title: Convicted Sex Offender On State Probation Is Sentenced To More Than 21 Years For Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Joseph Franklin Jordan, 53 of Charlotte, was sentenced to 262 months in prison today for distribution of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Jordan will be subject to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell also ordered Jordan to pay $19,000 in assessments and restitution. Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Eddie M. Buffaloe, Jr., Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NC DPS), and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. “Protecting our children from sexual predators like Jordan is a top priority and one of the most urgent challenges we face today,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My office is committed to working hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners at every level to identify child predators and bring them to justice.” According to filed documents and statements made in court, in November 2022, an HSI undercover agent (UC) was in an online chat group where its users distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Court records show that the UC began to exchange direct messages with a user later identified as Jordan, about the defendant engaging in illicit sexual acts with a young child the UC purported to have access to. Over the course of the communications, Jordan began to make plans to meet with the UC to have sex with the child. Law enforcement identified the user as Jordan, who was on supervised probation with the State of North Carolina for a sex offender conviction. On December 2, 2022, HSI agents assisted by NC DPS probation officers conducted a search of Jordan’s residence. Four electronic devices were seized and forensically examined. The examination revealed that the devices contained more than 28,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers. Jordan had also distributed child pornography to others. In addition, law enforcement located online messages in which Jordan discussed his desire to sexually abuse children and to make child pornography. In some of the chats, Jordan also made statements about having previous sexual encounters with children as young as three years old, and shared details about those purported encounters using extremely graphic and vulgar language. On March 21, 2024, Jordan pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. At today’s sentencing hearing, the Court sentenced Jordan to a 262-month sentence due, in part, to the nature and circumstances of Jordan’s offense. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended HSI, NC DPS, and CMPD for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick J. Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Career Offender And Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Samantha Marie Vono, 34, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by five years under court supervision for trafficking methamphetamine. Vono was classified as a Career Offender as a result of multiple prior drug trafficking convictions for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to others. Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and today’s proceedings, in December 2021, law enforcement officers were conducting a drug investigation in Catawba County. During the investigation, they identified Vono as a local distributor of methamphetamine. The investigation determined that Vono would travel to Charlotte to meet with a narcotics source of supply, and then travel back to Catawba County where she distributed narcotics to other local sellers. Court records show that, on January 25, 2022, officers followed Vono as she travelled to Charlotte. Officers observed Vono meet her supply source at an apartment complex and then travel back to Catawba County. Officers conducted a traffic stop of Vono’s vehicle for a traffic violation and Vono’s multiple outstanding warrants. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement located 160 grams of methamphetamine inside the vehicle. According to court records, while Vono was released on bond pending sentencing, and confined to her apartment on home detention with electronic monitoring, Vono set up a robbery in her apartment with three other co-conspirators where a victim was shot. Two of Vono’s young children were home at the time of the robbery turned shooting. After the incident, court records show that Vono was encountered by the police while attempting to clean up the bloody crime scene. Later, Vono also attempted to obstruct the police investigation. On June 14, 2023, Vono pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Murder on the Natchez Trace Parkway

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Mexican national pled guilty today to murder on the Natchez Trace Parkway. According to court documents and statements made in open court, on September 23, 2018, Cristian Mitchel Mondragon Gonzales, 29, had an altercation with the victim following a party at a residence where they both lived. The victim left the residence and Mondragon Gonzales sought after him and found him. He convinced the victim to go for a ride with him. He then drove the victim to a location on the Natchez Trace Parkway where they both got out of the car. Gonzales shot the unarmed victim multiple times. The victim was discovered the following morning by an individual walking along a trail on the Natchez Trace Parkway. Mondragon Gonzales pled guilty to second degree murder and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 12, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of life 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 Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Natchez Trace Parkway Police, and the Ridgeland Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing for Assault Case Against Jemez Pueblo Police Officer

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Jemez Pueblo man was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for a violent confrontation with a police officer that escalated from a call for help to an assault on law enforcement. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on May 29, 2023, a police officer with the Jemez Pueblo Police Department received a report from his sister about an individual in a nearby arroyo who was grunting and screaming for help. Upon investigation, the officer encountered Dylon Scott Sandia , 32, an enrolled member of the Jemez Pueblo, speaking with his sister. When Sandia took an aggressive posture towards the officer’s sister, he intervened and instructed Sandia to go inside. Instead, Sandia became increasingly hostile, yelling slurs at the officer and attempting to headbutt him before physically pushing him. After being pushed, the officer attempted to detain Sandia . However, Sandia violently resisted, pulling the officer to the ground where he struck him in the stomach and chest while trying to access items from the officer’s duty belt, including his firearm. In response to the escalating violence, the officer was forced to use pepper spray and a baton to subdue Sandia . He ultimately managed to break free from Sandia ’s grip and handcuff him. Upon his release from prison, Sandia will be subject to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jemez Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Saucier Man Pleads Guilty to Producing and Transmitting Child Pornography

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A Saucier, Mississippi man pled guilty today to production of child pornography. According to court documents, Tyler Selby, 30, was identified when United Kingdom authorities recovered a video that came from a social media user in the United States. Federal authorities in the United States identified Selby as the person who transmitted the video of an adult male and a minor child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Chat logs related to the video evidenced that Selby knew the video would be transported and transmitted in interstate and foreign commerce via the internet with the use of a live streaming platform. Selby pled guilty to the use of a minor in his legal custody for the purpose of producing and transmitting a live visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Selby is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2025, and faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the United Kingdom West Yorkshire Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.


