title: Covetrus Agrees to Pay $1,125,000 for Failing to Adequately Address Suspicious Opioid Orders and for Inadequate Recordkeeping Practices

body_text: BOSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a $1,125,000 settlement with Covetrus North America, LLC (Covetrus NA) to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Covetrus NA, headquartered in Portland, Maine, is a company that distributes veterinary medicine to customers worldwide. Under the settlement, Covetrus NA admitted that, from March 29, 2016 through June 18, 2019, its internal suspicious order monitoring system (SOM) flagged 35 opioid orders from a veterinary office in West Barnstable, Mass. (Veterinary Office) as suspicious. Covetrus NA released each of the suspicious orders and sent them to the Veterinary Office. Following a request from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Covetrus NA provided inadequate documentation to justify its decision to release the orders. Melissa Paradise, an employee of the Veterinary Office, was charged and convicted in U.S. District Court in Boston and was sentenced in June 2022 after admitting that she diverted drugs from the orders for her own personal use. Covetrus NA also admitted that, in March 2018, an order of hydrocodone-homatropine was lost in-transit to the Veterinary Office and that Covetrus NA failed to notify the DEA of the lost controlled substances. From January 2015 through July 2023 Covetrus NA also failed to properly review the most recent information made available in ARCOS (an automated, comprehensive drug reporting system which monitors controlled substances from their point of manufacture through distribution) as required by the Controlled Substances Act (the Act). The Act regulates the manufacturing, purchasing, distribution and maintenance of certain controlled substances. The Act and related regulations required Covetrus NA to keep records and follow security protocols for its controlled substances, including reporting suspicious orders or theft and significant loss of controlled substances. Failure to maintain effective controls against diversion of controlled substances, including opioids, violates the Act. Additionally, registered distributors of opioids, like Covetrus NA, are required to review quarterly information provided by ARCOS, and to keep an accurate record of each controlled substance and how it was used or where it went. Federal and state law enforcement rely on ARCOS data to help prevent diversion of controlled substances. “The struggle to bring the scourge of the opioid epidemic under control requires a multi prong approach. In addition to traditional law enforcement efforts, preventing the diversion of lawfully manufactured opioids is also critical. Drug distributors have an obligation to handle controlled substances responsibly, including maintaining complete and accurate records, and diligently investigating suspicious orders of controlled substances,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “As this resolution demonstrates we not only prosecute individuals who divert controlled substances, but we will hold opioid distributors accountable for their failure to comply with important regulations.” “DEA registrants are responsible for handling-controlled substances responsibly and ensuring that complete and accurate records are being properly kept and accounted for in compliance with the Controlled Substance Act,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Failure to do so increases the potential for diversion and jeopardizes public health and public safety. We are committed to working with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure that these rules and regulations are followed.” As part of the settlement, Covetrus NA will enter into a one-year Memorandum of Agreement (“MOA”) with the DEA. The MOA requires Covetrus NA to continue improving its SOM system and allows the DEA to freely inspect and monitor Covetrus NA’s SOM system, employee training and overall compliance with all federal, state and local controlled substance statutes and regulations. Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen P. Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julien M. Mundele of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the case.


title: Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Gun Possession Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced ANTHONY SANTOS, also known as “A-1,” 36, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 63 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 17, 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Hartford Police Department conducted a court-authorized search of Santos’ apartment on Park Street in Hartford. When investigators entered the apartment, Santos ran to the window and threw a loaded Draco 7.62x39mm assault-style firearm with a high-capacity magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition. The firearm landed on a rooftop below and was recovered. Inside the apartment, investigators seized, three firearm magazines, ammunition, a small amount of fentanyl, large bags containing bulk quantities of marijuana, thousands of bags of marijuana in pre-packaged sleeves, drug processing and packaging materials, jewelry, and approximately $4,070 in cash. A search of two vehicles associated with Santos that were parked near the apartment revealed a loaded Smith &Wesson .357 revolver and a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol, both of which had been reported as stolen. The Glock was fitted with an illegal “switch” that converted the pistol to a fully automatic weapon. One of the vehicles contained a backpack with numerous bags of marijuana and approximately $3,290 in cash. Santos’ criminal history includes state convictions for narcotics distribution offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Santos has been detained since October 17, 2023. On August 6, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has assisted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Geoffrey Stone. 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Two members of transnational money laundering organization plead guilty to laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds

component: Criminal Division

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Georgia man pled guilty today to his involvement in a conspiracy to launder tens of millions of dollars in drug proceeds on behalf of foreign drug trafficking organizations, including the Sinaloa cartel and Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (the Jalisco cartel). On Aug. 5, a co-conspirator pled guilty for his role in the same money laundering scheme. According to court documents, Li Pei Tan, 46, of Buford, and Chaojie Chen, 41, a Chinese national residing in Chicago, worked for an organization that laundered millions of dollars in proceeds related to the importation of illegal drugs into the United States, primarily through Mexico, and the unlawful distribution of these drugs. Tan, Chen, and their co-conspirators traveled throughout the United States to collect proceeds derived from trafficking in fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs. They communicated and coordinated with co-conspirators in China and other foreign countries to arrange for the laundering of these proceeds through financial transactions that were designed to conceal the illicit source of the drug proceeds, including through a sophisticated trade-based money laundering scheme involving the purchasing of bulk electronics in the United States and the shipping of these electronics to co-conspirators in China. On multiple occasions prior to Chen’s May arrest, law enforcement seized hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash drug proceeds from Chen at locations across the United States. Tan was intercepted by law enforcement in South Carolina while attempting to transport over $197,000 in drug proceeds. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s National Drug Threat Assessment, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the fentanyl crisis in the United States. Tan and Chen pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of their pleas, Tan and Chen agreed to forfeit numerous assets to the government, including a residence, a firearm, body armor, and more than $270,000 in seized currency. Additionally, they agreed to the imposition of money judgments totaling over $23 million. Chen is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14 and Tan is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025. Chen and Tan each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement. The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, investigated the case, with assistance from the DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit; the DEA’s offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina; and the Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Mary K. Daly of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section prosecuted the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Georgia and Northern District of Illinois. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF . 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 Nos. 24-CR-145 (Tan) and 24-CR-149 (Chen).


