title: Justice Department Leaders Meet to Discuss Efforts to Combat Violent Crime in St. Louis

component: Criminal - Violent Crime and Racketeering Section

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Justice Department officials are meeting this week with their local, state and federal counterparts, community groups and others to discuss current and planned efforts to combat violent crime in the St. Louis area, including dozens of upcoming grant opportunities. Officials met with community groups, law enforcement officials and others in the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program yesterday at Washington University to discuss efforts to combat violent crime, including the Violent Crime Initiative. They also discussed seminars planned for next month to help community organizations, law enforcement and others apply for over 80 funding opportunities. Today, officials are training law enforcement about tools to target complex criminal organizations. PSN is a nationwide program to address violent crime through community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement and accountability. In the PSN meeting, U.S. Marshals Service Deputy Director Mark Pittella said, “Partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement, civic leaders, business owners, and local organizations are key to the overall success of law enforcement to reduce violent crime in our communities. The U.S. Marshals Service is committed to leveraging existing relationships and task force partnerships in St. Louis to focus on and apprehend specific fugitives who pose an immediate threat to public safety. Our goal is to provide communities with immediate relief from violent crime by combining our resources and authority with the resources and local knowledge of participating agencies.” Courtesy of the U.S. Marshals Service. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Rody and others from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division also briefed the PSN group about the Violent Crime Initiative, which relies on partnerships between the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country. The VCI has already brought three highly experienced trial attorneys from the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, the nation’s foremost experts in federal racketeering law, to work with prosecutors in the Eastern District of Missouri and investigative agents, analysts, and forensic experts from law enforcement agencies. First announced in Houston in September of 2022, the VCI model has now been expanded to St. Louis; Memphis, Tenn.; Hartford, Conn.; and Jackson, Miss. In Houston, over 50 gang members have been indicted on charges including murder, armed robbery and drug trafficking and related crimes via more than ten separate investigations. Rody said that although violent crime is trending downward throughout the country, it is still a chronic problem primarily driven by guns, gangs and other organized groups. “The Violent Crime Initiative will target the ‘worst of the worst’ violent offenders using data to focus our efforts,” U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming said. Prosecutors and other law enforcement officials will be using tools like RICO and VICAR prosecutions to target the leaders and most violent members of the criminal organizations that are disproportionately driving violent crime in St. Louis and dismantle those organizations. “While arrests and prosecutions play a significant role in reducing violent crime, a variety of tools, like our PSN partnerships, are necessary to help the community,” she added. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franks, the PSN Coordinator and Director of Community Engagement for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, also previewed a planned collaboration to offer students in the St. Louis Public Schools in-class lessons addressing conflict resolution, decision-making, gang resistance, the justice system and possible careers. On Tuesday, Justice Department officials are holding a training to aid local law enforcement officials in bringing cases under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) statutes. Although the cases are often more complex, lengthy and resource-intensive, RICO and VICAR allow prosecutors to address the complete picture of a criminal organization’s activities. They can provide federal jurisdiction over some crimes traditionally handled by state prosecutors and result in longer sentences for violent offenders associated with these criminal organizations. Next month, the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs will be holding two seminars about the many financial resources that are available and how to apply. One seminar will be aimed at law enforcement, hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The other, hosted by St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ office, will be for community organizations and other non-law enforcement groups. There are over 80 funding opportunities, including funding for efforts to stop school violence, target crime guns, aid small and/or rural law enforcement agencies, improve outcomes for individuals with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders, buy body worn cameras, help those impacted by illicit opioids and other drugs, address rape kit backlogs, prosecute cold cases using DNA, provide forensics training, reduce law enforcement suicide, address hate crimes, stabilize adults and juveniles in crisis and reduce the injury or death of missing individuals with dementia and developmental disabilities. The seminars are tentatively scheduled for July 9.


title: Fact Sheet: Initiative to Combat Transnational Human Smuggling and Trafficking Networks Marks Third Anniversary

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) in June 2021 in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to strengthen the Justice Department’s efforts to combat prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking emanating from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Mexico and impacting our border communities, with a particular focus on individuals and networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger those being smuggled, pose national security threats, or have links to transnational organized crime. Since its creation in June 2021, JTFA has delivered significant results, including: 300+ domestic and international arrests, including against leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators; 240+ U.S. convictions; 170+ U.S. defendants sentenced, including significant jail sentences imposed; Substantial seizures and forfeiture of assets and contraband including hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, real property, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, and drugs; and Multiple indictments and precedent setting extraditions of foreign leadership targets. Over the past three years, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and with foreign law enforcement partners, targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States, and coordinated significant investigations, indictments, extraditions, and successful prosecution efforts both across the Southwest border and overseas. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of New Mexico, District of Arizona, and Southern District of California are detailed to JTFA to pursue its mission. Dedicated personnel and support is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department that are part of JTFA, led by the Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by 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, along with the Executive Office for the U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol, along with support from the FBI, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Air Marshals, and U.S. Coast Guard. In December 2023, OCDETF announced the creation of a new strategic initiative to expand and further enhance targeting of TCOs and human smuggling and trafficking networks within its framework. Press release announcing JTFA and readouts from national meetings Launch of JTFA (June 2021) : Attorney General announces initiatives to combat human smuggling and trafficking and to fight corruption in Central America Washington, D.C. Summit (November 2021) San Diego Summit (June 2022) El Paso Summit (March 2023) Washington, D.C. Summit (December 2023) Key cases United States v. Felipe Diego Alonzo, et al . (Western District of Texas) U.S. and Guatemalan law enforcement coordination results in arrest of 19 members of human smuggling network, including four Guatemalan human smugglers wanted in the United States. Justice Department announces first ever extraditions from Guatemala to the United States on human smuggling resulting in death charges. Two Guatemalan defendants residing in Texas pleaded guilty to transporting and harboring illegal migrants for financial gain and resulting in death. Four extradited defendants plead guilty and sentenced to nearly 70 years in prison in total. United States v. Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, et al. (District of Arizona) Co-conspirators indicted for role in global human smuggling conspiracy. Prolific Mexican smuggler arrested in Mexico and extradited pursuant to U.S. request. United States v. Maria Mendoza-Mendoza (District of Arizona) First ever extradition from Honduras of prolific human smuggler. United States v. Erminia Serrano Piedra, et al. (Southern District of Texas Eight indicted and arrested in a takedown of prolific human smuggling network. Four indicted on charges of conspiracy to launder money. Lead defendant and 10 others pleaded guilty to charges related to facilitation of illegal transportation and movement of hundreds of migrants within the United States and agree to over $2 million in forfeitures. United States v. Allison, et al. (Eastern District of Louisiana) Eight defendants indicted for human smuggling and drug conspiracy offenses, and four convicted thus far, including lead defendant. United States v. Ronaldo Galindo Lopez-Escobar, et al. (District of New Mexico ) Ten indicted and six arrested in investigation of the Lopez Crime Family human smuggling organization operating in Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Operation Pollos Hermanos (District of Arizona) Cooperation between United States and Mexico results in takedown operation to dismantle a prolific transnational human smuggling organization operating in Nogales, Sonora, along the U.S.-Mexico border. Man pleaded guilty to operating Phoenix stash house and sentenced to 57 months in prison for conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal migrants for profit. Woman pleaded guilty to transporting and harboring over 100 noncitizens. Man pleaded guilty for role as coordinator for human smuggling organization in Nogales, Arizona. Coordinator sentenced to 78 months in prison for role in conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal migrants for profit and illegal reentry. Man sentenced to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal migrants for profit. Two men sentenced to 45 months in prison for roles in smuggling noncitizens to the United States. United States v. Victor Alfonso Soto Aguilar, et al. (Southern District of California) Two defendant boat operators pleaded guilty for maritime smuggling resulting in the death of one passenger in La Jolla and sentenced to 71 and 60 months in prison. United States v. Gilberto Morales (Western District of Texas ) Jury finds defendant guilty at trial of criminal offenses, including conspiracy, transporting, and harboring noncitizens. United States v. Milon Miah (Southern District of Texas) Defendant sentenced to 46 months in prison for role in smuggling noncitizens from Mexico to United States. United States v. Jose Luis Avalo, et al. (District of New Mexico) Nine alleged human smugglers indicted in migrant smuggling organization. United States v. Jimenez-Bautista (Southern District of California) Man pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a juvenile while smuggling group from Mexico to United States.