title: MS-13 Gang Member Indicted for 2011 Murder of Queens Man

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, Roger Morales, also known as “Crazy,” “Ciclon” and “Cyclone,” was arrested in connection with an indictment charging him with the June 5, 2011 murder in-aid-of racketeering of Norman Mizzell. Morales was arrested this morning and was arraigned this afternoon this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy. Morales was ordered detained pending trial. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Thomas G. Donlon, Interim Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators killed the victim for the twisted purpose of maintaining and increasing their positions in the MS-13 gang,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This prosecution reflects the resolve by my Office and our law enforcement partners to bring gang members to justice for their violent crimes and that we will not be deterred by the passage of time.” “In 2011, Roger Morales, a MS-13 member, allegedly determined murder as fitting retribution for Norman Mizzell advocating for himself after being previously burglarized by the same crew. This alleged cold-blooded execution highlights MS-13’s violent and mercurial intolerance for disrespect that threatens our community’s safety. With the assistance of our law enforcement partners, the FBI maintains its unwavering posture to eliminate all gang violence regardless of when that crime occurred.,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “The senseless violence described in the charges announced today has no place in New York City,” stated NYPD Interim Commissioner Donlon. “Our team of NYPD investigators, along with our partners at the FBI and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, will continue to use all available resources to identify and dismantle street gangs, particularly the notoriously brutal MS-13, wherever they may be operating. This crucial effort will remain a top priority until every neighborhood in New York City is as safe as our safest community.” As alleged in the government’s detention letter filed earlier today, Morales was a member of the Centrales Locos Salvatruchas clique of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, in Queens, New York. In the spring of 2011, Morales and other members of MS-13 committed a burglary at the victim’s home where they had gone to purchase marijuana. They found that he was away, broke into the house and took his belongings. Later, the victim confronted Morales and his co-conspirators about the burglary, and they decided to kill him. The defendant and his co-conspirators obtained a firearm from another MS-3 clique and enlisted the help of another MS-13 member who needed to commit a murder to regain standing in the gang. Then, on the night of June 5, 2011, Morales and his co-conspirators traveled to the victim’s home, where they shot him several times through a window into his bedroom during a feigned late-night marijuana purchase. The victim’s body was found the next day. The charge in the indictment is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of murder in-aid-of racketeering, Morales faces up to life in prison. Today’s charges are the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2009, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Kamil R. Ammari, Anna L. Karamigios, Jonathan Siegel and Michael W. Gibaldi are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : ROGER MORALES (also known as “Crazy,” “Ciclon” and “Cyclone”) Age: 31 Ozone Park, Queens E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 24-CR-453 (BMC)


title: Lawrence Woman Sentenced to Probation for Fentanyl Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence, Mass. woman was sentenced to probation yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Ceferina Dominguez, 57, was sentenced by District Court Judge Angel Kelley to four years’ probation. The government recommended a sentence of 51 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In June 2024, Dominguez pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Dominguez was charged in connection with the April 2021 seizure of 9.6 kilograms of fentanyl from her Lawrence residence and an additional 6.4 kilograms of fentanyl from a hidden compartment in a car registered to her. In 2018, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, fentanyl precursors and drug proceeds were seized from a townhouse rented by Dominguez. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted 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 .


title: Venezuelan National Sentenced for Sanctions Evasion Scheme

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: George Semerene Quintero (Semerene), 61, of Venezuela, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and for his role in a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions imposed on Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PdVSA), a Venezuelan state-owned oil company. “Today, the defendant George Semerene Quintero, is being held accountable for his role in a brazen scheme to illegally funnel American aircraft parts to service planes used by Maduro and his cronies,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the sanctions imposed on the Maduro regime and will not tolerate those who violate the law and undermine our national security.” “Semerene conspired to illegally procure critical parts from U.S. companies to supply the PdVSA aircraft fleet and tried to hide the transactions through third parties in other countries like Spain and Costa Rica,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “Now, the only procurement he’ll be doing is at the prison commissary.” “Today, George Semerene Quintero was held accountable in a U.S. court of law for conspiring to circumvent economic sanctions and export controls to aid Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela in obtaining critical aircraft parts from America,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The prosecution of Semerene reflects our steadfast commitment to holding those who violate sanctions accountable and to vigorously enforcing export controls to protect our nation’s security. Together, with the Bureau of Industry and Security and our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure that the integrity and intent of U.S. sanctions are preserved.” According to court documents, between January 2019 and December 2021, after learning of the sanctions imposed on PdVSA, Semerene and his co-conspirators devised a scheme to illegally procure aircraft parts, including bearings, rudder parts, joint slide flexes and actuators, from the United States to service PdVSA’s aircraft fleet in Venezuela, in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls. Semerene, who was an employee in PdVSA’s procurement department, and his co-conspirators concealed from U.S. companies that the requested parts were destined for Venezuela and PdVSA by utilizing third parties in other countries, including a company in Costa Rica, Novax Group SA, and a company in Spain, Aerofalcon SL, to serve as the purported purchasers and end users for the aircraft parts. Semerene and his co-conspirators carried out this scheme by causing the third-party companies to (1) lie to U.S. parts suppliers; (2) make false declarations on customs forms and shipping documents; (3) fabricate supplier invoices; and (4) provide false end-user certificates. Semerene and his co-conspirators utilized freight forwarders and shipping companies located in the Southern District of Florida to move the parts. The indictment charging Semerene and nine co-defendants, including three other individuals associated with PdVSA, was unsealed in April, following Semerene’s arrest upon his arrival in the United States. Semerene pleaded guilty on Aug. 20. BIS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Stratton for the Southern District of Florida (SDFL) and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES) prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Medetis, Chief of the National Security Section for SDFL and CES Deputy Chief Matthew McKenzie provided valuable assistance during the investigation.


title: Texan Charged with Being Felon in Possession of Firearm After Coast Guard Encounter on Lake Champlain

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment on October 16, 2024 charging Michael Robistow, 49, of Willis, Texas, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Robistow entered a plea of not guilty to the charges today during an arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Robistow be released on conditions pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. According to court records and statements made at today’s arraignment, on June 9, 2024, U.S. Coast Guard personnel on Lake Champlain boarded Robistow’s vessel, the “Sonata,” to conduct a safety inspection. Robistow and his wife were the only two people aboard the vessel at the time of the Coast Guard boarding. During the inspection, Coast Guard personnel learned of the presence of a firearm in a cabinet in the helm of the vessel. That firearm was temporarily detained for the safety of Coast Guard personnel. After concluding the safety inspection, Coast Guard personnel disembarked the “Sonata.” Shortly thereafter, dispatchers informed the Coast Guard personnel that Robistow had previously been convicted of a felony offense. The Coast Guard personnel therefore reboarded the “Sonata,” and seized 3 firearms: a Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield 9x19mm pistol, a Glock Model 19 9x19mm pistol, and a Palmetto Armory PA-15 AR-style rifle. Coast Guard personnel also seized loaded spare magazines for the pistols, and a box of .38 caliber ammunition. The next day, ATF and HSI agents again boarded the “Sonata,” and during a more thorough search, located a bag containing 806 rounds more of ammunition, in 6 different calibers. During their search, ATF agents also observed a 3D printer onboard the “Sonata.” The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Robistow is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Robistow faces up to 15 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the vital assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt. Robistow is represented by Devin McKnight, Esq. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Charlotte Man Is Sentenced To Prison For Robbing A Convenience Store At Gunpoint

