title: Mississippi Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison on Medicare Fraud Conspiracy Charges

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – Vernon Sanders, 57 of Meridian, Mississippi, was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, as well as restitution of more than $3.3 million, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. Sanders also was ordered to forfeit $383,260. In December 2020, Sanders pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with conspiracy to defraud the United States and to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute through the payment and receipt of illegal health care kickbacks between 2016 and 2020. Sanders was the owner of the marketing company FastScripts, LLC, and a patient broker who referred Medicare beneficiaries to laboratories in exchange for the payment of kickbacks. Sanders paid marketers kickbacks to recruit Medicare patients to provide their Medicare information and genetic material, which Sanders then sent to laboratories for Cancer genomic (“CGx”) testing in exchange for the payment of kickbacks from the laboratories. Sanders also paid kickbacks to doctors for signed orders for CGx tests, without regard for the medical necessity of the tests. Sanders was aware that these tests had been obtained through kickbacks, including kickbacks he paid to Individual 1, a co-conspirator physician in Loretto, Tennessee. In December 2020, Individual 1 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in the Middle District of Tennessee, and was also sentenced to 18 months in prison. As a result of Sanders’ participation in the conspiracy, Medicare paid laboratories approximately $3,381,434 in reimbursements they were not entitled to receive because the patients had been procured through kickbacks, including orders signed by the physician in Loretto. From approximately June 2016 to January 2020, Sanders received approximately $383,260 in illegal kickback payments from laboratories and other marketing co-conspirators. “Genetic testing fraud schemes bilk the Medicare system out of millions of dollars and trick Medicare beneficiaries into providing their personal information and genetic material,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “In these national fraud schemes, marketers, like the defendant, together with unscrupulous doctors and laboratories, exploit vulnerable citizens as well as our federal health care programs. We remain committed to rooting out and prosecuting such crimes.” This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah K. Bogni prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Guaynabo Registered Sex Offender Arrested for Receiving and Possessing Child Exploitation Materials

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On December 18, 2023, HSI San Juan special agents assigned to the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF) arrested Marcelino Resto Colón, a 68-year-old male from Guaynabo, who was previously convicted for lascivious acts, and is a registered sex offender in Puerto Rico. According to court documents, from June 2022 through July 2022, Resto Colón used his computer and cellular phone to receive one or more images of child pornography via the internet depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Also, from June 2022 through May 30, 2023, the defendant possessed one or more images and videos which contained images of child pornography. The indictment also states that prior to committing the alleged offenses, Resto Colón was convicted on or about September 12, 2003, in Puerto Rico state court, for abusive sexual conduct involving a minor. “Those who engage in child exploitation and possess child sexual abuse material will be held accountable for their heinous conduct,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I commend the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners who continue working tirelessly to ensure that these defendants are be held accountable for their crimes.” HSI San Juan’s Special Agent in Charge Rebecca González-Ramos stated: “If the allegations presented in this case are true, we are facing an individual who does not demonstrate any regret for his actions. Let this case demonstrates HSI’s commitment to thoroughly investigate these crimes and assure they are sustained in court and proven beyond a reasonable doubt.” Assistant United States Attorney Ginette L. Milanes of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case. If convicted, defendant faces a sentence of at least 15 years up to 40 years of imprisonment for receipt of child exploitation material; and at least10 years up to 20 years of imprisonment for possession of child pornography. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians; and to report suspicious activities call 787-729-6969. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### About Homeland Security Investigations HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement. # HSI #


title: Convicted Felon is Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing Fourteen Firearms

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

body_text: PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A convicted felon who leaped into the Providence River in an effort to evade arrest in February 2022, shortly after members of the East Providence Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU) watched him place a suitcase containing fourteen firearms in the trunk of a vehicle, was sentenced today to six-and-half years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. According to information presented to the court, on February 17, 2022, SIU surveillance observed James Darosa, 30, exit an East Providence residence and place the gun-laden suitcase in the trunk of a rideshare vehicle, and then board the vehicle as a passenger. A short time later, East Providence Police initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. As officers approached, Darosa got out of the rear passenger door and jumped off a bridge into the Providence River. With assistance from Providence Police and Rhode Island State Police, Darosa was located along the shoreline and arrested. The suitcase that Darosa had placed in the trunk of the vehicle was found to contain fourteen guns - thirteen handguns, four of which were reported stolen and one of which had an obliterated serial number, and one semi-automatic rifle. On January 5, 2023, Darosa pleaded guilty to a federal charge of being a felon in possession of firearms. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith to a total of 78 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. The case in U.S. District Court in Providence was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Providence Police Department, and the Rhode Island State Police for their investigation and assistance in this matter. This case was being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. ###


title: Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assault on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—On December 19, 2023, a Warm Springs, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison for brutally assaulting a woman with a piece of firewood inside a residence on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Devere Ben Charley, 24, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. According to court documents, on November 29, 2022, officers from the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department (WSPD) responded to a report of an assault that had occurred inside a residence on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. In the residence, the officers located an adult victim lying on a couch with severe injuries to her head, face, and hand. The victim told the officers that Charley had been drinking and had assaulted her. The victim’s daughter observed her injured mother while monitoring a home security camera online away from the residence. The daughter further observed Charley throw a piece of bloody firewood into a stove. The adult victim was transported to a local hospital where she was treated for a broken nose, fractured arm, multiple lacerations, and a concussion. The victim later required a blood transfusion due to the significant blood loss from wounds on her head and face. On December 6, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Charley with one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Later, on February 8, 2023, a second charge, assault with a dangerous weapon, was added by superseding indictment. On September 29, 2023, Charley pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from WSPD. It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Visiting Brazilian Attorney Sentenced to Prison in Insider Trading

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Romero Cabral Da Costa Neto (Costa), 33, of Rio de Janeiro, was sentenced today to two months in prison for unlawfully trading on material, nonpublic information, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Costa to forfeit $42,649.13 and a $100 fine. Costa pleaded guilty November 1 in U.S. District Court to a charge of insider trading. Costa had been residing and working as a visiting attorney in Washington D.C., on a one-year J-1 Visa, at a global U.S. law firm (the Law Firm). According to court documents, Costa began working at the Law Firm in September 2022. Until the FBI arrested him in August 2023, Costa used his position at the firm to access privileged and confidential client files on the Law Firm’s internal file management system and systematically perform keyword searches on this Law Firm database to explore client files in search of valuable material non-public information that he could exploit for financial gain. Costa traded on material non-public information from law firm clients in advance of an $1.7 billion international BioPharma merger, a $5.7 billion oilfield merger, and a major drug trial announcement. In one of his trades, Costa pocketed a quick financial gain of $8,500; in another he reaped $42,649.13. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In particular, valuable assistance was provided by the Philadelphia Regional Enforcement office of the SEC, which promptly identified the offense conduct, enabling swift enforcement action.


