title: Member of transnational organized crime group convicted of money laundering, encouraging aliens to come to the United States, trafficking stolen property, and bribery of public officials sentenced to 95 months in prison

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Feb. 9, a Miami Beach man was sentenced to 95 months in federal prison for his role in a violent transnational organized crime group operating in Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and South Florida since as early as 2009. The sentence comes after a jury convicted Javier Hernandez, 50, of Miami Beach, Florida, of conspiracy to commit encourage and induced aliens to come to or enter the United States without authority, conspiracy to transport stolen vessels, conspiracy to traffic in certain motor vehicles, trafficking in certain motor vehicles, and conspiracy to launder money to promote stolen property trafficking and the bribery of public officials in October 2023. According to evidence introduced at trial, Hernandez and his codefendant, Ramon Reyes Aranda, 38, of Naples, Florida, stole vessels from the west coast of Florida. Reyes Aranda would identify the vessels, and Hernandez transported them to Mexico, where they would be used to fund and facilitate the enterprise’s illegal activities. Prior to the trial, Reyes Aranda pleaded guilty to participating in a money laundering conspiracy to promote stolen property trafficking and the bribery of public officials. The stolen property, which included boats and vessels, were transported to a coconspirator in Mexico, who would then use the stolen property to facilitate and promote the organization’s activities. For example, evidence introduced at trial showed that Hernandez transported a vehicle to Mexico for use in bribing a foreign official so that the organization could continue conducting migrant smuggling without interference from law enforcement. An extensive multi-national operation, led by American and Mexican law enforcement authorities, was formed to combat the activities of a violent transnational organized crime group known collectively in Mexico as La Mafia Cubana en Quintana Roo , or the Cuban Mafia in Quintana Roo. Through this operation, law enforcement officials learned that Jose Miguel Gonzalez Vidal, 36; Reynaldo Abreu Garcia, 56; Yohismy Perez Gonzalez, 40; Yosvani Carbonel Lemus, 43; Reynaldo Crespo Marquez, 44, and Jancer Sergio Ramos Valdes, 37, all Cuban citizens residing in Mexico at the time of the charges, along with Maikel Antonio Hechavarria Reyes and Monica Susana Castillo, both of Mexico, were part of an organized crime group that profited from various schemes, including the smuggling and extortion of Cuban migrants held hostage in Mexico for the payment of smuggling fees ( United States v. Vidal, et al. , Case No . 21-cr-20050-CMA). According to evidence contained in the court record, Gonzalez Vidal introduced Hernandez to Reyes Aranda so that they could work together to transport stolen vessels for the organization. Both Hernandez and Reyes Aranda were paid by Gonzalez Vidal and other members of the organization for their transportation of the stolen property. The members of the migrant extortion racket required the victims to provide contact information of a family member from whom they would later demand a $10,000 USD ransom fee. The men contacted the victims’ relatives, some of whom were in Miami, and threatened to torture, starve, and kill the victims if the relatives refused to pay. If a victim’s relative was able to pay the ransom, the organization released the victim and sent them by bus to the United States-Mexico border with instructions to seek political asylum. The victims whose relatives were unable to pay the fee were beaten, threatened with knives and guns, and shocked with stun guns until they were finally rescued by Mexican authorities. Members of the organization also sought to profit from drug trafficking and fraud schemes. Further, once the defendants were charged in the United States and detained pending trial, they continued operating the organization by seeking to obstruct justice, violating court orders, and distributing contraband in a federal detention center. As part of their prison racket, the organization paid bribes to a federal employee to introduce contraband and controlled substance for distribution into the Federal Detention Center (FDC), in Miami. For their participation in the criminal scheme, Gonzalez Vidal, Crespo Marquez, Abreu Garcia, Perez Gonzalez, Carbonel Lemus, and Ramos Valdes previously pleaded guilty to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy and migrant smuggling. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami; Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region; Warden Gio Ramirez of the Federal Detention Center (FDC), Bureau of Prisons (BOP); Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Chief of Police Tracy Frazzano for the Marco Island Police Department, and Chief of Police Ciro M. Dominguez of the Naples Police Department, made the announcement. The prosecution of this organization has involved significant support from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI’s International Violent Crimes Unit, and the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. These multinational prosecutions are the result of ongoing efforts of the Operation Sisyphus Task Force, a multi-agency partnership established by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Priority Transnational Organized Crime Program. Since 2012, Operation Sisyphus Task Force participants have secured the conviction of over thirty members and associates of the criminal organization. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and other priority transnational criminal organizations that threaten the citizens of the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence driven, multi-agency approach to combat transnational organized crime. The OCDETF program facilitates complex, joint operations by focusing its partner agencies on priority targets, by managing and coordinating multi-agency efforts, and by leveraging intelligence across multiple investigative platforms. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arielle Klepach and Brian Dobbins prosecuted U.S. v. Hernandez, et al., Case No. 22-cr-20557. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Manolo Reboso, Quinshawna Landon and Ignacio J. Vázquez, Jr. prosecuted U.S. v. Vidal, et al ., Case No. 21-cr-20050. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Davis conducted collateral litigation regarding obstruction of justice activities in the Vidal, et al. prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda handled asset forfeiture. Anyone with related information or who may have been a victim or witness should contact HSI at 877-4-HSI TIP (877-447-4847). Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under the case numbers referenced above. ###