title: Readout of Joint Task Force Alpha’s Third Anniversary Meeting

body_text: Today, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland marked the third anniversary of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the highly successful national effort to investigate and prosecute human smuggling at the southern border, by convening senior leaders of the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and State to discuss their shared, ongoing work. Over the past three years, the work of JTFA has led to over 300 domestic and international arrests and over 240 convictions in the United States. Among other things, the meeting covered several new initiatives, including JTFA’s expansion to combat human smuggling in Colombia and Panama, which lie on either side of a region known as the Darién; a legislative proposal to increase penalties for the most prolific and dangerous human smugglers; and $8 million in rewards offers issued as part of the new Anti-Smuggling Rewards Initiative announced two weeks ago. “Today, we are doubling down on our efforts to strike at the heart of where human smuggling networks operate,” said Attorney General Garland. “In the next phase of Joint Task Force Alpha’s work, we are expanding its regional focus, offering new financial rewards for information about key leaders of smuggling criminal organizations, and asking Congress to enact longer sentences for human smugglers. We will continue to work across the federal government to disrupt and dismantle the human smuggling networks that prey on vulnerable migrants and endanger our national security.” “We are using every tool at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle the human smuggling networks that have spread misery throughout the Western Hemisphere,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “With today’s announcement, we are expanding our enforcement efforts to the Darién—among the most dangerous migrant crossings on Earth—and deploying rewards programs like the ones that have brought down drug kingpins to pursue human smugglers. To those who traffic human beings through the Darién, know this: the full force of the U.S. government is coming for you.” The Darién is a roadless stretch of mountainous jungle terrain connecting southern Panama with northern Colombia that forms the sole land bridge between Central America and South America. Its treacherous landscape has witnessed a surge in human smuggling as migrants cross it on foot, often exposing themselves to mortal danger at the hands of criminal smuggling organizations to do so. Organized criminals who control the route routinely target migrants—adults and children—for violent crimes, including murder, rape, and robbery, as well as extortion. Many migrants try to circumvent the land route by taking a sea voyage, which is just as dangerous. They risk death on this path, too, facing rough seas, overcrowding, rickety boats, and insufficient life vests. “Countering human smuggling, and the ruthless criminal organizations that perpetrate it, is a law enforcement priority and critical to our homeland security,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Kristie Canegallo. “The Department of Homeland Security and our partners across the Biden-Harris Administration are prioritizing combatting human smuggling with the coordinated efforts and innovation that this crime demands. The steps taken today to expand the scope of Joint Task Force Alpha will lead to more arrests, indictments, and convictions of traffickers; support our efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations; and help protect migrants from those looking to exploit them for financial gain.” The Attorney General was joined at today’s event by key partners in JTFA’s ongoing work, including Deputy Attorney General Monaco; Senior Official Performing the Duties of Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Canegallo; Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Todd D. Robinson; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Deputy Executive Associate Director Patrick McElwain of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Deputy Chief David S. BeMiller of U.S. Border Patrol; U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas; U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas; U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez for the District of New Mexico; U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona; and U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath for the Southern District of California. When the Attorney General created JTFA in 2021, it focused on human smuggling organizations operating in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Since then, JTFA—led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section, in close partnership with all five southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices—has brought many major human smugglers to justice in the United States, including by obtaining years- or decades-long prison sentences. Expanding JTFA to Colombia and Panama recognizes those achievements and seeks to apply that same approach—using expert investigative, prosecutorial, and intelligence resources to target and aggressively pursue, disrupt, and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks—to achieve accountability and deterrence, with an unwavering focus on human safety, in Colombia and Panama. JTFA’s expansion is another example of the Justice Department’s sustained focus on prosecuting human smuggling, following last week’s joint announcement with the Departments of Homeland Security and State regarding a new Anti-Smuggling Rewards Initiative , support for enhancements to the penalties for smuggling, and other efforts. In addition, earlier today, the Department formally transmitted to Congress a new legislative proposal to increase penalties for the most prolific and dangerous human smugglers. The proposal, titled the “Deterring Human Smuggling and Harm to Victims Act of 2024,” would amend U.S. Sentencing Guideline 2L1.1, which governs human smuggling offenses, by creating steeper penalty tiers based on the number of people smuggled by the defendant; increasing penalties when the defendant’s conduct results in injury or death to more than one person; and ensuring defendants are subject to sentencing enhancements for sexual assault and other types of prohibited sexual conduct committed during the smuggling offense, even if that conduct occurred outside U.S. jurisdiction. The State Department also announced today the first three awards under the Anti-Smuggling Rewards Initiative. These awards, which total up to $8 million, were discussed at today’s meeting by Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Robinson. These awards focus on human smuggling operations by the Clan del Golfo in the Darién, and offer: (1) Up to $2 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of any key leader of Clan del Golfo involved in human smuggling in the Darién; (2) Up to $1 million for information leading to the disruption of financial mechanisms of the Clan del Golfo to finance, sustain, or support human smuggling operations in the Darién; and (3) Up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of any key leader of Clan del Golfo involved in human smuggling in the Darién by encouraging and inducing aliens to enter the United States resulting in death, in violation of 8 U.S.C. §§ 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) and 1324(a)(1)(B)(iv). Information in response to the reward offer can be shared with HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection by telephone at (866) 347-2423 (toll free) or online at www.ice.gov/tips. Individuals located outside of the United States, can contact the nearest U.S. Embassy/Consulate and all identities are kept strictly confidential. Fact Sheet