title: Texans charged in wide-spread stolen mail conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – Two Katy, Texas individuals have been charged with federal violations related to a mail theft scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Brevin Lee Pogue, 26, and Dayana Amador-Enamorado, 24, were named in the two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas on October 9, 2024. They were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and conspiracy to steal U.S. mail and to possess stolen U.S. mail. According to information presented in court, in April 2023, an investigation into mail stolen in the Eastern District of Texas revealed an elaborate scheme to sell, ship, and alter stolen checks and other financial instruments across the country. That investigation led to the arrest by the Parker Police Department of Pogue and Amador in August 2024, at an Airbnb in Colorado. If convicted, Pogue and Amador face up to 30 years in federal prison. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Fort Worth Division, Denver Division, and Houston Division; the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado; and the Parker Police Department in Colorado. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Gloucester County Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Gloucester County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Javier Osorio, 44, of Deptford, New Jersey, was convicted on July 19, 2023, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following a trial before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti, who imposed the sentence on Oct. 29, 2024, in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Osorio conspired with others to distribute cocaine and over one kilogram of heroin, which was recovered from his apartment. Osorio was arrested while driving with his conspirators from New Jersey to Brooklyn to sell an additional quantity of heroin, which was recovered from the vehicle. In addition to the drugs recovered from his apartment, law enforcement also recovered a loaded stolen firearm from under Osorio’s mattress. In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Osorio to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George L. Brandley of the Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the Office’s Organized Crime/Gangs Unit in Newark. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf .


title: East Helena man sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine

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

body_text: GREAT FALLS — An East Helena man who trafficked thousands of fentanyl pills and pounds of methamphetamine while also possessing firearms was sentenced on Oct. 29 to 11 years and four months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, Thomas Anthony Conley, 37, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. “Thousands of fentanyl pills, pounds and pounds of meth, and multiple guns. A majority of the cases we prosecute include those elements, and I’m pleased to say virtually all of our cases result in federal prison sentences. This case is no different, and we will continue to aggressively prosecute dangerous drug traffickers with the goal that they have the same fate as Conley,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. In court documents, the government alleged that Conley possessed multiple firearms and was responsible for importing more than 20,000 fentanyl pills and dozens of pounds of meth into the state. In March and April 2023, law enforcement learned from sources that Conley was supplying meth and fentanyl in the Helena area. The investigation led to search warrants for Conley’s home and vehicles. Officers located several firearms and ammunition in one of his vehicles along with more than 17,000 fentanyl pills. Conley admitted he had worked with others to traffic large quantities of fentanyl pills and several dozen pounds of meth into Montana in the preceding months. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Missouri River Drug Task Force, Southwest Drug Task Force, Montana Highway Patrol and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: New Jersey Man Convicted for Stealing COVID-19 Unemployment Benefits

body_text: TRENTON N.J. – A New Jersey man was convicted for conspiring to illegally obtain over $570,000 in COVID-19 unemployment benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Jose Tavares, 37, of Englewood, New Jersey, was convicted on Oct. 28, 2024, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tavares was convicted after a five-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court. Tavares’ conspirators, Yanira Abreu, 43, of Keasby, New Jersey, and Christopher Valerio, 34, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, have each previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced by Judge Kirsch in the same scheme. According to documents filed in this case: From July 2020 through February 2021, Tavares, Valerio, Abreu and others submitted fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance benefits to the New York Department of Labor (NYDOL) through fictitious online profiles that they created using personally identifiable information, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, of other individuals without their consent. Once the NYDOL processed and approved the fraudulent applications, Tavares and his conspirators obtained debit cards with illegally obtained funds totaling over $570,000, which they used for personal gain, including vacations, luxury retail purchases, and cosmetic surgery. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas; special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the verdict. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Stark and Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution Fentanyl

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to distributing fentanyl. George Jimenez, 31, pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Feb. 5, 2025. Jimenez was initially charged by criminal complaint in October 2023. On Sept. 27, 2022, Jimenez sold 99 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Methuen which was captured on video by a recording device. The charge of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime 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. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Weslaco resident sent to prison for importing 101 bricks of meth

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old man has been sentenced for importing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Arnulfo Hinojosa Jr. pleaded guilty Aug. 1. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Hinojosa to serve 135 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Hinojosa played an integral role in smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted traffickers could not succeed without the willing participation of transporters like Hinojosa. On April 22, Hinojosa claimed he had no illegal drugs in his vehicle when arriving at the Rio Grande City Port of Entry. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed 101 bricks of meth, weighing approximately 140 kilograms and hidden in compartments under the vehicle’s cargo bed. The meth had an estimated street value of approximately $350,000. At the time of his plea, Hinojosa admitted he knew he was smuggling narcotics into the United States. Hinojosa will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case.