title: Gallatin Man Convicted for December 2019 Violent Crime Spree

body_text: NASHVILLE - A federal jury convicted Lazavion Kern, 22, of Gallatin, Tennessee, of multiple armed robbery and firearms offenses yesterday, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. During a three-week span in December 2019, Kern robbed four convenience stores in Gallatin and Portland, Tennessee, taking thousands of dollars from the clerks. As part of the final robbery, Kern repeatedly pistol-whipped the clerk, seriously injuring him. Kern was charged by a federal grand jury in January of 2023 with one count of Hobbs Act robbery for each of the four robberies, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Yesterday, a federal jury convicted him on each count. “This defendant went on a three-week crime spree, violently attacked an innocent store clerk, and bragged about his actions on social media,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “The jury’s verdict ensures that he will be held accountable for those actions and that he will be removed from society for at least 14 years. I commend the excellent work of the trial team, the FBI, and our local law enforcement partners that made this outcome possible.” “This conviction should send a clear message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners make it a priority to bring to justice those who resort to armed robbery for ill-gotten financial gains,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “Violent crimes will not be tolerated, and law enforcement will not rest, until offenders are caught, prosecuted and held accountable for their actions.” Kern faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 14 years, and up to life, in federal prison. He will be sentenced by United States District Judge William L. Campbell, Jr. Kern was aided in each robbery by Antonio Jones and, in the third robbery, by Michael Sanchez Fitts. Jones and Fitts have pleaded guilty to felonies. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gallatin Police Department, the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, and the Portland Police Department. Significant assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph P. Montminy and Taylor J. Phillips are prosecuting the case. #####


title: Cameron County resident imprisoned for enticing children and alien smuggling

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 43-year-old man has been ordered to prison for enticement of a minor, possession of child pornography and transportation of undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Paz Gomez-Magdaleno pleaded guilty on March 1. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now sentenced Gomez-Magdaleno to 60, 120 and 240 months for the transportation of undocumented aliens, possession of child pornography and enticement of a minor convictions, respectively. At the hearing, the court heard Gomez had child pornography of relatives and minors from the local community. In addition, Gomez had obtained images of child pornography from minors over the internet from interactions through various social media apps. Gomez will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Gomez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution to the victims will be determined at a later date. On Jan. 28, 2021, Gomez drove his tractor-trailer to the primary inspection lane at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita. A K-9 alerted to the vehicle indicating there were potential individuals concealed inside the trailer of the vehicle. Upon further inspection, authorities discovered 20 undocumented aliens in the trailer and two cell phones within the vehicle. Law enforcement obtained search warrants for the cell phones and discovered them to contain images and videos of child pornography. Authorities further discovered Gomez engaging in numerous conversations on different messaging apps. An investigation revealed Gomez sought out minors to send him explicit photos and videos in exchange for money and gifts. Gomez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of the Border Patrol and Cameron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Overman and John Marck prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.


title: Federal Prosecutors Remove 300 Illegal Firearms from Eastern Virginia During Fiscal Year 2023

body_text: Today Jessica D. Aber, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA), announced that over the course of the past fiscal year, EDVA’s litigative efforts resulted in the forfeiture of at least 312 illegally owned, possessed, used, or obtained firearms, a 90% increase from last year. Firearms that are criminally forfeited are removed from the possession of a convicted criminal defendant and relinquished to the government for disposal, including potentially the return of the firearm to a rightful owner. “Our priority is to enforce the nation’s firearm laws to keep our communities safe,” said Aber. “Our significant increase in firearm seizures is because we recognize that unlawful firearm terrorize communities. Forfeiting these firearms from convicted defendants ensures that these firearms can do no more harm.” Since the start of 2023, EDVA has charged over 225 defendants with federal firearms offenses, including possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and straw purchasing of a firearm. These successes are a result of close cooperation between prosecutors and partners at federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). EDVA also partners with the state and local police and sheriffs across the district. “Through our strong law enforcement partnerships in EDVA, ATF agents have tirelessly worked to prevent firearms from reaching the hands of violent criminals. We all see the devastation that gun violence causes in our communities. Last year our agents participated in numerous complex investigations that included armed drug traffickers, illegal possession of firearms and trafficking violations. ATF’s goal was to reduce violent crime by removing as many dangerous criminals from our streets as we could. This year we are uniquely positioned to maintain that momentum and will continue to work collectively with our partners to make our communities safer,” said Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Washington Field Office. “ATF will remain on the frontline against violence.” “Every day the FBI and our federal, state, and local partners work toward our shared goal of combating violent crime," said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. “As we continue to combat violent crime with our law enforcement partners, it is imperative that we take guns out of the hands of those who cannot legally possess them. We are successful at this due to our partnerships and our commitment to show the return on investment to our partners by holding accountable those who endanger our neighborhoods for illegally possessing and using firearms. The communities our law enforcement partners serve deserve the right to feel safe and secure in their own homes and communities.” “By seizing firearms from individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess them, law enforcement is better positioned to reduce gun violence in our neighborhoods,” said David Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division. “Throughout 2023, the FBI collaborated with our federal, state, and local partners, as we do every year, to combat gun violence, and we'll continue to harness these resources for years to come to keep the communities that we serve safe.” “The safety of those in our community is paramount to our collective efforts. Too often we see how firearms, as an added component to criminal activity, can be life-altering even fatal and shatter the lives of innocent victims, their families, and communities,” said Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Field Office. “As such, FBI Richmond pledges to continue working with our law enforcement and community partners to address violent crimes and hold criminals accountable.” “The unlawful use of firearms is an enormous factor in a preponderance of the cases we investigate,” said Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Washington, D.C. “Any time we are dealing with illegally possessed firearms, the threat to our special agents and to our residents increases exponentially. HSI Washington, D.C. will not relent in our efforts to keep all firearms out of the hands of those who are not legally allowed to own them.” Cases prosecuted by EDVA this year include USA v. Taylor , in which Antonyo Taylor pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm connected to the homicide of a seven-year-old girl in Portsmouth; USA v. Harris , in which Deshan Harris was found carrying a firearm that had been used in two separate shootings in Richmond; USA v. Davis, et al , in which defendants Stanley Davis, Mantriel Reaves, and Jasiri Wynn pleaded guilty to a straw purchasing scheme where firearms were later recovered from individuals alleged to be involved in criminal activity; and USA v. Turner Sr. , in which Anthony Gale Turner, a federally licensed dealer, was prosecuted for selling at least 49 firearms unlawfully, EDVA’s efforts to seize and forfeit illegal firearms in 2023 was the result of multiple investigative and prosecutorial efforts, including Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which seeks to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them, and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), whose purpose is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.