title: New Castle Resident Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Dontae Blackshear, 25, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine between May 2021 and October 2022. Blackshear was charged as part of a drug-trafficking crew operating in Mercer and Lawrence counties in the Western District of Pennsylvania. As part of his plea agreement, Blackshear stipulated that he was responsible for conspiring to distribute 20 grams of fentanyl and 100 grams of cocaine. Blackshear has a prior state court felony drug-trafficking conviction from 2021 involving fentanyl and heroin, for which he was sentenced to one to two years in prison and was on parole when he committed the federal drug-trafficking crime. Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for October 16, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based on the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Blackshear remains detained pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the conviction of Blackshear.


title: Former Luxury Homebuilder Convicted of Defrauding the United States

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The former project manager of a now-defunct luxury home building business in West Springfield. Mass. has been convicted following a five-day jury trial of conspiring to defraud the United States. Jason Pecoy, 44, of Wilbraham, was convicted on June 7, 2024 of two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Sept. 12, 2024. “Jason Pecoy was convicted for his role in an elaborate scheme with his father and Kevin Kennedy to defraud the United States by concealing money and maintaining false books, all so that Kennedy could avoid taxes for the construction of two luxury homes,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Jason Pecoy decided that assisting in his father’s illegal efforts to support Kennedy’s greed was more important than following the law. This conviction is a reminder to others that criminal actions have consequences.” “The conviction of Jason Pecoy demonstrates the IRS’s commitment to identifying and prosecuting all who choose to violate the tax laws,” said Special Agent in Charge, Harry T. Chavis Jr., Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Boston Field Office. “Pecoy made every effort to conceal his income from the IRS and evade paying his fair share of his taxes. Tax evasion is not a victimless crime, it impacts every American by stealing resources vital to maintaining public infrastructure and enhancing social welfare.” Jason Pecoy was previously indicted in December 2019 along with his father, Kent Pecoy, and Kevin M. Kennedy, the former owner of a golf management company, for conspiring to defraud the United States by concealing cash payments for the construction of Kennedy’s two homes in East Longmeadow and West Dennis. The defendants were later charged in a superseding indictment in January 2020. On Dec. 11, 2023, Kennedy was convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to defraud the United States and making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release on April 24, 2024 . On May 16, 2024 , Kent Pecoy pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution. Kent Pecoy is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 20, 2024. From 2009 through 2016, Kennedy conspired with Kent Pecoy, the owner of Kent Pecoy and Sons Construction Inc. (KPSC), and his son, Jason Pecoy, a KPSC project manager, to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue Service and the collection of taxes by concealing Kennedy’s cash payments for construction of the East Longmeadow and West Dennis homes. Kennedy paid the Pecoys in cash, all of which the Pecoys failed to deposit into business bank accounts, but rather distributed the cash directly to vendors and subcontractors. When they did deposit the cash, the Pecoys deposited funds in amounts less than $10,000 to avoid the filing of currency transaction reports. The evidence proved that the Pecoys created and maintained separate ledgers documenting Kennedy’s cash payments, created and maintained false contracts and cover sheets, and created false entries in KPSC’s accounting system to conceal the cash payments. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and IRS SAC Chavis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven H. Breslow and Neil L. Desroches of the Springfield Branch Office are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Eric B. Powers of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.


title: Robert Hunter Biden Found Guilty of Three Felonies Related to the Illegal Purchase of a Firearm

component: Office of Special Counsel

body_text: After a week-long trial, a federal jury in the District of Delaware found Robert Hunter Biden guilty of three felonies connected with his illegal purchase of a firearm in October 2018, including making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed firearms dealer, and possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. “This case was about the illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction — his choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun and the choice to then possess that gun,” said Special Counsel David C. Weiss. “It was these choices and the combination of guns and drugs that made his conduct dangerous. No one in this country is above the law. However, Hunter Biden should be no more accountable than any other citizen convicted of the same conduct. The prosecution has been and will continue to be committed to this principle, and to the principles of federal prosecution in carrying out its responsibilities.” Biden purchased a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver from a federally licensed firearms dealer on Oct. 12, 2018. When purchasing a firearm, a prospective purchaser must fill out a Firearm Transaction Record, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473, and certify that all of his or her answers on the form are true and correct. According to the evidence presented at trial, Biden knowingly made a false written statement on the ATF Form 4473 when he certified that he was not an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance. In fact, he knew that statement was false. Evidence at trial further proved that Biden knowingly made a false statement and representation to a federally licensed firearms dealer with respect to information the dealer is required to keep under federal law. Lastly, during an 11-day period between Oct. 12 and Oct. 23, 2018, Biden possessed a firearm while knowing he was an unlawful user of or addicted to any stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance, in violation of federal law. Court documents and information for this case is located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 23-cr-00061-MN.


title: Farrell Resident Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Violations

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Dimetrius Morris of Farrell, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for committing drug trafficking and firearms crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Morris, 39, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert J. Colville, who also ordered Morris to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Morris previously pleaded guilty in this case to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine on February 20, 2020, and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Prior to that date, Morris had been convicted in federal and state courts of several drug trafficking and weapons crimes throughout the previous 15 years, and spent nearly 10 of those years in prison serving the various sentences imposed for those crimes and corresponding supervised release/parole violations. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. The Sharon Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Farrell Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Morris. 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Captain of Oil Tanker Pleads Guilty to Obstruction and Violating Ship Pollution Prevention Laws

