: DEA Controlled Buys, Seizure of 541g of Fentanyl Lead to Guilty Plea from Biddeford Man

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland for his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy in southern Maine. According to court records, Michael Bolster , 48, conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. In July 2023, Bolster and a coconspirator sold fentanyl to a confidential source on three separate occasions. The sales were for 9 grams, 30 grams and 29 grams of fentanyl, respectively. In August 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bolster’s residence and seized two large bundles of suspected fentanyl made up of small baggies wrapped for individual sale totaling 541 grams. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lab tested a sample of the substance and confirmed it to contain the presence of fentanyl. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose. Bolster pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. He faces 5-40 years in prison and a fine up to $5 million followed by four years to life of supervised release on the conspiracy charge. On each of two counts of distribution of fentanyl, he faces up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million followed by three years to life of supervised release. Bolster will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. DEA investigated the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Observes National Human Trafficking Awareness Month

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: “Whether it’s forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking, human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings for profit, and it has no place in today’s society,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Vassallo. “We remain dedicated to investigating and prosecuting traffickers within the borders of Wyoming.” The Justice Department’s National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking sets forth a comprehensive, multi-year strategy to enhance Department-wide efforts to combat all forms of human trafficking. Actions in 2023 to implement this National Strategy and to advance all aspects of the Department’s broad-based anti-trafficking mission include: Designation by the Attorney General of a National Human Trafficking Coordinator and a National Child Exploitation Coordinator to coordinate Department-wide and interagency implementation of strategies for countering human trafficking and child exploitation threats, respectively. Establishment of a Human Trafficking Working Group of U.S. Attorneys through the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys and its Civil Rights Subcommittee . Formation of a specialized Human Trafficking Program Management Team within the FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit to develop and disseminate expertise and training on victim-centered, trauma-informed anti-trafficking strategies to FBI Field Offices nationwide and enhance coordination of human trafficking investigations, prosecutions, and victim services. Implementation of the revised Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance , including delivery of survivor-informed training to all relevant Department personnel on enhanced protections for vulnerable victims and specialized issues impacting human trafficking victims. Training of all Department Immigration Judges on detecting human trafficking victims and indicators in immigration-related proceedings through the Executive Office for Immigration Review . Expanded efforts to combat forced child labor, including: Leadership of the interagency Forced Labor Initiative Steering Group in conducting strategic assessments of forced child labor threats and guiding criminal forced labor investigations and prosecutions in relevant jurisdictions; Participation in the interagency Child Labor Exploitation Task Force and issuance of guidance to all Office for Victims of Crime grantees, in collaboration with the Department of Labor, on identifying, assisting, and referring victims of forced child labor and child labor exploitation; and Introduction of resolutions on combating forced child labor to the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime Working Group on Trafficking in Persons Sustained efforts to combat child sex trafficking , including through: Release of the Department’s 2023 National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction ; Operations conducted by the FBI and federal, state, local, and Tribal partners over a two-week period that identified and located 59 missing children and 59 victims of potential federal or state sex trafficking, sexual exploitation, or related offenses, as well as 126 suspects and 141 potential adult victims of such offenses; and Issuance of an Office on Violence Against Women Training and Technical Assistance grant to implement the Building Capacity to Serve Youth Survivors of Sex Trafficking Project; youth sex trafficking grantees and service providers; deliver youth-centered, survivor-informed expertise; and enhance outreach to traditionally underserved youth populations. Enhanced responses to human trafficking affecting Tribal communities through training, technical assistance, and coordination among Tribal, territorial, federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners, including through the Tribal Consultation on Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women ; Not Invisible Act Commission ; National Indian Country Training Initiative ; and Strengthening Sovereign Responses to Sex Trafficking in Indian Country and Alaska program. Issuance of over $95 million in grant funding through the Department’s Office for Victims of Crime , as the largest federal funder of services for human trafficking victims and survivors, including grant funding for direct services and legal services and training and technical assistance to enhance grantees’ capacity to provide services to labor trafficking victims. National Institute of Justice -funded research and evaluation studies to inform evidence-based best practices involving multidisciplinary task forces, victim services, and responses to emerging forced labor and forced criminality threats. Continued collaboration among U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit , and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to secure convictions, substantial sentences, and significant restitution awards in a wide range of human trafficking prosecutions nationwide . Anyone who has information about a potential human trafficking situation or a person who may be experiencing human trafficking should contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. Information on the Justice Department’s work to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: New York resident indicted for abusive sexual contact

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 29-year-old New York man was arraigned today in U.S. District Court in Seattle for illegally touching a 14-year-old boy seated next to him on a flight from Fresno to Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ram N. Gazab pleaded “not guilty” today to Abusive Sexual Contact. Trial is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Tana Lin on March 11, 2024. According to records filed in the case, on December 26, 2023, the victim was in a window seat near the back of the plane. The middle seat in the row was empty. Approximately 20 minutes before landing, Gazab seated himself in the empty seat next to the victim. Gazab allegedly placed his hand on victim’s thigh. The victim moved his body away from Gazab and told him to stop. Gazab told the victim he had been sleeping. After the plane landed, the victim tried to leave the row, and Gazab allegedly touched the victim’s buttocks. The victim reported the conduct to the flight crew and law enforcement responded to the plane. Gazab was taken into custody and has remained detained ever since. The grand jury returned the indictment on January 10, 2024. Abusive Sexual Contact is punishable by up to two years in prison. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia A. Lee.


