title: United States Charges Four Mariners from Arabian Sea Vessel Transporting Suspected Iranian-Made Advanced Conventional Weapons

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging four foreign nationals after U.S. naval forces interdicted a vessel in the Arabian Sea that was transporting suspected Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry. Two Navy SEALs lost their lives during the interdiction. “The Justice Department extends our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the two Navy SEALs who lost their lives on January 11th while conducting an operation in the Arabian Sea,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The charges resulting from that interdiction make clear that the Justice Department will use every legal authority to hold accountable those who facilitate the flow of weapons from Iran to Houthi rebel forces, Hamas, and other groups that endanger the security of the United States and our allies.” “The flow of missiles and other advanced weaponry from Iran to Houthi rebel forces in Yemen threatens the people and interests of America and our partners in the region,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Two Navy SEALs tragically lost their lives in the operation that thwarted the defendants charged today from allegedly smuggling Iranian-made weapons that the Houthis could have used to target American forces and threaten freedom of navigation and a vital artery for commerce. Alongside our partners around the world, the Justice Department will continue to deploy every available tool to combat this grave threat.” “The FBI will aggressively investigate and disrupt the Iranian Government’s attempts to provide Houthi rebels with missile components that are intended for use against U.S. military ships, merchant vessels, and Israel,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The defendants in this case allegedly transported suspected Iranian-made missile components for the type of weaponry used by the Houthi rebels in recent attacks. The FBI is committed to using its global partnerships to stop the illegal flow of weaponry that endangers U.S. national security.” “As charged, Mr. Pahlawan attempted to smuggle advanced missile components, including a warhead, to Houthi rebels for use against cargo ships and U.S. vessels sailing across the Horn of Africa,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department, together with U.S. agency partners, is working tirelessly to deny malign actors the means to threaten international shipping and imperil the lives of our men and women in uniform.” “The complaint alleges that the defendants were transporting weapons consistent with those used by Houthi rebel forces and then lied to the U.S. Coast Guard during the boarding of the vessel,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “I want to thank the career prosecutors and our law enforcement partners for ensuring that the defendants now will face justice in an American court.” “Today’s complaint sends a message that allegedly acting as a proxy for the IRGC in an effort to bring harm to U.S. persons overseas will not be tolerated by the U.S. Government,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Transporting explosive materials intended to be used to threaten and cause harm is yet another example of the IRGC’s disruptive and hostile actions. The FBI and our U.S. Government partners will continue to disrupt efforts by hostile foreign governments seeking to intimidate and cause harm through violence.” According to court records, on the night of Jan. 11, U.S. Central Command Navy forces operating from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER , including Navy SEALs and members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East, boarded an unflagged dhow, a small vessel, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia. As alleged, the U.S. boarding team encountered 14 individual mariners on the vessel. During a search of the dhow, the U.S. boarding team allegedly located and seized what is believed to be Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry. According to court records, preliminary analysis of the advanced conventional weaponry indicates that it includes critical components for medium range ballistic missiles (MRBM) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM), to include a warhead and propulsion and guidance components. The type of weaponry found aboard the dhow is allegedly consistent with the weaponry used by the Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks on merchant ships and U.S. military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. According to court records, the Navy brought the fourteen mariners aboard the USS LEWIS B. PULLER after determining the dhow was unsafe and unseaworthy. On Feb. 11, the United States obtained arrest warrants for four of the mariners who were aboard the dhow – specifically, defendants Muhammad Pahlawan, Mohammad Mazhar, Ghufran Ullah, and Izhar Muhammad. Pakistani identification cards allegedly were found on the dhow for each of the four defendants. The United States also obtained ten material witness warrants for the remaining individuals aboard the vessel. The defendants and material witnesses were transferred from the USS LEWIS B. PULLER to the Eastern District of Virginia. The four defendants and eight of the ten material witnesses made their initial appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Richmond today. Defendant Muhammad Pahlawan is charged with: (1) intentionally and unlawfully transporting on board the dhow a warhead, knowing the warhead would be used by the Houthi rebel forces against commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters; and (2) providing materially false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the dhow regarding the vessel’s crew and cargo. Co-defendants Mohammad Mazhar, Ghufran Ullah, and Izhar Muhammad were also charged with providing materially false information to U.S. Coast Guard officers during the boarding of the dhow regarding the vessel’s crew and/or cargo. Pahlawan faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted of unlawfully transporting a warhead, and all four defendants face a maximum of five years in prison if convicted of the false statements offense. A federal district court judge will determine sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Affidavit in support of criminal complaint Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Washington Field Office and Naval Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case, with significant assistance provided by the Department of Defense, U.S. Central Command, U.S. Navy, Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, Department of State, and Department of Homeland Security, including the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Troy A. Edwards Jr., John T. Gibbs, and Gavin R. Tisdale for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Lesley Woods of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents for the four charged defendants are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:24-mj-16, 17, 18, and 19. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Justice Department Seeks Forfeiture of Two Bal Harbour Condos for Violations of Russia-Related U.S. Sanctions