title: North Carolina Man Admits Role in International Market Manipulation Scheme Related to New Jersey Deli

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A North Carolina man today admitted orchestrating a large-scale market manipulation scheme related to two publicly traded companies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. James Patten, 64, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2014 through September 2022, Patten, along with co-defendants Peter Coker Sr., and Peter Coker Jr., conspired to enrich themselves through a scheme to manipulate securities prices via a pattern of coordinated trading, which injected inaccurate information into the marketplace, creating false impressions of supply and demand for these securities. As part of the securities fraud scheme, the defendants targeted two publicly traded companies – Hometown International Inc. and E-Waste Corp. – which were both traded on the OTC Link Alternative Trading System, also known as the OTC Marketplace. The OTC Marketplace is an alternative trading system that contains three tiers of markets, which are largely based on the quality and quantity of the listed companies’ information and disclosures. Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. took steps to gain control of both entities’ management and stock with the ultimate intention of entering reverse mergers, a transaction through which an existing public company merges with a private operating company. A successful reverse merger would allow the defendants to sell shares of each entity at a significant profit. In or around 2014, two New Jersey residents began the process of opening a local deli in Paulsboro, New Jersey. One of the individuals discussed his interest in opening the deli with Patten, a long-time friend, who suggested the creation of Hometown International, an umbrella corporation, under which the deli would operate as a wholly owned subsidiary. Unbeknownst to the deli owners, after Hometown International was formed, Patten and his associates began positioning Hometown International as a vehicle for a reverse merger that would yield substantial profit to them. Around October 2019, Hometown International began selling shares on the OTC Marketplace. Shortly thereafter, Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. undertook a calculated scheme to gain control of Hometown International’s management and its shares from the deli owners. Patten, Coker Sr., and Coker Jr. took similar actions to gain control of E-Waste Corporation’s stock and management. Once the defendants gained control of Hometown International and E-Waste’s shares, they arranged for the transfer of millions of shares of stock to a number of nominee entities, including entities controlled by Coker Jr., in an effort to mask their control of the shares. The defendants transferred shares to family members, friends, and associates and gained control over their trading accounts by obtaining their log-in information in order to conceal the defendants’ involvement. The defendants then used those accounts to commit a number of coordinated trading events, often referred to as match and wash trades, to trade in Hometown International and E-Waste Corp.’s stock on both sides of the transaction. These tactics artificially inflated the price of Hometown International and E-Waste’s stock by giving the false impression that there was a genuine market interest in the stock. Their scheme had the ultimate impact of artificially inflating Hometown International’s stock by 939 percent and E-Waste’s stock by 19,900 percent. The securities fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The conspiracy to commit securities fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for April 23, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked special agents from FBI Charlotte, FBI Los Angeles, FBI San Francisco, FBI Denver, and FBI Knoxville, for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren E. Repole, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Shawn P. Barnes, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment against Coker Sr. and Coker Jr. are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. patten.indictment.pdf


title: Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 42 Years in Federal Prison for 2020 Kidnapping and Murder

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON BATISTE, also known as “B,” 36, last residing in Chicopee, Massachusetts, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 504 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for kidnapping and murdering another Massachusetts man in 2020. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 24, 2020, Batiste and Calvin Roberson, also known as “Cutty,” kidnapped Francisco Roman, Jr., 28, at gunpoint from a residence in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Batiste and Roberson threatened to harm Roman if he did not comply with their orders, handcuffed him, and stole cash, marijuana, and other items from Roman. Batiste and Roberson forced Roman into the rear of Roman’s 2010 Acura ZDX, and transported Roman and the other stolen property to Connecticut. Batiste shot and killed Roman while the car was en route to Hartford. They then drove the car to Shultas Place in Hartford and left it parked on the street. Shortly before 9 p.m. on December 26, 2020, Hartford police and fire personnel responded to Shultas Place and found the car engulfed in flames. After the fire was extinguished, investigators discovered Roman’s body with multiple gunshot wounds in the rear of the vehicle. Batiste has been detained since his arrest on February 11, 2021. On June 30, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnaping, and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm. Roberson pleaded guilty to the same charges on April 27, 2023, and is detained while awaiting sentencing. This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, FBI’s Springfield Gang Task Force, Massachusetts State Police, Hampden County (Mass.) District Attorney’s Office, Hartford Police Department’s Major Crimes Division, Chicopee Police Department and Springfield Police Department, with the assistance of the Waterbury Police Department and the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angel M. Krull and Trial Attorney Brian P. Leaming of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts for their assistance in this matter.


title: Grand Jury Returns Indictments

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Two Florida Residents Charged with Money Laundering Conspiracy Denise Webley, 40, Tamarac, Florida, and Julio Madruga Rosa, 51, Gulf Stream, Florida are charged with participating in a money laundering conspiracy. The indictment alleges that they conspired with others to conduct financial transactions involving the proceeds of an unlawful activity, specifically wire fraud. The indictment alleges that the defendants maintained bank accounts designed to collect and funnel cash proceeds from unlawful activities, and that Webley held Account A and Madruga Rosa held Account B. The indictment further alleges that Webley received a weekly payment for maintaining Account A, and Madruga Rosa received a percentage of the funds laundered through Account B as payment. The indictment alleges that in November and December 2020, unknown fraud perpetrators used false pretenses to convince employees of businesses in the Western District of Wisconsin and elsewhere, to collect and deliver the businesses’ cash-on-hand to couriers who the fraud perpetrators misrepresented were authorized by the business to receive the funds. The indictment alleges that as part of the conspiracy, in December 2020 in Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, two couriers collected $242,980 in currency from an employee of a retail store. The indictment further alleges that over $233,000 of the fraud proceeds were deposited into Account A, almost immediately were electronically transferred into Account B, and then subsequently transferred out of the United States. The money laundering charges against Webley and Madruga Rosa are the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation of the fraud scheme was conducted by these two agencies and the Merrill, Wausau, Everest Metropolitan, Stevens Point, and West Allis Police Departments, the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin is handling this case. Two Face Charges Related to Contraband in Federal Prison James Arthur Mallett, 40, formerly of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is charged with possessing a prohibited object while an inmate the Federal Correctional Institution at Oxford, Wisconsin. The indictment alleges that on August 4, 2023, Mallett possessed strips containing Buprenorphine, a narcotic drug. Imogene R. Lawson, 60, Chicago, Illinois, is charged with providing Mallett with the strips containing Buprenorphine on that day. If convicted, Mallett and Lawson each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charges against them are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Levins is handling the prosecution.