title: Felon in Possession Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison Following Shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 144 months in prison, following a shooting at the Palm Beach Gardens Mall (The Gardens Mall) on Valentine’s Day. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed an upward variance in sentencing Devon Jamal Graham, 29, to 144 months in prison. Graham previously pled guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance containing fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Kamarcio Mitchell, 29, a second man who was arrested following the shooting at The Gardens Mall, is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21 at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Cannon in Fort Pierce, Fla. Mitchell previously pled guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. On Feb. 14, both Mitchell and Graham were at The Gardens Mall, both separately in possession of a firearm. Mitchell was on the second level of The Gardens Mall near a retail store. Mitchell followed Graham onto the escalator and was manipulating an object under his shirt. Mitchell was then fired upon by Graham and shot. Mitchell fled the mall to the parking lot, leaving a trail of blood. A loaded firearm that had been disassembled was found in the parking lot by police, near the blood trail. Mitchell was later treated for his injury at a local hospital. Upon his later arrest on a federal warrant, authorities discovered Mitchell in possession of a distribution quantity of fentanyl after he unsuccessfully tried to toss the drugs. Two firearms were recovered from the vehicle Graham used to travel to the mall, along with a bag containing 35 capsules with a mixture containing fentanyl and a pill bottle with approximately 16 grams of cocaine. The recovered firearms had previously travelled in interstate commerce. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service, Chief Dominick Pape of the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office announced the sentencing. The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15 th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John McMillan and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . 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-cr-80022. ###


title: Billings woman sentenced to more than eight years in prison for trafficking meth on Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS — A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Billings woman to eight years and nine months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for her role in methamphetamine trafficking on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, Alisha Gail Small, 42, pleaded guilty in June to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In court documents, the government alleged that in August 2023, Small and others were in a car stopped outside of Hardin. Law enforcement found 7 grams of meth in Small’s purse and multiple firearms in the car. Law enforcement learned that Small was involved in meth trafficking. In December 2023, Small was arrested on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation after a high-speed chase with law enforcement. Officers found approximately 60 grams of meth in her car and another gun. A search of Small’s cell phone found it contained evidence of drug trafficking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. XXX


title: 3 SoCal Men Arrested for Allegedly Purchasing via False Statements More Than 120 Firearms in Utah and Illegally Reselling Them in California

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Three Southern California men were arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging they frequently made short trips to Utah to purchase more than 120 firearms there then illegally sold them in California without a firearms-dealing license and repeatedly lied on federal firearms sales forms while doing so. Manuel Ivan Sanchez, 37, of Helendale, Ricardo Amezcua, 45, of South Gate, and Fernando Nava, 35, of Hemet, are charged with conspiracy. The defendants are expected to make their initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. “Illegally sold guns often end up being used in violent crime and other serious offenses,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “It is imperative to protecting our community that we aggressively prosecute those who put all of us at risk by illegally trafficking in firearms.” According to an affidavit filed on October 23 with the complaint, from November 2022 to July 2024, the defendants frequently made short trips to Utah to purchase firearms – including various pistols and semiautomatic rifles – from licensed firearms dealers. When the defendants bought these firearms in Utah, they lied to the dealers by falsely listing on federal forms that they were Utah residents when, in fact, they resided in California. Listing a Utah residence was important because Utah-based licensed firearms dealers generally cannot sell firearms to California residents. To buy the guns anyway, each defendants obtained either a Utah driver’s license or ID card listing a Utah address. They then used these fraudulently obtained cards to buy guns from Utah-based licensed firearms dealers. In addition, from January 2023 to August 2023, Sanchez purchased approximately 81 firearms through an informal Utah-based online gun exchange. In these transactions, Sanchez found individuals listing firearms for sale, messaged them to negotiate a price, and then met in person with the individuals at various locations throughout Utah. In at least one of the transactions, Sanchez coordinated the purchase of the firearm via text message, and Amezcua met with the seller to buy the firearm. Sanchez then advertised the firearms that he bought for sale to other people at marked-up prices. In some cases, Sanchez advertised the guns to a middleman who was dealing guns to yet other people. At no time during the investigation has Sanchez, Amezcua or Nava possessed a license to deal firearms. The defendants purchased approximately 123 firearms during the conspiracy – 42 from Utah-based licensed firearms dealers and 81 from the online gun exchange. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Kedar S. Bhatia of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Ship Management Company Fined $1.75M for Failing to Maintain an Accurate Oil Record Book that Concealed Unauthorized Discharges at Sea

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., a Mexican corporation that managed several ships, including the M/V Suhar , pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal district court in Pensacola, Florida, for creating and providing false records to the U.S. Coast Guard to conceal its illegal discharge of oily bilge waste into the ocean, which is a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The charge stems from a Coast Guard investigation of the ship once it arrived in Pensacola on Aug. 25, 2023. The Suhar is a 7,602 gross ton Panamanian-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier that routinely hauled cement from Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola. Since March 2021, day-to-day operation of the ship was undertaken by Gremex, which was responsible for hiring all crew, and ensuring compliance with all policies on protection of the environment in accordance with international regulations. After boarding the ship to determine compliance with all applicable laws, Coast Guard personnel determined that the vessel’s crew had regularly discharged untreated oily bilge water into sea in a manner that bypassed onboard pollution control equipment, and then falsified the ship’s oil record book to conceal these discharges. As part of normal vessel operations, large ocean-going ships like the Suhar generate oily bilge water that periodically needs to be discharged for the vessel to operate safely. The United States and Panama are both parties to an international treaty known as MARPOL, which regulates and limits the at-sea discharge of oily bilge water. To satisfy these marine pollution requirements, vessels typically discharge oily bilge water after it has been processed through an oily water separator, a piece of onboard pollution control equipment which removes oil from bilge water prior to discharge. Ships are required to maintain an oil record book that documents all discharges of oily bilge water so authorities can monitor ships for compliance with these international requirements. Federal law requires that foreign ships arriving at U.S. ports maintain an accurate oil record book. Consistent with a sentencing recommendation jointly proposed by the government and Gremex, the court sentenced the company to pay a $1.75 million fine, serve a four-year term of probation and commit to developing and implementing an environmental compliance plan that will be in effect during the time the company is on probation. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida made the announcement. The Coast Guard’s Investigative Service investigated the case. Trial Attorney Joel La Bissonniere of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Love for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Releases Information on Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure Elections