title: Bridgeport Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KINSTON CUTHBERTSON, 32, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that Cuthbertson was distributing narcotics from his Waldorf Avenue residence. Cuthbertson was arrested on May 27, 2022, after a court-authorized search of his residence revealed approximately 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl; approximately 380 grams of cocaine; a quantity of crack cocaine; items used to process and package narcotics, including a kilogram press; a money counter; and $10,702 in cash. Cuthbertson threw a shoebox containing bags of fentanyl out of a window during the execution of the search warrant. Some of the bags broke open from the impact and spilled onto the ground. Cuthbertson has been detained since his arrest. On July 17, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Connecticut State Police’s Statewide Narcotics Task Force Southwest and Statewide Urban Violence Cooperative Crime Control Task Force, and the Bridgeport Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins.


title: Arapahoe, Wyoming couple arraigned on charges of aggravated child abuse and assault resulting in serious bodily injury

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Truman Sitting Eagle, age 36, and Kandace Sitting Eagle, age 33, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, were arraigned on Jan. 16. They are both charged with aggravated child abuse and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Their trial has been set for Mar. 18 before U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson in Cheyenne. Both defendants were detained at the request of the government and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. If convicted on all counts, they each face no less than 10 years up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This crime is being investigated by the FBI and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook An indictment merely contains allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Case No. 24-CR-03


title: Repeat Sex Trafficker Indicted for Trafficking Four Women Using Violence and Threats

body_text: BOSTON – A Stoughton man, previously convicted of multiple counts of sex trafficking, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston today for allegedly sex trafficking multiple adult women. Marvin Pompilus, 39, has been indicted on three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; one count of attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion; and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Pompilus was previously arrested and charged in November 2023 . He has remained in federal custody since and will appear in federal court in Boston next week. According to the charging documents, from on or about 2021 through 2022, Pompilus selected women who had a history of substance use disorder and provided them with controlled substances to intensify their drug dependence and gain their compliance. It is alleged that Pompilus then used a combination physical violence, sexual violence, threats of violence, verbal abuse and withholding of controlled substance from drug dependent victims to coerce and/or force them to engage in commercial sex acts. He then allegedly collected all of the proceeds. According to court documents, in February 2018, Pompilus was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of multiple counts of trafficking a person for sexual servitude and deriving support for prostitution. He was sentenced to six years in state prison and was released in October 2021. Almost immediately following his release from state custody, it is alleged that Pompilus started recruiting women, including the four women charged in this indictment, to engage in commercial sex on his behalf. If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison, at least five 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 Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Boston and Randolph Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Arnold of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Tokash of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Protection Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Pharmacy President Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for $32 Million Health Care Kickback Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former president of a pharmacy business was sentenced today to 36 months in prison for his role in a health care kickback conspiracy involving prescriptions for Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced today. Elan Yaish, 54, of Israel, previously pleaded guilty on Aug. 16, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Esther Salas to an information charging him with conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute. Judge Salas imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From September 2017 to around December 2020, Yaish participated in operating pharmacies, including Apogee Bio-Pharm LLC, in Edison, New Jersey. Yaish and others agreed to engage in a scheme to pay marketing companies to direct prescriptions for expensive medications to the pharmacies. The marketing companies identified Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries to target for expensive drugs and contacted the beneficiaries by telephone to pressure them to agree to try expensive medications, such as pain creams, scar creams, eczema creams, and migraine medication. The marketing companies then transmitted recordings of telephone calls with the beneficiaries, together with pre-marked prescription pads for particular drugs that would yield exorbitant reimbursements, to telemedicine companies. The marketers paid the telemedicine companies kickbacks for every beneficiary referred for a prescription, and the telemedicine companies paid doctors to approve the prescriptions. The marketing companies then directed the prescriptions to pharmacies, including Apogee, with which they had kickback arrangements. The pharmacies filled the prescriptions and sought reimbursement from federal health care benefit programs, including Medicare and TRICARE. The pharmacies, including Apogee, then paid a portion of each reimbursement to the marketing companies as a kickback. As a result of the scheme, Yaish and his conspirators caused a loss to Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs of over $32 million. In addition to the prison term, Judge Salas sentenced Yaish to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $32 million. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian J. Solecki, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit and Barbara Ward, Senior Trial Counsel of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit, in Newark.


title: New York Man Sentenced to Federal Prison and Pays $850,000 in Civil Fines and Restitution for Durable Medical Equipment Scheme

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: GREENVILLE, S.C. — Jeffrey Brooks, 40, of Clarence Center, New York, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition to Brooks’ criminal conviction, last year, Brooks paid $850,000 in a civil settlement to resolve allegations that he provided kickbacks and caused false claims to be submitted in violation of the federal False Claims Act. Evidence presented to the court showed that beginning in or around May 2019, Brooks operated at least eight durable medical equipment (DME) companies, which were located in Fort Pierce, Florida. Through these DME companies, Brooks was charged with conspiring to submit or cause to be submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and CHAMPVA for braces that were not medically necessary, eligible for reimbursement, and/or obtained through the payment of kickbacks and bribes. Specifically, evidence presented showed that Brooks and his co-conspirators purchased Medicare beneficiaries’ personally identifying information (“PII”) and purported personal health information (“PHI”) from third party call centers in order to generate doctors’ orders for braces. The doctor’s orders were generated by paying illegal kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies to obtain a medical practitioner’s signature on the doctor’s orders, regardless of medical necessity. During the conspiracy, Brooks also was the beneficial owner of a call center located in Greenville, South Carolina, that purchased personal identifiable information of Medicare patients. Brooks and his co-conspirators, including purported telemedicine companies, then generated signed doctors’ orders, which were used to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and cause false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to CHAMPVA. The evidence presented to the court showed that the DME companies controlled by Brooks caused Medicare to be billed over $29 million in false and fraudulent claims. “As we put an end to Brooks’ fraudulent scheme, he faces both accountability and justice,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We will continue to seek out those defrauding federal healthcare programs.” "By facilitating kickbacks, this defendant knowingly enabled theft from Medicare, putting personal profit before legitimate patient care and ultimately costing taxpayers millions of dollars," said Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those alleged of defrauding federal health care programs are held accountable.” “The penalties in this case underscore the importance of maintaining the integrity of healthcare systems,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We are committed to safeguarding the interests of healthcare beneficiaries and ensuring accountability for those who exploit healthcare programs.” “Today, this defendant was held accountable for his role in a long-term fraud scheme in which he enriched himself at the expense our nation’s veterans and that behavior will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Kim. R. Lampkins of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this joint investigation.” The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by Ashley Westover and Jessica Tollison, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of the civil resolution, Westover and Tollison received approximately $144,500 of the settlement amount. The criminal resolution of this case was the result of a coordinated effort by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, with assistance from the HHS-OIG, Special Agent Ryan Schubert, FBI, and VA-OIG. The civil resolution of this case was the result of efforts by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, with assistance from the HHS-OIG, FBI, and VA-OIG. United States District Judge Herlong sentenced Brooks to 90 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The Court also ordered that Brooks pay $15,221,227.60 in restitution – $15,198,432.00. to Medicare and $22,795.58 to CHAMPVA. The criminal case was handled by Trial Attorney Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower for the District of South Carolina. Assistant United States Attorney Beth Warren handled the civil case for the District of South Carolina. The lawsuit resolved by the civil settlement is captioned United States ex rel. Westover, et al. , Civ. No. 6:21-cv-00417-TMC (D.S.C., filed February 9, 2021). The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). ###


