title: Glendale Woman and Lakewood Man Found Guilty of $3.2 Million Hospice Fraud Scheme Involving Kickbacks for Patient Referrals

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Glendale woman and a Lakewood man have been found guilty by a jury of paying and receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks for patient referrals that resulted in the submission of approximately $3.2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for purported hospice care, the Justice Department announced today. Nita Palma, 75, of Glendale, was found guilty late Wednesday of 12 counts of health care fraud and 16 counts of paying illegal kickbacks for health care referrals. Percy Abrams, 74, of Lakewood, also was found guilty late Wednesday of six counts of receiving illegal kickbacks for health care referrals. According to evidence presented at a six-day trial, Palma was excluded from Medicare, a federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and older, because of prior federal convictions for receiving illegal kickbacks. While she was excluded from Medicare, Palma purchased Magnolia Gardens Hospice through her daughter in 2015 and concealed her ownership interest in Magnolia Gardens Hospice from Medicare. Palma then paid “marketers”, including Abrams, hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal kickbacks for patient referrals that Palma could bill to Medicare for purported hospice care. Hospice is only for those who are terminally ill and have a life expectancy of six months or less. Hospice provides comfort care to a patient instead of trying to cure the patient’s illness, and a patient forfeits certain benefits under Medicare when electing hospice. Consistent with instructions provided by Palma, Abrams falsely represented to prospective patients that they did not need to be dying to be on hospice. After collecting personal identifying information from prospective patients that were not dying, Abrams sent the information to Nita Palma so she could bill Medicare for purported hospice care. Through Magnolia Gardens Hospice, Palma caused the submission of approximately $3.2 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare in 2015 and 2016 for purported hospice care for patients that were not dying. Palma received approximately $6,000 each month a patient was billed to Medicare for hospice. In turn, Palma paid Abrams and other marketers up to $1,000 per month in illegal kickbacks for each patient referred to her that was billed to Medicare for hospice. Many of the patients that were billed to Medicare through Magnolia Gardens Hospice did not know they were signed up for hospice, and some patients only found out after they were denied medical coverage for services they needed. During the health care fraud scheme, Medicare requested additional documentation from Magnolia Gardens Hospice to support the purported hospice claims. In response, Palma and her husband directed employees to create fake patient charts and had those fake patient charts submitted to Medicare. Court documents allege that while awaiting trial in this matter, Palma took control of three other hospices and caused the submission of approximately $4.8 million in claims for purported hospice care. United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 23, 2025, at which time Palma and Abrams will each face a sentence of up to decades in federal prison. The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Roger A. Hsieh of the Major Frauds Section and Matt Coe-Odess of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Poplar Bluff Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Distribution Charge

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – Jurors in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau on Thursday found a Poplar Bluff man guilty of one felony count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence and testimony presented at the trial of Deshante R. Nabors showed that on the evening of Aug. 6, 2020, a Poplar Bluff Police Department officer activated his lights and siren and tried to conduct a traffic stop of a Ford Fusion being driven by Nabors. Nabors continued to drive, tossing out a black sock containing meth. Nabors jumped out of the vehicle while it was moving and ran away. He was later found and arrested. He had $1,030 in cash and a clear bag containing more meth in his pocket. There was more methamphetamine and marijuana in the Ford. Sentencing for Nabors, 33, is scheduled for March 18, 2025. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The case was investigated by the Poplar Bluff Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Hahn and Christopher Shelton are prosecuting the case.


title: Fort Wayne Woman Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: FORT WAYNE–Dora T. Boyd, 33 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Boyd was sentenced to 50 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release and was also ordered to pay $166,292.00 in restitution to the victim of the offense. The United States Congress had passed legislation establishing the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP, which made funding available to assist households and individuals unable to pay their rent or utilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. These federal funds were provided to state and local governments for administration of the program. From March through November 2021, Boyd engaged in a scheme to defraud the City of Fort Wayne by submitting false applications for ERAP payments to which she was not entitled. Boyd used a purported charitable organization to file at least 30 fraudulent ERAP applications. She falsely claimed to be the landlord for numerous tenants residing in the Fort Wayne area when there was no actual landlord/tenant relationship. In these applications, she included fake leases and fake tax documents. Although she attempted to steal over $400,000 in assistance money, she received $166,292.00, and she has been ordered to pay back this money as restitution. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Treasury, and the City of Fort Wayne Office of Housing and Neighborhood Services. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony W. Geller.


title: Final men convicted in brutal human smuggling scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Mexican citizen illegally residing in Houston has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor aliens resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Efrain Rodriguez-Mendoza is last of six to be convicted as part of the scheme that resulted in the death of two people. Wilmar Rene Duran-Gomez, 52, a citizen of El Salvador illegally residing in Houston, entered his plea Dec. 9. “These defendants violated the trust of victims when they agreed to transport them to a safe place in the United States,” said Hamdani. “Instead, they brutalized them and beat them to death, all because they could not pay to be released. These violent criminals will no longer be able to prey on victims and their families.” “In my 29 years working in law enforcement, I’ve unfortunately had to witness some unspeakable horrors, but what these men did to these migrants is pure evil and among the most reprehensible and vile criminal actions I’ve ever encountered,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “Thanks to the dedicated special agents and law enforcement officers who tirelessly worked to uncover their identities and connect them to these crimes, they will be held accountable for their actions, but I plead with anyone thinking of relying on human smugglers to illegally enter the United States to stop and think about the potential consequences. Not only are you jeopardizing your ability to ever obtain legal status in the country, you’re putting your life in the hands of merciless transnational criminal organizations that routinely assault, kidnap and even murder the people they are paid to supposedly help.” Between Nov. 6-17, 2006, Rodriguez-Mendoza and Wilmar Rene Duran-Gomez engaged in a scheme together and with others to harbor illegal aliens in Houston. They would then transport them to locations within Texas and throughout the United States for the purpose of financial gain. Duran-Gomez operated a warehouse business in Houston where conspirators held illegal aliens until they paid their smuggling fees or had transportation arranged. While held there, they were placed in two groups - paid and unpaid. Those in the unpaid group were beaten and accused of trying to escape the warehouse. They were also not given food or water or even allowed to use the restroom. Some were naked and had their hands bound. Conspirators would call their families to demand payment of smuggling fees. They said the aliens were being beaten and would be killed if their fees were not paid. Two of those in the unpaid group were subjected to the most brutal of the beatings and died as a result of days of assaults. Following the deaths, Rodriguez-Mendoza, Duran-Gomez and Jose Bolanos wrapped the two victims with blankets, loaded them onto a truck and dosed the bodies with gasoline. They drove to a field in Fort Bend County and attempted to set the truck on fire, but failed. They left the truck in the field with the victims’ bodies inside the vehicle. Authorities located the victims approximately Nov. 16, 2006. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt accepted the pleas and set sentencing for March 2025. At that time, they face up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Both men have been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department and Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Jenkins Stotts and Lisa M. Collins prosecuted the case.