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – From the outset of Russia’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the Department of Justice has prioritized enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed alongside our global partners. The Department continues that work through significant enforcement actions. Today, the Department announced an array of new charges, arrests, and forfeiture proceedings, to include a civil forfeiture complaint that was filed in the Southern District of Florida. “The Justice Department is more committed than ever to cutting off the flow of illegal funds that are fueling Putin’s war and to holding accountable those who continue to enable it,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why today we are announcing several additional enforcement actions that the Justice Department has taken to bring prosecutions against and seize assets of sanctioned enablers of the Kremlin and Russian military.” “It has been two years since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the FBI continues to go after the Russian criminals who finance and enable Russia’s war,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “To the people of Ukraine fighting for their freedom: The FBI remains steadfast in our efforts to disrupt and hold accountable the criminals supporting the Russian War, and we will continue to stand with you to fend off Russian aggression for as long as it takes.” Today, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleging that two Bal Harbour condominiums are subject to forfeiture based on violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”), Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) sanctions, and federal money laundering statutes. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI’s Miami Field Office made the announcement. As alleged in the complaint, Viktor Perevalov and Valeri Abramov were co-founders of VAD, AO, a Russia-based construction company responsible for constructing the Tavrida Highway in the Russian-occupied Crimea Region of Ukraine. On January 26, 2018, pursuant to Executive Order 13685, OFAC sanctioned Victor Perevalov, Valeri Abramov, VAD, AO, and others following the Russian invasion of Crimea (the “Sanctions”). OFAC added Perevalov, Abramov, and VAD, AO to the specially designated nationals and blocked persons (“SDN”) List. Once OFAC imposed the Sanctions, all property or interest in property belonging to Perevalov, Abramov, and/or VAD, AO in the United States, “[was] blocked and [could] not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in[.]” E.O. 13685 § 2(a). OFAC never issued a license which was required for anyone to transact with, or on behalf of, Perevalov and Abramov. Soon after the Sanctions, R.S., a Miami real estate agent retained to manage the properties, worked to transfer the two condominiums owned by Perevalov, Units 1616 and 1617 located at 10295 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, Florida 33154 (the “Defendant Properties”) to an LLC in violation of the Sanctions. The Defendant Properties have a combined value of approximately $2.5 million. On April 10, 2018, R.S. and others, including a law firm, formed 1616 Collins LLC, and named R.P., a Perevalov family member who was a minor at the time, the entity’s purported sole beneficial owner. On June 14, 2018, the title of the Defendant Properties was transferred to 1616 Collins LLC in violation of the Sanctions. R.S. served as Perevalov’s power of attorney for the transfer. After the transfer, R.S. continued to lease the Defendant Properties, collected proceeds derived from the Defendant Properties, and used those proceeds to maintain the Defendant Properties including by making property tax payments. FBI Miami is investigating the case with assistance from the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marx P. Calderón and Eli Rubin for the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Lindsay Gorman of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Joshua E. Kurland of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting this civil action. This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. A video statement from Attorney General Garland is available here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOsemz-Gj-c . A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation that money or property was involved in or represents the proceeds of a crime. These allegations are not proven until a court awards a judgment in favor of the United States. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cv-20687. ###


title: Former Walgreen’s Managers and Alleged Accomplices Indicted on Charges in Connection with a Series of Inside-Job Store Robberies

body_text: WASHINGTON – Two former store managers and two accomplices were charged today in a 15-count indictment in connection with a series of inside-job robberies at the Walgreen’s in Chinatown, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. Michael Robinson, 33, of Maryland, Kamanye Williams, 24, London Teeter, 20, and Gianni Robinson, 26, all of Washington D.C., are charged with conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery and interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery). Other charges include brandishing a firearm during the commission of an act of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and aiding and abetting. Michael Robinson and Teeter were employed as store managers at the Walgreens, located at 801 7 th Street Northwest. Michael Robinson has consented to pretrial detention. Teeter was arrested this morning. Gianni Robinson is scheduled for a detention hearing on February 23, 2024. Williams had his initial appearance on February 21, 2024 and is scheduled for a detention hearing on February 28, 2024 According to court documents, the Robinsons, Teeter, and Williams devised a plan to carry out armed robberies of the Walgreens store in Chinatown nearly once a month, beginning in July 2023, when either Michael Robinson or London Teeter were working. As store managers, Michael Robinson and Teeter knew the timing of cash transfers within the business. In each robbery, a masked gunman entered the store, forced an employee into the manager’s office or accessed the manager’s office using a code provided by Michael Robinson and Teeter. The gunman then robbed the employees and fled through a rear exit. Michael Robinson and Teeter took turns pretending to be the “victim” manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance. During the September 2, 2023 robbery, Michael Robinson asked Williams to hit him with a firearm in order to make the robbery seem more believable. It is further alleged that other robberies of the store were planned but not carried out. Messages between Gianni Robinson, Michael Robinson, and Kamanye Williams show the co-conspirators constantly surveilled the Walgreens to see the amount of cash in the manager’s office and the location of armed security guards, in order to determine the best times to rob the store. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistance is being provided by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Song with the Federal Major Crimes section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Maryland Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Destruction of Records Offenses Related to Cover-Up of Excessive Force Incident

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A correctional officer at the Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) in Westover, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to obstruct justice and one count of destruction of records, with the purpose of covering up evidence that a fellow officer at ECI had unlawfully assaulted an inmate. According to court documents, on July 12, 2021, while working at the ECI, David Quillen, 37, learned that another officer had used force against an inmate. Upon learning of the incident, Quillen responded to the scene with a video camera and began recording the inmate. While Quillen filmed him, the inmate asserted that he had been assaulted by a correctional officer — Samuel Warren — for no reason. The inmate also cried and was visibly injured with blood on his face. After Quillen stopped filming, he and other officers watched the video Quillen had filmed. While watching the video, a supervisory officer commented that the video did not look good for Warren and indicated that the video should be deleted. Warren agreed and Quillen and other officers agreed to lie about the deletion. Understanding that the video contained evidence that Warren’s use of force against the inmate had been unlawful, Quillen deleted the video. Following the deletion, Quillen lied about what happened to the video, including to supervisors at ECI and to state and federal investigators. Warren has since admitted that he unlawfully assaulted the inmate and has entered guilty pleas to both federal offenses related to that assault. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland and Acting Special Agent in Charge Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Baltimore Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt for the District of Maryland and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Special Legal Counsel Mark Blumberg of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.


title: Man Arrested for Making Threat to Arizona Election Official

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A California man was arrested today in San Diego for allegedly leaving a voicemail containing a violent threat on the personal cell phone of an election official with the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office in Phoenix, Arizona. William Hyde, 52, of San Diego, is scheduled to make his initial appearance tomorrow at the federal courthouse in San Diego. “As alleged in the indictment, the defendant left threatening messages on a Maricopa County election official’s personal cell phone the day after county officials certified the 2022 election results. The indictment alleges that the defendant accused the official of cheating the election and told the official to ‘run’ and ‘hide,’” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting individuals who threaten election officials. We will not tolerate criminal intimidation of those who administer and safeguard our elections.” According to an indictment unsealed today, on or about Nov. 28, 2022, a victim election official attended a meeting of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, where the Board of Supervisors certified the 2022 general election results in Maricopa County. The following day, Hyde allegedly left the following voicemail message on the personal cell phone of the election official: “Run, [expletive].” Approximately one minute later, Hyde allegedly left the following voicemail message on the personal cell phone of the election official: “You wanna cheat our elections? You wanna screw Americans out of true votes? We’re coming, [expletive]. You’d better [expletive] hide.” “Intimidation of election officials strikes at the very heart of our democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “Even just one case can have a ripple effect. This office will aggressively prosecute any attempt to intimidate, threaten, or frighten election officials as they engage in these critical duties.” “Election integrity starts with protecting those we entrust to administer elections,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “We appreciate the admirable efforts of the Recorder’s Office and Elections Department in Maricopa County to efficiently register Arizonans as eligible voters, and to accurately and transparently tabulate their votes.” “Individuals who work to ensure the integrity of our elections should not have to worry about their safety while working for the American people,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge TJ Holland of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “We will continue to collaborate with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to protect election officials and prosecute anyone who threatens to harm them.” Hyde is charged with one count of communicating an interstate threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The FBI San Diego Field Office is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Phoenix Field Office. Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier for the District of Arizona. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun. Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Indictment