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: WASHINGTON — Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices and procedures, the department today is providing information about its efforts, through the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Division, National Security Division (NSD), and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference. Civil Rights Division The department’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. This work is often performed in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; National Voter Registration Act; Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; Help America Vote Act; and Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws: • Prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status; • Prohibit intimidation of voters; • Allow voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice (other than agents of their employer or union); • Require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions; • Require accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities; • Require that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books; • Require states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad; and • Require covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail, and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists. The Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination in voting based on disability. The ADA applies to all aspects of voting, including voter registration, selection and accessibility of voting facilities, and the casting of ballots on Election Day or during early voting, whether in-person or absentee. The Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter interference based on race, color, national origin, or religion. • Throughout the election cycle, Civil Rights Division attorneys in the Voting, Disability Rights, and Criminal Sections in Washington, D.C., will be ready to receive complaints of potential violations of any of the statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces. The Civil Rights Division will work closely with counterparts at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other department components to review and take appropriate action concerning these complaints. • Individuals with complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can call the Justice Department’s toll-free telephone line at 800-253-3931, and can also submit complaints at www.civilrights.justice.gov. • Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s ADA website at www.ada.gov. Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities are contacted. Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices The department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process. The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election crimes, such as destruction of ballots, vote-buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes, and malfeasance by postal or election officials and employees. See Justice Manual 9-85.210 (discussing requirements regarding election crime matters); 9-85.300 (discussing approach to ballot fraud); 9-85.400 (discussing application of 18 U.S.C. § 592); 9-85.500 (discussing timing of actions). The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices are also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting unlawful threats of violence against election workers, and prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression for reasons other than race, color, national origin, or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation and voter suppression that has a basis in race, color, national origin, or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division often in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices). U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) in their respective districts. DEOs are responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts, and for coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible election crimes are handled appropriately. Specifically: • In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the DEOs in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI special agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open to receive complaints from the public. • Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI field office. A list of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and their telephone numbers can be found at www.justice.gov/usao/districts. A list of FBI field offices and accompanying telephone numbers can be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us. • Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations. All complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911. After alerting local law enforcement to such emergencies by calling 911, the public should contact the Justice Department. National Security Division The department’s National Security Division (NSD) supervises the investigation and prosecution of cases affecting or relating to national security, including any cases involving foreign malign influence and interference in elections or violent extremist threats to elections. In this context: • NSD oversees matters involving a range of malign influence activities that foreign governments may attempt. • NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section oversees matters involving covert information operations (e.g., to promulgate disinformation through social media); covert efforts to support or denigrate political candidates or organizations; and other covert influence operations that might violate various criminal statutes. • NSD’s National Security Cyber Section oversees such matters when they are cyber-enabled (i.e., when online platforms, such as social media and other online services, are central to the commission of the offense), as well as those involving computer hacking of election or campaign infrastructure. • NSD’s Counterterrorism Section oversees matters involving international and domestic terrorism and supports law enforcement in preventing any acts of terrorism that impact Americans, including any violent extremism that might threaten election security. As in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with counterparts at the FBI and our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats. Attorneys from National Security Division sections will be partnered with FBI Headquarters components to provide support to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI field offices to counter any such threats. The Department of Homeland Security also plays its own important role in safeguarding critical election infrastructure from cyber and other threats. Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should always be reported immediately to local authorities by calling 911 and, after local authorities are contacted, then should be reported also to the department. Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are all essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government. The department encourages anyone with information regarding concerns in these subject areas to contact the appropriate authorities. For more information about the department’s work to ensure compliance with federal civil and criminal laws related to voting, please visit www.justice.gov/voting and www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-pin/election-crimes-branch.


title: Barbour County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – James Marklin Mayle, age 67, of Philippi, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 130 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, officers stopped Mayle’s vehicle and found nearly two pounds of methamphetamine. Mayle, also known as “Mark Mayle,” was transporting methamphetamine from Ohio into Barbour County. Mayle has a criminal history that includes drug possession, battery, assault, burglary, passing counterfeit money, and domestic violence. Mayle will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The case was investigated by the Mountain Region Drug Task Force. The Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Postal Workers

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass. and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass. Myesha Lewis, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting and two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Feb. 10, 2025. In May 2023, Lewis was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendant Kenneth Demoshane. USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 23 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS arrow keys from letter carriers. Additionally, of these 23 incidents, 15 of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both. On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, Lewis and Demosthene forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. The force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Lewis and Demosthene then fled the scene in a rental vehicle. On Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Lewis and Demosthene robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” The letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Lewis and Demosthene then attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose and fleeing the scene on foot. In October 2024, Demosthene was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. The charges of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States each provide for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Inmate Admits to Escape, Firearms Offenses

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Edgardo Quinones-Hiraldo, age 35, of Ponce, Puerto Rico, pled guilty today to escape and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, Quinones-Hiraldo served 51 months at a federal corrections facility in Florida for a firearms trafficking conviction in Puerto Rico. He was released to Dismas Charities Residential Reentry Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Quinones-Hiraldo failed to report to the facility and was arrested in Clarksburg. He had a revolver and a pistol with him at the time of his arrest. Quinones-Hiraldo faces up to five years in prison for the escape charge and faces up to 15 years for the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Summerville Brothers Plead Guilty to Selling $35M Worth of Counterfeit Viagra