title: GANG LEADER IVAN JAMES SENTENCED T0 420 MONTHS ON DRUG CONSPIRACY AND POSSESSION OF FIREARMS USED TO MURDER RIVAL GANG MEMBER

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Ivan James, 40, Joh Williams, 38, Malachi Benjamin, 28, Ariel Petersen, 28, and Jahkiebo Joseph, 26, all of St. Croix, were sentenced by District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy led by Ivan James from his Estate LaGrange compound in Frederiksted, St. Croix. “The Ivan James Organization was a violent and lawless gang that terrorized and victimized the people of the Virgin Islands for over a decade,” stated United States Attorney Delia Smith. “The tremendous work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Patrol, Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of Corrections delivered the ultimate reward to the people of St. Croix – just and lengthy sentences of imprisonment to those involved. These sentences demonstrate that the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners are committed to combating the threat of gang violence”, Smith said. “The sentencing of Ivan James to 420 months of incarceration should send a powerful message: justice will prevail against those who threaten the safety and stability of our communities. This victory is a testament to the relentless commitment and seamless collaboration between federal and local law enforcement. Together, we are dismantling violent criminal networks and transnational drug organizations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, ensuring that those who sow violence and chaos will face the full weight of the law” stated Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster, DEA Caribbean Division. “These sentences speak volume and are credited to the extensive collaboration between federal and local law enforcement partners. Our joint efforts are essential in the U.S. Virgin Islands towards combatting violent crimes and illicit activities of transnational criminal organizations in our area of responsibility,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos. According to evidence introduced at trial, the investigation into the James drug trafficking organization began in January 2013 after Bureau of Corrections officers at the Golden Grove Correctional Facility seized an iPhone from then inmate Joh Williams. Asearch of the cell phone seized from Williams revealed text messages related to smuggling and distribution of narcotics in the prison. Thereafter, Drug Enforcement Administration obtained authorization to intercept calls from a second cell phone used by Williams while incarcerated. The wire investigation revealed evidence of cocaine and marijuana distribution within the facility by Williams which was supplied by Ivan James. The investigation further revealed that Vivian Ford, a former corrections officer, was a member of James’ organization who smuggled narcotics into Golden Grove in food containers for distribution by Williams. At trial, Tillisa Ceaser and Luis Ortiz, Jr. testified they were members of the James’ drug trafficking organization. Ceaser testified that between 2015 and 2018, she used her secured access at the Henry Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix to smuggled approximately six kilograms of cocaine per week onboard commercial aircrafts destined for the continental United States. Ceaser further testified that she recruited couriers, including Ortiz, because Kai James wanted to increase the number of bricks of cocaine being smuggled through the airport. Trial evidence further revealed that, during the course of the conspiracy, Ivan James and Kai James caused several hundred kilograms of cocaine to be smuggled to the mainland utilizing the operation at the airport. Cooperating witness, Robert Brown, a member of a rival racketeering enterprise led by Paul Girard, testified that Vivian Ford traveled from St. Croix to St. Thomas on several occasions to purchase kilogram quantities of cocaine from Keith Lewis on behalf of Ivan James and Kai James. Brown further testified that Ivan James ordered members of his gang, including Jermaine Williams, to rob Brown of five kilograms of cocaine and that Brown was pistol whipped by Williams during the attack. In retaliation, Brown murdered Williams as he sat in his vehicle in the parking lot of his child’s preschool. Thereafter, in March 2016, Ivan James ordered members of his gang to murder Brown in retaliation for Williams’ murder. On March 14, 2016, Brown and another individual were ambushed by at least three gunmen as their vehicle exited the Good Hope community. Both occupants sustained multiple gunshot wounds but survived the attacked. Brown pled guilty to Williams’ murder and faces a sentence of life imprisonment on his conviction. On May 25, 2017, one day after Joh Williams was released from Golden Grove correctional Facility, Virgin Islands Police officers responded to a shooting at D. Hamilton Jackson Terrace, where they found an unresponsive adult male, later identified as Levar Pogson, a rival gang member. An eyewitness testified at trial that Ivan James, Joh Williams, and an individual identified as “Fire” approached the playground at D. Hamilton Jackson Terrace and that James and Williams were armed with a handgun and a rifle. The witness testified that James and Williams stood over Pogson’s body and fired more than 50 times. A medical examiner testified that Pogson sustained 78 gunshots wounds to his head, neck, torso and extremities. Testimony at trial further revealed that on July 14, 2017, federal agents conducted a marijuana eradication operation at James’ LaGrange Compound in St. Croix after discovering six marijuana grow sites on the property. At trial, the government introduced a social media posting made on July 14, 2017, by Ivan James as he confronted law enforcement during the marijuana eradication. In the video, James called the agents “thieves” and stated they “gone with a thousand.” The official count of the marijuana plants seized from the James compound was 1,005. Thereafter, on August 3, 2017, federal agents executed a search warrant on James’ LaGrange compound where they seized a loaded Glock 22 .40 firearm, a loaded .223 caliber Olympic arms AR-15 rifle with two magazines attached, two loaded .40 caliber pistols, and an AK-47 rifle. Forensic analysis later revealed that Ivan James’ DNA was found on the Glock 22 pistol and the Olympic Arms AR-15 rifle. Ballistic testing further revealed that the shell casings collected from Pogson’s homicide crime scene on May 25, 2017, matched the casings fired from the Glock 22 pistol and Olympic Arms AR-15 rifle seized from James’ compound on August 3, 2017. A federal jury found Ivan James guilty on drug conspiracy, possession of 1,000 marijuana plants, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug conspiracy and possession of firearms resulting in the death of Legar Pogson. On his conviction, Judge Kearney sentenced James to 420 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Joh Williams was also found guilty on drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 90 months of imprisonment, followed by seven years of supervised release. Ariel Petersen, and Jahkiebo Joseph pleaded guilty to possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug conspiracy and importation of firearms. Petersen was sentenced to 93 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, and Joseph was sentenced to 68 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Malachi Benjamin pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Tillisa Ceaser and Luis Ortiz, Jr. both pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. Williams was acquitted on the firearm possession resulting in Pogson’s death and James and Williams were acquitted on the local charge of first-degree murder. The trial of Kai James is scheduled for January 22, 2025. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Patrol, Virgin Islands Police Department and the Bureau of Corrections and was prosecuted by United States Attorney Delia Smith and Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle Payne and Adam Sleeper. The investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Adair Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms Charges