title: Doctor to Pay Nearly $700,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A doctor in Ramsey, New Jersey, has agreed to pay nearly $700,000 to resolve allegations that he and his practice violated the False Claims Act, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Arun Sehgal and his medical practice, Preventive & Diagnostic Medical Center P.A., have agreed to pay $693,490 plus interest to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by upcoding physician services, billing for more services than they could possibly provide in one day, and billing for services that Sehgal never provided. Sehgal is the former medical director at the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home in Paramus, New Jersey. The settlement announced today resolves three sets of allegations from Jan. 1, 2017, to June 1, 2022: The defendants regularly upcoded certain Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes typically used to report more complex services, or services longer in duration, relating to the evaluation and management of patients. Upcoding is alleged fraudulent medical billing in which a claim is submitted for payment regarding a service that is more expensive than the service that was performed. The defendants knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for services that Sehgal did not provide to patients by regularly billing for impossible days. An impossible day occurs when a physician purports to provide such a high volume of services or procedures in one day that there is no way the physician reasonably could have performed them all. For example, on March 2, 2018, the time associated with CPT codes billed by the defendants for services that Sehgal provided exceeded 43 hours. Sehgal allegedly purported to provide services to Medicaid beneficiaries in New Jersey on days when Sehgal was not physically in the United States. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Toll of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit, and Trial Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division Fraud Section, with assistance from HHS-OIG. The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its efforts to combat healthcare fraud. One of the strongest tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. sehgal.settlement.pdf


title: Maryland Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice and Destruction of Records Related to Cover-Up of Excessive Force Incident

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – David Quillen, 37, of Ocean View, Delaware, a correctional officer at the Eastern Correctional Institution (“ECI”) in Westover, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to obstruct justice and to destruction of records, related to covering up evidence that a fellow officer at ECI had unlawfully assaulted an inmate. The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. According to his guilty plea, on July 12, 2021, while working at ECI, Quillen learned that another officer had used force against an inmate. Upon learning of the incident, Quillen responded to the scene with a video camera and began recording the inmate. While Quillen filmed him, the inmate asserted that he had been assaulted by a correctional officer—Officer Samuel Warren—for no reason. The inmate also cried, and was visibly injured, with blood on his face. After Quillen stopped filming, he and other officers watched the video Quillen had filmed. While watching the video, a supervisory officer commented that the video did not look good for Warren and indicated that the video should be deleted. Warren agreed, and Quillen and other officers agreed to lie about the deletion. Understanding that the video contained evidence that Warren’s use of force against the inmate had been unlawful, Quillen deleted the video. Following the deletion, Quillen lied about what happened to the video, including to supervisors at ECI, and to state and federal investigators. Warren has since admitted that he unlawfully assaulted the inmate and has pleaded guilty to federal offenses related to that assault. Quillen faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy to obstruct justice and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for destruction of records. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for May 22, 2024. U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke commended the FBI and the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for their work in the investigation and thanked the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for its assistance. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Marquardt and Trial Attorney Erin Monju of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section who are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Special Legal Counsel Mark Blumberg of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun and Drug Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KENNETH JOYNER, 33, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for firearm and drug offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2022, Bridgeport Police stopped Joyner’s car for motor vehicle violations. Joyner was arrested after he was found in possession of a loaded Polymer P80 9mm semi-automatic pistol (“ghost gun”) and several bags of marijuana that he intended to sell. A subsequent search of Joyner’s residence revealed a loaded Ruger P95 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an obliterated serial number, marijuana that Joyner intended to sell, and drug paraphernalia. On November 28, 2023, Joyner pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Joyner has been detained since his federal arrest on April 13, 2023. This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Weingarten and Karen L. Peck through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Alexandria Jasmine Estep, 22, of Charleston, was sentenced today to four years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Estep admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, Estep was responsible for the distribution of nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine while she participated in the drug trafficking conspiracy between October 2022 and January 2023. Initially, Estep regularly obtained multiple pounds of methamphetamine from a Charleston supplier. She would then re-distribute the methamphetamine to others in the Charleston area. In November 2022, Estep stopped dealing with the Charleston supplier and arranged to buy multiple pounds of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator. On November 29, 2022, the co-conspirator delivered the methamphetamine by vehicle to Estep’s Charleston residence. Estep conducted the transaction with an additional co-conspirator who was in the vehicle during the delivery. Estep is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash. Estep is among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-33. ###


title: Spangle, Washington Man Indicted by Grand Jury for Multi-Million Dollar Car Import Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – On February 21,2024, a federal grand jury for the Eastern District of Washington returned an indictment charging Christopher Lee Terry Sr., age 39, of Spangle, Washington, and his business, Allwest Financial LLC, with fourteen counts of fraud in connection with running a car import fraud scheme that defrauded multiple victims, including an auto finance company and a Canadian auto dealer, out of more than $5 Million between January 2019 and June 2020. The Indictment alleges that Terry, through his auto wholesaling business, Allwest Financial LLC d/b/a Allwest Auto Remarketing (“Allwest”), defrauded auto financier NextGear Capital Inc. (“NextGear”), and Canadian auto retailer Birchwood Automotive Group Partnership (“Birchwood”), among others, by falsely and fraudulently claiming ownership of hundreds of vehicles that had been imported from Canada and which Allwest was supposedly refurbishing for potential re-sale. The Indictment alleges that in order to qualify the imported vehicles as collateral for millions of dollars in advance loans from NextGear, Terry and his company used fraudulent documents purporting to show that the imported vehicles were owned, or were in the process of being purchased, by Allwest, when in fact they were not. The Indictment alleges that NextGear relied on Terry’s false and fraudulent representations, believed that Allwest owned the vehicles, that the loans were secured by the vehicles, and that the loans would be paid back once the vehicles were re-sold. However, as alleged in the Indictment, because Allwest did not in fact own the vehicles, any proceeds from any re-sale of the vehicles were owed to the true owner, such as Birchwood, leaving NextGear with outstanding, unsecured, and uncollectible loans to the tune of millions of dollars. In addition, the Indictment alleges that it was part of Terry’s fraud scheme for Terry and Allwest to at times pocket both the fraudulently obtained NextGear financing and the resale proceeds of the vehicle - thereby profiting twice from a vehicle Allwest did not own. The Indictment alleges that when Terry’s fraud scheme was discovered NextGear, Birchwood, and others sustained losses of more than $5 million due to the scheme. “Sophisticated business fraud schemes victimize both businesses and consumers and obstruct the ability of honest companies to transact business in an efficient and fair way,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “Regardless of the nature of the fraud, or what type of business, industry, or consumer it impacts and victimizes, we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold fraudsters accountable when they prey on innocent members of the community in order to line their own pockets.” The fraud charges carry maximum sentences of up to 30 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spokane Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Tornabene and Dan Fruchter are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States v. Christopher Lee Terry Sr. and Allwest Financial LLC, Case No: 2-24-CR-27-TOR-2