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jonah Terrell Bryant, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for the armed robbery of a local convenience store, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and information presented at court hearings, on August 18, 2022, at approximately 6:19 a.m., CMPD officers were dispatched to an armed robbery call at the Circle K convenience store located at 10000 N. Tryon Street, in Charlotte. The store clerk had called 911 to report the crime. When CMPD officers arrived at the scene, they spoke with the store clerk who said that the robber had walked up to the counter and asked to buy a cigar. When the store clerk put the cigar on the counter and rang up the sale, the robber pointed a firearm at the clerk and demanded money. The store clerk told the robber that he didn’t have access to the safe. The robber then ordered the store clerk to open the drawer and proceeded to come around the counter and grab the money that was in the register. According to filed court documents, during the investigation, law enforcement used video surveillance footage to identify Bryant’s white Dodge Charger and a fingerprint recovered from the scene to determine the robber’s identity. CMPD officers arrested Bryant on August 26, 2022, while he was driving the white Dodge Charger. In the front center console of the vehicle, law enforcement found a black 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a round in the chamber and rounds in the attached magazine. On October 26, 2023, Bryant pleaded guilty to possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Bryant is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The FBI and CMPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Bitfinex Hacker Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Billions in Stolen Cryptocurrency

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Ilya Lichtenstein was sentenced today to five years in prison for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange. According to court documents, Lichtenstein, 35, hacked into Bitfinex’s network in 2016, using advanced hacking tools and techniques. Once inside the network, Lichtenstein fraudulently authorized more than 2,000 transactions transferring 119,754 bitcoin from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by deleting from Bitfinex’s network access credentials and other log files that could have revealed his conduct to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Heather Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds. Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency in a practice known as “chain hopping”; depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize Lichtenstein’s and Morgan’s banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins. On Aug. 3, 2023, Lichtenstein and Morgan both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Lichtenstein was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Morgan is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 18. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office made the announcement. The IRS-CI Washington D.C. Cyber Crimes Unit, FBI Chicago Field Office, FBI Virtual Assets Unit, and HSI New York Field Office are investigating the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Ansbach Police Department in Germany. Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman, Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Brian Rickers, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, all for the District of Columbia, provided valuable assistance. CCIPS Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Brooks for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of New York, and the HSI Philadelphia Field Office also provided significant assistance. Consistent with standard practice in criminal forfeiture cases, there will be a formal process pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure for third-party claimants to submit claims for any seized and forfeited property. Additional information is available on the Justice Department’s website for large cases at www.justice.gov/usao-dc/2016-bitfinex-hack .


title: Las Vegas Woman Pleads Guilty To Committing Unemployment Insurance Benefits Fraud While On Pretrial Release

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty today to using a California Employment Development Department (EDD) unemployment insurance benefits debit card in another person’s name without the person’s authorization. Deandra Michelle Smith (39) pleaded guilty to illegal transaction with access devices issued to another person. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 19, 2025, before United States District Judge Jennifer Dorsey. Smith faces a statutory maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. According to court documents and admissions made in court by Smith, around March or April 2020, she helped a friend file for unemployment insurance with the California EDD, and the friend began receiving benefits and used the benefits through an EDD debit card. In December 2020, the friend was able to resume employment and told Smith to stop the unemployment claim. However, Smith did not notify the California EDD and unemployment insurance benefits continued to be deposited into the debit card account. Between January 22, 2021 and August 17, 2021, Smith used the debit card to receive more than $16,100 in benefits that she used for her own personal expenses. At the time of the crimes, Smith was on pretrial release after pleading guilty to unemployment insurance fraud using the personal identifying information of a family member. “Deandra Smith engaged in a scheme to defraud DOL’s Unemployment Insurance (UI) program by using a friend’s personally identifiable information to obtain UI benefits without the friend’s permission or consent. Despite being previously prosecuted and convicted for similar conduct, Smith exploited the UI program. This case highlights our strong collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office and our mutual commitment to secure justice for the American workforce,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada Special Agent in Charge Quentin Heiden of the DOL-OIG, Western Region made the announcement. The DOL-OIG investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Frayn is prosecuting the case. In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF web complaint form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . ###


title: Woburn Men Plead Guilty to Migrant Smuggling Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – Father and son owners of two Woburn, Mass. restaurants, Taste of Brazil—Tudo Na Brasa and The Dog House Bar and Grill, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle migrants into the United States from Brazil. One defendant has also pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. Jesse James Moraes, 66, and Hugo Giovanni Moraes, 45, both of Woburn, pleaded guilty to conspiring to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law, for commercial advantage or private financial gain. Jesse Moraes also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the migrant smuggling conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencings for Feb. 11, 2025. The conspiracy involved recruiting undocumented migrants in Brazil to come to the United States through Mexico without authorization in exchange for fees of between $12,000 and $22,000 per person. The migrants were encouraged to make fraudulent claims of asylum and familial relationship (e.g., parent and minor child) in the United States and were given fraudulent information about U.S. points of contact to give to immigration authorities when they were caught in the United States. Once migrants were in the United States, Jesse Moraes and Hugo Moraes helped them secure long term housing, including in apartments owned by relatives of Hugo Moraes. The defendants arranged for some of the migrants to work at Tudo Na Brasa/Taste of Brazil and The Dog House Bar and Grill and paid the migrants either entirely or partly in cash unless and until the migrants obtained identification documents, at which point they would be paid at least partly by check. The defendants encouraged the migrants working for them to obtain false identification documents and referred them to a co-defendant, Marcos Chacon Gil, a/k/a Marquito,” to obtain such false identification documents. The co-conspirators agreed that some of the migrants could pay off some of their smuggling fee once they reached the United States, which they did by direct payment, having their wages withheld, or by collection by relatives and other associates within and outside the United States. The money laundering conspiracy to which Jesse Moraes pleaded guilty involved transferring funds into and out of the United States with the intent to promote the migrant smuggling conspiracy and conducting financial transactions with the proceeds of the smuggling conspiracy that were designed to conceal the ownership and control of the proceeds. Members of the public who believe they may be victims of the alleged crimes, or have information or questions about this case, are encouraged to call 888-221-6023, Option 5 or send an email with contact information to USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . The charge of conspiring to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law, for commercial advantage or private financial gain, provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison per alien smuggled, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. 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; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Woburn Police Chief Robert F. Rufo, Jr., made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James D. Herbert, Kelly Lawrence and Samuel R. Feldman of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced To More Than 19 Years For Possessing A Firearm And Receiving Child Sex Abuse Images