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

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Adair man was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Act. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in December 2022, Randy Scott Shuey, 43, was found in possession of a silencer attached to a rifle, which also had a high-capacity magazine. In January 2023, law enforcement located a second silencer at Shuey’s residence. Shuey did not register the silencers with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law. After completing his term of imprisonment, Shuey will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Adair Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 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: Kapaa Woman Indicted for Scheme to Defraud Coronavirus Rental and Utility Assistance Program

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – On December 12, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment against Kaiaulani C. Kaiawe, also known as Coty K. Duhaylongsod, 46, of Kapaa, Hawaii, charging Kaiawe with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering in connection with fraudulent claims for pandemic-related rental and utility assistance. The charges in the indictment pertain to the Kauai Coronavirus Rental and Utility Assistance (CRUA) program. In 2021, Congress authorized the creation of Emergency Rental Assistance programs within the Department of the Treasury to fund rent, utility, and other housing-related expense assistance to households that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the State of Hawaii, the County of Kauai used ERA funds to establish the CRUA program. The County of Kauai contracted with a local credit union to administer the CRUA program. According to the indictment, Kaiawe is charged with wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the CRUA program to obtain benefit payments she was not eligible to receive. The CRUA program required eligible claimants to submit an application electronically, using its website, and to provide certain personal information of the claimant, including his or her name and date of birth, as well as a landlord or property manager contact, before certifying that the representations made in the claim were true and accurate. If the credit union approved the claim, rental payments for the claimant were sent directly to the claimant’s landlord or property manager, and utility payments were sent directly to his or her utility company. The indictment alleges that Kaiawe submitted a false CRUA claim on her own behalf, using her former name, Coty Duhaylongsod, as the claimant, and then listing her then-current name, Kaiawe, as her landlord to improperly receive a CRUA benefit payment. The indictment further alleges that Kaiawe then submitted multiple other false CRUA claims using the personal information of others as claimants, without their knowledge and consent, and then falsely listing herself as their landlord or property manager to obtain additional benefit payments that she was not entitled to receive. Finally, the indictment alleges that Kaiawe submitted other false claims for CRUA benefits that used the identities of acquaintances as landlords or property managers, without their knowledge or consent; for these claims Kaiawe, entered a residential address for the landlord or property manager to receive payment that was within sight of her home, which allowed Kaiawe to intercept the rental assistance program check when it was delivered. Kaiawe submitted CRUA claims seeking a total of almost $250,000 that she was not eligible to receive. According to the indictment, Kaiawe fraudulently obtained at least approximately $126,026 in CRUA assistance benefits. “Congress appropriated critically important funds during the COVID-19 pandemic to help people in our community who were struggling,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “We continue to investigate those who fraudulently obtained federal funds at the expense of those who needed this assistance in order to remain housed, and will hold them accountable.” Kaiawe is charged with four counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of money laundering. Each of the wire fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Each of the aggravated identity theft counts carries a sentence of two years in prison. The money laundering count carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or up to twice the amount of criminally-derived property involved in the transaction. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm . This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kauai Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates.


title: Oahu Basketball Coach Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation and Harassment Offenses Involving Ten Victims

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Dwayne Yuen, a 51-year-old resident of Honolulu, pleaded guilty today to all six counts in a First Superseding Indictment and six counts in a filed Information charging him with child exploitation and harassment offenses. Specifically, Yuen pleaded guilty to committing crimes against three minor victims, including sex trafficking Minor Victim 1 in 2005 and 2006; coercing and enticing Minor Victim 2 to engage in sexual activity in 2006; and producing, receiving, and possessing child pornography of Minor Victim 3 in and around 2020 to 2023. He also pled guilty to harassing victims identified in court documents as Victims 4 through 10 through anonymous and obscene communications in and around 2021 to 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Yuen in February 2023, and he has been detained at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu since his arrest. Court pleadings and information in court hearings describe a course of criminal conduct spanning nearly two decades. Yuen was a youth basketball coach of mostly middle school- and high school-aged girls. He coached both private club teams and teams at various private and public schools on Oahu. Minor victims 1 to 3 and Victims 4 to 10 were all basketball players coached by Yuen. Victims 4 through 9 were at or near eighteen years old when Yuen sent the harassing and sexually explicit communications, and Victim 10 was seventeen years old. “Cases involving the exploitation of minors by those they trust often span years, including because perpetrators spend time grooming their targets, who then may delay reporting the crimes for various reasons,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “This case represents a concerted, persistent effort by law enforcement, advocates, and the targets themselves to seek justice and healing in the criminal system.” Yuen’s sentencing date is set for April 3, 2025, before the Honorable J. Michael Seabright, Senior United States District Judge. Yuen faces a mandatory fifteen years in prison and up to 144 years in prison for all twelve of the offenses to which he pleaded guilty. Yuen also faces a term of supervised release of up to life, mandatory restitution, and must register as a sex offender. The FBI is investigating the case, and the prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Perlmutter and Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.


title: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced For Federal Firearms Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charley Lee Buckhorn, age 50, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for illegally possessing firearms. The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department, the District 27 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On June 10, 2024, Buckhorn pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 15, 2023, law enforcement serving outstanding arrest warrants discovered Buckhorn in possession of a loaded AR-15 rifle, a loaded 9mm pistol, and assorted rounds of ammunition. Buckhorn possessed the firearms and ammunition despite knowing that he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. 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. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Buckhorn will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.


title: Stilwell Resident Sentenced For Felon In Possession Of A Firearm And Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robert Micco Harjo, age 30, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Stilwell Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On June 4, 2024, Harjo pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 3, 2023, a law enforcement officer discovered Harjo in possession of a .22 caliber revolver and over 100 rounds of .22 ammunition. Harjo possessed the firearm and ammunition despite knowing that he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. 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. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. After serving a term of imprisonment for a state sentence, Harjo will be delivered into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service for transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Flanigan and Edith Singer represented the United States.