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. —Ibrahim Shedid, 29, and Ahmed Shedid, 35, of Summerville, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell and traffic counterfeit goods for selling counterfeit Viagra pills in a $35 million scheme. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Ibrahim Shedid owned and operated Big Boss Puff Stuff and Ahmed Shedid owned and operated A2Z Warehouse. The brothers worked together to distribute and sell counterfeit Viagra to convenience stores, knowing the pills were counterfeit. In January 2024, law enforcement intercepted a shipment of 19 bottles of counterfeit Viagra, which was being delivered to Big Boss Puff Stuff. After the delivery, more counterfeit Viagra was seized from a storage unit associated with both Ahmed Shedid and Ibrahim Shedid. The retail value of all counterfeit Viagra seized from the defendants was in excess of $35 million. Ibrahim Shedid faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and Ahmed Shedid also faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Both also face a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. U.S. District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence Shedid and Shedid after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Indictment Charges Waterbury Women with Fraud Offenses

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 17-count indictment charging MARLENIN VITO, 45, of Waterbury, with fraud offenses. The indictment was returned on October 22, 2024. Vito appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven, pleaded not guilty, and was released on a $25,000 bond. As alleged in the indictment, from approximately 2018 to May 2021, Vito was employed as Medicaid Coordinator at an assisted living facility located in Stamford, referred to in the indictment as “Company A.” Vito’s responsibilities included assisting the residents in applying for nursing home level Medicaid reimbursements, monitoring the residents’ patient trust accounts, and ensuring compliance with Medicaid regulations. She was also responsible for keeping journal entries for the residents’ trust accounts and to credit their accounts when funds were received, and for debiting patient accounts when payments were made on behalf of the residents or when cash was given to residents for incidental expenses. It is alleged that, between approximately December 2019 and May 2021, Vito defrauded Company A and its residents by generating checks from Company A’s system, forging a fellow employee’s signature on the checks, negotiating the fraudulent checks purportedly to give the cash proceeds to certain residents, and keeping the cash for her own use. Vito then made false entries into Company A’s accounting ledger by debiting the fraudulently obtained cash from the residents’ respective trust accounts. Many of the residents were not healthy enough or mentally capable of tracking their own expenses or monitoring the balances of their own trust accounts. It is further alleged, in certain instances, Vito cancelled residents’ supplemental health insurance coverage, but continued to deduct funds from the trust accounts and took the funds for herself. Also, when certain residents’ trust accounts were credited with Economic Impact Payments (“COVID-19 stimulus payments”), Vito took the funds for herself and then debited the residents’ accounts at a rate of approximately $60 a day until the stimulus funds were depleted. It is alleged that during the scheme, Vito fraudulently negotiated approximately 500 checks. When she was confronted by family members of certain residents, Vito created and provided to those family members false account statements that misrepresented the balances in the residents’ trust accounts. The indictment also alleges that, between approximately May and July 2023, Vito was employed as a bookkeeper at a law firm in Hartford, referred to in the indictment as “Company B.” Vito took fraudulently generated checks drawn on Company B’s bank account and issued as “Pay to the Order of ‘Petty Cash, ’” forged the signature of an authorized employee on the checks, cashed the checks, and kept the funds for herself. She then recorded the fraudulently negotiated checks in Company B’s books and records as “Petty Cash.” It is alleged that Vito stole a total of more than $200,000 through these schemes. The indictment charges Vito with five counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count, and 12 counts of bank fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years on each count. U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Stamford Police Department and Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Highlights Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote, Prosecute Election Fraud, and Secure Elections

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Consistent with longstanding Justice Department practices, U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe is highlighting the office’s efforts to ensure all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process, and to ensure elections are secure against foreign malign interference. “The Justice Department prioritizes ensuring fair elections, and our success will depend on the assistance we receive from the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “It’s critical for those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud to make that information available to the Department of Justice.” U.S. Attorney Crowe designated Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Reed to lead the efforts in southern Illinois for the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5 general election. AUSA Reed serves as the District Election Officer for the Southern District of Illinois, and in that capacity, is responsible for overseeing the handling of election day complaints for voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations. Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted due to a disability or inability to read or write in English. AUSA Reed will be on duty while the polls are open and will be responsible for responding to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud and directing them to the appropriate authorities. He can be reached by calling (618) 977-3332. In addition, the FBI has agents available throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. You can reach the FBI by dialing 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Concerns for violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931. Report crimes of violence or intimidation by calling 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Announces Telephone Hotline To Report Voting Rights Complaints on Election Day

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will operate a telephone hotline on Election Day (Nov. 5, 2024) to receive complaints related to the voting process. The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing a local point of contact for the public to report possible federal election law violations. “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination, and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.” Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other staff will monitor the hotline. The hotline numbers, staffed on Election Day only, are (312) 469-6157 and (312) 469-6158. The Office’s Election Day Program will be supervised by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan DeMarco. In addition, the FBI Chicago Field Office will have Special Agents and staff available on Election Day to receive allegations of election fraud or other election-related complaints. The phone number for the FBI Chicago Field Office is (312) 421-6700. Complaints can also be made to the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at (800) 253-3931 or online at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ . Federal laws protect the rights of voters to mark their own ballot or be assisted by a person of their choice. Federal laws protect against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes. Violations of federal election laws could result in prison time and monetary fines. In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, voters are advised to call 911 before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over such incidents at polling sites and will almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. For information about the location and hours of polling sites, Illinois residents are advised to contact the Illinois State Board of Elections by logging on to www.elections.il.gov or by calling (312) 814-6440.