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Captain Abdurrahman Korkmaz, 37, pleaded guilty today to a two-count information charging him with violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and for obstructing proceedings. Korkmaz, a Turkish national, was the captain of the PS Dream , a Panama-flagged motor tanker. The two related companies that operated the PS Dream pleaded guilty last month to environmental crimes. The PS Dream arrived in New Orleans on Jan. 26, 2023. The U.S. Coast Guard conducted an inspection which included a review of the vessel’s oil record books. In his plea, Korkmaz acknowledges presenting the books to the Coast Guard knowing that they omitted information about discharging oily waste to the ocean before arriving in the United States. The falsified logs were intended to conceal the fact that beginning on Jan. 11, the crew had dumped oil-contaminated waste overboard on the voyage to New Orleans and was not complying with international treaties regulating oil pollution from ships. According to documents and statements filed in court, Korkmaz ordered his crew to pump overboard from the residual oil tank which contained oily waste. A portable pump placed inside the tank and connected to a long flexible hose was used to discharge directly into the ocean without any required pollution prevention equipment or monitoring. The waste oil, including sludge, originated in the engine room and had been improperly transferred into the residual oil tank on the deck of the ship by a prior crew. Senior managers at Prive Shipping LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret – two related companies that operated the ship – were aware that the oil-contaminated waste remained in the tank and were informed by Korkmaz that it had been dumped overboard. Both companies pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 26. Korkmaz is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10. He faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison, with a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offense, for the APPS charge. He also faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, with a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offense, for the obstruction charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division; U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Special Agent in Charge Damon J. Youmans of the Coast Guard Investigative Service’s Gulf Field Office and Captain Greg Callaghan, Commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans made the announcement. The Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer and Christine M. Calogero for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.


title: Second felon headed to prison for firearms offense

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 39-year-old man has been sentenced for being a felon in possession of a converted machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Christopher Victor pleaded guilty Aug. 14, 2023, to possessing a loaded .40 caliber pistol which was located under his seat. U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Victor to serve 57 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the violent nature and circumstances of the offense and found Victor had a history of violent conduct, including prior convictions for aggravated assault and possession of a firearm. Co-conspirator Melvin Wilkins, 41, Houston, pleaded guilty April 7 to unlawful possession of a firearm and was later sentenced to 59 months. At the time of his plea, Wilkins admitted to possessing an AR-15 style rifle between his legs while in the backseat of a vehicle that Victor drove. Law enforcement discovered the rifle contained an extra part, which they determined to be a “switch.” A switch is an additional part added to a firearm to convert it into a machinegun or firearm that shoots more than one shot without manual reloading. The rifle contained one round in the chamber and 74 rounds in the magazine. The safety was set to off and the rifle was in the fire position. As both a machinegun and short barreled rifle, the firearm requires registration to the possessor in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Authorities verified the firearm had no serial numbers or identification number printed, engraved or stamped on the lower receiver of the rifle. Wilkins cannot register the firearm in the NFRTR without serial numbers or identifying information. As convicted felons, federal law prohibits Victor and Wilkins from possessing firearms or ammunition. Victor and Wilkins will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation in conjunction with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Southeast Crime Suppression Team and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day prosecuted the case.


title: Foreign National Sentenced for Advance Fee and Investment Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Kenyan national was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison for perpetrating an advance fee and investment scheme that defrauded numerous victims. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Paul Maucha, 59, along with a co-conspirator, engaged in a scheme through a shell company Maucha controlled, American Eagle Services Group Inc. (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations to victims about AESG, its assets, and its access to money and capital. In particular, Maucha—through AESG—promised victims who were seeking loans that AESG would provide them with these loans. The victims were required to first provide AESG with an advanced fee, but the company misrepresented the purpose of that fee. AESG told victims falsely that the advance fees could be refunded if AESG did not fund the loan. As proven at trial, however, Maucha and his co-conspirator knew that AESG did not have the capital to make these loans at the time the lending agreements were executed, and refunds to victims could not be assured because Maucha and his co-conspirator were splitting the fees between themselves and spending them, such that there was no money left to be refunded. A federal jury convicted Maucha on Feb. 1 of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; and Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Atlanta Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine M. Macey for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. Former Assistant Chief William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia provided valuable assistance in the investigation.


title: Suburban Chicago Tax Preparer Convicted of Covid-Relief Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO – A suburban Chicago tax preparer has been convicted on federal charges for fraudulently assisting customers in obtaining loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on Monday convicted HADI ISBAIH, 42, of Palos Heights, Ill., on all four counts of wire fraud against him. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman has not yet set a sentencing date. The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kartik K. Raman and Rick D. Young. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program (EIDL) were sources of relief established by the CARES Act in 2020. The programs allowed qualifying small businesses to receive low-interest, government-backed loans to cover a temporary loss of revenue during the Covid pandemic. According to evidence presented at trial, Isbaih owned and operated Flash Tax Service Inc., a tax preparation business in Bridgeview, Ill. From May to August 2020, Isbaih submitted on behalf of several Flash Tax customers PPP and EIDL applications that contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about the customers’ businesses, such as gross revenues and number of employees. Isbaih also prepared and submitted tax returns with the loan applications that falsely represented the number of employees, monthly payroll, gross revenues, and annual income. Isbaih charged Flash Tax customers an upfront fee of several hundred dollars before he submitted the fraudulent applications. If the customers received the PPP or EIDL funds based on those applications, Isbaih would then charge the customers additional fees. Anyone with information about attempted Covid-relief fraud can report it to the Department of Justice by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or by completing a NCDF online complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Terry James Cox, 40, of Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 30, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cox in Huntington. Cox admitted that he possessed approximately 5.4 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle, and that he intended to distribute it. Cox further admitted that he also possessed a loaded North American Arms .22-caliber revolver, .22-caliber ammunition, and digital scales in the vehicle. Cox is scheduled to be sentenced on September 23, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to 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 Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Owen Reynolds 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. 3:24-cr-4. ###


title: Killeen Couple Sentenced for Operating Fraudulent Rideshare Company for Soldiers

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: WACO, Texas – A Killeen man and his wife were sentenced in a federal court in Waco for defrauding a Department of the Army transportation program by using the illegally obtained personally identifiable information (PII) of more than 800 soldiers. According to court documents, Kevin Romulus Pelayo, 45, co-owned and operated a rideshare company, Soldiers Vanpools LLC, with his wife, Cristine Furio Fredericks, 40. The company claimed to shuttle military personnel to and from Fort Hood, now known as Fort Cavazos, from Jan. 1, 2014 through June 10, 2020. Soldiers Vanpools LLC was funded by the Department of the Army’s Mass Transportation Benefit Program (MTBP). Pelayo and Fredericks submitted the names, social security numbers, and other identifying information of active duty soldiers to the MTBP on a monthly basis from 2014 to midway through 2020, falsely claiming that the soldiers were active participants in the rideshare program. The couple also purchased vans, SUVs and other vehicles in order to convince the MTBP that they were operating a legitimate business and transporting the riders they claimed in their scheme. Additionally, the couple spent a large portion of the millions of dollars in funds they received on real estate, personal vehicles, and other property. In total, Pelayo and Fredericks purchased 43 vehicles, 129 luxury purses and jewelry items, and 12 real properties in Bell County and Coryell County. Pelayo was sentenced to 36 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. Fredericks was sentenced to five years of probation for two counts engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted the case. ###


title: Escaped Drug Trafficker Sentenced To 22 Years In Prison For Making And Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Shane A. Lopez, age 29, of Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 10, 2024, to 22 years’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner for sexual exploitation of children and escape. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, in November 2020, Lopez was serving the remainder of his federal drug trafficking sentence at a residential rehabilitation facility in Harrisburg when he escaped. On May 21, 2021, police arrested him at a residence in Mahanoy City. Police seized his and uncovered evidence of child pornography. An investigation of his phone as well as accounts he controlled revealed that he had over a 1,000 images and videos of child pornography, including a video he made of an 18-month-old girl. On November 20, 2023, Lopez pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children as well as escape from a detention facility. Judge Conner sentenced Lopez to 20 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children. He also imposed a consecutive sentence of two years in prison for the crime of escape. When he is released from prison, Lopez is to serve five years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. # # #


title: Owner of Halo Home Healthcare pleads guilty to health care fraud, tax crimes