title: Nigerian National Arrested in Connection with Inheritance Fraud Scheme

component: Civil Division

body_text: A Nigerian national was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport on Dec. 7 and arraigned today in Miami in connection with an inheritance fraud scheme. Amos Prince Okey Ezemma, 50, of Lagos, Nigeria, faces federal charges in Miami. His co-defendants, Ezennia Peter Neboh, Kennedy Ikponmwosa, Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, 44, Emmanuel Samuel, 39, and Jerry Chucks Ozor, 43, of London, were all previously arrested in April 2022 by authorities in Madrid and London. Ezemma remained a fugitive until his surrender and arrest. “Schemes that prey on the elderly are particularly insidious,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will pursue and prosecute transnational criminals who defraud U.S. consumers, wherever they are located. I thank the Kingdom of Spain, including the Spanish National Police and the Ministry of Justice and our law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom and in Nigeria, for their tireless efforts in assisting U.S. authorities to find and arrest this fugitive so that he may face charges here in the United States.” According to court documents, Ezemma is alleged to have operated an inheritance fraud scheme. Over the course of more than five years, he allegedly sent personalized letters to elderly consumers in the United States. The letters falsely claimed that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who purportedly had died years before in Spain. Ezemma allegedly told a series of lies to consumers including that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and instructed to make other payments. Ezemma allegedly collected money sent in response to the fraudulent letters through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. According to the indictment, victims who sent money never received any purported inheritance funds. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long tradition of protecting citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Postal Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division. “This arrest is a testament of the dedicated partnership between the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, to protect our citizens from these scams.” “The arrest of the final defendant brings us one step closer to ensuring that those who conned elderly victims for pure financial greed are brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown of HSI Arizona. “This recent arrest demonstrates the tenacity of HSI and our law enforcement partners to target offenders wherever they may live to answer for their crimes.” Ezemma is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. Ezemma was arraigned yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Becerra of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He has been detained pending trial. If convicted, Ezemma 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. Five other defendants have already been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme. On Nov. 1, the Honorable Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Neboh, who was extradited from Spain, to 128 months in prison. On Oct. 20, Judge Williams sentenced another defendant who was also extradited from Spain, Ikponmwosa, to 97 months in prison. Three other defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. Judge Williams sentenced Samuel, Ozor and Abraham to 82 months in prison, 87 months in prison and 90 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. The Consumer Protection Branch, USPIS and HSI are investigating the case. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, Nigeria, all provided critical assistance. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Information about the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice .


title: Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Ammunition Used in Shooting in Brooklyn

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today in federal court in Brooklyn, Leo Oliver pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition in connection with a non-fatal shooting of a man in East New York, Brooklyn. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry. When sentenced, Oliver faces up to 10 years in prison. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Erin Keegan, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the guilty plea. “With today’s plea, the community can begin to heal from the callous violence the defendant brazenly inflicted in public places,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office is deeply committed to holding repeat offenders who engage in gun violence, like the defendant, fully accountable for their actions.” “For years, Leo Oliver caused immense harm to the Brooklyn community through his reckless acts of violence and justice has finally caught up with him. I commend the efforts of HSI New York's Violent Gang Task Force for successfully identifying Oliver, a repeat offender whose rap sheet boasted seven prior felonies, as the perpetrator in multiple shootings in East New York over a two-year period,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “I would like to thank the NYPD and the Eastern District of New York for their collaborative efforts to reduce gun-related violence, and their commitment toward the safety of our great city.” “While crime never rests, neither does the commitment of the men and women of the NYPD,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “I commend our investigators for their dedication to this important case. And, in the ongoing effort to end the horrors of gun violence, we and our partners at HSI and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York will remain tireless in identifying, investigating, and holding fully accountable anyone responsible for driving crime and disorder in our city.” According to court filings, the indictment, and facts presented during the plea proceeding, Oliver committed two shootings in East New York, Brooklyn in 2020 and 2021. On the evening of July 8, 2020, the defendant shot his first victim (Victim-1) at a bodega. Victim-1 was working behind the counter when, after a dispute, Oliver brandished a black firearm from his pocket, and shot Victim-1 in the chest and hand, before fleeing in an SUV. A .380 shell casing was recovered from the scene. Victim-1 was hospitalized but survived. Oliver committed a second shooting on September 25, 2021 following an argument with Victim-2 on the sidewalk on Van Siclen Avenue in Brooklyn. As Victim-2 and Oliver were in a verbal dispute, Oliver shot Victim-2 in his torso, before fleeing on foot. Victim-2 was hospitalized but survived. Two .380 shell casing were recovered at the scene. As described in court filings, after the shootings the defendant took steps to destroy evidence and conceal his crimes. He deleted firearms evidence from his cell phone, and threw the firearm used in the 2020 shooting into a river. The defendant has at least ten other prior convictions, including at least seven felony convictions. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Amir is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : LEO OLIVER (also known as “Gam”) Age: 43 Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-279 (DLI)


title: Pilot Involved in Cocaine Trafficking Scheme Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RONIER SANCHEZ ALONSO, 47, of Naucalpan, Mexico, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents and statements made in court, Sanchez conspired with others to transport approximately 1700 kilograms of cocaine from South America to the U.S. On August 6, 2016, Sanchez and Rupert De Las Casas flew a private jet, which was registered in the U.S., from the Dominican Republic to Venezuela where the cocaine was to be loaded onto the jet. De Las Casas was the pilot and Sanchez was the co-pilot. From Venezuela, the jet was to fly to Honduras where the cocaine would be loaded onto trucks for transport through Mexico into the U.S. A fake flight plan filed with Dominican authorities reported that the plane was traveling to Brazil. The plane crash-landed just short of a landing strip in Venezuela. Sanchez, De Las Casas and another co-conspirator evaded capture by Venezuelan authorities, and the cocaine was diverted back to Colombia. On December 14, 2016, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging Sanchez and others with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on board an aircraft registered in the U.S. Sanchez has been detained since he was arrested in Asuncion, Paraguay, on March 25, 2021. He was extradited to the U.S. in July 2022 and, on August 1, 2023, pleaded guilty to the offense. De Las Casas, who last resided in Florida, pleaded guilty and is detained while awaiting sentencing. Another co-conspirator, Arrinson De La Cruz, who had worked at an airport in the Dominican Republic and helped to coordinate the travel of the jet through the airport uninterrupted, was charged separately for his role in this scheme and other drug trafficking activity. De La Cruz, a citizen of the Dominican Republic who had resided in Wolcott, Connecticut, pleaded guilty and, on November 20, 2019, was sentenced to 144 months of imprisonment. This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force, which includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The DEA Country Office in Paraguay, Interpol and the Paraguayan National Police have assisted the investigation. U.S. Attorney Avery thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. State Department for coordinating the extradition proceedings in this matter, the U.S. Marshals Service for managing the defendant’s safe transport from Paraguay to the U.S., and the Paraguay Attorney General’s Office for its assistance with the extradition. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Essex County Woman Admits Role in Three Robberies and Two Shootings in Jersey City