title: Founder of Cryptocurrency Financial Services Firm “MyTrade” Pleads Guilty to Market Manipulation and Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – The founder and primary operator of “MyTrade,” a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to manipulate cryptocurrency markets on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies. Liu Zhou, 39, of China and Canada, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Feb. 27, 2025. MyTrade provided financial services to cryptocurrency clients through its “MyTrade MM” website and online application. Those services included the wash trading of client cryptocurrencies across multiple cryptocurrency exchanges. Wash trading occurs when a single trader, or a number of traders working in coordination, buy and sell the same asset repeatedly in order to mislead the market by artificially inflating the trading volume or price of the asset via trades that have no lawful commercial purpose. Wash trading is a form of fraud intended to stimulate interest in an asset and is specifically prohibited by the securities laws. MyTrade MM’s clients had access to a dashboard available through MyTrade MM’s website that allowed clients to specify the desired amount of daily wash trades—a service described as “Volume Support”—on identified cryptocurrency exchanges. MyTrade MM used computer programs known as “bots” to generate the fraudulent wash trades for clients. MyTrade MM’s unlawful wash trading service was identified through an undercover law enforcement operation . The investigation included the creation of NexFundAI, a purported cryptocurrency company that had a website ( https://nexfundai.com ) and an Ethereum-based token that traded on the Uniswap cryptocurrency exchange before being disabled by law enforcement. In discussions with purported NexFundAI promoters, Zhou described how MyTrade MM “does self-trades - a buy and a sell in the same second,” and that its volume bot can be used to execute “pump and dumps.” Zhou also described the “objective” as finding “other buyers from the community, people you don’t know about or don’t care about” because “we have to make [the other buyers] lose money in order to make profit.” As of Oct. 1, 2024, MyTrade MM was providing the “volume support” function – which consisted of wash trades made by trading bots – to dozens of clients. As part of Zhou’s plea, MyTrade MM was required to cease providing “Volume Support” services and to permanently deactivate its wash trading bots, which had been responsible for millions of dollars’ worth of daily wash trades for approximately 60 different cryptocurrencies. MyTrade MM was also required to add the following disclaimer to its website: “Volume support is a form of wash trading and illegal under the laws of the United States.” The charge of conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 to twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Northfield Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Receive Methamphetamine through the Mail

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Northfield man pleaded guilty in federal court in connection with his attempt to receive two packages of methamphetamine through the United States Postal Service, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Joseph Crawford, 33, pleaded guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2025. On July 5 and July 19, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) flagged suspicious packages addressed to Joseph Crawford at an address in Northfield, New Hampshire, sent from California. USPIS obtained search warrants for both packages. The searches revealed a total of more than two pounds of methamphetamine. The charging statute provides a maximum prison term of 20 years, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least 3 years of supervised release. 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 USPIS Boston Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police, Claremont Police Department, and the Lebanon Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Heather A. Cherniske prosecuted the case. ###


component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., a Mexican corporation that managed several ships including the M/V Suhar , pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal district court in Pensacola, Florida, for creating and providing false records to the U.S. Coast Guard to conceal its illegal discharge of oily bilge waste into the ocean, which is a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and United States Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida made the announcement. The charge stems from a Coast Guard investigation of the ship once it arrived in Pensacola on Aug. 25, 2023. The Suhar is a 7,602 gross ton Panamanian-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier that routinely hauled cement from Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola. Since March 2021, day-to-day operation of the ship was undertaken by Gremex, which was responsible for hiring all crew, and ensuring compliance with all policies on protection of the environment in accordance with international regulations. After boarding the ship to determine compliance with all applicable laws, Coast Guard personnel determined that the vessel’s crew had regularly discharged untreated oily bilge water into sea in a manner that bypassed onboard pollution control equipment, and then falsified the ship’s oil record book to conceal these discharges. As part of normal vessel operations, large ocean-going ships like the Suhar generate oily bilge water that periodically needs to be discharged for the vessel to operate safely. The United States and Panama are both parties to an international treaty known as MARPOL, which regulates and limits the at-sea discharge of oily bilge water. To satisfy these marine pollution requirements, vessels typically discharge oily bilge water after it has been processed through an oily water separator, a piece of onboard pollution control equipment which removes oil from bilge water prior to discharge. Ships are required to maintain an oil record book that documents all discharges of oily bilge water so authorities can monitor ships for compliance with these international requirements. Federal law requires that foreign ships arriving at United States ports maintain an accurate oil record book. Consistent with a sentencing recommendation jointly proposed by the government and Gremex, the court sentenced the company to pay a $1.75 million fine, serve a four-year term of probation and commit to developing and implementing an environmental compliance plan that will be in effect during the time the company is on probation. The Coast Guard’s Investigative Service investigated the case. Trial Attorney Joel La Bissonniere of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Love for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html


title: Reno Man Sentenced To Prison For Assaulting Three Minors On Reservation

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO – A Reno man was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Anne R. Traum to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting three teenagers, leaving one seriously injured, on the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony reservation. According to court documents, on September 2, 2023, Roy Ramirez, 25, pistol-whipped a teenager in the face, pistol-whipped a second teenager in the head, and pointed the firearm at a third teenager. The second teenager was a 13-year-old child who suffered multiple life-threatening injuries. Ramirez was on state parole at the time of the assault. Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon Within Indian Country and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury Within Indian Country. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement. The FBI, Nevada Parole and Probation, and the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Tribal Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Penelope Brady prosecuted the case. ###


title: L.A. Fashion District Wholesaler and Two of Its Executives Found Guilty of Money Laundering and Avoiding Tariffs and Taxes