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Robert Leroy Badders, Jr. (34, Lake Mary) to 19 years and 7 months years in federal prison for receiving child sex abuse images and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Badders to forfeit two firearms, assorted ammunition, and his smart phone device seized on the date of his arrest. Additionally, Badders agreed to abandon the remainder of electronic devices seized by the FBI in this case. Badders entered a guilty plea on June 6, 2024. According to court documents, an undercover FBI agent discovered an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was sharing files containing child sex abuse material. The FBI traced the IP address and the file-sharing account to Badders and his residence in Lake Mary, Florida. During the search of Badders’s residence, the FBI located two loaded firearms in Badders’s backpack. Badders admitted to the FBI agents that he was the owner of the firearms and knew he could not possess them since he was a convicted felon. Badders had been convicted of at least two felonies prior to this incident. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Further, during the search of Badders’s residence, the FBI found his smart phone device and multiple microSD cards, all of which collectively contained hundreds of files child sex abuse material. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sartoian. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Additionally, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Florida Resident Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Tax Evasion

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A resident of Florida was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for tax evasion, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jason Kronick, 51, of Boca Raton, Florida, formerly of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, was convicted on June 26, 2024, by a federal jury of four counts of tax evasion following a trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, who imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: From 2010 through 2017, Kronick evaded payment of more than $8.6 million in income and employment taxes, including penalties and interest, despite having earned more than $20 million in taxable income. Kronick also collected approximately $200,000 in payroll taxes from employees of his company, but failed to remit those withholdings to the IRS and evaded his obligation to do so. Kronick evaded these taxes by, among other things, using approximately $1.8 million from accounts controlled by him to buy more than 40 luxury watches; spending more than $4.7 million to pay for home renovations and interior decorating; transferring more than $1.8 million, including funds originating from business accounts, to various casinos, where he converted the money to chips, gambled, and then redeemed chips for approximately $1.8 million in cash; and cashed approximately $159,000 in checks at check-cashing businesses to conceal his income and assets from the IRS. In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Kronick to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $10.27 million in restitution. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the conviction. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachelle M. Navarro and Christopher Fell of the Criminal Division in Newark.


title: Three Admit Nearly $350,000 Auto Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Three people have pleaded guilty to federal charges and admitted fraudulently obtaining nine auto loans worth nearly $350,000. Willie Roy Carter, 75, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to one count of bank fraud and one count of mail fraud. Kizzie Davis, also known as Kizzie Lofton, 46, pleaded guilty October 31 to one count of mail fraud. Her husband, Charles Davis Jr., 57, pleaded guilty October 24 to one count of bank fraud and one count of mail fraud. Carter, aided by Charles and Kizzie Davis, applied for auto loans between July 23, 2018, and Aug. 1, 2018, using fraudulent purchase and loan documents. Carter did not own or plan to buy the vehicles as represented in the loan applications, however. Carter claimed the cars were being sold by City Limits Auto Sales, a business name registered in Missouri in 2016 by Charles Davis. Carter gave the loan checks to Charles Davis to deposit. Money orders for monthly loan payments were purchased by Kizzie Davis and mailed via the United States Postal Service from Florida to lenders in Missouri to lull the financial institutions into believing the automobile purchases were legitimate and delay the reporting of the fraudulent activity. The nine loans totaled about $345, 444. Carter also admitted charging $10,396 on two credit cards that he never paid off. Charles Davis is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28, 2025. Kizzie Davis is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 13, 2025, and Carter five days later. Each bank fraud and mail fraud charge is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane is prosecuting the case.


title: North Carolina gun store robberies lead to prison sentences for Norfolk men

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

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Two Norfolk men have been sentenced for federal firearms crimes. According to court documents, on Sept. 20, 2021, Khari Terell Wood, 28, and others broke into Gale Force Guns in Moyock, North Carolina, and stole five firearms. On Oct. 22, 2021, Wood and others broke into the same Gale Force Guns store and stole 47 firearms. After each of the burglaries, Wood transported the stolen firearms from North Carolina to Norfolk. On Oct. 28,2021, law enforcement found Wood in a stolen vehicle at his residence. As officers approached, Wood quickly exited and attempted to flee into the residence, but the officers were able to detain him. During subsequent searches of the stolen vehicle, officers recovered several firearms that were stolen in the Gale Force Guns burglaries. On Nov. 26, 2021, Isaiah Malquawn Hopkins, 28, broke into the River View Market in Norfolk, using one of the handguns stolen from Gale Force Guns to shoot through a glass door. He then entered the store and stole a lottery ticket box. On March 14, 2022, Hopkins was stopped by the Indiana State Police for a traffic infraction. During a search of the vehicle, officers found the handgun near the driver seat. Wood previously had been convicted of robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Hopkins previously had been convicted of robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, conspiracy to commit robbery, and malicious wounding. As convicted felons, Wood and Hopkins cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Hopkins pled guilty on June 24 to being a felon in possession of firearms. On Oct. 24 he was sentenced to eight years in prison. Wood pled guilty on June 25 to conspiracy and being a felon in possession of firearms. He was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Mark Talbot, Chief of Norfolk Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-33.


title: New Iberia Woman Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Jazmine Johnnie, age 23, of New Iberia, Louisiana, to 37 months in federal prison following her conviction for bank robbery. The Court further sentenced Johnnie to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $3,500 in restitution. According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, on October 9, 2023, Johnnie drove in a rented Dodge Challenger to the branch location of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., at 7346 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She wore sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a bonnet, eyeglasses, and a blue surgical-style mask over her mouth. She spoke with a teller before saying she would leave the bank and return the next day. Johnnie left the bank in the rented Challenger and drove away. On October 10, 2023, Johnnie, wearing the same outfit she had worn the previous day, drove the Challenger back to the same bank. After walking into the bank’s lobby, she stopped at a desk, picked up a blank withdrawal slip, and wrote the following note on the back of the slip, “This bomb in my bag will go off in 5 minutes! My BF is speaking to the teller with a AK & is ready to shoot if cops are (sic) security is notified[.] You have 15 seconds to give me 45,000 are (sic) everyone dies. Timer is on. You try anything or notify anyone & the bomb will go off. Clock is ticking.” At the bottom of the note “$45,000” was written with a circle around it. After writing the note, Johnnie walked to the teller station in the rear of the bank carrying a purse, a cell phone, and the demand note that she had just written. Once she reached the teller station, Johnnie slid the note to the teller. She then set her purse on the teller counter and showed the screen of her cell phone to the teller. The screen showed a timer counting down. The teller ultimately gave Johnnie $3,500 in cash. After putting the cash into her purse, Johnnie exited the bank, got back into the Challenger, and drove away. After a warrant was issued for her arrest, Johnnie surrendered to police. During a post-arrest interview, she admitted to committing the robbery. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Baton Rouge Police Department, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ben Wallace.


title: Maryland fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 10 years in prison after selling over 15,000 pills

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, on Oct. 12, 2023, Fairfax County Police (FCPD) conducted a controlled buy of 200 counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl, xylazine, and para-fluorofentanyl from Jahrulle Terrence Whyte, 29, of Glen Burnie. On Oct. 25, 2023, FCPD conducted another controlled purchase of 15,000 fentanyl pills from Whyte. Whyte also brought an additional 2,000 fentanyl pills to the pre-arranged deal. Whyte was taken into custody by law enforcement and all 17,000 pills were seized. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn prosecuted the case. Assistance was provided by the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-118.