title: Lutcher Man Sentenced for Machine Gun Possession

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – TYKI CLAYTON , age 21 of Lutcher, La. was sentenced on February 21, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to 36 months incarceration after he previously pled guilty to possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Judge Milazzo also ordered that CLAYTON be placed on supervised release for three (3) years following his release from prison. CLAYTON was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court records, on March 28, 2022, CLAYTON was the passenger in a vehicle that did not come to a full stop at a stop sign. A St. James Parish deputy stopped the vehicle and saw CLAYTON in the front passenger seat reaching between his legs into a backpack. The deputy learned that CLAYTON had an outstanding arrest warrant and detained him inside a police unit. Law enforcement discovered a Glock firearm equipped with an auto-sear, making it function as a machine gun, as well as a loaded gun magazine during a search of CLAYTON’s vehicle. 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 track violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. James Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for  Drug and Gun Charges

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who distributed methamphetamine, possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and possessed a firearm as a prohibited person, was sentenced today to more than 19 years in federal prison. Dennis Wayne Hager, age 65, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 1, 2023 guilty plea to two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm as a felon and drug user. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that on May 25, 2021, Hager distributed 110 grams of methamphetamine to another person. On June 1, 2021, Hager distributed 222 grams of methamphetamine to another person. That day, law enforcement officers searched his home and found a firearm that Hager was prohibited from possessing because he was a felon and methamphetamine user. Hager had four felony convictions related to drugs. Finally, on September 1, 2021, Hager possessed over 100 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Hager was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Hager was sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. Hager is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-40. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 22, 2024 SAN DIEGO – William Hyde of San Diego was arrested in San Diego today for allegedly leaving a voicemail containing a violent threat on the personal cell phone of an election official in the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office in Phoenix, Arizona. Hyde, 52, is scheduled to make his initial appearance tomorrow at the federal courthouse in San Diego. According to an indictment unsealed today, on or about November 29, 2022, Hyde allegedly left the following voicemail message on the personal cell phone of the victim election official: “Run, [expletive].” Approximately one minute later, Hyde allegedly left a second voicemail message for the same election official: “You wanna cheat our elections? You wanna screw Americans out of true votes? We’re coming, [expletive]. You’d better [expletive] hide.” This followed a Special Meeting held by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors a day earlier to certify the election results in Maricopa County for the November 8, 2022, general elections for federal and state officeholders. The election official was present at this Special Meeting, which received nationwide media coverage. “Intimidation of election officials strikes at the very heart of our democracy,” said United States Attorney for the Southern District of California Tara McGrath. “Even just one case can have a ripple effect. This Office will aggressively prosecute any attempt to intimidate, threaten, or frighten election officials as they engage in these critical duties.” “As alleged in the indictment, the defendant left threatening messages on a Maricopa County election official’s personal cell phone the day after county officials certified the 2022 election results. The indictment alleges that the defendant accused the official of cheating the election and told the official to ‘run’ and ‘hide,’” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting individuals who threaten election officials. We will not tolerate criminal intimidation of those who administer and safeguard our elections.” “Election integrity starts with protecting those we entrust to administer elections,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “We appreciate the admirable efforts of the Recorder’s Office and Elections Department in Maricopa County to efficiently register Arizonans as eligible voters, and to accurately and transparently tabulate their votes.” “Individuals who work to ensure the integrity of our elections should not have to worry about their safety while working for the American people,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge TJ Holland of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “We will continue to collaborate with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to protect election officials and prosecute anyone who threatens to harm them.” Hyde is charged with one count of communicating an interstate threat. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The FBI San Diego Field Office investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the FBI Phoenix Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Askins for the Southern District of California and Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Sue Feldmeier for the District of Arizona. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun. Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. DEFENDANT Case Number 22cr0276-BAS William Michael Hyde 52 San Diego SUMMARY OF CHARGES Interstate Threatening Communication – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 875(c) Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation


title: Former Primis Bank Manager Pleads Guilty to $2.4 Million Embezzlement Scheme

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Weems man pleaded guilty yesterday to designing and executing a scheme to defraud his employer, a local financial institution, by issuing fraudulent loans to other individuals, and thereafter using the loan proceeds for his own purposes. According to court documents, James Stevens, 46, was employed at Primis Bank (formerly known as Sonabank, Eastern VA Bank, and Southside Bank) from 2000 to June 2023 as a Commercial Lender, Branch Manager, and Assistant Branch Manager. In his capacity as a Commercial Lender for Primis, Stevens had the authority to issue loans to borrowers on behalf of the bank, and he also had the ability to access customer accounts, open customer accounts, and transfer funds in and out of bank customers’ accounts. Beginning in 2008, and continuing through June 2023, Stevens exploited his position of trust at Primis Bank to issue numerous fraudulent loans—on behalf of his unwitting bank employer—in the names and using the identities of numerous other individuals. Stevens would often create fraudulent documentation to support these loan applications, using the personal identifying information of multiple Primis Bank customers in the process. Stevens would then use proceeds of these fraudulently issued loans to make payments on other (previously issued) fraudulent loans, to pay himself, or to pay others he associated with. Through this loan scheme, Stevens caused a loss to Primis Bank of more than $2.3 million. Stevens also exploited his personal relationship with one Primis Bank customer to access the customer’s personal savings and checking accounts and to withdraw funds from the customer’s accounts. Stevens used his access to the customer’s accounts to change the mailing address on the accounts so that the bank customer remained unaware of the thefts, which eventually totaled more than $97,000. Altogether, the frauds and thefts perpetrated by Stevens resulted in a total loss to Primis Bank of $2,477,643. Stevens is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark R. Colombell accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett and Robert Day are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-10.