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI - Sharon Romaine Ward, 52, formerly of West Chester, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to fraudulently billing more than $8.5 million to Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs home healthcare programs between 2015 and 2021. Ward admitted that, when she started Halo Home Healthcare in 2015, she concealed her ownership of the company because she had a prior felony conviction in 2013 for passing forged and fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone while serving as a nurse practitioner in Warren County. The conviction made her ineligible to participate in federal health care programs for ten years. According to court documents, Halo Home Healthcare routinely overbilled federal healthcare programs, charging them for services it did not perform. In one example cited in court documents Halo continued to bill Medicaid for home health services while the patient was hospitalized. In addition, between 2017 and 2020, Halo hired over 50 employees with significant criminal histories which ordinarily should have excluded them from providing home health services, including one individual who was charged with a quadruple murder while ostensibly working for Halo. Ward submitted at least 92,770 claims to Medicaid seeking $8,556,776.58, receiving $8,403,299.24 between 2016 and 2021. Court documents say she also failed to provide accurate information to her business tax return preparer causing false tax returns to be prepared and filed. Ward pleaded guilty today to one count of health care fraud and one count of making a false income tax return. Health care fraud is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Filing a false income tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison. Terms of the plea agreement include a recommendation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office that the prison term does not exceed five years for the health care fraud. The court will determine an appropriate sentence under federal sentencing guidelines. The agreement also calls for Ward to pay restitution to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Ohio Department of Medicaid in an amount to be determined at sentencing. Ward also agreed to prepare and file corrected business tax returns with the IRS and pay restitution, plus any interest and penalties. The IRS determined a tax loss of $81,617. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Susan J. Dlott. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Health Care Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorney Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: KC Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy that distributed more than 20 kilograms of methamphetamine in the metropolitan area. Keith A. Clevenger, 51, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 16 years in federal prison without parole. On July 25, 2023, Clevenger pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Clevenger admitted that he purchased approximately 1.2 kilograms of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator. Clevenger attempted to flee on foot from police officers during a traffic stop near the intersection of Truman and Home Road on Nov. 28, 2020. While rolling him over to frisk for weapons, officers saw a plastic baggie that contained 25.7 grams of pure methamphetamine. Officers also found a Glock .40-caliber pistol in the vehicle. Clevenger is the 13 th and final defendant to be sentenced in this case. Co-defendant Nicholas A. Taylor, 41, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced on April 25, 2023, to 19 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Taylor admitted that he traveled to California in June 2020 and purchased at least 52 pounds (approximately 23.6 kilograms) of methamphetamine, which was transported to Kansas City and distributed to multiple co-defendants. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: U.S. Postal Service Employee Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Nearly $90,000 Worth of Postal Money Orders and Wire Fraud

body_text: BOSTON – A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee was sentenced today for embezzling nearly $90,000 and for fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits. Jamesa Rankins, 27, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Rankins was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $104,698. In November 2023, Rankins was convicted by a federal jury of one count of theft of government money and three counts of wire fraud. Rankins worked as a Sales & Service Distribution Associate at the Montello Post office in Brockton for approximately four and a half years. Prior to her termination in January 2021, Rankins had the ability to generate postal money orders, including replacement money orders. Customers could obtain replacement money orders without paying any additional fees if the original postal money orders were lost, damaged or erroneous. Beginning around September 2020, Rankins issued approximately 126 fictitious replacement money orders to an associate for money orders that were not lost, damaged or erroneous. In many instances, the fictitious replacement money orders actually invalidated properly issued money orders. In total, Rankins issued nearly $90,000 worth of replacement money orders. Beginning in May 2020, Rankins also applied for and obtained Pandemic Unemployment Assistance from the Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance despite being employed by USPS and thus being ineligible to receive unemployment assistance. In total, Rankins collected at least $15,000 in unemployment benefits to which she was not entitled. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Kenyan Citizen Gets 135-Month Prison Term for Advance Fee and Investment Fraud Scheme in Washington D.C.

body_text: WASHINGTON – Paul Maucha, 59, a Kenyan national, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 135 months in prison for perpetrating an advance fee and investment scheme that defrauded numerous victims. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Keri Farley of the Atlanta Field Office. In addition to the 135-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Maucha to serve three years of supervised release; to pay a $200,000 fine, a $400 special assessment, and restitution and forfeiture both in the amount of $1,901,252. A federal jury convicted Maucha on February 1, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived property. “The defendant tricked investors into giving him money with promises of favorable financial opportunities,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “But instead of following through with those promises, the defendant pocketed the fees and caused investors to lose millions. This sentence holds the defendant accountable and sends a clear message to anyone considering a similar scam.” “Investment fraud scams can be difficult to investigate and prosecute due to the interstate and transnational nature of the criminal activity. But this sentence should serve as a warning that the FBI will persistently investigate these crimes and make sure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Our success in this case is the result of a team effort, with outstanding assistance from our partners. Moving forward we will continue to pursue the collection of restitution for those harmed by the defendant.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Maucha, along with a co-conspirator, engaged in a scheme through a shell company Maucha controlled, American Eagle Services Group Inc. (AESG), to make numerous misrepresentations to victims about AESG, its assets, and its access to money and capital. In particular, Maucha—through AESG—promised victims who were seeking loans that AESG would provide them with these loans. The victims were required to first provide AESG with an advanced fee. The company misrepresented the purpose of that fee. AESG told victims falsely that the advance fees could be refunded if AESG did not fund the loan. As proven at trial, however, Maucha and his co-conspirator knew that AESG did not have the capital to make these loans at the time the lending agreements were executed, and refunds to victims could not be assured because Maucha and his co-conspirator were splitting the fees between themselves and spending them. There was no money left to be refunded. The FBI’s Atlanta Division investigated the case, with substantial assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Trial Attorneys Tian Huang and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine M. Macey for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case. Former Assistant Chief William E. Johnston of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein for the District of Columbia previously provided valuable assistance in the investigation. 21-cr-0322


title: Federal Jury Finds Felon Guilty Of Possessing Firearms, Ammunition, And Silencers