title: Clovis Methamphetamine Distributor Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Ivan Sigmond, 50, of Clovis, pleaded guilty today to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2020, law enforcement officers obtained and executed a search warrant at Sigmond’s residence, where they found nearly 30 pounds of pure methamphetamine, along with two handguns and an assault firearm. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case. Sigmond is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2024. Sigmond faces a minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Man Indicted on Federal Charges for Aiming a Laser Pointer  at Spokane County Sheriff’s Helicopter and Life Flight Helicopter

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that a federal grand jury has indicted Johnny R. Blackstock on 2 federal felonies in connection to Aiming a Laser Pointer at an Aircraft. On October 13, 2023, Blackstock shined a laser at a Life Flight helicopter that was transporting a patient in the Spokane area. A short time later, Blackstock shined a laser at the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Air One helicopter that was on routine patrol in the area. “Pointing a laser at an aircraft can have life-threatening consequences. Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies protecting the community and first responders life-flighting a patient for medical help face extreme danger from actions like this,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for our law enforcement partners and first responders who put themselves at risk to protect and serve our community.” This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Cashman. 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: Man sentenced to three years in prison for destroying property at U.S. courthouse and federal building in Fort Lauderdale

body_text: MIAMI – On Feb. 8, a man was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $71,933.20 for destroying federal property at the U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Fort Lauderdale. The sentence follows his guilty plea entered in November 2023 to one count of destruction of federal property in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1361. According to facts admitted in support of his guilty plea, on Sept. 5, 2022, Matthew Leon Chilcutt, 45, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, forced his way into the Courthouse when the building was closed to the public in observance of the Labor Day holiday. While on the federal premises, Chilcutt smashed glass and other objects, destroyed interior and exterior doors, and caused significant water damage, among other acts of destruction. Surveillance video at the Courthouse recorded Chilcutt throughout the offense. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and the Federal Protective Service (FPS), Miami Region, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore. FPS investigated this case with assistance from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Snider prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 22-cr-20449. ###


title: Felon Sentenced for Possessing Stolen Gun After Domestic Dispute

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

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. According to court documents, Joseph Bush, 31, was arrested in Gilpin Court on July 28, 2022. On that date, Richmond Police Department officers responded to a report of a domestic assault. Bush’s girlfriend called 911 to report that Bush had hit her in the face and neck and scratched her wrist. He also took her phone and smashed it. The victim further reported that, earlier in July, Bush had pointed a firearm at her face. While responding to the 911 call, the officers found Bush walking from the victim’s apartment. When an officer attempted to speak to him, Bush ran. After a foot pursuit, the officers detained Bush and recovered a loaded Glock 9mm handgun with an extended magazine from his pants leg. The firearm had been reported stolen three months earlier. In Bush’s pants pocket, officers found suboxone strips and cocaine. Officers found additional rounds of 9mm ammunition, rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, and a scale inside Bush’s bag. Bush has prior convictions for robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and being a violent felon in possession of a firearm. He committed the current offense within six months of his release from state prison and while he was on supervised probation. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-163.