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy Involving Tens of Thousands of Counterfeit Pills

body_text: BOSTON –A Reading, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug conspiracy involving tens of thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. Charles Bates, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In August 2024, Bates pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In August 2022, an investigation began into Bates after he ordered 50 kilograms of an orange binding agent commonly used to make counterfeit Adderall pills, which he was observed picking up at a UPS store in Boston. Bates exchanged text messages with drug customers and associates in which he spoke about pills that are “made to order,” described being physically present at the place where the pills were made and “watching the guy work so no corners have been cut.” In addition, Bates drafted recipes for counterfeit pills that he kept on his phone or sent to others. The offense involved at least 136,000 counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, equivalent to approximately 40 kilograms of pills. After a pill press broke, Bates traveled to Rhode Island to obtain a replacement. Bates was observed transporting a large, heavy item that appeared to be a pill press to codefendant Aaron Lenardis’ residence in Saugus. A search of Lenardis’ residence on Oct. 25, 2022 resulted in the seizure of an industrial pill press; 14 firearms including a Glock outfitted to operate as a machinegun; at least 1.85 kilograms of pills and powder containing methamphetamine; at least 87.6 grams of pills and powder containing fentanyl; and “M30” stamps commonly used to manufacture counterfeit pills. In November 2024, Lenardis was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Lenardis is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 12, 2025. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel R. Feldman and Charles Dell'Anno of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Former D.C. Public Official Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Wendy Nicole Villatoro, 40, formerly of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to one count of bank fraud, for a scheme to submit fraudulent applications seeking money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that netted her $844,000. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General (USDA OIG) Northeast Region, and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Eastern Region. Villatoro, a former D.C. Homeland Security Commissioner and current employee with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pleaded guilty to bank fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Honorable Carl J. Nichols scheduled a sentencing hearing for February 28, 2025. According to the government’s evidence, between March 31, 2020, and August 4, 2021, Villatoro submitted eight PPP loan applications with various financial institutions and 15 Economic Injury Disaster (EID) loans with the Small Business Administration (SBA), all of which contained materially false statements. In order to get money from PPP lenders or the SBA, Villatoro submitted loans on behalf of fake businesses and inflated the number of employees, the average monthly payroll, the gross yearly revenue, or the cost of goods sold. In doing so, she tried to steal between $2.6 million and $5.5 million. While most of Villatoro’s loan applications were denied, she successfully secured over $844,000 in PPP and EID funds. Villatoro used the funds to pay off her student loans, pay off the car loan on a BMW SUV, and buy luxury items. Villatoro faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a fine of not more than $1,000,000. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As part of her plea agreement, Villatoro has agreed to pay $844,415.24 in restitution to the U.S. Government and to forfeit items purchased with proceeds of the offense, including over 70 pieces of designer clothing and jewelry and a BMW SUV. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allowed qualifying small-businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. PPP loan proceeds were required be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal on the PPP loan to be forgiven if the business spent the loan proceeds on these expense items within a designated period of time after receiving the proceeds and used at least a certain percentage of the PPP loan proceeds on payroll expenses. The EIDL program was designed to provide economic relief to small businesses that were experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds were intended for a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities and fixed debt payments. If an applicant also obtained a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds were not to be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds. The case was investigated jointly by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, USDA-OIG, and SBA-OIG. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Asset Forfeiture Unit. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from USDA-OIG and SBA-OIG. “This investigation and prosecution should send a strong zero-tolerance message to those individuals, especially government employees, who explicitly apply for aid to exploit taxpayer funded pandemic relief programs,” said USDA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker. “We appreciate the partnership with our federal partners in pursuing this type of fraud and holding these bad actors to account in this great time of need.” “This is a case of an individual exploiting pandemic relief programs for personal gain, diverting critical funds meant to help small businesses in need,” said SBA-OIG’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Braithwaite. “Our office remains committed to holding accountable those who engage in fraud and abuse these vital resources. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts in bringing this case to justice.” This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared English, Paul V. Courtney, Connor Mullin, Anna Forgie, and Rick Blaylock, Jr. 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 . 24cr0446


title: Three Indiana Residents Charged In Nationwide SIM-Swapping Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – An indictment was unsealed today charging three Indiana residents, Indigo Kiara Graham, Cortez Tarmar Crawford, and Trevon Demar Allen with conspiracy in connection with a SIM-swapping operation. All three defendants were arrested yesterday and made their initial appearances in federal court in South Bend, Ind. According to the indictment filed on Nov. 7, 2024, Graham, 27, Crawford, 22, and Allen, 30, all currently of Elkhart, Ind., are alleged to have conspired with each other and with additional co-conspirators to unjustly enrich themselves by targeting victims for SIM (subscriber identity module) swaps. A SIM card is an integrated circuit that stores authentication and other information for devices on mobile phone networks. In a SIM swap, a criminal actor causes the SIM card assigned to a victim’s account with a mobile service provider to be changed to a SIM card controlled by the criminal actor. Upon obtaining control of the SIM card that is attached to the victim’s cell phone service, the criminal actor can impersonate the victim to other service providers (such as email providers, cryptocurrency exchanges, and social media accounts) by using the victim’s cell phone number to receive password reset codes. The indictment describes how, beginning around April 2023 to around May 2024, the defendants allegedly created fraudulent identification documents in victims’ names, performed SIM swaps in exchange for money, and fraudulently obtained two-factor authentication codes, thereby accessing and stealing victims’ money and data, extorting victims for money in exchange for restoring access to data, and concealing the ill-gotten funds through cryptocurrency transactions. Graham and Crawford are also charged with committing aggravated identity theft in connection with one incident involving both Graham and Crawford and a second incident involving only Crawford at a mobile service provider store in El Cerrito, Calif. All three defendants were released and ordered to appear on Dec. 4, 2024, for their initial appearances before the Honorable Kandis A. Westmore, U.S. Magistrate Judge. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years of imprisonment, $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, $100 special assessment, forfeiture, and restitution for the conspiracy charge in count one; Graham and Crawford also face a mandatory minimum sentence of two years of imprisonment to run consecutively to any other sentence and in addition to the sentence for the underlying felony, $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, $100 special assessment, and restitution for each count of aggravated identity theft with which they are charged. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle J. Kane is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kathy Tat. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI. Indigo Kiara Graham Indictment


title: Bitfinex Hacker Sentenced in Money Laundering Conspiracy  Involving Billions in Stolen Cryptocurrency