title: Iowa Man Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Armed Robbery of New Jersey Bank

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Iowa man was sentenced today to 94 months in prison for robbing a bank in Secaucus, New Jersey, in January 2017, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jose Luis Martinez, 33, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John M. Vazquez to a two-count indictment charging him with armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during a bank robbery. U.S. District Judge William J. Martini imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On Jan. 5, 2017, Martinez walked into a bank in Secaucus and pointed a handgun at a bank employee while demanding cash. Martinez told the bank employee that he would shoot her and other customers if the employee did not comply. Martinez took cash from the bank and fled. In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Martinez to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $31,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the FBI’s White Plains, New York Office; the New York City Police Department; the Greenwich, Connecticut, Police Department; and the Port Chester, New York, Police Department for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett Schuman of the Criminal Division in Newark.


title: Former Florida Keys Resident Detained Pending Trial for Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Jan. 16, Eric Edward Cadogan, a/k/a “livelife4fun69,” 39, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, formerly of Marathon, Florida, was arraigned and ordered detained pending trial by U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana S. Snow, in Key West, Florida on an indictment charging him with distributing child pornography. According to allegations in the indictment and previously filed criminal complaint, and presented during court hearings, Cadogan uploaded and distributed child pornography using a social media messaging platform. Cadogan also offered to sell child pornography and said he had “100 of videos n pictures.” In messages with an online undercover agent, Cadogan indicated he had engaged in sexually explicit conduct with minor children. This case is set for trial during the two-week period commencing Feb. 20, 2024. If convicted of the charge contained in the federal indictment, Cadogan faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years in prison, up to twenty years in prison. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the charges. FBI Miami Key West Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine W. Guthrie is handling the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC 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 the PSC initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Anyone with information regarding suspected child abuse (to include physical and sexual abuse) is encouraged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. A criminal complaint and an indictment contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-mj-05020 and 23-CR-10017. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Reports Over $169 Million in Civil and Criminal Collections in Fiscal Year 2023

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today that criminal and civil matters handled by the Eastern District of California in Fiscal Year 2023 resulted in collections totaling $169,209,799. Of this amount, the Eastern District of California directly collected $52,209,799. This included more than $11.6 million in criminal actions and more than $40.5 million in civil actions. Additionally, the Eastern District of California worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $2,181,933 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, more than $32,000 was collected in criminal actions and more than $2.1 million was collected in civil actions. Separately, the Department of Justice collected $117 million in a matter handled by the Eastern District of California with assistance from DOJ’s Commercial Litigation Branch. In April 2023, the Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation paid $117 million to the Department of Justice pursuant to a settlement agreement previously reached in PG&E’s bankruptcy proceedings. This agreement required PG&E to compensate the United States for damages caused by multiple fires occurring within the Eastern District of California prior to the bankruptcy, including the deadly 2018 Camp Fire. “Thanks go to the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff in this office whose collection efforts protect the residents of the Eastern District of California and safeguard precious taxpayer resources,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “We are also thankful to our DOJ and law enforcement partners who make much of this work possible. Together we remain committed to protecting the public, vigorously pursuing funds that rightfully belong to U.S. taxpayers, and seeking compensation for crime victims.” The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of California, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected more than $8.6 million in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.


title: Members and Associates of Grape Street Crips Gang Admit Roles in Drug Trafficking Organization

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man admitted 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 today. Ali Carney, 45, of Newark, pleaded guilty on Jan. 17, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court 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. 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. The narcotics conspiracy and distribution counts to which Carney pleaded guilty each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing for Carney is scheduled for May 22, 2024. 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. carney.sinformation.pdf


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Harmful Marijuana Cultivation Operation in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jaime Alejandro Sanchez Robles, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison for conspiracy to manufacture 1,708 marijuana plants and depredation of public land in the Jims Creek area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Sanchez Robles was also ordered to pay $68,812 in restitution to the Forest Service for the damage caused by his marijuana cultivation activities. According to court documents, on Oct. 20, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search of a marijuana growing operation in Jims Creek, a remote area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest located in Trinity County. Sanchez Robles was found at the site, and agents observed that water was actively being diverted from a nearby stream and found the remnants of more than 1,200 pounds of soluble fertilizer, 20 gallons of liquid fertilizer, more than 50 pounds of rodenticide, and at least one dead animal. Law enforcement officers eradicated 1,708 marijuana plants and arrested Sanchez Robles. This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office. Integral Ecology Research Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the research and conservation of wildlife and their ecosystems, analyzed and documented the environmental damage. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alstyn Bennett prosecuted the case.