title: Seminole Resident Sentenced For Accessory After The Fact To Murder In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Scott William Lanham, age 45, of Seminole, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for one count of Accessory After the Fact to Murder in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Seminole Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Rangers, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On March 4, 2024, Lanham pleaded guilty to the charge. According to court documents, in April of 2019, after the murder of an area Seminole resident, Lanham knowingly helped one of the perpetrators cover up the crime, disposing of a murder weapon and destroying evidence in order to hinder and prevent arrest and prosecution. Despite Lanham’s efforts, the Government investigated and prosecuted the crime, and on April 10, 2023, a federal jury convicted Coker Dean Barker for murder. The crimes occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable John Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Lanham will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Seminole Resident Sentenced For Murder In Indian Country And Firearms Charge

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Coker Dean Barker, age 37, of Seminole, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country and 120 months for Using, Carrying, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and Related to a Crime of Violence. The sentences are set to be served consecutively to each other and to a separate conviction for escape. The charges arose from investigations by the Seminole Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Rangers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On April 10, 2023, Barker was found guilty by a federal jury at trial on one count of Murder in Indian Country and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the evidence presented at trial, in April of 2019, Barker participated in brutally attacking, shooting, and killing the victim at a residence in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of Oklahoma. An autopsy revealed that, during the fatal attack, the victim sustained 18 broken ribs, two punctured lungs, and multiple bullet and shotshell wounds. After attempting to burn evidence to evade prosecution, Barker fled to the Mexican border where he was apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and returned to Oklahoma for prosecution. The Honorable John Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Barker will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Wagoner Resident Pleads Guilty To Child Neglect

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Salasha Fae Bosley, age 25, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to two counts of Child Neglect in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that between September 2023 and June 16, 2024, Bosley failed to provide two children with adequate nurturance, affection, food, shelter, sanitation, hygiene, medical care, supervision, and sanitary living conditions while responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of the children. The crimes occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Bove and Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.


title: Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty To Child Sexual Exploitation Crime

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Anthony James Deason, age 29, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Attempted Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The Indictment alleged that Deason attempted to use a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing and transmitting a visual depiction of such conduct in interstate commerce via the internet. The charges arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Deason was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.


title: Rochester woman charged once again with entering restricted area at Rochester airport

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Takesha Rogers, 39, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with willfully entering an airport area that serves an air carrier or foreign air carrier in violation of security requirements, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 5, 2022, Rogers pleaded guilty to entering an airport area in violation of security requirements, admitting that she had climbed over the fence and willfully entered the Aircraft Operations Area (AOA), which is a restricted area, at the Rochester Airport on four separate occasions. Rogers was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release. In April 2023, soon after her supervised release began, Rogers again attempted to evade the security requirements at the Rochester Airport, climb a fence, and enter the AOA. She also committed additional violations, which lead to a revocation of her supervised release. In October 2023, Rogers was sentenced to one year in prison. Rogers was released in July 2024. On November 27, 2024, just after 11:30 pm, Rogers again entered a secured AOA at the Rochester Airport. A Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy responded and observed Rogers running towards a moving aircraft that was taxiing towards the runway. She was taken into custody without incident and deemed a Mental Hygiene Arrest and released to Rochester General Hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Rogers made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was detained. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: West Seneca man going to prison for 15 years for receipt of child pornography

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Corey Beasley, 39, of West Seneca, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who handled the case, stated that in June 2022, Beasley took sexually explicit photographs of himself and a minor female (Victim) with his cellphone. In January 2023, a West Seneca police officer received a report that the sexually explicit images were found on a tablet belonging to Beasley. Subsequently, search warrants were executed at Beasley’s residence, during which investigators seized multiple devices. A forensic review of Beasley’s cellphone recovered multiple sexually explicit images of the Victim. The forensic review also recovered other images of child pornography, which Beasley received and possessed. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Edward Baker and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. # # # #


title: North Platte Woman Sentenced to over 3 Years for Distribution of Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jessica Binegar, a/k/a “Jessica Keo”, age 38, of North Platte, Nebraska was sentenced on December 12, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of distribution of 5 grams or more of meth. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Binegar to a total of 43 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Binegar’s release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Beginning in 2021, the FBI and CODE Drug Task Force opened an investigation into drug trafficking in the North Platte area. March of 2022, law enforcement set up a controlled buy over Facebook with a Confidential Informant (“CI”). In the course of the buy, Binegar was observed approaching the buy location. She was also heard on the recorded audio associated with the buy. Through surveillance and debriefings, law enforcement learned that Binegar was the source of the meth that was sold during the controlled buy. The meth purchased by the CI was turned over to law enforcement and sent to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab, where it was confirmed to be 12.9 grams of meth with 100% purity for 12 grams of actual meth. Subsequently, law enforcement was able to conduct three additional controlled buys with Binegar, all for meth. This case was investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the North Platte Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Red Willow County Sheriff’s Office, Frontier County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).


title: North Platte Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joey G, Romero, age 37, of North Platte, was sentenced on December 12, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Romero to a total of 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Romero’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Between July 2022 and February 2023, Romero, Jamie Hopkins, Michael Stroble, Luke Schwartz, and others conspired to sell meth in and around North Platte, Nebraska. The group was responsible for the distribution of pounds of meth and was subject to multiple controlled buys, search warrants, and arrests. During the life of the conspiracy, a Confidential Informant (“CI”) made purchases from each co-conspirator. In July and August 2022, a CI made five controlled buys from Hopkins and Romero. In these buys, the CI purchased 26 grams of meth and 10 pills. The pills later tested positive for meth and fentanyl. In addition to the CI, three other informants provided information on Romero’s role in the conspiracy. Schwartz was sentenced August 22, 2024, to 120 months imprisonment. Hopkins was sentenced on October 17, 2024, to 120 months imprisonment. Stroble’s case is pending and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case was investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the North Platte Police Department, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Ogallala Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Charge

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to public court documents, Kyle Robert Smith, 31, was found in possession of a distribution quantity of methamphetamine in April 2024. After his arrest, Smith directed a co-conspirator to retrieve two pounds of methamphetamine and sell it. In March 2024, Smith was found in possession a loaded handgun. Smith is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior domestic violence conviction. After completing his term of imprisonment, Smith will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Council Bluffs Police Department. 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: Columbus man sentenced to 7 years in prison for robbing postal carrier at gunpoint