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, woman admitted her role in a one-night crime spree involving robberies and shootings in Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Siobhan Chandler, 21, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court to an indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in relation to crime of violence, attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, and using and carrying a firearm in relation to crime of violence. The charges against her conspirator, Rodney Williams, are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On the evening of Nov. 14, 2023, Chandler and Williams robbed a gas station, where Williams pointed his gun at an attendant and demanded money. Chandler and Williams threatened force, violence, or fear of injury to two employees by demanding money while pointing a firearm at the employees. Chandler and Williams then fled. Chandler and Williams later entered another store, and Williams again pointed his firearm at a clerk and demanded money. The clerk handed money to Williams and he and Chandler then fled. Chandler and Williams entered a nearby restaurant and threatened force, violence or the fear of injury to a cashier. Williams pointed his gun at the cashier and demanded money. Williams discharged the firearm, shooting the cashier in the chest. The cashier handed money to Williams, after which Williams and Chandler fled. The Hobbs Act robbery charges to which Chandler pleaded guilty each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison; the conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in relation to crime of violence charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison; the using and carrying a firearm in relation to crime of violence charge carries a statutory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Any term of imprisonment on the charge for using and carrying a firearm in relation to crime of violence must run consecutively to any other prison term imposed on the other counts. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for April 17, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Acting Chief Robert J. Kearns, and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Esther Suarez, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanks the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. chandler.indictment.pdf


title: Multiple defendants named in newly unsealed indictment charging Savannah drug trafficking conspiracy

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: Multiple defendants have been charged in a partially unsealed 14-count federal indictment alleging their involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy in the Savannah area. The indictment follows a prior related indictment in which two individuals also are charged in a violent carjacking. The indictment in USA v. Grant et al . alleges that the defendants conspired starting at least as early as January 2021 to possess and distribute illegal drugs including methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. A conviction on the conspiracy charge carries a statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison, along with substantial fines and penalties, followed by a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. “As our law enforcement partners continue to identify, infiltrate and disrupt drug trafficking operations threatening the safety of our community, we remain dedicated to complementing their efforts by holding accountable those involved in these criminal enterprises,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. The indictment charges all of the defendants with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Marijuana. Three defendants still are being sought. Those named in the partially unsealed indictment include: Tremaine Grant , a/k/a “Trench,” 24, of Savannah; Laron Thompson , a/k/a “Hollywood,” 38, of Savannah; Tyquian Bowman , a/k/a “Quando Rondo,” 24, of Savannah; Donald Davis , a/k/a “Lil’ D,” 29, of Savannah; Ty’Sean Davis , a/k/a “Stro,” 21, of Savannah; Jarrell Palmer , a/k/a “Rel,” 36, of Pooler, Ga. Thompson and Grant also face drug distribution charges. Grant and Palmer are charged with Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery, and Grant and Thompson face firearms charges. The indictment provides notice of forfeiture of seven seized handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition. Two additional defendants – Robert Moss, a/k/a “Fat Boy,” 32, and Brandon McCall Williams , a/k/a “Lil’ B,” a/k/a “Dough Boy,” 32, both of Savannah – were already arraigned in connection with a partially unsealed indictment charging them in a related drug-trafficking conspiracy and alleging their involvement in a Sept. 2021 Savannah carjacking in which the victim was shot and wounded. An additional defendant is still being sought. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Agencies investigating the case include the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Chatham-Savannah Counter Narcotics Team; and the Savannah Police Department. The case is being prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley R. Thompson and Frank M. Pennington II.