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A wholesale clothing importer located in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles and two of its executives have been found guilty by a jury of avoiding the payment of more than $8 million in customs duties on imported clothing, and of running a scheme in which the company laundered money and failed to report on tax returns more than $17 million derived from cash transactions, the Justice Department announced today. At the conclusion of a six-week trial, a federal jury on late Tuesday found the following defendants guilty of dozens of felonies: C’est Toi Jeans, Inc. (CTJ), which imported apparel from China and other nations and exported clothing to customers in Mexico, Central America, and South America; Si Oh Rhew, 70, of La Cañada Flintridge, CTJ’s president and a 75% owner of the company; and Lance Rhew, 37, of downtown Los Angeles, Si Oh Rhew’s son, a CTJ corporate officer, and the owner of another Los Angeles-based company called GLLR Inc. that did business as CTJ. The jury found CTJ and Si Oh Rhew guilty of two conspiracies and multiple counts of failure to file report of currency transaction over $10,000 in a trade or business. The jury also found all three defendants guilty of three counts of entry of falsely classified goods, three counts of entry of goods by means of false statements, three counts of passing false and fraudulent papers through a customhouse, and two counts of international promotional money laundering. CTJ was found guilty of an additional two concealment money laundering counts involving drug proceeds. Si Oh Rhew was found guilty of an additional two counts of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was found guilty of one additional count of aiding, assisting, and procuring the filing of a false tax return. Lance Rhew was also found guilty of one conspiracy count. “Money laundering is the lifeblood of large-scale drug trafficking, and it is therefore essential that we go after businesses and individuals that feed criminal organizations the money they crave,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “A jury found this corporation facilitated the laundering of drug proceeds and now they will appropriately be held accountable. Together with our law enforcement partners, my office will continue to bring to justice businesses that facilitate criminal activity.” “This verdict once again demonstrates that working with drug trafficking organizations is a bad business model,” said Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “This verdict should send a strong message to those who utilize their businesses to aid the cartels, that the HSI Los Angeles-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the IRS Criminal Investigation, will work tirelessly to hold you accountable.” According to evidence presented at trial, CTJ was a business owned by Si Oh Rhew and his wife that the Rhews operated. CTJ received U.S. currency in bulk cash that was derived from drug trafficking as payment for customer invoices. Those funds were delivered to CTJ by money couriers unrelated to and unknown to CTJ or to the customers whose invoices were being paid. CTJ and Si Oh Rhew failed to file currency transaction reports, which are required for any transaction involving more than $10,000 in cash, and the defendants concealed the cash receipts from an accountant who prepared their taxes, which led to the fraudulent omission of more than $17 million in gross sales from tax returns filed with the IRS. The defendants also avoided customs duties and tariffs by purchasing garments from overseas manufacturers, including from China, but then submitting false information to United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that understated the true value of the items being imported into the United States. As a result, the import duties owed on the shipments were lowered. The indictment alleges that the defendants sent 515 individual wire transfers totaling $137,156,726 to pay overseas suppliers for undervalued garments. Overall, CTJ imported goods that were undervalued by more than $51 million, causing approximately $8.4 million in unpaid tariffs and duties that should have been paid to CBP. The jury found the defendants not guilty of several additional criminal counts, including – for CTJ – two counts of concealment money laundering and – for Lance Rhew – several counts of failure to file a report of a currency transaction in a nonfinancial trade or business. United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a sentencing hearing for January 21, 2025, at which time the Rhews will each face a sentence of decades in federal prison and CTJ will face fines of as much as $100 million. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. They were aided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Monterey Park Police Department, the El Segundo Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Gardena Police Department, and the West Covina Police Department. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation known as Operation Fashion Police. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The investigation was conducted by the HSI-led El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, a multi-agency task force that includes federal and state investigators who are focused on financial crimes in Southern California. Assistant United States Attorneys MiRi Song, Julie J. Shemitz, and Skyler F. Cho of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Armed Robbery of Augusta Bank Leads to 40 Months Sentence for Manchester, Maine Man

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Manchester, Maine man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for armed bank robbery. U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Joshua Brougham , 39, to 40 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $1,120. Brougham pleaded on April 30, 2024. According to court records, in October 2022, Brougham entered an Augusta bank wearing a brimmed hat and a standard hospital mask over his face. He pointed a handgun at the bank teller and demanded “all the money in the drawer.” After receiving some money, Brougham fled to a nearby parking lot, leaving in a gold-colored GMC Yukon. Four days after the robbery, Augusta Police Department investigators located a vehicle matching the one from the robbery surveillance footage at an area convenience store and arrested Brougham as he exited the store. A firearm recovered from the vehicle matched the description of the one used during the robbery. During the investigation, law enforcement also seized a brimmed hat that matched the hat worn during the robbery. The Augusta Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Kennebec County District Attorney’s Office. ###


title: Jefferson County Man Admits to Cocaine Charge

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jamie Green, age 46, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General intercepted a package containing more than two pounds of cocaine mailed from Los Angeles, California, to Green’s address in Jefferson County, West Virginia. Law enforcement executed a search warrant and arrested Green at his home. Green faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the West Virginia State Police, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Charge