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Anthony J. “A.J.” Williams, 20, of Columbus, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 84 months and one day in prison for crimes related to armed robberies of United States postal carriers. “Today’s sentencing shows our continued commitment to holding accountable individuals who break the law in relation to mail theft,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Our investigations and prosecutions will be vigorous, and the end results will be significant. Williams’s seven-year prison sentence is just one example of that.” According to court documents, on Nov. 9, 2022, Williams committed an armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier who was delivering mail on Michigan Ave. in Columbus. The postal carrier was delivering mail to an apartment complex’s “cluster box” at the time. After borrowing a Glock19 from one co-conspirator and being driven by another co-conspirator, Williams approached the mail carrier and brandished the handgun directly at the victim. Williams demanded the victim’s postal keys and then yanked the postal keys off of the carrier’s belt. Williams sent photos of the stolen key to another co-conspirator who was orchestrating the robbery. The defendant also worked with that same co-conspirator to plan a postal robbery for Christmas Eve 2022 and repeatedly “fished” for stolen mail with stolen postal keys. Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in January 2024. He pleaded guilty in July 2024 to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, committing aggravated robbery of United States property and conspiring to commit an offense against the United States. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Northern California Man Arrested for Allegedly Flying Drone Over and Photographing Vandenberg Space Force Base

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Northern California man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint for allegedly flying a drone over and taking photographs of Vandenberg Space Force Base, the Justice Department announced today. Yinpiao Zhou, 39, of Brentwood, is charged with failure to register an aircraft not providing transportation and violation of national defense airspace. Zhou was arrested Monday at San Francisco International Airport prior to boarding a China-bound flight and made his initial appearance Tuesday in United States District Court in San Francisco. Zhou remains in federal custody pending prosecutors’ appeal of a federal magistrate judge’s decision to release him. No plea was taken and his arraignment is expected to be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks. “This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base's layout, which is against the law,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The security of our nation is of paramount importance and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nation’s military personnel and facilities.” According to an affidavit filed on December 8 with the complaint, on November 30, 2024, drone detection systems at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County detected a drone flying over the base. The drone systems detected that the drone flew for nearly one hour, traveled to an altitude of almost one mile above ground level, and originated from Ocean Park, a public area next to the base. Base security personnel went to the park, spoke to Zhou and another person accompanying him, and learned that Zhou had a drone concealed in his jacket – the same one that flew over the base. Agents later searched Zhou’s drone pursuant to a federal search warrant and saw several photographs of Vandenberg Space Force Base taken from an aerial viewpoint. A search of Zhou’s cellphone showed Zhou conducted a Google search approximately one month earlier for the phrase “Vandenberg Space Force Base Drone Rules” and messaged with another person about hacking his drone to allow it to fly higher than it could otherwise. Zhou is a Chinese citizen and lawful permanent resident of the United States, most recently returning to the United States from China in February 2024. The person accompanying Zhou at Ocean Park most recently entered the United States from China on November 26. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, the defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of four years in federal prison. The FBI is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Kedar S. Bhatia of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Trial Attorney Benjamin Koenigsfeld of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Florida Man Admits Stealing Mail from Missouri and Illinois Churches

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Florida on Tuesday admitted stealing checks from mailboxes churches in Missouri and Illinois. Lourdes Mario Anton, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail. He admitted that on Oct. 3, 2024, he and a juvenile were caught on video stealing mail from a Missouri church’s mailbox. The next day, police spotted the white Toyota minivan Anton was driving and stopped it. Anton allowed officers to search the minivan, which contained a tool they used to steal mail and the receipt for a FedEx package that Anton addressed to himself in Hollywood, Florida. Investigators intercepted the package, which containing 27 checks with a total face value of $14,584 that had been sent to or from religious organizations in eastern Missouri and southern Illinois, including a church in St. Peters, Missouri. Anton is scheduled to be sentenced March 21, 2025. The mail theft charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.


title: Saint James City Man Sentenced To Five Years For Possessing And Accessing Child Sexual Abuse Images  And Videos

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Douglas Alan Vander Laan (68, Saint James City) to five years in federal prison for possessing and accessing with intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Vander Laan was also sentenced to a 15-year term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Vander Laan entered a guilty plea on August 20, 2024. According to court documents, between June and August 2023, the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received four cybertips from an Electronic Service Provider reporting that Vander Laan had uploaded filed depicting child sexual abuse material onto an online visual search service to search for similar images. On November 28, 2023, agents made contact with Vander Laan at his place of employment, and he agreed to speak with the agents. Vander Laan admitted that he had used the visual search service and viewed images of children that were unclothed. On November 28, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Vander Laan’s residence and seized Vander Laan’s laptop. A subsequent forensic examination of the laptop revealed images and videos of child sexual abuse material. This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. 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.


title: TD Bank Insider Arrested and Charged with Facilitating Money Laundering

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A former Florida-based employee of TD Bank N.A. was arrested and charged by criminal complaint yesterday for facilitating money laundering to Colombia through the financial institution. According to court documents, Leonardo Ayala, 24, worked at a TD Bank store in Doral, Florida, between February and November 2023. Starting in June 2023, Ayala allegedly exploited his position as a bank employee to facilitate money laundering. As alleged, after another TD Bank employee opened accounts in the names of shell companies with nominee owners, Ayala assisted the money laundering network by issuing dozens of debit cards for the accounts in exchange for bribes. Those accounts were then allegedly used to launder millions of dollars in narcotics proceeds through cash withdrawals at ATMs in Colombia. Ayala made his initial appearance yesterday in Miami federal court, and all future court proceedings will be in New Jersey. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey; Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Newark Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Caribbean Division; and Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) New York Region made the announcement. The IRS-CI Newark Field Office, DEA San Juan Field Office, and FDIC-OIG New York Field Office are investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, IRS-CI Miami Field Office, FDIC-OIG South Florida Field Office, DEA Miami Field Office, and Morristown Police Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Bank Integrity Unit of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case. MLARS’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Manager of U.S. Freight Forwarding Company Indicted for Circumventing Export Controls