title: Member of Violent Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Involving Attempted Murder

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston-area man pleaded guilty today to his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang. Daronde Bethea, a/k/a “Freeze,” 32, of Boston and Brockton, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, more commonly known as RICO conspiracy; conspiracy to interfere with commerce by force or violence; and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for May 16, 2024. Bethea was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2022. Bethea was identified as a member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston. According to court documents, Cameron Street members use violence, including murder and attempted murder, to preserve, protect and expand its territory. They allegedly use social media to promote Cameron Street, celebrate murders and other violent crimes, and denigrate rival gangs. They allegedly possess, carry and use firearms; distribute controlled substances; commit armed robberies; and engage in human trafficking in part to generate income. As part of his role in the Cameron Street enterprise, Bethea committed an attempted murder with a firearm of a rival gang member in Dorchester in June 2018. As the victim got into his car, Bethea shot the victim multiple times causing the victim to have a collapsed lung. In addition, Bethea was involved in two violent home invasion robberies – in November 2017 in Dorchester and July 2018 in Canton. During a chase from the Canton home, Bethea was captured on a police cruiser camera possessing a loaded handgun that was later recovered. The charge of RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by force or violence each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Drug Traffickers in Eastern Idaho Receive Federal Prison Sentences

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: POCATELLO – Jeniffer Daniel Borchert, 30, of Pocatello, Amy Nacona Jagneaux, 48, also of Pocatello, and Joel Santos, 29, of Idaho Falls, were sentenced in separate cases for federal drug crimes involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, and firearms, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. On February 5, 2024, Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Borchert to five years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl. After serving her prison sentence, Borchert will be placed on supervised release for three years. According to court records, Borchert, was arrested by detectives with the BADGES Task Force who conducted an operation during the summer of 2022 in which Borchert sold fentanyl pills to undercover law enforcement on multiple occasions. In a separate case, on February 6, 2024, Chief Judge Nye sentenced Jagnueax to five years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. After her prison term, Jagneaux will be placed on supervised release for eight years. She received double the term of supervised release than is normally required because she sold dangerous drugs within 1,000 feet of a public high school. According to court records, Jagneaux, was arrested at an auto shop located across the street from Pocatello High School. In February 2022, detectives with the BAGES Task Force purchased a half a pound of methamphetamine from Jagneaux at the auto shop that she owned in downtown Pocatello. The purchase was followed by further investigation that led to the execution of a search warrant at the auto shop in September 2022. During the search, law enforcement located methamphetamine and approximately 25 firearms, four of which had been reported stolen. In a third case, on February 6, 2024, Chief Judge Nye sentenced Santos to five and half years in federal prison to be followed by a term of supervised release for three years for unlawful possession of a firearm. Santos received an enhanced sentence for prohibited possession of a firearm in connection with distribution amounts of methamphetamine. According to court records, Santos was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for expired registration. Santos was asked to step out of the car and subsequently fled on foot. An officer with the Idaho Falls Police Department chased Santos and eventually apprehended him and located a firearm that Santos threw while he was running away. Officers also located a bindle containing four ounces of methamphetamine near the discarded firearm. Santos was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction. Santos has also previously been documented by the Idaho Falls Police Department as an active gang member. “These cases reflect the strong partnership between our office and our local law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “This series of cases not only makes Eastern Idaho safer, but it also shows our commitment to bringing to justice anyone else tempted to sell poisonous drugs or illegally possess firearms in Idaho.” U.S. Attorney Hurwit thanked the Pocatello Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chubbuck Police Department which participated as part of the BAGES Task Force, and the Idaho Falls Police Department for their investigations in these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe McLane, who was the Eastern Idaho Partnership Special Assistant U.S. Attorney at the time of charging, prosecuted these three cases. The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction. The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts. ###