title: Texas Man Who Threatened Doctor Serving Transgender Patients Sentenced to Three Months in Prison

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Texas man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for threatening a Boston doctor affiliated with the national LGBTQIA+ health education center. Matthew Jordan Lindner, 39, of Comfort, Texas, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge William G. Young to three months in prison and three years of supervised release. Lindner was also ordered to pay restitution of $2,986. In December 2023, Lindner pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transmission of threatening communication. In August 2022, inaccurate information spread online regarding procedures doctors at Boston Children’s Hospital were performing for gender nonconforming children. On Aug. 31, 2022, Lindner called the Boston-based National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center and left a threatening voicemail targeting one of the Center’s affiliated doctors. In that voicemail, Lindner said: “You sick motherf*****s, you’re all gonna burn. There’s a group of people on their way to handle [victim]. You signed your own warrant, lady. Castrating our children. You’ve woken up enough people. And upset enough of us. And you signed your own ticket. Sleep well, you f****** c***.” “This office will aggressively investigate and prosecute acts of hate and intimidation. Threatening a medical doctor providing essential care to children is deplorable. No one in this country should live in fear for their safety because of their identity, gender, race, religion or beliefs. Full stop.” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We urge the public to call their local police or the FBI if they are ever threatened with physical harm the way the doctor in this case was simply for doing his or her job.” “Imagine the terror of having your life threatened for just doing your job. Matthew Lindner accosted a physician for doing exactly that, and in doing so instilled unnecessary fear in the medical community,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Hateful, repulsive, and threatening behavior like this has no place here, and today’s sentence demonstrates that we won’t stand for criminals terrorizing innocent people. Nobody should have to fear becoming the target of vitriol-fueled violence.” After leaving the threatening voicemail, Lindner continued to try to contact the victim. To that end, Lindner called the victim’s former medical practice and a university where the victim was a faculty member. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and FBI SAC Cohen made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and K. Nathaniel Yeager of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Spokane Man Sentenced to 5 Years Probation for Operating a Ponzi Scheme and Defrauding Investors of More Than $3 Million

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Ronald Walter Hannes of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Investment Advisor Fraud. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of five years of probation. He also ordered Hannes to sell his assets, including his home valued at more than $700,000, in order to pay restitution to his victims. According to court documents and information provided at sentencing, Hannes was the owner and operator of Hannes Financial Services, Inc (“HFS”). Through HFS, Hannes provided brokerage services to clients under the authority of Woodbury Financial Services. In December of 2019, following complaints from one of Hannes’s clients, Woodbury Financial Services terminated Hannes’s employment and brokerage relationship. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) later barred Hannes from acting as a broker or otherwise associating with a broker-dealer firm. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) also opened an investigation into Hannes after receiving information from the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions. The FBI’s investigation established that Hannes engaged in a scheme to defraud at least 21 investors (“Victims”). The Victims were Hannes’s previous clients, who had established accounts through Woodbury Financial Services. Some of the Victims were Hannes’s friends, while others were referred to Hannes by family and friends. Hannes persuaded the Victims to invest in separate “high rate, tax free” bond investments. Hannes also convinced the Victims to write checks to HFS, or directly to third party companies at Hannes’s request, to invest in the bonds. Hannes also encouraged clients to “roll-over” their investments once their bonds purportedly matured. The investigation, however, revealed there were no bonds or securities attached to these investments. When a Victim demanded the return of their funds or chose not to “re-invest,” Hannes would provide a pay out to those individuals. As part of the scheme, Hannes falsely claimed to his victims that he pre-purchased the bonds and that the victims’ money was being used to reimburse Hannes for bonds he had purchased in advance on their behalf. Hannes also provided his victims with fictitious account documents falsely indicating the amount of money the investors would make at maturity if they re-invested or requested a full redemption. Again, however, there were not actual bonds or securities connected with these investments. Ultimately, investigators determined Hannes was operating several investment accounts where he received payment to invest in bonds that did not actually exist. An audit showed that between April of 2012 and March of 2020, approximately 288 checks were written from investors to HFS or entities associated with Hannes. In total, Hannes’s fraudulent scheme resulted in victims losing more than three-million dollars. “Mr. Hannes’s clients trusted him with their hard-earned money and expected him to safeguard it. Instead, Mr. Hannes pulled them into a fraudulent scheme to enrich himself and leave his investors with nothing,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Today I heard directly from the investors who Mr. Hannes swindled, and my resolve is further strengthened to protect the hard-working people of our community from investment schemes and hold fraudsters accountable.” “This $3 million loss tragically represents investors’ careful savings, financial freedom, and hopes for the future,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office. “Not only did Mr. Hannes fail to provide honest investment services, but he also defrauded people he knew by taking advantage of previous business clients, friendships, and referrals for his own gain. Every one of the hundreds of checks he deposited into his own accounts was a betrayal of his responsibilities and relationships.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Cashman.


title: Santa Barbara Man Charged with Coordinating Maritime Smuggling Attempt Resulting in Three Drowning Deaths