body_text: A 12-count indictment was unsealed yesterday charging Natalya Ivanovna Mazulina, of Federal Way, Washington, also known as “Natasha Mazulina,” for her alleged involvement in a scheme to circumvent U.S. export laws and sanctions on Russia. Mazulina, the Western regional manager of a freight forwarding company based in Jamaica, New York, which operated out of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK airport) in Queens, New York, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington State, was arrested yesterday in Seattle and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. “The defendant exploited her knowledge of the export business to falsify documents and circumvent U.S. sanctions by illegally shipping oil and gas products to Russian customers,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “American companies like the freight forwarder where Mazulina worked play a critical role in the global supply chain and movement of goods. The National Security Division will not tolerate individuals who seek to abuse their positions in these companies for financial gain at the expense of national security.” “We’ve been clear and consistent that we want to help freight forwarders comply with our rules,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “But, as today’s arrest underscores, we’ve also been clear and consistent about what happens when they don’t.” “As alleged, Mazulina used her position as a manager of a freight forwarding company to facilitate unlawful exports to Russia through JFK airport,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Evading U.S export regulations presents a danger to our national security, and we will continue to use all of our law enforcement and national security tools make sure these enablers, both individuals and corporations, cannot operate in our district.” “The defendant in this case allegedly helped Russia obtain such valuable items as industrial oil and gas equipment in violation of export laws and sanctions,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to detect and stop such illegal transfers and hold accountable those who engage in activities detrimental to U.S. national security interests.” As alleged in the indictment, from at least December 2022 through December 2024, Mazulina conspired with Russian freight forwarding companies and others to unlawfully ship controlled items, including industrial oil and gas equipment from the United States to Russia, through intermediary countries. At one point, in June 2023, Mazulina told colleagues that her clients were paying through bank accounts in third party countries because “[m]ost of [her] clients [were] currently sanctioned with USA.” Mazulina attempted to conceal the unlawful scheme by submitting and causing the submission of false export documents to the U.S. government, documents which should have revealed that the exported goods were destined for Russia. Mazulina is charged with conspiracy to export controlled goods to Russia without a license, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to commit money laundering, exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license, filing false export documents with the U.S. government, and smuggling goods contrary to U.S. law. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiring to export or exporting controlled goods to Russia without a license; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering; up to 10 years in prison for each count of smuggling; and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of conspiracy and filing false export documents with the U.S. government. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The BIS and FBI are investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, FBI Seattle Field Office, and BIS Boston Field Office assisted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell and Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorneys Christopher M. Rigali and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section assisted with this investigation. The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that, beginning in 2014, the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Mercer County Man Charged With Multiple Armed Robberies Of Business Owners And Causing The Death Of One Victim Through Use Of A Firearm

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County man made an initial appearance on charges of three armed robberies of Trenton-area businesses, including one during which the man caused the death of a victim through use of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Paul X. McNeil, 38, of Trenton, was charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of murder during and in relation to a crime of violence, one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. McNeil made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: McNeil targeted certain local businesses and/or business owners based upon the victims’ access to the businesses’ cash proceeds. On September 30, 2022, as an employee of an auto recycling shop in Ewing, New Jersey, was in the process of collecting the shop’s cash proceeds, McNeil and a coconspirator entered the shop. McNeil pointed a firearm at the employee before he and the coconspirator took from the employee approximately $150,000 of the shop’s cash proceeds and the employee’s lawfully registered firearm. Later that day, McNeil purchased a new car, paying $9,500 in a down payment, comprised of ninety-five $100 bills. On August 10, 2023, McNeil followed the owner of a Trenton cannabis shop from the shop to the owner’s residence in Lawrence Township. Moments after the cannabis shop owner entered the residence, McNeil followed the owner into the residence and robbed the owner of the cannabis shop’s cash proceeds which the owner had carried into the residence. As overheard by the cannabis owner’s spouse, who was in the residence, the owner stated to McNeil, “No, no, no … please, here, you can have it,” moments before McNeil shot and killed the owner with a firearm. In addition to taking from the owner the cannabis shop’s cash proceeds, McNeil also took from the owner jewelry the owner was wearing at the time of the robbery. Photographs recovered from McNeil’s cellphone depict McNeil wearing the owner’s jewelry, which was recovered later from McNeil’s vehicle. On September 23, 2023, McNeil entered the Ewing residence of an owner of a Trenton-area house-flipping business. Upon entering the residence, McNeil encountered three victims, including two minors. The owner of the business was not in the residence at the time. McNeil pointed a handgun at the three victims and demanded money. McNeil then bound the victims’ hands behind their backs with zip ties and forced them at gunpoint into the basement, while he searched the residence. McNeil took approximately $4,500 in cash proceeds from the house- flipping business as well as some personal items belonging to the business owner and the three victims. Law enforcement later recovered from McNeil’s residence approximately $4,000 in cash and some of the personal items belonging to the business’s owner and the three victims. “These charges allege that the defendant targeted several local business owners for robbery and murdered one of them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with its federal and local law enforcement partners, will spare no effort to investigate and prosecute violent offenders who target the businesses and residents of New Jersey.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger "We allege McNeil went into a Ewing business, held it up at gun point, and while the owner was attempting to hand over money McNeil shot and killed him. We also have evidence showing he also took part in several other brutal attacks and robberies. Violent offenders should take this investigation as a warning that the FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners are pursuing criminals who believe they can act with impunity and not face justice,” Acting SAC Nelson I. Delgado said. The count of murder during and in relation to a crime of violence is punishable by death, or a term of imprisonment up to life. The counts of Hobbs Act robbery and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The brandishing and discharging of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, where the brandishing count has a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 years in prison and the discharging count has a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 year in prison, which sentences must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed. Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting SAC Nelson I. Delgado, members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force, under the direction of Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton, and detectives with the Ewing Police Department, under the direction of Chief Albert Rhodes, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Agnew and Special Assistant Laura Sunyak of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 24-447 Defense counsel: Benjamin West, Esq. mcneil.complaint.pdf