title: Money Laundering Girlfriend of Drug Kingpin Sentenced to Over Three Years in Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – What began as a delivery of drugs in a Sony PlayStation box led agents to a stash location in Novi where a drug organization stored more than 30 kilograms of fentanyl and over half a million dollars. Today, the girlfriend of the organization’s California based leader, who laundered the drug money and lived lavishly off the proceeds was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and ordered to forfeit her interest in a laundered home to the United States. United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced the sentence and was joined in the announcement by Charles E. Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, and Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Field Division. Teeauna White, 36, of Moreno Valley, California, conspired with her boyfriend Maurice McCoy to conceal his drug money by setting up multiple businesses and controlling access to the bank accounts. Members of McCoy’s drug organization deposited drug proceeds into the bank accounts and delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars in bulk cash to McCoy and White. Together, McCoy and White reaped the benefits of the drug trade, using the money to fund their lifestyle. McCoy purchased an expensive Porsche Panamera and White bought a Bentley and Mercedes Benz. They used one of McCoy’s relatives to try to conceal their purchase of a home worth more than half a million dollars in Southern California. McCoy and White paid off their house in less than six months by funneling cash from drug sales through a labyrinth of bank accounts. They also used the drug money to buy expensive jewelry, including diamond and gold pendants for themselves and some members of McCoy’s drug organization. White often bragged on social media, posting pictures of her cars, jewelry, and lavish vacations with McCoy. White knew McCoy, who had served 10 years in federal prison for a prior drug trafficking conviction, was a convicted felon when she helped him launder drug money. DEA and IRS led a drug and money laundering investigation and discovered drug distribution hubs in multiple cities across the U.S., including Novi, Michigan, where the organization stored more than 30 kilograms of fentanyl and over half a million dollars that DEA seized. At the time, it was the largest fentanyl seizure in Michigan and one of the largest in the U.S. The seizure was the result of agents’ creative investigative work, after they traced a UPC code off a Sony PlayStation box that was used to deliver heroin to a drug customer. That UPC code led to the Novi condominium where the PlayStation was active. Agents identified couriers who crisscrossed the U.S. delivering kilograms, transporting bulk currency, or laundering money, leading to multiple arrests and additional seizures in Indianapolis and Baltimore, where the organization also operated. Of the 18 defendants charged, only White and Robin Herndon, a relative who she and McCoy used to purchase their home, went to trial. The remaining defendants, including couriers, large-scale drug customers, and McCoy himself, pleaded guilty. White and Herndon were convicted by a jury in July 2023. After the verdict, White took to social media to threaten the witnesses who had testified at trial. Her bond was immediately revoked, and she spent nearly four months in jail awaiting her sentence. “Money launderers are an essential, but often unseen, part of the drug trade. Their relative anonymity allows money launderers to profit handsomely from the drug business, while avoiding the more significant risks of drug dealing. But they help drug dealers access and enjoy the proceeds of a crime that poisons our communities. Money launderers should be held accountable and punished commensurately with the importance of their role in drug trafficking, and we will do our part by ensuring they are aggressively prosecuted,” stated United States Attorney Dawn Ison. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents work tirelessly in narcotics investigations to follow the money so we can financially disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations,” said Charles Miller IRS Criminal Investigation, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office. “We will not only seek to hold those accountable who traffic in drugs, but also those who help them hide or launder the illicit proceeds of these crimes that are destroying our communities. We are proud to work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice.” “As drug traffickers and money launderers become more sophisticated and creative in the way in which they ply their trade, the DEA and our partners will endeavor to work smarter to hold them accountable. People who knowingly conspire to launder drug proceeds will also be held accountable for the harm they inflict on our communities” said Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene. The investigation of the case was conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement (OCDETF) Southeast Regional Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrea Hutting, Craig Wininger, and Gjon Juncaj prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: Armed Waterbury Drug Dealer Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER POLLER, 30, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2022, Waterbury Police traveled to Poller’s residence to issue an arrest warrant for Poller and to conduct a court-authorized search of the residence. Upon arrival, investigators observed Poller conduct suspected drug transactions from his vehicle, and then enter his residence. Poller was arrested, and a search of his vehicle revealed two loaded handguns, more than 500 dose bags of fentanyl, and approximately 39 grams of crack cocaine. Poller’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics distribution, larceny, assault, escape, and weapons possession offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Poller has been detained since his arrest. On August 14, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base (“crack”), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty For Facilitating Multi-Million Dollar Financial Fraud Schemes And Operating An Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Emmanuel Unuigbe, 41, of Dallas, Texas, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan C. Rodriguez today and pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and today’s plea hearing, from 2018 to 2023, Unuigbe conspired with other individuals in the United States and overseas to launder millions of dollars of illegal proceeds obtained through extensive financial criminal activity. As Unuigbe admitted in court today, he created Stage 23 Konsult LLC (Stage 23) that claimed to be, among other things, a transportation business. In reality, the majority of Stage 23’s business was related to money laundering and the unlawful money transmitting of criminal proceeds. According to court records, Unuigbe and his co-conspirators engaged in two separate but related conspiracies. The first, a conspiracy to commit money laundering, involved engaging in financial transactions involving the proceeds of various fraudulent schemes. This included online romance scams, in which co-conspirators contacted victims, most of whom were elderly, through various online dating and social media sites, and convinced those victims to transfer funds to bank accounts under the control of Unuigbe, Stage 23, and others. It also included laundering the proceeds of Business Email Compromise schemes, or BECs, which often target businesses involved in wire transfer payments. As Unuigbe admitted in court today, as part of this conspiracy, businesses were tricked into wiring legitimate payments into bank accounts controlled by Unuigbe and other co-conspirators. Once the fraud proceeds of the romance and the BEC scams were received, Unuigbe and other individuals rapidly depleted the accounts through multiple withdrawals and transfers into other accounts, including overseas accounts. According to filed court documents, Unuigbe and his co-conspirators earned compensation by keeping a percentage of fraudulent proceeds obtained through the schemes. They also earned compensation by conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, whereby he and his co-conspirators agreed to “pay” for the domestic deposits received by others by transferring Nigerian Naria from accounts the co-conspirators controlled in Nigeria to other accounts in Nigeria, based upon a “black market” exchange rate for United States Dollars to Naira. Unuigbe is in federal custody. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business has a statutory penalty of up to five years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case, which is ongoing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Hudson County Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Soliciting and Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for soliciting victims online to send images and videos of child sexual abuse and possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Erick Solis, 25, previously pleaded guilty before retired U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to an information charging him with one count of solicitation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Julien X. Neals imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court. According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From July 2020 to February 2021, Solis used a social media application to engage victims in sexually explicit conversations. Solis requested that both minor victims take sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves and send them to him. In addition to the prison term, Judge Neals sentenced Solis to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents with the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office in Newark.


title: Resident alien sent to prison for conspiracy to distribute meth and fleeing while out on bond

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 54-year-old legal permanent resident of Mexico residing in San Antonio has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute meth and failure to appear, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Abel Avendano pleaded guilty for failing to appear and the underlying drug offense Feb. 1, 2022, and Oct. 27, 2022, respectively. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Avendano to serve 158 months in federal prison for the possession with intent to distribute meth. He also received 10 months for the failure to appear which must be served consecutively. Not a U.S. citizen, Avendano is expected to face removal proceedings following his total 168-month-term of imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his role in the conspiracy and the amount of narcotics involved. On June 19, 2020, Avendano approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. Authorities became suspicious when the driver of the vehicle appeared nervous. At secondary inspection, they found four kilograms of meth and discovered the vehicle had been stolen. The investigation revealed a seizure of five kilograms of meth concealed in the same manner at the Pharr Port of Entry May 31, 2020. At that time, those arrested identified Avendano as the individual who hired them to transport the narcotics from Mexico. The court permitted Avendano to be released on bond after his arrest pending conditions. He subsequently cut off his ankle monitor and fled. Avendano was been in custody since his re-arrest where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.


title: Missoula man admits distributing child pornography

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Missoula man admitted today to trading videos and images of child pornography with others on social media sites, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Nicholas Geoffrey Combs, 28, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography. Combs faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and not less than five years to life of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for April 17, 2024. Combs was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022, Snapchat reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a Snapchat user had uploaded two videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit content to its service. A law enforcement investigation determined that the Snapchat account belonged to Combs and that he had sent two videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit content to another Snapchat user. Combs admitted to an investigator to trading videos and images of minors engaged in sexually explicit content with other users on social media sites, including Reddit and Snapchat. Combs also admitted he was sexually attracted to minors, that he had solicited and received sexually explicit pictures from children with whom he interacted online and that he sometimes pretended to be a child to solicit the images. Law enforcement seized Combs’ electronic devices and determined that they contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Lowney is prosecuting the case. The Missoula Police Department conducted the investigation. 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . XXX