title: Santa Ana Man Sentenced to 15.5 Years in Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of a Minor for Sexual Purposes

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcos Lucero, 32, of Santa Ana, was sentenced today to 15 years and six months in prison for attempted online enticement of a minor for sexual purposes, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Lucero asked an 11-year-old girl for explicit pictures, and she sent them to him via a social media application. Lucero continued communicating with her when, unbeknownst to Lucero, an undercover law enforcement agent took over the minor victim’s account. Lucero suggested meeting up for sex, and on Sept. 15, 2021, he traveled from Santa Ana to Fresno to have sex with the 11-year-old. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Three convicted in alien smuggling plot for Mexican cartel

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – Three individuals have pleaded guilty to their roles in a human smuggling conspiracy involving the Cartel del Noreste (CDN), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Laredo residents Bernardo Aniceto Garza, 26, and Francisco Suarez, 19; and Mexican citizen Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, 25, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens. “The cartels are increasing the use of social media as part of their illegal business model,” said Hamdani. “Applications, such as Facebook, allow these organizations to advertise human smuggling services to large audiences along the U.S. border. In this case, the Facebook ads helped facilitate the transportation of women and children by smugglers armed with dangerous weapons.” On Aug. 23, 2023, authorities discovered a Facebook post that appeared to be advertising transportation services for undocumented aliens via sleeper cabs of tractor trailers. An undercover investigation revealed Segura coordinated the transportation of three undocumented aliens for approximately $8,000. Law enforcement learned Segura arranged for a black Ford Raptor to make the pickup in Laredo that afternoon. Authorities spotted a black Ford Raptor arrive at the meet location. Garza was driving. Undercover law enforcement then contacted Segura to cancel the previously arranged pickup. Garza left and travelled to a nearby parking lot to pick up three other individuals. He then transported them to a truck yard and loaded the aliens into a parked tractor. Authorities stopped Garza’s vehicle minutes after he left the truck yard and located a firearm inside the Ford Raptor. Law enforcement approached the tractor and located two women and a 15-year-old minor inside the vehicle. All three were citizens of Mexico and El Salvador and illegally present in the United States. On Sept. 16, 2023, authorities encountered Segura in Laredo and identified him as a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. Segura admitted the CDN had recruited him in Mexico to smuggle aliens and that he worked with Suarez to do so. Law enforcement located a cell phone in Segura’s possession that was still logged into the Facebook account used to advertise and coordinate the smuggling event. On Sept. 19, 2023, authorities apprehended Suarez in a separate smuggling attempt during which he was acting as a scout. Suarez admitted he worked for Garza and provided him with the three migrants he was caught transporting Aug. 23, 2023. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will set sentencing at later date. At that time, each faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Suarez and Guzman will remain in custody pending that hearing, while Garza was permitted to remain on bond. Laredo Police Department, Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case. The case is supported through Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland created JTFA in June 2021 in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen the Justice Department’s overall efforts to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern and Western Districts of Texas, District of New Mexico, District of Arizona and Southern District of California. Numerous components of the Criminal Division are part of JTFA and provide dedicated support for the program which the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section leads. The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section also provide support. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 265 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 200 convictions; significant jail sentences imposed; and substantial asset forfeiture.


title: Taylor County woman sentenced to 12 years for federal drug charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kayla Marie Cline, age 32, of Flemington, West Virginia, was sentenced to 148 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Cline was operating a methamphetamine distribution operation from a home in Taylor County. Cline worked with others to travel to and from the Morgantown area to meet her supplier or to conduct drug sales. Investigators connected more than three pounds of methamphetamine to Cline. The case was investigated by the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided. ###


title: Langlade County Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 18, 2024, Anthony J. Michalek (age: 38) of Langlade County, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment for receiving obscene visual depictions of the sexual abuse of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1466A, and for doing so while being required to register as a sex offender. At Michalek’s sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the horrific nature of the defendant’s actions and the effect that his actions have on child victims. Senior Judge Griesbach also stressed the danger Michalek presents to the community given his status as a repeat offender, having been convicted in 2007 of sexual assault in Dane County, Wisconsin. Following his release from prison, Michalek will spend 20 years on supervised release and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law. This case was investigated by the Langlade County Sheriff’s Office and the Green Bay and Wausau Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Former Rochester mail carrier pleads guilty to theft of mail

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Marlene Cruz, 40, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to theft of mail matter by officer or employee, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in January 2022, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) received complaints from individuals stating that their mail had been tampered with in late 2021. Subsequent investigation determined that Cruz, a full-time Mail Carrier, worked the mail route involving the complaints. Further investigation determined that between January 2022, and November 2023, Cruz routinely opened envelopes and parcels, removing items such as ticket stubs, documents, cash, lottery tickets, and gift cards, on dozens of occasions. In May and November 2023, investigators conducted mail integrity tests, placing greeting cards containing cash and gift cards in the mail to be delivered by Cruz. On November 2, 2023, at the end of her shift, investigators detained Cruz and executed a warrant for her person and personal belongings. During the search, they recovered a gift card from one of the mail integrity test greeting cards inside Cruz’ personal duffle bag. The plea is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent-in-Charge Northeast Field Office. Sentencing is scheduled for May 9, 2023, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa. # # # #


title: Citrus Heights Couple Indicted for Participation in $1 Million Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud Scheme