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, of New York City, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. to 60 months in federal prison for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division; FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, of the Chicago Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office. According to court documents, Lichtenstein hacked into Bitfinex’s network in 2016, using advanced hacking tools and techniques. Once inside the network, Lichtenstein fraudulently authorized more than 2,000 transactions transferring 119,754 bitcoin from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by deleting from Bitfinex’s network access credentials and other log files that could have revealed his conduct to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Heather Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds. Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency in a practice known as “chain hopping;” depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize Lichtenstein’s and Morgan’s banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins. On Aug. 3, 2023, Lichtenstein and Morgan both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Lichtenstein was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Morgan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18. The IRS-CI Washington D.C. Cyber Crimes Unit; FBI Chicago Field Office; FBI Virtual Assets Unit; and HSI New York Field Office are investigating the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Ansbach Police Department in Germany. The matter is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolie Zimmerman, Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Brian Rickers, and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick, all for the District of Columbia, provided valuable assistance. CCIPS Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Brooks for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of New York, and the HSI Philadelphia Field Office also provided significant assistance. Consistent with standard practice in criminal forfeiture cases, there will be a formal process pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure for third-party claimants to submit claims for any seized and forfeited property. Additional information is available on the Justice Department’s website for large cases at www.justice.gov/usao-dc/2016-bitfinex-hack . ### 23cr0239


title: Denver Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in $300 Million Nationwide Telemarketing Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Denver man has been sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release for orchestrating a $300 million nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme and committing tax evasion, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. He was also ordered to pay $19,051,667 in restitution to the victims of his fraud scheme and $1,490,011 in restitution to the IRS on his tax evasion case. According to court documents, for more than a decade, Henry Aragon, 54, of Golden, Colorado, devised and participated in a large, nationwide telemarketing fraud scheme involving magazine subscription sales. Aragon and his co-defendants perpetuated a conspiracy to defraud over 150,000 consumer-victims across the country, many of whom were older or otherwise susceptible to fraud. The scheme was carried out by a network of dozens of fraudulent magazine sales companies located across the United States and in Canada. The companies operated telemarketing call centers from which their employees made calls using deceptive sales scripts designed to defraud victim consumers by inducing them—through a series of lies and misrepresentations—into making large or repeat payments to the companies. Aragon and his co-conspirators pressured consumer-victims into making payments related to purported magazine subscriptions. Many of the defendants used a fraudulent “renewal” script in which the telemarketers falsely claimed to be calling from the consumer-victim’s existing magazine subscription company about an existing magazine subscription package. The telemarketers often claimed—falsely—to be calling with an offer to reduce the monthly cost of an existing subscription. In reality, the company had no existing relationship with the magazines, and they were actually fraudulently signing the consumer-victims up for expensive and entirely new magazine subscriptions. The result was that a single consumer went from having one magazine subscription to, at times, more than a dozen, all with different fraudulent magazine companies, each “sold” under the auspices of “reducing” the consumer’s monthly rate. Over the course of the scheme, Aragon and his companies defrauded thousands of victims and collected over $19 million from victims. On July 5, 2022, Aragon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and tax evasion. He was sentenced on November 7, 2024, by John R. Tunheim in U.S. District Court. Aragon also evaded paying taxes on the money he and his fraudulent telemarketing company made. “By evading his tax liability, Aragon unfairly shifted the tax burden to honest American taxpayers to fund vital services such as education and infrastructure,” said Tom Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office. “IRS-CI special agents identified more than $2 billion in tax fraud last fiscal year, and we will remain committed to holding tax cheats accountable.” The case was the result of an investigation conducted by the IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the FBI, with assistance from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Jacobs, Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Melinda A. Williams, and Garrett S. Fields.


title: Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison in Twin Cities Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Twin Cities felon has been sentenced to 160 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl throughout Minnesota and the surrounding region, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, between August 2022 through December 2023, Cornell Montez Chandler, Jr., 25, conspired with others to distribute fentanyl throughout Minnesota. Chandler frequently flew from the Twin Cities to Phoenix, Arizona, to buy fentanyl from one or more suppliers and ship it through the U.S. Postal Service to addresses in and around the Twin Cities for distribution. He admitted that he and his co-conspirators placed fentanyl pills in plastic bags that were then concealed in stuffed animals; that those packages were disguised as birthday presents; and that conspirators lined the interiors of the packages with dog treats in an attempt to prevent drug-sniffing dogs from alerting to them. In January and February 2023, law enforcement in Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties became aware of the trafficking and initiated a joint investigation, which resulted in the seizure of six packages containing over 30,000 grams of fentanyl pills. On June 18, 2024, Chandler pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Dakota County Drug Task Force, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Ramsey County Violent Crime Enforcement Team, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner is prosecuting the case.


title: Jury Finds Man Guilty of Attempting to Kill His Girlfriend by Stabbing Her 21 Times