title: Springfield Man Received Delivery of 30 Pounds of Meth

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy after receiving a delivery of approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine from California. Saul Fernandez, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Dec. 13, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. By pleading guilty, Fernandez admitted that he was the intended recipient of approximately 30 pounds (13.34 kilograms) of methamphetamine that was transported to Springfield from California. According to today’s plea agreement, an officer with the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped a 2021 Nissan Altima for speeding on Feb. 19, 2022. The officer searched the vehicle and found 31 packages that contained a total of approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine. The driver was transporting the methamphetamine to Fernandez and agreed to cooperate in a controlled delivery. The next day, DEA investigators called Fernandez, who directed the cooperator where to go and when he would be picking up the vehicle and the methamphetamine. Investigators saw Fernandez pick up the vehicle from the cooperator, stopped him a short time later walking away from the vehicle, and placed him under arrest. Fernandez had the keys to the vehicle at the time of his arrest. Fernandez admitted to investigators that he agreed to accept the car. Although he initially claimed he did not know what was in the vehicle, Fernandez admitted that he knew his contact in California had been arrested in January 2022 with 90 pounds of methamphetamine. Fernandez also told investigators that he was supposed to receive $1,000 for picking up the car and holding it for an individual in Chicago, who would come pick the car up. Under federal statutes, Fernandez is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John D. Hatcher. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODNEY OFFRAY , age 49, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on December 19, 2023 before U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion to a three-count indictment charging him with distribution of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents began investigating OFFRAY in July 2023 for narcotics distribution in New Orleans. The ATF used a confidential informant and an undercover agent to conduct three controlled purchases, totaling 125 grams of heroin and fentanyl, from OFFRAY . On October 10, 2023, agents arrested OFFRAY , searched his residence, and located a semi-automatic rifle, 85 grams of heroin, 69 grams of cocaine, 120 fentanyl pills, and 13 grams of crack cocaine. For Count 1, OFFRAY faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For Counts 2 and 3, OFFRAY faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years, up to forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Additionally, OFFRAY faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Fourteen Members Of A Major Drug Organization That Trafficked Hundreds Of Kilograms Of Cocaine And Fentanyl Sentenced

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Fourteen members of a major drug organization that trafficked hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and fentanyl in the Charlotte area and illegally possessed firearms in support of that operation were sentenced today, following a two-year investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. “These sentences are another example of how the Justice Department is targeting the Sinaloa and CJNG cartel networks that are poisoning the American people with fentanyl and fueling violent crime in communities across the country,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The cartels are responsible for creating the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced -- we will continue to attack every aspect of their operations, including their associated drug trafficking organizations in the United States.” “Deadly drugs like fentanyl and the gun violence tied to the drug trade are responsible for shattering families and devastating our communities,” said U.S. Attorney King. “The prosecution of this trafficking organization with ties to Mexican drug cartels exemplifies our ongoing efforts to disrupt drug networks, reduce drug-induced gun violence, and build strong and safe communities. I want to thank the DEA and all of our law enforcement partners for their exemplary work in this case and for joining forces to combat drug activity and violent crime.” “Dangerous drugs continue to flow into our communities at the expense of too many lives. This successful operation has ensured these violent drug traffickers have been taken off our streets, ultimately making the communities safer for everyone,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy of the DEA Atlanta Division. According to court documents and court proceedings, from 2017 to 2022, the defendants were members of a large drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl, and other narcotics in and around the Charlotte area. Information presented in court shows that the DTO had ties to, and was directly supplied from, the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels. According to court documents and statements made in court, the multi-agency investigation into the DTO included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics, extensive surveillance, and the execution of dozens of search warrants, and led to the seizure of large quantities of narcotics, including approximately 328 kilograms of cocaine, 26 kilograms of fentanyl, and a kilogram of heroin. In addition to the narcotics, law enforcement seized approximately 60 firearms, 18 high-capacity magazines and ammunition, more than $2.4 million in cash drug proceeds, over $300,000 in jewelry, two residences, ten vehicles, a boat, and two tractor-trailers with hidden compartments for smuggling narcotics. United States District Judge Robert J. Conrad sentenced the 14 defendants as follows: Salvador Barrera Jr., 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 24 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Ricardo Johnathan Gomez, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Johnny Lane Owens Sr., 46, of Albemarle, North Carolina, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Isaac Sandoval, 31, of Salisbury, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Adrian Christopher Solares, 33, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 135 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Luis Raymundo Macias-Robles, 32, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 121 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Norberto Macedo Jr., 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 95 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Derek Duane Crump, 42, of Albemarle, was sentenced to 77 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Christian Alexander Hernandez, 29, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 74 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Erik Perales, 28, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 72 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. Jesus Adrian Perales, 32, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Janquil Josselyn Jackson, 30, of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 37 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Christok Alexander Mata, 21, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. David George Jansen, 45, of Indian Land, South Carolina, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The DEA, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Kansas Highway Patrol, Anderson County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, York County, South Carolina, Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit, Albemarle Police Department, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Cornelius Police Department, Mint Hill Police Department, Monroe Police Department, Pineville Police Department, and Salisbury Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taylor G. Stout and Alfredo De La Rosa for the Western District of North Carolina prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF . # # #


title: Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Year in Prison for Causing the Creation of an Obscene Animal Crush Video

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – A Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin man was sentenced today for knowingly causing the creation, sale, and distribution of an obscene animal crush video, in violation of the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (“PACT Act”). U.S. District Judge William M. Conley sentenced Kenneth Herrera, 40, to a year and a day in prison and a $5,000 fine. Herrera will serve three years of supervised release following the prison sentence. The PACT Act makes it illegal to create or distribute depictions of “animal crushing” that will be sold or distributed internationally or between states. Animal crushing includes burning, suffocating, impaling, or causing the serious bodily injury of animals. Herrera pleaded guilty to this charge on September 15, 2023. As part of an investigation titled “Operation Dry Eyes,” agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation learned about an individual, later identified as Herrera, who ordered videos depicting animal crushing from an international videographer. Specifically, USFWS and FBI agents uncovered evidence that, in December 2021, Herrera sent money to a videographer in Indonesia in exchange for a video of a monkey being physically abused. Herrera sent detailed instructions to the videographer asking that the monkey be physically abused in specific violent ways. The videographer complied with these requests and sent the video to Herrera via an encrypted messaging application. In sentencing Herrera, Judge Conley remarked on the abhorrent nature of the video and pointed out that Herrera did not just view the video but played a role in its production. “Video recordings of animal torture are cruel, inhumane, and illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea. “Evidence shows that animal torture can be a precursor to other violent crimes. Our office will work with law enforcement, domestically and internationally, to investigate and prosecute all crimes of this nature.” “The primary mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and our specific role in the Office of Law Enforcement, is to protect all wildlife from being unlawfully commercialized, in whatever form we find it. The heinous crimes against wildlife that are centered in this investigation are an extreme example of that commitment. The success of this case is a direct result of our partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” said Assistant Director Edward Grace of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “The FBI stands resolute in our dedication to working with our federal and international partners to address animal cruelty violations,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “We view the sentence handed down in this case under the Animal Crushing Statue not only as a measure of justice served, but also as a deterrent against future violations. We appreciate the opportunity to work with our partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Wisconsin on this investigation and will continue to rigorously enforce the laws designed to prevent such heinous acts.” The charge against Herrera was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorney Mark T. Romley of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case. If you are aware of animal cruelty, please report it to law enforcement. You can also call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-844-FWS-TIPS or the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.


title: Indictment Charges District Man with First-Degree Murder and Conspiracy in December 2022 Shooting in Northeast D.C.