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 22, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Charges unsealed today against Faustino Romero De La Cruz allege that he organized the attempted smuggling of multiple unauthorized immigrants by boat on April 10, 2022, which resulted in the tragic drowning deaths of three passengers. Romero was arrested on February 21, 2024, in Santa Barbara. He made his first appearance in federal court in San Diego this afternoon. According to court records, on April 10, 2022, human smugglers attempted to transport more than 10 unauthorized immigrants from Mexico into the United States aboard a cuddy-style boat. As the vessel approached the shore near the Ocean Beach Pier, it capsized with all passengers aboard. Despite the best efforts of law enforcement and other emergency response personnel, three victims drowned. According to court records, Homeland Security agents identified Romero as a U.S.-based coordinator who, working with others, arranged for unauthorized immigrants to be smuggled into the United States by land and sea, and then collected thousands of dollars in smuggling fees before transporting them on to Northern California and elsewhere. “Too many precious lives are needlessly lost in catastrophic incidents like this one,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Case after case demonstrates that smugglers are more interested in maximizing profits than safety, which all too often leads to tragic results. Never trust your life to a smuggler.” “Maritime human smuggling has proven time and time again to be incredibly dangerous and often results in senseless claimed lives,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “While transnational criminal organizations seek to enrich themselves using the tactic, HSI is committed to using all means at our disposal to investigate and hold accountable those placing human beings at substantial risk of injury and death.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Miao and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Doolin. DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr2458-JES Faustino Romero De La Cruz Age: 40 Santa Barbara, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Count 1: Conspiracy to Bring in Certain Aliens Other Than at Designated Port of Entry Resulting in Death – Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(1)(A)(i), (v)(I), (a)(1)(B)(iv) Maximum penalty: Life in prison, and $250,000 fine Counts 2-4, 6: Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine Count 5: Conspiracy to Bring in Certain Aliens Other Than at Designated Port of Entry – Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(1)(A)(i), (v)(I), (a)(1)(B)(i) Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine Count 7: Transportation of Certain Aliens – Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(1)(A)(ii) Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, a $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations – San Diego Marine Task Force United States Border Patrol United States Customs and Border Protection United States Coast Guard San Diego County Sheriff’s Department San Diego Harbor Police Department San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office Homeland Security Investigations Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Puerto Rico Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 18 Years for Managing Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy that Shipped Dozens of Kilos to the DMV Area

body_text: WASHINGTON – Rey Rivera Ruiz, 40, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for managing a Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization responsible for shipping dozens of kilograms of cocaine to the Washington D.C. metro area. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; and Acting Inspector in Charge Ajay Lall, of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg ordered Rivera Ruiz to serve five years of supervised release. Rivera Ruiz, aka “Gordo,” pleaded guilty on May 26, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. As part of his plea agreement, Rivera Ruiz admitted he was responsible for distributing between 50 and 150 kilos of cocaine as part of the conspiracy. He also admitted he managed or supervised the criminal activity, which involved at least five co-conspirators. According to the government’s evidence, beginning in October 2019, Rivera Ruiz, assisted by several other individuals, shipped multiple kilograms of cocaine every month from post offices in San Juan to the mainland U.S., including addresses in the Washington, D.C. area, via the U.S. Postal Service. Investigators estimated that the members of the conspiracy shipped at least 65 parcels containing up to two kilograms of cocaine each. Once the cocaine arrived in the Washington, D.C. area, local drug dealers broke up the bricks into smaller portions and distributed the drug. Additionally, the Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization’s members allegedly traveled from San Juan to the Washington, D.C. area to collect drug sales proceeds, and then surreptitiously traveled on commercial airliners to return the money to Ruiz Rivera and others. On April 15, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at the home of Ruiz Rivera and found a USPS receipt for a parcel which had been mailed April 9. Law enforcement then seized the parcel while it was still in the mail stream and found it contained a kilo of cocaine. In total, 10 individuals have been convicted for their roles in this drug trafficking conspiracy. On November 8, 2023, co-conspirator Jann Jousten Aponte-Rivera, 27, of San Juan, was found guilty in the District of Columbia of participating in the drug-related murder of Shantay Myisha Butler, 42, of Frederick, Maryland. Specifically, Aponte-Rivera was found guilty in U.S. District Court of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, one count of causing the intentional death of Ms. Butler while engaged in drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute more than 5 kilos of cocaine, and one count of causing the death of Ms. Butler through the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking offense. Aponte-Rivera, 27 was sentenced yesterday, February 21, 2024, to 50 years in prison. The murder took place October 14, 2020. At that time, a D.C.-area drug dealer owed thousands of dollars to the Puerto Rico drug trafficking organization. In October 2020, after first meeting with Rivera-Ruiz and supplying him with some of the proceeds believed to be owed, the D.C.-area dealer was then lured by Aponte-Rivera and co-conspirator Michael Gabriel Hernandez Rivera, 21, to a desolate part of Levittown, Puerto Rico, under the guise that they would be fishing. When they arrived, Ms. Butler was in the passenger seat of the vehicle driven by the local drug trafficker. Then, both Aponte-Rivera and Hernandez Rivera opened fired on the vehicle. The D.C.-are drug dealer was able to drive off as the shots were fired, while sustaining gunshot wounds, but Ms. Butler sustained a gunshot wound to the head and appears to have died instantly. Miraculously, the D.C.-area dealer managed to escape and survived after months in a coma and medical treatment. The D.C.-area dealer has since pleaded guilty to his involvement in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. The charged drug trafficking conspiracy ended in April 2021 when law enforcement arrested Rivera, Aponte-Rivera, and Hernandez-Rivera. The three men have remained in custody since. Aponte-Rivera is scheduled for sentencing on February 8, 2024 In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and the FBI’s SAC Scott commended investigators at the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Montgomery Co. Police Department (MCPD), Frederick City Police Department, San Juan USPIS OIG, the Puerto Rico Police Department (Bayamon Homicide Division), the Police of Rico San Juan Homicide Division, and the Institute of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and David T. Henek, of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Fletcher and Dineen Baker assisted in the investigation and charging of this case.


title: Holland Woman Sentenced to Prison for Wire Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: TOLEDO – Teresia M. Jones, 34, of Holland, Ohio, was sentenced to 7 years in prison by District Judge Jack Zouhary after earlier pleading guilty to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. Jones received 5 years for wire fraud and money laundering and an additional 2 years for aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively. Jones was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,929,519, a $300 special assessment and serve 2 years of supervised release. According to the court records and testimony beginning in January 2020, Jones defrauded the IRS through a wide-ranging tax refund scheme by submitting false and fraudulent tax filings using stolen identities and claiming millions of dollars in improper tax refunds. Jones then used these funds for personal spending. This tax refund scheme used stolen identity information from real people and businesses. Jones would then prepare and file these fraudulent tax return electronically. In addition, Jones laundered the stolen tax funds by purchasing a 2022 Cadillac Escalade for over $150,000, real property among other transactions. The Cadillac Escalade was forfeited by government along with a 2022 Dodge Ram truck, two parcels of real property and approximately $328,000 seized from bank accounts. This investigation was conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigations (CI) and the United States Secret Service (USSS). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford.


title: Nevada Woman Gets 42 Months in Federal Prison for Iowa Meth Conspiracy

body_text: A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on February 21, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, to 42 months’ imprisonment. Sabrina Bradley, age 50, from Pahrump, Nevada, pled guilty on September 13, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that Bradley was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine from November 2021 through December 2021. Bradley admitted her involvement in assisting other co-conspirators to transport at least four pounds of methamphetamine from sources in Nevada to Iowa for further distribution, including in the Council Bluffs and Cherokee, Iowa areas. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Bradley was sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Bradley remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, United States Postal Inspectors, Homeland Security Investigations, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and Cherokee Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4002. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Lincoln Man Convicted for Child Pornography Charges