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A 10-count indictment was unsealed today charging Deshawn Oshaea Campbell, 36, and Rochelle Pasley, 33, both of Citrus Heights, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between June 2020 and December 2020, the two defendants conspired to defraud by filing fraudulent unemployment insurance claims with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) seeking Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits under the CARES Act. During the conspiracy, the defendants obtained the identifying information of other individuals and used their identities to submit dozens of fraudulent claims. The claims represented, among other things, that the claimants had recently lost employment or were unable to find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These claims were fraudulent because, for instance, many of the individuals whose identities were used did not reside in California and were thus ineligible for benefits from EDD. In the applications, the defendants used mailing addresses that were under their control, or under the control of their family and friends. EDD approved more than 50 of the fraudulent claims and authorized Bank of America to mail out EDD debit cards containing benefits. The defendants then obtained these debit cards and used them to withdraw the benefits at ATMs throughout California and to make direct purchases, all for their own benefit. The scheme resulted in EDD paying out over $1 million. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the EDD – Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Delaney and Justin Lee are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Campbell and Pasley face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of conspiracy and mail fraud, and Pasley faces a mandatory, consecutive two-year prison term for aggravated identity theft. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Fannin County man sentenced for multiple East Texas bank robberies

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Leonard, Texas man has been sentenced to federal prison for robbing multiple banks in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Kevin Long, 31, pleaded guilty to bank robbery and was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan on January 18, 2024. Long was also ordered to pay restitution of $573,000. According to information presented in court, Long robbed multiple banks in East Texas between 2020 and 2021. During the robberies he passed threatening notes to bank employees, he physically restrained bank employees, and he stole over $550,000. Those robberies include: CapTex Bank in Bonham on Jan. 31, 2020; Financial Bank in Farmersville on August 11, 2020; Bancorp South Bank in Tom Bean on Oct. 16, 2020; Commercial Bank in Farmerville on August 13, 2021; and First United Bank in Leonard on August 20, 2021. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bonham Police Department, Farmersville Police Department, Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Sherman Police Department, Allen Police Department, Leonard Police Department, Bells Police Department, Tom Bean Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety. ###


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Steal Mail and Possessing Stolen Mail From  Lakeview and Metairie Post Offices

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DERRICK LEWIS , age 23, of New Orleans, was sentenced on January 16, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey, to 9 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Steal United States Mail and Possession of Stolen Mail. According to court records, on January 30, 2022, LEWIS conspired with others to steal mail from both the Lakeview Post Office in New Orleans, La. as well as United States Postal Service (USPS) mailboxes located in Metairie, La. LEWIS acted as the driver and another defendant used a stolen USPS key to steal mail from the two locations. After a police chase, LEWIS and the co-defendant were found in possession of approximately 30 pieces of stolen mail. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service - Office of the Inspector General, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Box Elder man admits assaulting woman on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Box Elder man admitted today to assaulting a woman at his residence on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation in 2021, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Gabriel Evan Jordan, 26, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Gabriel faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for May 30. Jordan was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on Nov. 16, 2021, the victim, identified as Jane Doe, visited Jordan at his residence. Jordan held Jane Doe down and assaulted her, which resulted in serious bodily injury. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer S. Clark and Stephanie D. Robles are prosecuting the case. The FBI, Rocky Boy’s Police Department, Hill County Sheriff’s Office and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Stamford Man Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, and Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw announced that RICK MARRO, 42, most recently residing in Stamford, was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child exploitation offenses. Marro appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained. As alleged in court documents, law enforcement began investigating Marro in August 2023 after a 16-year-old male victim reported that he had been sexually exploited by Marro. The victim reported that he met Marro on a dating application, and they then began communicating on Snapchat in April 2023. The victim indicated that they met in person at Marro’s house on multiple occasions, and two of the encounters were sexual in nature. The victim reported that Marro gave him “poppers,” that Marro was “into” asphyxiation, and, on one occasion, Marro strangled him and he passed out “for a minute or two.” A law enforcement review of the victim’s Snapchat account showed that Marro sent him videos that Marro had recorded of them engaged in sexual activity. He also sent the victim a video depicting Marro choking him. It is further alleged that law enforcement subsequently seized and searched Marro’s cell phone. During the examination of Marro’s phone, law enforcement located the same videos that he recorded and sent the victim showing them engaged in sexual activity. Investigators also located text messages that Marro had sent to another individual in which Marro stated that he “choked [the victim] all the way to unconscious today by accident.” The complaint charges Marro with production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; receipt and distribution of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Former USPS mail carrier arrested, charged with stealing checks from mail

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A former Anchorage USPS mail carrier was arrested yesterday in Missouri after a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment in December charging him with fraud and theft for allegedly stealing checks from the mail for personal gain. According to court documents, Nha Xiong, 25, altered bank checks, typically with Whiteout, and wrote his name on the checks, making it appear as if the checks were made out to him. Xiong would then deposit the altered checks into his bank account. From November to December 2021, the defendant deposited six stolen checks from Northrim Bank, Bank of America, KeyBank and Mt. McKinley Bank into his bank account, totaling over $39,000. Xiong is charged with one count bank fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1344(2), and one count theft of mail by a postal employee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1709. The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, Xiong faces potential fines and up to 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Seattle Division and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kenneth Bulle of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General Western-Pacific Area Field Office made the announcement. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Vandergaw and Amy Miller are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Lynn Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in connection with a scheme to impersonate bank customers and fraudulently withdraw money from their bank accounts. Antonio Niati, 33, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (one day) and three years of supervised release. Niati was also ordered to pay restitution of approximately $360,000. In May 2019, Niati pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aiding and abetting aggravated identity theft. In 2017, Niati recruited a bank teller working at a Santander Bank branch in Dorchester to assist in conducting fraudulent transactions in victims’ bank accounts. On three occasions in April 2017, another co-conspirator conducted transactions in two Santander Bank customers’ accounts using fraudulent driver’s licenses, all with the assistance of Niati, and the recruited teller. Niati and his co-conspirators fraudulently withdrew over $640,000 from the customers’ accounts. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Wright, Christopher J. Markham and Neil J. Gallagher of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Fort Atkinson Home Improvement Contractor And His Wife Sentenced To Prison For Fraud And Money Laundering