title: Repeat Offender Sentenced To Prison For Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Tonopah, Nev., man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware III to 10 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for unlawful possession of child sexual abuse material while on federal supervision for a prior crime. According to court documents, in January 2023, a United States probation officer conducted a visit at the residence of Jeff Richard Stewart (66) who was on federal supervised release for a 2012 conviction of receipt of child sexual abuse material. During the visit, the probation officer discovered several unauthorized electronic devices in Stewart’s possession and seized the devices. Stewart admitted that he possessed about 4,535 images and three videos of child sexual abuse material depicting children as young as infants on these devices. In November 2023, Stewart pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, he is required under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act to register as a sex offender and keep the registration current. 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 case was investigated by the FBI and the Nye County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Supriya Prasad prosecuted the case. The 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. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or https://report.cybertip.org . ###


title: District Man Found Guilty by Jury in Scheme to Steal Residential Real Estate Using Fraudulent Deeds

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON - Jeffrey M. Young-Bey, 67, of Washington, D.C was found guilty today on twelve federal charges stemming from a scheme in which he used a fake notary stamp, forged signatures, and fraudulent property deeds to steal residential real estate property. The scheme generated more than $850,000 in fraudulent loans obtained through mortgages taken out against the value of the stolen real estate. The jury verdict, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. Young-Bey was found guilty before the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and bank fraud, two counts of bank fraud, two counts of mail fraud, two counts of money laundering, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date is pending. Young-Bey’s conspiracy and fraud convictions carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The money laundering counts carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. The aggravated identity theft charges call for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison. According to the government’s evidence, beginning in November 2019, Young-Bey conspired to steal a residential townhome located in LeDroit Park in order to obtain mortgage financing against the stolen property. Specifically, Young-Bey identified a target property owned free and clear by an elderly homeowner located in the District. Young-Bey then prepared a fraudulent property deed, including forged signatures of the true owners and used a fake notary stamp to make the deed appear legitimate. Young-Bey filed the deed with the District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds, transferring the title from the true owners to a corporate entity. Young-Bey passed a check to the D.C. Recorder of Deeds to pay for the transfer taxes but put a stop payment order on the check before the D.C. government could cash the check. Young-Bey caused the fake deed to be recorded with the D.C. Recorder of Deeds and then falsely told a mortgage services business that another individual had inherited the property and wanted to take a large loan against the value of the home. Young-Bey created a fake rental lease on Rocketlawyer.com and sent the lease to the mortgage company to convince them that his associate owned the home and rented the property for profit. The mortgage company was deceived into loaning Young-Bey’s associate approximately $360,000 against the value of the home they did not own, which was split evenly between the two. Young-Bey used his half of the proceeds to buy a BMW 3-Series valued at approximately $23,000. After succeeding on the first scam, Young-Bey executed a second fraudulent scheme on a Shephard Park property in the District, forging the names of the two owners, using the fake notary stamp, and recording the deed at the D.C. Recorder of Deeds Office. Young-Bey again put a stop payment order on the transfer tax check before it could be cashed. Young-Bey used the recorded deed to obtain a construction loan in excess of $500,000 against the value of the house. Young-Bey took a portion of the loan and purchased a BMW 7-Series worth approximately $120,000. He promptly sold the home to a legitimate real estate company for an additional $42,000 in profit. The fraud was discovered when the real estate company began performing renovations on the home and the rightful owners were alerted to the construction and demolition by their neighbors. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and Kevin L. Rosenberg of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Gina Torres. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Rothstein, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Cheatham, former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Viviana Vasiu, and Paralegal Specialist Lisa Abbe who investigated the case. The prosecution team was also assisted by Tonya Jones from the Victim Witness Assistance Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz from the Appellate Section.