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Amikhet En Maati, formerly known as Warren Coker, 52, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was found guilty by a bench trial on February 22, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for two counts of production of child pornography concerning two separate victims, two counts of committing the production of child pornography offenses while on the Sex Offender Registry, and one count of possession of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard presided over the bench trial and set sentencing for May 20, 2024. On September 9, 2022, Lincoln Police Department (“LPD”) received a report regarding the sexual abuse of a minor female where Maati was the subject. A search of the residence was conducted and a cellphone belonging to Maati was seized. Around that same time, LPD determined that Maati was also the subject of a recent tip made to the FBI. A forensic examination was completed on Maati’s cellphone. Law enforcement discovered multiple child exploitation videos of minor Victim 1 and one video of minor Victim 2. Maati uploaded and distributed these videos to a cloud-storage website where his friend, who was another registered sex offender, had access to them. Further review of Maati’s cloud-storage account revealed additional child exploitation videos of each of the victims. Maati was previously convicted on or about January 2, 1997, for Attempted Sex Assault of a Child in Douglas County District Court, Nebraska, and on or about July 1, 1999, for one count of Second-Degree Sexual Assault and one count of Sexual Assault of a Child in Sarpy County District Court, Nebraska. Due to these prior convictions, Maati now faces a mandatory sentence of at least 45 years imprisonment based on today’s guilty verdict. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Wire Fraud Indictment Against Garland, Nebraska Man Unsealed

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned an Indictment charging Bryce A. Nolde of Garland, Nebraska, with one count of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is no more than 30 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 5-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. An indictment is a charging document that contains one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. Nolde is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), and Federal Housing Finance Agency-Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). Customers, subcontractors, suppliers or others who may have done business with Bryce Nolde or BV Builders are encouraged to contact the FDIC-OIG tipline at 1-800-964-3342 or https://www.fdicoig.gov/oig-hotline and reference “BV Builders.”


title: Cary Businessman Pleads Guilty to Evading More than $1 Million in Taxes

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – Arturo Barcenas Gonzalez (Barcenas) pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion before United States Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr. At sentencing, Barcenas faces a statutory maximum of 60 months’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Barcenas will also be required to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in an amount to be determined. “The vast majority of American taxpayers pay their fair share in taxes, supporting our nation’s infrastructure, innovation, and military. Meanwhile, Barcenas failed to file any federal tax return for years while he padded his personal accounts with money from his businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Businessmen making millions can’t use tax scams to dodge paying their share and leave law-abiding citizens to shoulder the burden. Hardworking Americans won’t stand for that, and neither will the IRS.” “Defrauding the government using schemes to conceal income and evade taxes is unlawful,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Office. “Today’s plea should serve as a reminder that those who evade their federal income tax responsibilities will be prosecuted and held accountable.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, Barcenas owns and operates various businesses at an office location in Cary, including Barcenas Insurance Agency, LLC (BIA) and Barcenas Financial Services, LLC (BFS). BIA is a retail insurance company that offers and sells traditional insurance policies, including automotive coverage. The investigation revealed that BIA operated a high-volume, cash-intensive business that, among other things, registered and titled vehicles on behalf of undocumented aliens through the use of assumed business name certificates filed with the register of deeds. BFS is a tax return preparation business that prepares federal and state income tax returns for customers. In July 2018, Barcenas filed a false 2017 federal income tax return (Form 1040) that concealed over $300,000 in business receipts. Thereafter, Barcenas simply stopped filing federal tax returns altogether. Despite his non-filing, Barcenas continued to generate substantial business income—investigators identified business receipts in excess of $1 million per year between 2018 and 2022. In order to avoid IRS assessment and/or collection activity, Barcenas engaged in various acts of evasion, including titling assets in the names of others, depositing business proceeds into personal accounts, and making extensive use of cash. In May 2023, the IRS conducted a search warrant at Barcenas’s offices in Cary, during which agents recovered, among other things, various income-establishing business records that Barcenas previously claimed that he did not possess. The estimated tax losses attributable to the offense are over $1 million for calendars years 2018 through 2022. Michael Easley, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the arraignment. IRS-Criminal Investigation, based in Raleigh, investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorney Adam F. Hulbig prosecuted the case for the government. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-376-FL.


title: Derry Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Fraudulently Obtain Approximately $2.5 Million in COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Funds

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Derry man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to attempting to fraudulently obtain $2.5 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. David Dodge, 41, pleaded guilty to bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2024. Dodge’s wife and co-conspirator, Tammy Dodge, has a change of plea hearing scheduled for March 4, 2024. Dodge claimed to own or control multiple businesses in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, including Teacher Tammy (a/k/a Teacher Tammy’s), Optimized Operations, and Business Done Right. In reality, these companies had no operations and served no business purpose. In total, Dodge submitted 30 fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from private lenders, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the Small Business Administration, and pandemic relief grants from the New Hampshire Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR) and the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC). To commit the fraud, David Dodge also used the Social Security Number of a minor child to apply for and obtain an Employer Identification Number from the IRS for a fictional company called Consulting Services. Dodge used fake supporting documents in the applications. For example, on May 4, 2020, David Dodge applied for a $39,355 PPP loan for Optimized Operations. He provided a “Payroll Report” purporting to show that Optimized Operations had monthly payroll of approximately $46,000 through December 2020, seven months into the future. Other fake documents included a doctored Limited Liability Company certificate showing that Optimized Operations was incorporated in Massachusetts in June 2016, when it did not exist on paper until May 2020. David Dodge also provided fraudulent tax documents showing that Optimized Operations had five employees paid $45,000 each quarter. Overall, because lenders detected most of the fraudulent applications, Dodge was able to obtain $219,323.34 out of the approximately $2.5 million he sought. He misused some of the fraudulently obtained funds to purchase jewelry. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 30 years in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. During the early part of the coronavirus pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act included multiple relief provisions to help the millions of Americans and many small businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Private lenders could participate in the PPP. The loans, which were supposed to be used for payroll, were fully guaranteed by the government. If borrowers used the PPP loans for payroll and other approved expenses as intended, they could apply for loan forgiveness. The CARES Act also opened up the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. As with PPP loans, EIDL loans were supposed to be used for payroll and other business expenses such as rent and mortgage. 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: Manchester Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 6 Years for  Possessing with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the drugs, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Jeffrey Hayes, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 72 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. “The devastation caused by fentanyl and methamphetamine touches every community in New Hampshire,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “Those who traffic these poisons like the defendant will be sentenced to prison for significant periods of time.” "Our efforts to combat drug distribution are vital to safeguarding our community, and this outcome underscores the severity of such criminal activities and their detrimental impact on society,” said Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg. In 2021, the Manchester Police Department investigated Hayes for drug distribution, and eventually searched his residence. During the search, they found distribution-level quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case. ###


title: Carlsbad Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years in Prison for Enticement of a Minor