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Tyler Hansen, 52, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. His wife, Jennifer Hansen, 43, was sentenced by Judge Conley to 33 months in prison for money laundering. The Hansens pleaded guilty to these charges on October 4, 2023. Between October 2020 and September 2022, Tyler Hansen operated a home improvement business based in Dane County and Jefferson County. The business operated under multiple names, including Weathersealed Wisconsin and EcoView Windows of South-Central Wisconsin. Hansen entered into contracts for home improvement projects with customers throughout Wisconsin, knowing that he did not intend to order supplies for the jobs or otherwise start the projects. The contracts were for various home improvement projects, including windows, sunrooms, bathrooms, roofs, and doors. When contracts for projects were signed, Hansen required that customers pay 50% of the total contract price as a down payment. Rather than use the money from customer down payments to pay project related expenses, Hansen used the money for personal expenses. In total, the Hansens stole over $800,000 from over 100 victims across Wisconsin during the fraud scheme. Hansen, together with his wife, also engaged in money laundering. The Hansens used multiple financial transactions to conceal and disguise the true nature of the funds in their bank accounts and to make it more difficult for clients to receive refunds of their down payments. They deposited down payment checks from customers into multiple business bank accounts then transferred the funds to multiple personal accounts. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley called the Hansens’ actions “horrific” because they targeted elderly and vulnerable people and resulted in substantial financial losses. Judge Conley also explained that while both the Hansens lied to victims, Tyler Hansen deserved a longer sentence because he was the driving force behind the scheme and had a prior criminal history. In order to determine the appropriate amount of restitution owed to the victims in the case, Judge Conley scheduled a hearing for March 15, 2024, at 1:00 pm. The charges against the Hansens were the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of law enforcement officers and district attorneys’ offices in the following counties in Wisconsin: Richland, Vernon, Grant, Dane, Fond Du Lac, Green Lake, Jefferson, Vilas, Walworth, Waukesha, Iowa, Kenosha, Adams, Columbia, Green, Monroe, Rock, Sauk, Winnebago, Sheboygan, Dodge, and Brown. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.


title: Sioux Falls Man Charged with Preparation of False Tax Returns and Wire Fraud

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man for 23 counts of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of a False and Fraudulent Return and 23 counts of Wire Fraud. Amon Eustache Aboua, age 54, was indicted in January of 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno on January 16, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is up to 20 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and up to $4,600 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The Indictment alleges that Aboua is the owner of African Communities United, d/b/a ACU Tax Services. Between February 2, 2018, and April 2, 2019, Aboua prepared false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns and submitted them to the IRS for several taxpayers. Those returns were false in that the returns represented that the taxpayers were entitled to claim deductions when, in fact, they were not. Aboua submitted those tax returns electronically and caused fraudulently-inflated refunds, which unjustly enriched Aboua. The charges are merely accusations and Aboua is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The investigation is being conducted by the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann M. Hoffman is prosecuting the case. Aboua was released on bond pending trial. A trial date has not been set.


title: Rosebud Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Rosebud, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on January 16, 2024. Kyle Black Bull, age 34, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Black Bull was indicted by a federal grand jury in June of 2022. He pleaded guilty on September 28, 2023. In the evening hours of April 16, 2022, the victim was at a residence in Parmelee, South Dakota, with the defendant and two other males. The victim and the defendant had both been consuming alcohol during the evening. As the night progressed, the victim fell asleep on the couch. In the early morning hours of April 17, the victim awoke to the defendant engaging in intercourse with her. The victim was not capable of consenting, due to being asleep, and the defendant was aware that the victim was incapable of consenting. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case. Black Bull was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Oglala Man found Guilty of Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Commercial Sex Trafficking

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a jury has convicted Gordon Weston, age 57, of Oglala, South Dakota, of Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Commercial Sex Trafficking following a two-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 10, 2024. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, up to life on supervised release, and a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Weston was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2021. Weston was employed as the Activities Coordinator at the Emergency Youth Shelter in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, from 2009 to 2021. Weston commonly requested juvenile females who stayed at the shelter to be “friends” with him on Facebook after they had left the shelter. Weston contacted at least one juvenile female and offered her money and transportation in exchange for sexual encounters with him. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Poppen and Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date has not been set. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Imprisoned Sex Offender Sentenced to 19 Years and 7 Months for Distributing Child Pornography from Behind Bars

body_text: WASHINGTON – Quincy J. LaBauve, 37, an inmate serving 40 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections for child sex crimes, was sentenced today to an additional 235 months in federal prison for using a contraband cell phone to send and to seek out images of child sexual abuse material from behind bars. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. On September 5, 2023, while serving a Mississippi state sentence related to the sexual abuse and exploitation of a child, LaBuave, formerly of Biloxi, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. to one count of distribution of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered LaBauve to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. The federal prison sentence will run concurrently with his state prison sentence. The federal charges stemmed from a roughly week-long online chat in early February 2020, during which LaBauve asked a Washington, D.C.-based undercover law enforcement officer to help him find someone who would be willing to share child pornography with him. During the chat exchange, LaBauve sent approximately 10 images to the undercover officer depicting the sexual exploitation of children. In addition, he encouraged the undercover officer to rape his own daughter, described specific sexual acts that he wanted to see inflicted on the child, and set up a specific time where he was supposed watch the live-streamed rape of that child. On February 18, 2020, Department of Corrections officers in Mississippi conducted a search of LaBauve’s cell and recovered two phones. The forensic analysis of one of those phones revealed the chats exchanged between LaBauve and the undercover officer, as well as at least 78 additional images depicting the sexual abuse of very young of children. These images included multiple still images and at least one video. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Amy Larson, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hutson. ##