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jajuan Gripper, 21, of Washington, D.C., was charged by indictment on December 20, 2023, for the December 20, 2022 murder of 34-year-old Rynell Bradford, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The indictment charges Gripper with conspiracy, first-degree premeditated murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license. According to the government’s evidence, in the evening on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, Gripper and two unindicted co-conspirators followed Bradford out of an apartment building in Northeast Washington, D.C. The three suspects then opened fire on Bradford as he ran away from them down a public street in a residential neighborhood. Gripper and his co-conspirators fired a total of at least 19 shots, striking Bradford once in the back of the head. Bradford was pronounced dead at the scene. Gripper was arrested in March 2023 and has been detained pending trial since his arrest. This case is being investigated by members of MPD’s Homicide Branch. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Bronx Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Antonio Vargas, age 58, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty today in connection with a scheme to defraud five banks by using fake identifications to fraudulently withdraw funds at bank branches throughout the Capital Region. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. Vargas pled guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. He admitted that in June and July 2022, he presented counterfeit U.S. passport cards and driver’s licenses with his photograph, but with the names and other personal information of real customers of Trustco Bank, Pioneer Bank, Broadview Federal Credit Union, Adirondack Trust Bank and Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company. He fraudulently withdrew a total of $58,000 from the customers’ accounts in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga and Schenectady Counties. Vargas was arrested by Saratoga Springs Police Department on July 13, 2022, after he unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw funds from a Saratoga National Bank branch, and has remained in federal custody since then. Vargas is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2024, by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. The bank fraud conviction carries a maximum term of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $1 million. The aggravated identity theft conviction carries a mandatory term of 2 years in prison, to be imposed consecutively to any other term of imprisonment. The court may also require Vargas to serve a term of supervised release of up to 5 years to begin after imprisonment. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. This case was investigated by HSI with assistance from the New York State Police, the U.S. Secret Service, Bethlehem Police Department, North Greenbush Police Department, Rotterdam Police Department, Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, Saratoga Springs Police Department and Scotia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet J. O’Hanlon is prosecuting this case.


title: Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Nationwide “Felony Lane Gang” Conspiracy

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Three men – Randall Taylor, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Cedric Lynch, age 38, of Orlando, Florida; and Keyshawn Arnold, age 27, of Schenectady, New York – have been sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and to aggravated identity theft. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; James Smith, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville made the announcement. In previously pleading guilty, the three defendants each admitted that they were involved in a fraud scheme known as “Felony Lane Gang” at various times between 2015 and 2020. To operate the scheme, these defendants and their co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking into cars, often targeting those parked by women at locations such as health and fitness centers, daycares, and parks. They stole purses containing debit cards, credit cards, checkbooks and photo identifications in these “smash-and-grab” vehicle thefts, and they recruited women to commit bank fraud by impersonating the smash-and-grab victims in drive-through bank lines in order to cash stolen checks. The check cashers were almost always suffering from an addiction to controlled substances and were provided payment at least partially in drugs. The total loss amount from the conspiracy was over $1 million, with individual co-conspirators responsible for portions of that loss. Taylor, Lynch, and Arnold received the following sentences imposed by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino: Taylor was sentenced on December 20, 2023 to 61 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $54,967, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $11,240, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release after completing his term of imprisonment. Lynch was sentenced on November 22, 2023 to 61 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $80,464, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $11,740, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release. Arnold was sentenced on November 20, 2023 to 51 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $142,670, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $19,810, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release. Six other defendants were charged in the indictment as co-conspirators with Taylor, Lynch and Arnold, and they all pled guilty and were sentenced previously, as follows: Joshua Mallory, age 38, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 27, 2023 to 80 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $364,989.56, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $17,183.90, and he was ordered to serve a 5-year term of supervised release. Tyrone Parker Jr., age 24, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 20, 2023 to 65 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $81,737, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $8,630, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release. Robert Natson, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 4, 2023 to 46 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $34,400, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $4,352, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release. Gary Grier, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on August 25, 2023 to 51 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $163,964, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $1,880, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release. Terrell McDonald, age 33, of Troy, New York, was sentenced on March 13, 2023 to 65 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $133,190, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $17,648.28, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release. Tyrone Parker (the father of co-defendant Tyrone Parker Jr.), age 42, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on February 13, 2023 to 57 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $132,990, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $7,202, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the FBI Westchester Resident Agency of the New York Field Office and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Albany, Miami, and Salt Lake City, and Resident Agencies in Savannah, Georgia, and Portland, Maine, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office. Additional assistance was provided by numerous law enforcement agencies, including, within New York, the New York State Police; Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; Monroe County Sheriff’s Office; Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office; Warren County Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of the Town of Bethlehem; Glens Falls; Gloversville; Greenburgh; Greece; and Watervliet; and elsewhere, Connecticut State Police; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Georgia State Patrol; Illinois State Police; Massachusetts State Police; Broward County, FL Sheriff’s Office; Northern York County, PA Regional Police; Southern Chester County, PA Regional Police; Utah County, UT Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of Auburn, MA; Bath, ME; Biddeford, ME; Bozeman, MT; Brunswick, ME; Caernarvon Township, PA; Chester Township, PA; Cinnaminson, NJ; Darien, CT; East Norriton Township, PA; Easthampton, MA; Greenwich, CT; Lower Moreland Township, PA; Manheim Township, PA; Portland, ME; Portsmouth, NH; Saco, ME; Salisbury, MA; Sanford, ME; Scarborough, ME; Somersworth, NH; South Portland, ME; St. George, UT; Syracuse, UT; Tinicum, PA; Towamencin, PA; Tewksbury, MA; Wakefield, MA; Yarmouth, ME; and York, ME. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie, Michael F. Perry and Paul Tuck prosecuted this case.


title: Northern Nevada Man Sentenced To Prison For Assaulting A Tribal Police Officer

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO – A Northern Nevada resident was sentenced Tuesday by United States District Judge Larry R. Hicks to 63 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a law enforcement officer with a dangerous weapon. In September 2023, a jury convicted Gelasio Johnson Guerrero (36) of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon within Indian Country. According to court documents, on July 10, 2022, Guerrero assaulted a tribal law enforcement officer with a firearm and metal object while on the Walker River Indian Reservation. As a result of the assault, the Walker River Tribal Police Department officer suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew Keenan and Penelope Brady prosecuted the case. ###