body_text: WASHINGTON – Devan Green, 30, of Washington D.C., has been found guilty today of assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault with significant bodily injury while armed, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The verdict follows a seven-day jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Rainey Brandt scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2025. Green faces the potential maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment. According to the evidence presented at trial, Green held his girlfriend and her young child inside of their apartment against their will for over forty minutes while her family called 911 numerous times. Green stabbed his girlfriend once in the chest with a knife, and then when she went to check on her son, he stabbed her 20 more times. He then fled the apartment and was apprehended a month later. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Molly K. Smith and Katharine E. Yaske of the Domestic Violence Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Venezuelan National Sentenced for Sanctions Evasion Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI — George Semerene Quintero (Semerene), 61, of Venezuela, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and for his role in a scheme to evade U.S. sanctions imposed on Petróleos de Venezuela S.A. (PdVSA), a Venezuelan state-owned oil company. “Today, George Semerene Quintero was held accountable in a U.S. court of law for conspiring to circumvent economic sanctions and export controls to aid Nicolás Maduro’s regime in Venezuela in obtaining critical aircraft parts from America,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The prosecution of Semerene reflects our steadfast commitment to holding those who violate sanctions accountable and to vigorously enforcing export controls to protect our nation’s security. Together, with the Bureau of Industry and Security and our law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure that the integrity and intent of U.S. sanctions are preserved.” “Today, the defendant George Semerene Quintero, is being held accountable for his role in a brazen scheme to illegally funnel American aircraft parts to service planes used by Maduro and his cronies,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the sanctions imposed on the Maduro regime and will not tolerate those who violate the law and undermine our national security.” “Semerene conspired to illegally procure critical parts from U.S. companies to supply the PdVSA aircraft fleet and tried to hide the transactions through third parties in other countries like Spain and Costa Rica,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “Now, the only procurement he’ll be doing is at the prison commissary.” According to court documents, between January 2019 and December 2021, after learning of the sanctions imposed on PdVSA, Semerene and his co-conspirators devised a scheme to illegally procure aircraft parts, including bearings, rudder parts, joint slide flexes and actuators, from the United States to service PdVSA’s aircraft fleet in Venezuela, in violation of U.S. sanctions and export controls. Semerene, who was an employee in PdVSA’s procurement department, and his co-conspirators concealed from U.S. companies that the requested parts were destined for Venezuela and PdVSA by utilizing third parties in other countries, including a company in Costa Rica, Novax Group SA, and a company in Spain, Aerofalcon SL, to serve as the purported purchasers and end users for the aircraft parts. Semerene and his co-conspirators carried out this scheme by causing the third-party companies to (1) lie to U.S. parts suppliers; (2) make false declarations on customs forms and shipping documents; (3) fabricate supplier invoices; and (4) provide false end-user certificates. Semerene and his co-conspirators utilized freight forwarders and shipping companies located in the Southern District of Florida to move the parts. The indictment charging Semerene and nine co-defendants, including three other individuals associated with PdVSA, was unsealed in April, following Semerene’s arrest upon his arrival in the United States. Semerene pleaded guilty on Aug. 20. BIS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Stratton for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (CES) prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Medetis, Chief of the National Security Section for the Southern District of Florida, and CES Deputy Chief Matthew McKenzie provided valuable assistance during the investigation. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . 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 21-cr-20589. ###


title: Gang Member Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Racketeering

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips gang was sentenced today to 336 months in prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Elijah Williams, aka “Lil Smith,” 24, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to a superseding indictment that charged him with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. “Elijah Williams brazenly shot multiple rival gang members, murdering one, paralyzing another, and leaving a trail of blood. Gang shootings jeopardize the safety of innocent residents in our communities and make the public less safe. The sentence handed down today ensures that Williams will spend decades behind bars, away from the streets he terrorized. This result was achieved through the hard work of many law enforcement partners in our Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and we will continue our laser focus on battling the scourge of drugs and violence on our streets.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Drug trafficking can be a dangerous and violent game, often entangled with the deadly consequences,” Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz of the DEA New Jersey Field Division said. “Today’s sentencing of Elijah Williams, who repeatedly used violence when operating his criminal enterprise, shows the commitment the DEA and our law enforcement partners have when making sure those responsible for these types of violent crimes face the consequences for their actions.” “The investigation and prosecution of this individual as well as the sentence imposed illustrates the seriousness of this crime,” Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr. said. “ATF is dedicated to working with our federal, state, and local partners to hold violent offenders accountable, make a collaborative impact, and secure the safety of our communities.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2015 through Sept. 22, 2022, Williams was a member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a criminal enterprise responsible for acts of violence and the distribution of controlled substances in the District of New Jersey and elsewhere. On Sept. 25, 2018, in Newark, Williams attempted to murder rival gang members and associates by shooting at four individuals, one of whom was paralyzed. On March 20, 2019, in Irvington, New Jersey, Williams fatally shot another person, in retaliation for the murder of a member and associate of the Rollin’ 60s. In addition to the prison term, Judge Wigenton sentenced Williams to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ortiz; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of ATF, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheeks; investigators of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos; the Irvington Police Department, under the direction of Police Division Director Tracy Bowers; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda; the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Samuel A. DeMaio; the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Armando B. Fontoura; the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of Chief Phyllis L. Bindi; the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Earl J. Graves; the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan; the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief Philip Corbisiero; and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Fugitive and Missing Person Task Force, which includes members of the FBI, with the investigations leading to the charges in the Rollin 60’s Neighborhood Crips investigation. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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 . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division and Jake Nasar of the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark.


title: Cruise Admits To Submitting A False Report To Influence A Federal Investigation And Agrees To Pay $500,000

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Cruise LLC, an autonomous vehicle company based in San Francisco, has agreed to resolve a criminal charge in federal court for providing a false record to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation of a crash involving one of Cruise’s autonomous vehicles. A criminal information filed today charges Cruise with the offense, which Cruise has agreed to resolve through a deferred prosecution agreement and payment of a $500,000 criminal fine. “Federal laws and regulations are in place to protect public safety on our roads. Companies with self-driving cars that seek to share our roads and crosswalks must be fully truthful in their reports to their regulators,” said Martha Boersch, Chief of the Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division. “Today’s deferred prosecution agreement holds Cruise, LLC and its employees accountable for their lack of candor in a federal regulatory compliance action,” said Cory LeGars, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Western Region. “Together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will engage our collective resources to pursue companies and individuals who intentionally circumvent administration of federal regulations.” The criminal information alleges that Cruise falsified records in a federal investigation under the jurisdiction of NHTSA within the U.S. Department of Transportation. The criminal investigation and prosecution against Cruise is being resolved with a deferred prosecution agreement in which Cruise admits and accepts responsibility for the charge in the information. According to the agreement, the crash occurred in San Francisco on Oct. 2, 2023, when a Cruise vehicle operating without a driver ran over a pedestrian who had been thrown into the autonomous vehicle’s path by a human-driven vehicle. The Cruise vehicle stopped after running over the pedestrian. However, because its detection system did not detect that a pedestrian was underneath it, the Cruise vehicle then attempted to pull over to the side of the road with the woman underneath it, dragging the woman over 20 feet. Federal regulations require Cruise to report incidents, including crashes involving Cruise autonomous vehicles, to NHTSA. Cruise subsequently filed a report with NHTSA describing the accident that omitted reference to the secondary movement and dragging. In a videoconference with NHTSA the next morning, Cruise employees provided a verbal summary of the accident that did not include a description of the dragging. The Cruise employees attempted to show a video of the accident that depicted the dragging, but due to technical difficulties, the portion of the video that showed the dragging did not play. That afternoon Cruise submitted a 1-day-report, which specifically required “a written description of the pre-crash, crash, and post-crash details,” to NHTSA. Cruise’s narrative omitted the dragging. That omission rendered the report inaccurate and incomplete in light of NHTSA’s requirements. The same day, Cruise employees provided NHTSA a copy of the video that showed the dragging, but Cruise did not correct the accident report or the disclosure in a later report submitted 10 days after the accident. Under the deferred prosecution agreement, Cruise is required to pay a $500,000 criminal fine, cooperate with government investigations, implement a Safety Compliance Program, and provide annual reports to the United States Attorney’s Office on implementation and remediation. If Cruise fails to completely perform or fulfill its obligations under the agreement during the agreement’s three-year term, the U.S. Attorney’s Office can proceed with prosecution of the charged offense. The government reached this resolution with Cruise based on a number of factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense conduct; Cruise’s timely notification to the government of an internal investigation and offer of cooperation, after being notified that the government had opened an investigation; Cruise’s cooperation, which included (1) conducting a thorough internal investigation and making the findings of that investigation public; (2) proactively identifying certain issues and facts that would likely be of interest to the government; (3) making factual presentations to the government and sharing information that would not have been otherwise available to the government; (4) sharing certain privileged documents with the government pursuant to a limited waiver of privilege; (5) making available witnesses for interviews by the government; and (6) remedial measures, such as ensuring that employees identified as responsible for the conduct at issue are no longer employed by Cruise, and operation improvements made by Cruise as set forth in the deferred prosecution agreement. The announcement was made by Martha Boersch, Chief of the Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division, Cory LeGars, Special Agent-in-Charge, DOT-OIG, Western Region, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Stern and Lloyd Farnham are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Maryam Beros. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DOT-OIG and the FBI. Cruise LLC Agreement