title: Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joseph S. Martin, 23, formerly of Hebron, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 18, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for distribution of child pornography after having previously been convicted of possession child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Martin to 20 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Martin’s release from prison, he will begin a 30-year term of supervised release. Judge Buescher ordered Martin to pay $24,000 in restitution. On November 9, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations in Omaha received several cyber tips from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and Nebraska State Patrol (NSP). One such cyber tip included information forwarded by Facebook to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that related to child exploitation material distributed by a Facebook user on July 12, 2021. Facebook identified the IP address and account that uploaded the suspected child pornography image. Facebook confirmed the Facebook account username belonged to Joseph Martin. Additional investigative work determined the IP address and associated phone number belonged to Martin. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Martin’s Facebook account which contained several images of child pornography. When interviewed, Martin admitted to law enforcement that approximately 500 images of child pornography would be located on various cyber sites associated with him. Martin was previously convicted on August 23, 2019 and March 19, 2021, of possession of child pornography, both in the Douglas County District Court, Douglas County, Nebraska. 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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Cincinnati man arrested for federal fraud crimes

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was arrested on federal fraud charges alleging he used a stolen identity for decades, compiling an extensive criminal record, getting married and fathering a child all under the assumed identity. Yaw Mintah Afari, 46, appeared in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati yesterday, at which point his case was unsealed. He is scheduled for a detention hearing at 1:30pm tomorrow. An affidavit filed in this case details that the victim of Afari’s alleged identity theft has significantly suffered from having his identity stolen. For example, the victim was arrested in 2009 for a warrant in Georgia for a crime that Afari committed while using his identity. The victim later had to take a DNA test to prove that he was not liable for child support payments for a child that Afari fathered under the victim’s name. Further, the victim lost his job as an Uber driver because of the criminal record Afari compiled under his identity. According to court documents, Afari was born in Ghana in 1977 and entered the United States on a visitor’s visa in 1999. Afari obtained a Virginia driver’s license in 1999. In July 2001, he was charged with assault in Fairfax, Virginia. After his assault charges, it is alleged that Afari stole the identity of an acquaintance that lived on his road. It is alleged that Afari used the stolen identity in connection with various arrests, including on fraud, theft and forgery charges in Georgia in 2007 and 2009. Afari was convicted and sentenced to prison terms for the crimes in Georgia and was paroled in 2012. In 2018 or 2019, Afari moved to Cincinnati. It is alleged he married a woman in 2019 and used the stolen identity for a marriage certificate in Hamilton County. Afari also fathered a child while using the assumed identity. In February 2022, Afari applied for a passport in Cincinnati using the victim’s name, which led to an investigation into his true identity. Afari is charged with aggravated identity theft (which is punishable by a two-year mandatory prison sentence), passport fraud (up to 10 years in prison) and making false statements to an agent of the federal government (up to five years in prison). Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the charges. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), U.S. Social Security Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Marshals, and Ohio BMV Investigations. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy A. Landry is representing the United States in this case. A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Elmira man arrested for attempting to have sex with a minor

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jacob Brewer, 31, of Elmira, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempted enticement of a minor, attempted receipt of child pornography, and attempted possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on August 19, 2024, a parent reported to the Elmira Police Department that his 16-year-old daughter (Minor) was contacted on Facebook and Instagram by a 31-year-old male, who he believed to be Brewer. The parent stated that Brewer provided his phone number to the Minor and asked her to text him. In response, the parent sent text messages to Brewer posing as the Minor. During this conversation, Brewer attempted to arrange a meeting to engage in sexual activity with the Minor and sent sexually explicit photos and videos of himself. The parent then provided the messages exchanged with Brewer to the Elmira Police. The messages were subsequently turned over to the New York State Police (NYSP). A NYSP investigator began exchanging messages with Brewer, posing as the Minor. They exchanged over 1,500 messages. During that time, Brewer sent over 60 pictures, videos, and files, many sexually explicit in nature. On October 1, 2024, Brewer and “the Minor” made plans to meet the following day to engage in sexual activity at Brewer’s residence. Brewer told “the Minor” to look “like ur 18.” On October 2, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant and took Brewer into custody. Investigators seized the cell phone Brewer used to communicate with the Minor. A search of the cell phone also recovered multiple conversations via several messaging applications between Brewer and various females, including suspected minors. Many of the conversations were sexual in nature. The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the New York State Police, under the direction of Acting Major Kevin Sucher, and the Elmira Police Department, under the direction of Chief Kristen Thorne. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Ohio man admits to his role in drug trafficking organization in Wheeling

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Raymond Michael Hardmon, also known as “Dro,” 38, of Bellaire, Ohio, has admitted to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy operating in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. Hardmon pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine. According to court documents, Hardmon was involved in the trafficking of controlled substances in the Wheeling area. Investigators connected Hardmon to more than 400 grams of cocaine. The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided. ###


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. To commemorate this month, United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg renews his Office’s commitment to prosecuting human traffickers, protecting victims, empowering survivors, and preventing the proliferation of these abhorrent crimes. In recognition of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reaffirms that vindicating the rights of human trafficking victims and other vulnerable persons ranks among its highest priorities. “Human trafficking is a crime of exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “Whether it’s forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking of children and adults, human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings for profit and has no place in any society. That’s why in January and throughout the year, my Office’s dedicated prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel work with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and bring offenders to justice.” Anyone who has information about a potential human trafficking situation or a person who may be experiencing human trafficking should contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. Information on the Office’s work to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/humantrafficking . To enhance awareness and educate the community about human trafficking, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has released a Public Service Announcement on how to identify potential trafficking situations and where to report suspected human trafficking activity.