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Juan Antonio Flores was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison. Flores, 47, of Carlsbad, pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor on Sept. 19, 2023. According to publicly available court records, the FBI obtained a federal search warrant for an address in Carlsbad associated with an online account for a fetish website that had been discussing the sexual molestation of a 9-year-old minor and sending child pornography of that minor. After execution of the search warrant, the FBI was able to verify that the adults living at the address, Joseph and Rachel Crutcher, had been sexually abusing three children in their care and had been setting up meetings with other individuals to sexually abuse at least one of the children who is identified in court documents as Jane Doe. Through their investigation, the FBI learned that Joseph Crutcher met a man named “Juan,” who was identified by the FBI as Juan Antonio Flores, online and arranged to meet Flores in person. During their online conversations, Flores repeatedly discussed his desires to sexually abuse Jane Doe, and Flores made plans with Joseph to do so. The FBI learned that the Crutchers took Jane Doe to meet with Juan in person on three occasions. During those meetings, Rachel engaged in sexual acts with Juan while Jane Doe and another minor child were present, and on another occasion, Joseph engaged in sexual acts with Jane Doe next to Flores while Flores engaged in sexual acts with Rachel. In his plea agreement, Flores admitted that on several occasions in Sept. 2022, during online conversations with the Crutchers, Flores discussed his desire to engage in sexual acts with Jane Doe and arranged to meet with the Crutchers and Jane Doe on multiple occasions. Upon his release from prison, Flores will be subject to a lifetime supervised release and must register as a sex offender. Rachel Crutcher pled guilty to production of child pornography and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Upon her release from prison, Rachel will be subject to lifetime supervised release and must register as a sex offender. Joseph Crutcher pled guilty to one count each of production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 70 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Crutcher will be subject to lifetime supervised release and must register as a sex offender. A third individual who arranged to meet with the Crutchers with the intention of engaging in sexual acts with Jane Doe, Dominic Allan Marks, pled guilty to enticement of a minor and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Marks will be subject to a lifetime term of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. The Roswell Resident Agency and the FBI Albuquerque Field Office jointly investigated this case with assistance from the Eddy County Sheriff's Office and Carlsbad Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case. # # # 24-78


title: Armed Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison After Violent Domestic Assault

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Cody Steele, 41, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing of methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on May 27, 2021, IMPD officers responded to reports of shots fired on the southeast side of Indianapolis. Witnesses stated that the driver of a red Hummer shot at another vehicle and drove off. Officers quickly located the red Hummer and Cody Steele, who was the driver. On the driver’s seat, officers found a plastic bag containing approximately 404 grams of pure methamphetamine. A .38 caliber revolver with five spent casings was found on the passenger seat floorboard. On the ground outside the Hummer, officers located a loaded 7.62mm assault rifle that had been stolen. A search of Steele’s person also revealed $1,853 in cash. The defendant admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with the intent to sell it and carrying the guns in furtherance of his drug trafficking. During the course of this investigation, officers learned that the defendant was involved in an alleged domestic assault earlier on the day he was arrested. The victim reported that shortly after midnight on that day the defendant was arrested, she attempted to leave him. The struck her and told her that she could not leave, and if she tried, he would kill her dogs. Later that morning, she tried to leave again, and the defendant threw a dog chain at her, hitting her in the face. He damaged her vehicle, and she was unable to use it leave. When she started to walk away, the defendant followed her in his vehicle. He had control over her dog and told her to get in his car or he would kill her dog, scaring her into entering the car. The victim told law enforcement that the defendant drove her around for several hours. Steele would not allow her out of the vehicle. She tried to open the door several times but defendant sped up the vehicle so she couldn’t exit. One time when she tried to leave, Steele bit her on the arm. Eventually they stopped at a parking lot and the victim called for help. Bystanders assisted her in retrieving one of her dogs from Steele during a physical struggle. Employees of nearby businesses aided the victim. The victim did not call the police because she feared losing her dogs. She began to return to the residence to get her vehicle. Her vehicle had been damaged by Steele, so she had to drive slowly. As she drove, the defendant yelled at her, and she heard a gunshot. Steele pulled in behind her and rammed her vehicle, forcing her car into oncoming traffic. When she was able to pull it back into her lane Steele rammed her vehicle from behind. Steele fled the area, and a witness began to follow Steele and called 911. Officers responded to the hospital and observed the victim to have visible bruising and swelling to her eye, a laceration and blood on her face, bruising on her arms, blood on her clothing, and seemed to have broken blood vessels in her right eye. Steele has a lengthy criminal history, including felony convictions for domestic battery, child molestation of a ten-year-old victim, and escape. Each of these prior felony convictions prohibit Steele from ever legally possessing a firearm. The defendant was also convicted of a misdemeanor invasion of privacy for violating a no-contact order with his wife. “This violent, repeat criminal is simply a menace to those close to him and to the community at large. His outrageous, violent conduct and armed trafficking of deadly drugs demonstrate the serious danger he poses to the public,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Guns in the hands of domestic abusers dramatically escalate the risk that they will murder those in their lives, law enforcement, or the public at large. Our community and this most-recent victim are safer today because of the excellent work of IMPD, the ATF, and our federal prosecutor to ensure this criminal is behind bars where he belongs.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Judge Brookman also ordered that Steele be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 4 years following his release from federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Pamela Domash, who prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Checotah Resident Sentenced For Murder

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Randolph Boyd Strawn, age 68, of Checotah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for Murder in Indian Country – Second Degree. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police, and the McIntosh County Sheriff’s Office. On May 1, 2023, Randolph Boyd Strawn pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in Indian Country – Second Degree. According to court documents, Strawn maliciously killed the victim on December 6, 2022, pouring gasoline around the victim and igniting it. The crime occurred in McIntosh County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Strawn will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.