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Dana Hunter Calley (54, Cocoa) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing unregistered silencers. Calley faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2024. According to the evidence presented at trial, on September 20, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Calley’s residence and seized four guns, three silencers, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. On April 5, 2024, law enforcement executed a second search warrant on Calley’s residence and seized six silencers at various stages of production. At the time of the offenses, Calley had multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery, and possessing contraband in a prison facility. As a convicted felon, Calley is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro. 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: Michigan Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Larry Williams Jr., 53, of Pontiac, Michigan, was sentenced today to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2023, Williams sold approximately 1 gram of methamphetamine and a quantity of heroin to a confidential informant at a Washington Avenue location in Huntington. Williams admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling quantities of methamphetamine and heroin to a confidential informant in Huntington on January 31, 2023, and March 16, 2023. On March 21, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Williams’ Adams Avenue residence in Huntington and found approximately 134 grams of methamphetamine, 15 grams of heroin, 6 grams of fentanyl, and 18 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack.” Officers also found digital scales, a drug press and approximately $292 in the residence during the search. Williams admitted to possessing and intending to distribute the controlled substances. 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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted 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-87. ###


title: Eight Defendants Charged With Multi-Million Dollar Health Care Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, an indictment was unsealed charging Noman Ahmed, Adnan Arshad, Rehman Diwan, Jessica Hendrickson, Jose Marte, Mohammed Saleem, Faisal Shamsi and Waqas Shamsi with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay health care kickbacks, paying health care kickbacks, and money laundering. The defendants allegedly offered and paid health care kickbacks and submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for ambulette services to medical appointments that were not performed, or the costs were artificially inflated. The defendants were arrested today and all but Marte will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Arlene R. Lindsay. Marte will be arraigned tomorrow. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York, (IRS-CI), and Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney, announced the arrests and charges. “As alleged, the defendants abused the trust placed in them by Medicaid by falsely and brazenly treating this essential program like a piggy bank for their own enrichment,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Their transportation scam ended today with law enforcement providing the defendants a free ride to the courthouse to face serious criminal charges. My Office will prosecute health care providers who steal from taxpayer-funded programs intended to help those in need.” Mr. Peace also thanked the Office of the New York State Comptroller and the New York Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their assistance in the case. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals are held accountable if they attempt to exploit federal health care programs for their own greed,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Gruchacz. “It is alleged in this case that the defendants offered illegal kickbacks and billed Medicaid improperly for millions of dollars, which can affect the availability of funds and services for others and drive up the cost of taxpayer-funded health care.” “Healthcare fraud is not a victimless crime. The loss created by criminals bilking the system generates a gap in funding that gets filled by law-abiding citizens paying more than their fair share. This team of alleged criminals are charged with a multimillion dollar fraud involving health care kickbacks and false claims. While legitimate claimants continue to work through the Medicaid system, some of the alleged fraudsters purchased luxury vehicles and million-dollar homes. This is unacceptable, and each offender will now face justice for their actions,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso. “My Office remains committed to stand and work with our federal partners in combatting crime and keeping our citizens safe," stated Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney. “Those who seek to illegally profit off the backs of hardworking U.S. taxpayers will be found out and brought to justice. The defrauding of our citizens will not be tolerated.” As set forth in court filings, the defendants owned, operated and were employees of several transportation companies. From approximately December 2020 to the present, the defendants paid illegal health care kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries so that those beneficiaries would order medical transportation services specifically from the defendants, which generally included transportation to addiction treatment centers for the beneficiaries’ purportedly necessary methadone treatment. The defendants generally did not provide the medical transportation services ordered by the Medicaid beneficiaries. Yet in total, the defendants and their transportation companies – 668 MTK Taxi LLC, All-Star Taxi LLC, Apollo Transportation, Sunrise Taxi LLC, and Transportation Solution NY Corp. d/b/a A1 Transport – fraudulently billed Medicaid millions of dollars for these services throughout the course of the scheme. At least two claims were submitted to Medicaid for individuals who were deceased, and some claims were submitted for individuals who were hospitalized or incarcerated. The defendants also submitted artificially inflated claims to Medicaid. Although there were numerous addiction treatment centers on Long Island the beneficiaries could have utilized, the defendants instructed them to order rides to addiction treatment centers in New York City and to list false addresses so they could obtain higher reimbursement rates from Medicaid for longer rides. The transportation companies owned or operated by the defendants billed Medicaid over $16 million for trips to just three addiction treatment centers in New York City. The defendants Adnan Arshad and Mohammed Saleem used the illicit proceeds of the schemes to purchase approximately 15 additional transport vehicles for use in the scheme and to purchase multimillion-dollar homes and luxury vehicles. The government’s case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Toporovsky and Special Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Milito, of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Adam Bernard. Assistant United States Attorney Tanisha Payne of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. The Defendants : NOMAN AHMED Age: 37 Port Jefferson Station, New York ADNAN ARSHAD (also known as “Eddie”) Age: 45 Mount Sinai, New York REHMAN DIWAN Age: 24 Hicksville, New York JESSICA HENDRICKSON Age: 36 Patchogue, New York JOSE MARTE Age: 33 Bronx, New York MOHAMMED SALEEM Age: 38 Dix Hills, New York FAISAL SHAMSI (also known as “Jimmy”) Age: 49 Massapequa, New York WAQAS SHAMSI (also known as “Ricky”) Age: 44 Massapequa, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-231 (JMA)


title: Justice Department To Monitor Americans With Disabilities Act Compliance at Polling Places

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada will inspect several polling places in Washoe and Clark Counties for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability, on Nevada Primary Election Day, June 11. The office has also sent written surveys to all Nevada county election officials to determine whether polling places in those counties are ADA compliant. The purpose of this initiative is to protect the rights of voters with disabilities by ensuring that counties select and provide accessible polling places that voters with disabilities can access independently. The Department of Justice’s guide on The Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities describes the legal protections designed to allow equal access to every aspect of elections, including registration and voting, for people with disabilities. Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the Department’s ADA website, at https://www.ada.gov/file-a-complaint/ . Learn more about the Department’s enforcement of federal civil and criminal laws related to voting at https://www.justice.gov/voting . You can also report other possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ or 1-800-253-3931. You can report suspected criminal activity regarding voting to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by filing an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov or by contacting local law enforcement. ###


title: Guadalajara resident heads to prison for trying to smuggle dozens of firearms and ammunition back to Mexico