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Antione Terren Glanton, also known as “Twan” and “T,” 45, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty yesterday to distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 27, 2022, Glanton sold approximately 27.5 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of crack to a confidential informant in the area of the 2500 block of Washington Boulevard in Huntington. Glanton admitted to the transaction and to arranging it with the confidential informant beforehand. Glanton further admitted to selling approximately 2.7 grams of crack to the confidential informant in the area of the 200 block of Olive Street in Huntington on October 24, 2022, and to selling approximately 2.9 grams of crack and 1.3 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant on the 2500 block of Washington Boulevard in Huntington on January 5, 2023. On January 11, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Glanton’s Marcum Terrace residence in Huntington and found approximately 15 grams of crack, 32 grams of fentanyl, a quantity of heroin, digital scales, fentanyl test strips and $501. Officers also found a loaded Glock 19 9mm pistol and a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol in Glanton’s possession. Glanton admitted that he possessed the seized crack, fentanyl and heroin and intended to distribute the controlled substances. Glanton is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Lesley C. Shamblin are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-113. ###


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

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – John Christopher Spence, 67, of Huntington, pleaded guilty yesterday to making a false declaration in a bankruptcy case. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about April 30, 2019, Spence filed for bankruptcy as an individual and separately on behalf of Park Place Properties LLC, one of his businesses. Spence admitted he knew he was required to identify creditors and submit various schedules of assets and liabilities and a statement of financial affairs in each bankruptcy case. Each schedule and statement of financial affairs was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court under criminal penalty for false swearing, concealing property, and obtaining money or property by fraud. On May 30, 2019, Spence caused to be filed Schedule A/B, a disclosure document, and a statement of financial affairs in his individual bankruptcy case. Spence admitted that he knew both contained inaccurate and misleading information, because he failed to disclose in each that he owned J.C. Spence Company LLC, that he held a 100 percent interest in this company and that this company possessed assets. Spence further admitted that the Schedule A/B contained inaccurate and misleading information, because he failed to disclose that he had legal or equitable interests in condominiums in Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Scottsdale, Arizona; Avon, Colorado; Port Saint Lucie, Florida; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Spence also admitted that he lied about his legal or equitable interests in any condominiums during a meeting of creditors in his bankruptcy case on June 6, 2019. In April 2019, Spence used one of his credit cards to purchase airplane tickets to the Grand Cayman Islands, Aruba, and Las Vegas, Nevada. Spence admitted that he intended to defraud the credit card company when he purchased the tickets, because he knew he intended to file for bankruptcy and by filing for bankruptcy would avoid paying back the money. Spence is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-184. ###


title: Marshalltown Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Disaster-Related Insurance Fraud

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – On January 11, 2024, a Marshalltown man was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to crimes of insurance fraud. In 2018, following the EF-3 tornado that hit Marshalltown, Iowa, Timothy D. Sletten, 32, engaged in two separate schemes to defraud State Farm, the insurer of Sletten’s numerous residential rental properties, including presenting false work invoices for claim benefits. Again in 2020, following the derecho disaster in Marshalltown, Sletten presented false work invoices from contractors alleging he had paid the contractors for repairs to disaster-related damage to his rental homes when in fact he had not done so. As a result of these fraudulent schemes, State Farm paid Sletten loss claim benefits totaling just over $180,000. Following the 2020 derecho, State Farm opened an internal investigation that caused the company to deny payment of disaster-related claims made by Sletten. Additionally, Sletten was fined $50,000 and ordered to pay full restitution. Following his prison term, Sletten will be required to serve three years of federal supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Insurance Fraud Bureau and the Marshalltown Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Laura M. Roan prosecuted the case.


title: Jacksonville Man Sentenced To Seven Years In Federal Prison On Fentanyl And Firearms Charges

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr. has sentenced Mario Lenard Elbert (34, Jacksonville) to seven years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Elbert had pleaded guilty on August 22, 2023. According to court documents, on May 11, 2022, a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on Elbert’s vehicle due to traffic violations. Elbert fled from the vehicle on foot during the traffic stop but was apprehended following a short pursuit. Elbert had in his possession 54 grams of fentanyl and a loaded pistol. Elbert is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a South Carolina felony conviction (2019) for possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. 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: Winthrop Man Sentenced to Prison for Tax and Mail Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – The former owner and operator of APC, a transportation and delivery company based in Chelsea, was sentenced yesterday for his involvement in a mail fraud scheme. Anthony Catalano, 52, formerly of Boxford, now living in Winthrop, was sentenced by Chief United States District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to six months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $541,000 to The Travelers Insurance Company (Travelers). Catalano was also ordered to cooperate with the Internal Revenue Service regarding personal and corporate taxes due and owing. Catalano pleaded guilty in October 2023 to two counts of failing to collect, report and pay over employment taxes and one count of mail fraud in connection with cash wages he paid to company employees. From 2017 to 2020, Catalano cashed more than $8 million in APC checks from customers and failed to report the company income to the IRS. Catalano pleaded guilty to using the bulk of the cash funds to pay employees “under-the-table” cash wages which APC was also required to report to the IRS. As a result, neither the company nor the employees paid employment or income taxes on the cash wages, resulting in a tax loss of more than $1 million to the IRS. Catalano also pleaded guilty to mail fraud for failing to disclose the cash wages to Travelers when it provided workers’ compensation coverage for APC employees. As a result, Catalano defrauded the insurance carrier out of more than $500,000 in insurance premiums. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.