title: Schofield Woman Sentenced to 4 ½ Years for Cocaine Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Teala L. Kumbera, 27, Schofield, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 4 ½ years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Kumbera pleaded guilty to this charge on August 16, 2024. In February 2022, Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force officers began investigating a methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking organization operating in Wausau, Wisconsin. The multi-year investigation involved the seizure of drug-laden packages from the mail, controlled purchases of narcotics, and seizures of firearms and large quantities of drugs from residence searches. From the investigation, officers believe the drug trafficking organization was distributing kilograms quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Teala Kumbera was identified as a main local distributor of cocaine for one of the leaders of the organization. From intercepted phone calls, officers found that she was picking up cocaine every few days to sell. She was later interviewed following her arrest and admitted to regularly selling cocaine for the past six to twelve months. While distributing cocaine in this case, Kumbera was on state supervision for two prior methamphetamine trafficking cases. Kumbera’s state supervision has since been revoked and she was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in state prison. Kumbera was also convicted of cocaine trafficking in state court for conduct that occurred during the course of this investigation. She was sentenced to 2 years in state prison in that case to run concurrently with her revocation sentences. Judge Conley ordered that this federal sentence run concurrently with the remainder of Kumbera’s state sentences. In announcing the sentence, Judge Conley highlighted Kumbera’s prior criminal history as well her serious conduct in this case, which involved her regularly obtaining significant quantities of cocaine for resale. Eight others were also charged in connection with this drug trafficking organization. Quo Vadis Lewis, Craig C. Gates, Troy A. Olsen, and Shandell Mohr have all pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months. Tommie L. Haney is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on December 2, 2024. Cases against Edwin Lewis, Samuel A. Teague, and Shelby Gutch are still pending and the three are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge against Kumbera was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Marathon County Sheriff's Office, Portage County Sheriff's Office, Everest Metro Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.


title: Middleton Woman Sentenced to Prison for Straw Purchasing Firearm Used in Murder Suicide

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shawna Tantillo, 34, Middleton, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 18 months in federal prison for straw purchasing a firearm. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Tantillo pled guilty to this charge on August 13, 2024. “Straw purchasing” is when a gun buyer lies to a firearms dealer to purchase a gun for someone else. Most often straw purchases occur either because the straw buyer can pass the required background check and the actual buyer cannot, or because the actual buyer wants to avoid having their name associated with the gun transaction. Straw purchasing is a federal crime that can result in up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. It’s a serious threat to public safety because it undermines background check laws and contributes to the illegal gun market. Guns purchased through straw purchases can end up in the hands of minors or convicted felons. Guns purchased through straw purchases are often used to commit violent crimes, as was the situation in the Tantillo case. On December 8, 2024, Tantillo purchased a firearm from a federal firearms licensee. As required by law, she completed the background check which included filling out a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473. On that form, she attested that she was the actual purchaser. However, Tantillo was in fact purchasing the gun for her friend. Tantillo’s friend was originally identified in the indictment as “Person 1,” but in the government’s recently unsealed sentencing memorandum, “Person 1” is further identified by her initials, J.J. Tantillo purchased the gun for J.J. despite knowing that J.J. could not legally purchase or possess a gun because of a prior felony conviction. J.J. paid Tantillo for the gun, plus an additional $150. On February 18, 2024, J.J. used the gun to shoot the father of her children, shoot and kill her children, and then take her own life. “The tragic facts of this case reinforce the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to prosecuting ‘straw purchase’ cases” said U.S. Attorney Timothy O’Shea. “Stopping straw buyers and illegal firearms trafficking is the first line of defense against gun violence. It is a federal crime to lie to a gun dealer to buy a gun for someone else. If you do so, you will be prosecuted, and your best-case scenario is a felony conviction; the worst-case scenario is that you go to prison and that someone is hurt or killed. If a friend or relative asks you to lie to a gun dealer to try to buy a gun for them, don’t do it,” O’Shea said. “An unthinkable crime was made possible because Ms. Tantillo purchased a firearm for someone who was legally prohibited from owning a firearm,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “Ms. Tantillo may have had no awareness of the future crimes to be committed with the firearm she purchased, but she should have questioned why she was being asked to purchase it. A person who can legally possess firearms wouldn’t be asking for this type of favor. I hope this case can be a stark warning to others who might consider purchasing a firearm for a prohibited person.” “The events surrounding this incident had an enormous impact on many in our community,“ said Middleton Police Chief Troy Hellenbrand. “This incident also showcases how serious law enforcement agencies take straw purchases which lead to violent crimes in our communities. Although we are unable to bring back the beautiful lives who were lost in this tragic incident, the court system worked as designed in finding Ms. Tantillo responsible for the purchase and sale of a gun which was used in these homicides. The Middleton Police Department would like to thank our various law enforcement partners who assisted in this investigation and subsequent arrest and conviction of Ms. Tantillo,” said Hellenbrand. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley said that straw purchases, particularly when the firearm is given to a prohibited person, are a serious offense. Judge Conley found that although there is no evidence that Tantillo knew J.J. was going to use the gun to shoot her children and their father, her actions were intended to circumvent the nation’s gun laws and the sentence reflected the tragic outcome. The charge against Tantillo was the result of an investigation conducted by the Middleton and Fitchburg Police Departments. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the investigation. The task force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from local agencies including the Dane County and Clark County Sheriff’s Offices and the Fitchburg, Madison, Sun Prairie, and La Crosse Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.