title: TD Bank Insider Arrested And Charged With Facilitating Money Laundering

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former Florida-based employee of TD Bank, N.A. was arrested yesterday for facilitating money laundering to Colombia through the financial institution, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Leonardo Ayala, 24, of Homestead, Florida, is charged by complaint with one count of money laundering conspiracy. Ayala had his initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette M. Reid in Miami federal court and was released on location monitoring and a $100,000 bond. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Ayala worked at a TD Bank store in Doral, Florida, between February and November 2023. Starting in June 2023, Ayala exploited his position as a bank employee to facilitate money laundering. After another TD Bank employee opened accounts in the names of shell companies with nominee owners, Ayala assisted the money laundering network by issuing dozens of debit cards for the accounts in exchange for bribes. Those accounts were then used to launder narcotics proceeds through cash withdrawals at ATMs in Colombia. The investigation has revealed that millions of dollars were laundered to Colombia through accounts Ayala serviced. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense, whichever is greater. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Denise Foster in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, New York Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida; Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation in Miami, Florida; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, South Florida Division; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in Miami, Florida; and Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Justice Department’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ayala.complaint.pdf


title: Ocala Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Attempting To Meet A 13-Year-Old To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Devin Joseph Rivera (24, Ocala) to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Rivera entered a guilty plea on September 20, 2024. According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, Rivera communicated online with someone whom he believed was a 13-year-old girl. The child, however, was an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent. Rivera engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover agent. Ultimately, Rivera was arrested when he rode his bicycle to a pre-determined meeting location in Marion County to engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Rivera also brought a blanket and a condom with him to the location. "Actively scouring the dark web to find and collect sexual abuse content of children perpetuates the suffering of innocent victims around the world,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando David Pezzutti. “This sentencing reflects the gravity of this predator’s crimes, as well as HSI’s commitment to shedding a light on the dark web to protect children from harm.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Chiefland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.


title: United States and State of Illinois File Complaint Against City of East St. Louis for Unlawful Discharges of Untreated Sewage

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: The Justice Department, on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the State of Illinois today announced the filing of a complaint against the City of East St. Louis, Illinois. The complaint seeks penalties and infrastructure improvements to remedy East St. Louis’ failure to operate its sewer system in compliance with the Clean Water Act. This failure has led to hundreds of unlawful discharges of untreated sewage to various locations in the community, including the Mississippi River and Whispering Willow Lake in Frank Holten State Park. East St. Louis operates a combined sewer system that carries sanitary sewage and stormwater through the same pipes. During periods of heavy rain, combined sewage is discharged directly from East St. Louis’ outfalls to the Mississippi River or Whispering Willow Lake without any treatment, which the United States alleges is in violation of the Clean Water Act. Since 2020, East St. Louis has discharged untreated sewage to the Mississippi River on over 140 separate days. The city has also discharged untreated sewage into Whispering Willow Lake, though the precise number of discharges is unknown because East St. Louis has failed to install required monitoring devices. Areas of the Mississippi River that are downstream of East St. Louis are designated for recreation such as swimming and kayaking; Whispering Willow Lake is frequently used for fishing and boating. East St. Louis’ failure to monitor outfalls interferes with EPA’s ability to evaluate the danger that discharges to these water bodies pose to human health. Untreated sewage contains pathogens such as E. coli, which can cause severe illness if ingested. The frequent discharges of untreated sewage from East St. Louis’ outfalls could pose significant health risks to residents who recreate in the receiving waters. East St. Louis also operates a separate sewer system that carries sanitary sewage only. Both the combined and separate sewer systems that the city operates are in a state of disrepair. The city’s failure to properly operate and maintain these systems has led to additional discharges of combined or sanitary sewage into streets and buildings and has put members of the public at risk for unknowingly coming into contact with untreated sewage. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. The United States and Illinois will request an order for the City of East St. Louis to cease further violations of the Clean Water Act and complete all actions necessary to ensure future compliance. These requested compliance measures will likely include sewer improvement and other infrastructure projects. The Justice Department and EPA are asking East St. Louis community members to consider submitting optional Community Statements regarding sewer overflow events by April 30, 2025. The agencies seek information on the extent and impact of the sewer overflow problems and input on long-term solutions. Community members can provide input at dojenrd.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3aSMl4v9WteSESy. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Administrator Debra Shore for EPA Region 5 and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul made the announcement. The United States has brought enforcement actions to require municipalities across the country to update their sewer systems and address similar Clean Water Act violations. Nationally, EPA has been working with states, municipalities, and trade organizations to develop tools to help communities work towards compliance with Clean Water Act requirements. On Dec. 10, the Justice Department, EPA and the State of Illinois announced a settlement with the nearby City of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, resolving that city’s Clean Water Act violations. Details of that settlement can be found at www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-and-epa-announce-settlement-cahokia-heights-illinois-improper-operation . EPA and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency investigated the case. Attorneys with the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section and Illinois Attorney General’s office are handling the case.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced To 30 Years in Federal Prison For Threatening A Judge and Assault On A Federal Employee

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Wayne Andrew Miller, 41, of Lucasville, Ohio, and an inmate with the Bureau of Prisons was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to threatening a judge and his family, assaulting a federal employee, and possession of a weapon while in federal custody. The sentence was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “We must protect our dedicated government employees, so that they may carry out their jobs without fear,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “This sentence sends a strong message that we will take all measures to protect those who enforce the law is crucial to maintaining our democracy and keeping our communities safe.” Miller was serving a 20-year sentence in Ohio for kidnapping a female university student. That kidnapping occurred 9 days after Miller was released from state prison after completing a 9-year sentence for rape and kidnapping. In November 2022, Miller mailed a letter to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office in Gainesville, Florida. The letter contained threats to kill a Judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida, in Gainesville, Florida, and to rape the Judge’s wife and daughter. A federal grand jury returned an indictment for transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and using U.S. Mail to transmit a threat. "This investigation exemplifies the FBI's commitment to protecting public servants and their families," said Kristin Rehler, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. "Together, with our law enforcement partners, we remain dedicated to identifying, investigating, and holding accountable violent criminals who threaten the safety and security of others." On February 18, 2024, Miller was in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Tallahassee, Florida, awaiting court proceedings on the threat charges. A BOP (Bureau of Prisons) nurse conducted a medical assessment of Miller and providing care. Miller stabbed her in the head above her eye with a plastic shank, intending to take her hostage. A federal grand jury returned a separate indictment charging Miller with assaulting a federal employee with intent to cause bodily harm and, possession of an object intended to be used as a weapon in the Federal Detention Center. Miller pleaded guilty to all four charges. On December 3, 2024, U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor sentenced Miller to 30 years of imprisonment consecutive to Miller’s previous sentence in Ohio. Miller’s imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release. The case was investigated by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Grogan prosecuted the case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Announce Indictment and Arrest in $3.4 Million Scheme to Defraud Boone County Schools