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 68-year-old resident of Guadalajara, Mexico, has been sentenced for attempting to smuggle multiple firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition on a vehicle roof rack, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Jose De Jesus Pena Dieguez pleaded guilty March 27. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Dieguez to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Dieguez had previously exported firearms to Mexico on several prior occasions. On Jan. 11, Dieguez attempted to enter Mexico through the Progreso Port of Entry in a Nissan Xterra. Upon inspection, authorities noticed tampering on the screws of a compartment connected to the vehicle's roof rack. An x-ray examination also showed anomalies within the compartment. A subsequent search revealed 16 firearms, 31 firearm magazines, assorted firearm parts and 800 rounds of ammunition. Dieguez admitted he purchased the firearms and intended to illegally export them to Mexico. Dieguez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Customs and Border Protection conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods ( PSN ) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.


title: Troy area man sentenced to two months in prison, fined $10,000 for killing grizzly bear, tampering with evidence

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Troy area man who admitted to killing a grizzly bear on his property in 2020, not reporting the shooting as required and throwing the bear’s GPS collar in the Yaak River was sentenced today to two months in prison and fined $10,000, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Othel Lee Pearson, 80, pleaded guilty in February to tampering with evidence, a felony, and to failure to report taking of grizzly bear, a misdemeanor. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court further ordered Pearson to serve four months of home confinement after his incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In addition, the court ordered Pearson to forfeit a .270 Winchester bolt-action rifle with a scope that he used to kill the grizzly bear and was seized from his residence. The court allowed Pearson to self-report to prison. “Those of us who grew up in Montana know not just the dangers associated with grizzly bears, but also their protected status as a threatened species, too. When, as here, one illegally kills a grizzly bear, and in an attempt to cover it up, cuts off the bear’s GPS collar, tosses it into the Yaak River, and butchers the carcass for disposal, a federal felony will be pursued. The Cabinet-Yaak area is a designated grizzly bear recovery zone and includes Pearson’s property, which makes Pearson’s conduct even more troubling. Pearson was only caught due to the sophistication and tenacity of agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our federal prosecutors, for which I am grateful,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. "The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to protecting our nation's natural resources for the continued benefit of the American people. Grizzly bears are a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act and the state animal of Montana, which shows the importance of grizzly bears to the people and our ecosystems," said Edward Grace, Assistant Director for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. "Our agents will work tirelessly to investigate the illegal take of grizzly bears even when faced with the attempts to destroy and cover up the crime." As alleged in amended court documents, on Nov. 19, 2020, Pearson shot and killed a sow grizzly bear on his residential property, using a .270 rifle. Pearson cut a GPS collar that had been fitted to the bear and discarded the collar nearby in the Yaak River. Pearson also cut paws, ear tags and an identifying lip tattoo from the bear carcass. Pearson then concealed the bear’s claws and an ear tag in a hollowed-out tree on Forest Service land near his residence. Meat from the bear was discovered in Pearson’s freezer inside his home. Pearson attempted to and did tamper with these identifying items to impair the criminal prosecution for failing to report taking of a grizzly bear. Pearson did not report the killing of the grizzly bear to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within five days of occurrence. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Six Sentenced in Federal Court for Gun Charges in Robbery Scheme

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: FLORENCE, S.C. — Three men from the Pee Dee region and three men from New York were sentenced after pleading guilty to their roles in a robbery and related firearms crimes. Elijah N. Fitts, 23, of Rochester, New York, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Zion Hezekiah Fitts, 24, of Rochester, New York, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Dorian Javon Godbolt, 24, of Darlington, was sentenced to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting robbery. Harkeem Dewayne Siequan Kennedy, 26, of Florence, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Fanotti Nacier Neal, 21, of Effingham, was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license. Nasir Schifano, 21, of Greece, New York, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license. Evidence presented to the court showed that just after midnight on March 29, 2022, officers with Florence Police Department responded to a shooting at an apartment complex in Florence. Investigators learned that Godbolt had arranged for Kennedy to come to the apartment complex to sell E. Fitts and Z. Fitts a quantity of marijuana, knowing that E. Fitts and Z. Fitts planned to rob Kennedy. Kennedy arrived at the apartment complex in the passenger seat of a car. Z. Fitts came to the passenger window of the car to conduct the drug deal while E. Fitts stood at the rear of the car. Kennedy provided Z. Fitts a quantity of marijuana. Z. Fitts then pulled a firearm from his hoodie, pointed it at Kennedy and told Kennedy to "give him everything." At that point, shots began to be fired. Several witnesses reported shots coming from the rear of the car, where E. Fitts was standing. Kennedy also pulled a gun and fired shots. After obtaining information indicating that the robbers came from a particular apartment, law enforcement executed a search warrant at that apartment. Inside, law enforcement found several of those charged, a number of firearms, magazines, ammunition, and a receipt for the purchase of a firearm. Further investigation showed that Neal, Schifano, and others were involved in a conspiracy to deal in firearms without a federal firearms license. The conspirators would purchase firearms in South Carolina, display them in social media videos, negotiate the terms of sale for the firearms via text, and transfer the firearms to others. “This violent incident has resulted in six defendants spending more than two decades in prison,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Outstanding investigative work, led by the Florence Police Department and ATF, has made this community safer.” “The individuals sentenced throughout this case were responsible for a number of violent crimes and sought to put more firearms in the hands of prohibited individuals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “ATF and our law enforcement partners are focused on shutting down illegal firearms sales and preventing those with criminal intent from harming our communities.” “We want to take this opportunity to thank our federal law enforcement partners for the indictment of these violent offenders and their subsequent guilty pleas, said Florence Police Chief Allen Heidler. “Law enforcement partnerships, as evidenced here, are a key element in the fight against violent crime. It serves as another notice to violent offenders that Florence area law enforcement, from the federal level down to the local level, will continue our collaborative efforts to bring them to justice.” United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced all six individuals. Elijah N. Fitts was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment. Zion Hezekiah Fitts was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment. Dorian Javon Godbolt was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment. Harkeem Dewayne Siequan Kennedy was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment. Fanotti Nacier Neal was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment; Neal’s term of imprisonment on the firearms conspiracy will be run concurrently with a 40-year term of imprisonment on an unrelated State conviction. Nasir Schifano was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Neal’s term of imprisonment will be followed by an 18-month term of court-ordered supervision. Kennedy, Godbolt and Schifano’s terms of imprisonment will be followed by three-year terms of court-ordered supervision. E. Fitts and Z. Fitts’ terms of imprisonment will be followed by five-year terms of court-ordered supervision. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Florence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case. ###


title: Orthopedic Surgeon Admits Multiple Counts of Unlawful Distribution of Controlled Substances