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Anthony Matthews, age 35, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison and three supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, Matthews was a source of fentanyl in the Moorefield/Petersburg area of West Virginia. Matthews would supply large quantities of fentanyl from his home in Baltimore to others who would transport the drugs to West Virginia. The investigation yielded nearly 9,000 fentanyl pills with a total drug weight of more than 2 kilograms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Dominican Republic Citizen Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison For Leading a Lawrence, Massachusetts-Based Drug Trafficking Organization

body_text: CONCORD – A Dominican national and former resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for leading a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez, 37, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe to 204 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. On January 4, 2023, Cruz-Gonzalez pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine. He has been incarcerated since he was arrested on this case in February of 2022. “For a time, Marbin Cruz-Gonzalez was the premier narcotics distributor in this region,” said U.S. Attorney Young. “While he largely avoided direct contact with the drugs, he was running the drug trafficking business behind the scenes. Today's lengthy sentence demonstrates that high-level drug traffickers cannot shield their identities to escape responsibility by directing subordinates to deal drugs onto the streets of our communities.” “DEA is committed to investigating individuals like Mr. Cruz-Gonzalez who are responsible for distributing lethal drugs like fentanyl to the citizens of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Today’s substantial sentence not only holds Mr. Cruz-Gonzalez accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are fueling the opioid epidemic with deadly drugs in order to profit and destroy people’s lives. DEA’s top priority will continue to be combatting the opioid epidemic by working with our local, county, state and federal partners to bring to justice anyone who distributes this poison.” Cruz-Gonzalez was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based in Lawrence that distributed drugs via a network of sub-distributors throughout the northern New England region, including New Hampshire. His organization used at least 20 different phone numbers to arrange transactions with sub-distributors, and he used at least 13 different employees to operate his illegal enterprise. He is the final defendant to be sentenced in this multi-year investigation. In related cases in the District of New Hampshire, the following sentences have already been imposed: Jonathan Cruz-Marte, sentenced on December 20, 2023 to 96 months in federal prison. Enver Morales-Hoyos, sentenced on September 20, 2021 to 72 months in federal prison. Geoffrey Morse, sentenced on April 14, 2022 to 72 months in federal prison. Colby Mann, sentenced on July 11, 2022 to 72 months in federal prison. Phat Tay, sentenced on May 26, 2021 to 70 months in federal prison. Alysha DeJesus, sentenced on July 14, 2020 to 65 months in federal prison. Adrian Maas, sentenced on January 1, 2021 to 60 months in federal prison. Eddil Ortez, sentenced on October 1, 2020 to 57 months in federal prison. Elijah Cox, sentenced on April 16, 2021 to 36 months in federal prison. Mayerlin Urena, sentenced on January 3, 2024 to 27 months in federal prison. Robert Twombly, sentenced on August 20, 2020 to 24 months in federal prison. Christian Muniz-Perkins, sentenced on February 18, 2021 to 23 months in federal prison. Jeffrey Roy, sentenced on November 17, 2021 to 20 months in federal prison. James Henry, sentenced on October 15, 2020 to 13 months in federal prison. Carlos Morales-Hoyos, sentenced on October 26, 2022 to 10 months in federal prison. Cortny Reichert, sentenced on December 8, 2021 to 9 months in federal prison. Amy Dame, sentenced on March 18, 2021 to 8 months in federal prison. Timothy Wheeler, sentenced on July 19, 2021 to 4 months in federal prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department, the Nashua Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, and the Massachusetts State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S Attorney Jarad Hodes, Deputy Criminal Chief Georgiana MacDonald, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Aframe prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. ###


title: Repeat Offender from Hampden Faces Up to 20 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to possessing child pornography involving a child under 12. According to court records, in May 2023, investigators from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police executed a search warrant at the residence of Michael King , 66. In an interview with agents, King admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material and advised the agents they would find his computer under the couch. The laptop was seized, and hundreds of images were recovered. King faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. King had previously been convicted in state court in March 2017 of possessing sexually explicit material of a child under 12. The prior conviction may enhance King’s sentence in this case. HSI and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: 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 the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ### Corrected 10/30/24: Prior conviction corrected to Penobscot County Superior Court.


title: Foreign National Accused of Possessing 45,000 Fentanyl Pills is in Custody Facing Federal Charges

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a foreign national living in Utah with drug crimes after he allegedly possessed fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. Yoni Lerma-Renteria, aka Yoni Lerma-Acosta, 30, of Salt Lake County, was initially charged by complaint on October 10, 2024, in the District of Utah. According to court documents, in September 2024, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force began a criminal investigation of Lerma-Renteria and other members of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics. In October 2024, agents executed search warrants for Lerma-Renteria’s residence and vehicle. During the search, agents recovered approximately 4,490.5 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl and 15 grams of field-tested positive cocaine. Agents estimated the fentanyl at approximately 45,000 fentanyl pills. Lerma-Renteria is charged with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for October 30, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf . An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Rochester man pleads guilty to civil disorder and assaulting federal officers

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that JohnMichael Santiago, 25, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of civil disorder and assaulting a federal officer, was sentenced to serve 33 months by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Moynihan, who handled the case, stated that on September 4, 2020, following the release of information by the Rochester Police Department (RPD) regarding the death of Daniel Prude, a group of protesters damaged property and turned over tables at two restaurants in Rochester, causing numerous patrons to leave. During the evening of September 5, 2020, Santiago was part of a group of approximately 1,500 protesters that gathered at Broad Street and Exchange Boulevard, about a block north of RPD headquarters, where they blocked all lanes of traffic on nearby streets. Over the next few hours, some protesters hurled rocks, bottles, lit fireworks, and other objects at police officers in the area. Some also shined flashlights and pointed lasers at officers. Protesters were repeatedly asked to move onto the sidewalks and leave the area or be subject to arrest. Many disregarded the requests, remained in the streets, and continued to block traffic. Santiago threw an ignited firework in the direction of a line of uniformed RPD officers, which detonated in the immediate vicinity of the officers. Santiago was not arrested that night, but was later interviewed by law enforcement about the incident. Santiago admitted that he attended the protests, brought fireworks to the protests, and threw an ignited mortar-style firework at police officers. While in custody at the Livingston County Jail, after being charged with civil disorder, Santiago assaulted two corrections officers, throwing a hard plastic cup at one, and striking the other in the face with his fist. Officers began to wrestle Santiago to secure him, during which one officer suffered contusions and a concussion, and a second suffered a back injury. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the United States Marshall’s Service, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina. # # # #