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join with law enforcement officials to hold a press conference on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 3 p.m. to announce an indictment alleging a scheme to defraud the Boone County Board of Education out of approximately $3.4 million. WHO: U.S. Attorney Will Thompson and law enforcement officials WHAT: Press conference announcing an unsealed indictment and arrest WHEN: Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 3 p.m. WHERE: Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse, Charleston, Fourth Floor, Suite 4000 A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. ###


title: Three New Jersey Men Convicted For Racketeering Conspiracy And For Their Roles In Three Gang-Related Murders

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark jury convicted three New Jersey men for their roles in a violent racketeering conspiracy, three murders, and related firearms offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Myron Williams, aka “Money,” aka “Tunchi,” 31, of Newark, Khalil Kelley, aka “Billski,” 25, and Roger Pickett, aka “Zy Gz,” 24, both of Jersey City, were convicted in connection with a multi-count Indictment predicated upon their respective roles in the racketeering conspiracy. Williams was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, causing death through the use of a firearm, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Kelley was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm. Pickett was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, three counts of murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, three counts of causing death through the use of a firearm, and Hobbs Act robbery. “These three Marion street gang members brazenly committed three murders in the name of their gang. Two rival gang members were lured to their deaths through social media accounts that gang members used to impersonate the victims’ friends, and a third individual was killed during the course of a robbery committed against him. The senseless killing of these three men caused incredible danger to the community. Myron Williams, Khalil Kelley, and Roger Pickett now face mandatory life sentences for their crimes, and the District of New Jersey is safer as a result. As this case demonstrates, my office is committed to working closely with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Jersey City Police Department, alongside our federal law enforcement partners, to protect the community. This commitment to prosecuting violent crime ensures that serious consequences will follow for individuals who commit violence and have no regard for human life.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Today’s guilty verdicts bring accountability to violent criminals whose actions disregard criminal law, human life, and public safety. ATF remains steadfast in identifying and apprehending those who are terrorizing our neighborhoods with gang violence and disorder. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners and secure the safety of our communities.” ATF SAC L.C. Cheeks, Jr. “This verdict is a testament of our commitment in law enforcement to ensure that justice is always served. The defendants in this matter intentionally disregarded human life and instilled fear in neighborhoods across Jersey City. I thank our local, state, and federal partners who continuously work collaboratively with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office to ensure residents feel safe in their own communities.” Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Williams, Kelley, and Pickett are all members and associates of the neighborhood street gang associated with the Marion Gardens Housing Complex. Since 2013, they have committed numerous acts of violence, including three separate murders, on March 29, 2021, Nov. 20, 2021, and Nov. 1, 2022. On March 29, 2021, Kelley and other gang members lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the victim’s fellow gang member. When the victim opened the door to his residence, Kelley and another gang member brandished firearms, and the victim was shot multiple times in the chest, killing him. Pickett and Williams then picked up Kelley and other gang members after they abandoned the murder vehicle in Newark. On Nov. 20, 2021, Williams, Pickett, and another gang member lured a rival gang member outside by sending him Instagram messages pretending to be the second victim’s fellow gang member. Williams and another gang member shot the victim when he opened the door to his residence. On Nov. 1, 2022, a gang member facilitated the murder of the third victim by coordinating a narcotics transaction with the victim and an associate of the victim. When the victim and his associate arrived at the Marion Gardens Housing Complex to complete the narcotics transaction, they were robbed of their narcotics supply. During the robbery, Pickett and another gang member held the victim and his associate at gunpoint. After a struggle ensued, Pickett shot and killed the victim while his associate fled. Pickett then fled the Marion Gardens Housing Complex in his vehicle. Investigators observed and documented hundreds of narcotics transactions in and around the Marion Gardens Housing Complex during the monthslong investigation. In addition, when Williams was arrested on March 17, 2023, he possessed controlled substances packaged for distribution. Eight other individuals originally were indicted with Williams, Kelley, and Pickett. All have since pleaded guilty for their roles in the racketeering enterprise. The racketeering conspiracy count of which all three were convicted carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Each was also convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a mandatory life sentence, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and causing death through the use of a firearm, which carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Pickett was also convicted of Hobbs Act robbery, which carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and Williams was convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, which also carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited investigators of the Gang Intelligence Unit and the Homicide Unit of the Major Case Division of Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez and Chief of Detectives James A. Parker, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks Jr., and investigators of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the convictions. He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, and the U.S. Marshals, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, for their assistance. This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI"), the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Maloy and Javon Henry, of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark. williamsetal.2ndsupindictment.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Guilty Plea in Interstate Transportation Case Involving Illegal Sexual Activity

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man admitted guilt in federal court for transporting a woman to engage in illegal sexual activities, following a 911 call made by one of the victims. According to court documents, on June 17, 2024, law enforcement responded to a 911 call from an adult female in Laguna, New Mexico, reporting she was being trafficked. Officers located the caller and two other individuals at a gas station in Laguna. The investigation revealed that Hakeeme Kaleb Williams , 25, of Phoenix, had transported multiple women across state lines for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts, and used force and coercion to compel the women to engage in prostitution and turn over their earnings. Williams will remain in the third-party custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Williams faces up to 10 years imprisonment. Upon his release from prison, Williams will be subject to up to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and Laguna Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Trembley. # # #


title: Syracuse Man Admits to Dealing Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Diquan Hall, age 26, of Syracuse, pled guilty yesterday to two federal drug distribution felony charges, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). As part of his guilty plea yesterday, Hall admitted to distributing 15 bricks (17 grams) of fentanyl and approximately 2 ounces (52.6 grams) of methamphetamine in Liverpool, New York, on February 7, 2024, during an ATF undercover enforcement operation. Hall also admitted that he distributed 15 bricks of fentanyl (14.1 grams) and possessed with intent to distribute 19.8 grams of cocaine powder in Liverpool on February 15, 2024, at which time he was arrested by ATF and DEA Special Agents, SPD Detectives, and New York State Parole Officers. Hall was on New York State Parole at the time he distributed the controlled substances in this case and was wearing an electronic location monitoring device. Sentencing is scheduled for April 16, 2024, at which time Diquan Hall faces a minimum sentence of 5-years in federal prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and a post-incarceration period of supervised release of at least 4-years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. The case was investigated by United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (NY DOCCS-Parole), and the Syracuse Police Department-Intelligence Section (SPD-Intel). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.