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey orthopedic surgeon today admitted multiple counts of illegally prescribing pain medication to his patients, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Evangelos Megariotis, 72, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to seven counts of a 34-count indictment charging him with dispensing Oxycodone, Oxycontin, and Oxycodone-Acetaminophen to five patients outside of the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Megariotis was a New Jersey physician specializing in orthopedic surgery and practicing in Clifton, New Jersey. From March 2017 through November 2017, Megariotis issued prescriptions for Oxycodone, Oxycontin, and Oxycodone-Acetaminophen pills to five of his patients, and did so without a legitimate medical purpose and outside of the usual course of professional practice. Oxycodone, Oxycontin, and Oxycodone-Acetaminophen – Schedule II controlled substances – have a high potential for abuse that can lead to severe psychological and physical dependence and can result in fatal overdoses. Megariotis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2024. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents, diversion investigators and task force officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Mateo of the Opioid Abuse Prevention & Enforcement Unit. megariotis.indictment.pdf


title: Yakima Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison  on Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Jacob Rodney Penny, age 44, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 192 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on May 13, 2022, the victim of a residential burglary saw a Craigslist Ad for ski equipment that matched items that had been stolen. Law enforcement contacted the seller and asked to purchase the skis. After agreeing to price, the seller said his friend would deliver the skis to the Wolf Den in Wapato, Washington and would be driving a newer white Chevy Tahoe. At the arranged time, Penny arrived at the location, driving a white Tahoe. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and detained Penny, who told investigators he knew he was being detained because of the “stupid skis.” Penny also stated he was making the delivery because the skis did not fit in his friend’s vehicle. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the Tahoe, locating four large bags that contained hundreds of fentanyl pills, two smaller bags containing between 100 and 200 fentanyl pills each, a small quantity of methamphetamine, a scale with drug residue, two 9mm pistols, and $2,600 in cash. “I am grateful for the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office for their tremendous investigation in this case. What began as an investigation into a set of stolen skis, led to the discovery of deadly fentanyl, which could have claimed the lives of those, who call the Yakima Valley home,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office, working with our law enforcement partners, are committed to stopping the spread of illicit narcotics in Eastern Washington. By working together, we can make our communities safer and stronger for everyone.” “Sometimes an unexpected break leads to success,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “In this case, a property crime led to sending a drug trafficker to federal prison. The FBI and our partners will continue working to keep these dangerous drugs off the streets and out of our communities.” This case was investigated by the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Hanlon.


title: South Bend Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison

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

body_text: SOUTH BEND – James Allen, 34 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Allen was sentenced to 110 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, at the time of his arrest on outstanding warrants in January 2023, Allen was found to have possessed three firearms; a loaded handgun, a loaded revolver and an AR-style pistol with an extended magazine, along with heroin and methamphetamine. Allen has two prior felony convictions, either of which prohibit him from possessing the firearms in this case. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, the Indiana State Police including the ISP Laboratory, the St. Joseph County Police Department, and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle and Joseph P. Falvey. 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: South Bend Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Robert Hollins Jr., 41 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Hollins was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, in November 2023, police recovered more than 350 grams of cocaine, 3 firearms, and more than $56,000 in Hollins’ home in South Bend. At a second location Hollins maintained in South Bend, police recovered more than 154 grams of fentanyl and 3 firearms. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department and the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joel Gabrielse. 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: St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 23+ Years for Shooting at Police

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis County, Missouri man who shot at police and federal task force officers in 2021 to 23 years and 10 months in prison. On March 18, 2021, Derek D. Brown fired multiple times at police officers, including those who had been deputized as federal task force officers, who were at his sister’s home. He continued to fire through the home’s screen door and then through the closed front door. Brown eventually surrendered. Officers were there because early that morning, Brown went to confront his wife at a house in St. Louis County. While there, Brown took his wife’s daughter’s .45-caliber pistol. Responding officers learned about the gun and that Brown had an outstanding warrant for a parole violation. Relatives told police that he would probably go to his sister’s house. Brown, 50, of Jennings, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to one count of assault on a federal officer and two counts of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The case was investigated by the St. Louis County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Securities Fraud Conspiracy in Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi Scheme

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Alan John Hanke, the sole member of IOLO Capital (IOLO), pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud for his role in misappropriating more than $8 million as part of a Ponzi scheme. As part of his plea, Hanke also stipulated that he filed a bankruptcy petition and documents in a bankruptcy proceeding to conceal the conspiracy. Hanke was indicted in February 2024. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. When sentenced, Hanke faces up to five years in prison. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), New York Field Office, and David Walker, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Tampa Field Office, announced the guilty plea. “Hanke admitted today that he conspired to defraud clients of millions of dollars of their investments, and then tried to cover up his crime by declaring bankruptcy which was an intentional abuse of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s guilty plea reaffirms my Office’s efforts to root out white-collar crime where we find it and ensure integrity in the financial markets and the court system.” As alleged in the indictment, between November 2018 and August 2021, Hanke persuaded numerous investors, often in meetings in New York City, to invest in IOLO or related Hanke-run companies. Hanke promised investors high returns within short periods of time by investing in, among other things, “standby letters of credit,” “medium term notes,” and “high yield bonds.” He also assured investors that their investments would be insured against losses. As alleged, however, nearly all the money that the victims invested with Hanke was not recovered. The bulk of the victims’ money went to Hanke’s personal expenses, including cruises, airfare, hotels, gambling expenses, and a luxury car. Hanke also paid co-conspirators and other investors with money that he wrongfully obtained during the scheme. Hanke filed a bankruptcy petition in June 2021 in which he sought to discharge the debts that he owed to his victims. In the bankruptcy petition, Hanke disclosed that he received monthly Social Security disability payments but did not disclose the millions of dollars of income he received from his victims. Hanke also did not disclose the proceeds from the sale of an airplane, or that he used the proceeds for personal expenses, including gambling and repairs to a close relative’s home, as well as $180,000 that was withdrawn in cash. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas J. Moscow and Matthew Skurnik are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Madison Bates. The Defendant : ALAN JOHN HANKE Age: 50 Crystal Lake, Illinois E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-27 (RER)


title: Woman who Sent Fentanyl Mixture into Jail Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A woman who sent controlled substances into a jail was sentenced on June 10, 2024, to 71 months in federal prison. Brookelyn Marie Lindquist, age 42, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 11, 2024 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance. Lindquist sent multiple packages to another individual in jail. That individual was in prison pending sentencing for a federal drug trafficking conviction. Inside these packages, Lindquist sent the individual controlled substances that included a mixture of fentanyl and heroin. When the individual used the controlled substances sent by Lindquist, they suffered an overdose. Lindquist was on state parole at the time of her conduct due to another drug trafficking conviction. Lindquist was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lindquist was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Waterloo Police Department, the Black Hawk County Sherriff’s Office, and the Tri-County Drug Task Force. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR- 2079. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.