title: Leader of Baltimore Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Ernest Lee Bailey, age 51, of Owings Mills, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and MDMA. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) - Washington Division; and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”). According to his guilty plea, from at least November 2019 to November 2020, Bailey led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that was responsible for distributing kilogram quantities of controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and MDMA in and around Baltimore. As detailed in his plea agreement, between June and November 2020, law enforcement intercepted communications from multiple cellphones used by Bailey in connection with his drug activities, including “source” phones, which Bailey used to communicate with sources of drug supply, and “shop” phones with Bailey used to communicate with downstream distributors. The intercepted communications revealed that Bailey obtained heroin from a Mexican-based DTO. The Mexican DTO’s middleman in New York City delivered narcotics to, and received payments from, Bailey on behalf of the Mexican DTO. Bailey admitted that he obtained cocaine from a source of supply in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, through a co-conspirator who was a Baltimore-area cocaine wholesaler. Bailey also recruited another individual to serve as a courier to transport cocaine from Philadelphia to Baltimore on behalf of Bailey. On at least five separate occasions Bailey and a co-conspirator acquired kilograms of cocaine from the Philadelphia source and directed the courier that Bailey recruited to bring the cocaine back to Baltimore. According to the plea agreement, Bailey maintained a network of wholesale drug redistributors who sold the drugs supplied by Bailey to their own customers. In addition, Bailey rented an apartment on Heath Street in Baltimore which he used as a stash location to store and process drugs for redistribution. Finally, Bailey admitted that he used the proceeds of bank fraud to pay the rent on the apartment. Specifically, Bailey’s used pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits that were fraudulently issued to an inmate, T.S., on a bank debit card in July 2020. Bailey contacted the bank, posing as T.S. and requested that the PIN on the card be reset. Bailey confirmed the card number and the average card balance, which was $19,230.45. Bailey then used the funds on the card to purchase four $500 U.S. Postal Service money orders. Bailey used $1,000 of the money orders toward his down payment on a new Acura MDX and the remaining money orders, marked payable from the individual in whose name Bailey rented the Heath Street apartment, toward the rent on the apartment. On November 16, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Bailey’s residence and recovered 13 cell phones, men’s designer watches and other jewelry, and $8,980 in cash. Bailey later admitted that the cash and jewelry represented proceeds from the sale of controlled substances or money intended to be used to purchase controlled substances. Searches of the Heath Street apartment recovered drug paraphernalia, including digital scales, drug cutting agents and hydraulic presses and controlled substances, including over 215 grams of a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and tramadol; and 301 grams of eutylone, a controlled substance analogous to MDMA. Bailey was the last defendant in this 13-defendant case to be sentenced. Eleven co-defendants pleaded guilty to their roles in the DTO and were sentenced to between one and six years in federal prison and one defendant passed away after being indicted. This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Baltimore Strike Force is to reduce violent, drug-related, and gang crime in the Baltimore area and surrounding region. The Baltimore SF is comprised of agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Baltimore Police Department, the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, the Maryland National Guard, the Maryland State Police, and the Maryland Transportation Authority, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, DEA, and the DOL-OIG for their work in the investigation and recognized the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for its assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey J. Izant and Anatoly Smolkin, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Maryland Man Sentenced for Soliciting a Minor Online for Sexual Contact

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Holden Borten, age 25, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was sentenced today to 135 months in federal prison for traveling for sex with a minor. According to court documents and statements made in court, Borten initiated a sexual conversation through social media with someone he believed was under the age of 12 and then traveled from Maryland to Berkeley County, West Virginia, expecting a sexual encounter with the minor in December 2022. Borten was arrested at the meeting site by law enforcement. Upon completion of his prison sentence, Borten will be on supervised release for life. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Virginia State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.


title: Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded today in federal court in Boston to his role in a fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Fraily Rodriguez Morillo, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue; three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue. U.S. District Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2024. Morillo was indicted by a federal grand jury along with Melvin Antonio Perez Medina and Manuel Fredis Guerrero Guzman in November 2022. Between March 2022 and August 2022, Morillo, Perez Medina and, allegedly, Guzman conspired to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, in Lawrence, Woburn, Wilmington and Andover. Specifically, Morillo distributed 50 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating witness in Lawrence on two occasions in April 2022. Later, in July 2022, Morillo worked with Perez Medina to distribute nearly 130 grams of fentanyl on one occasion, and over 560 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and p-fluorofentanyl (a fentanyl analogue) on another occasion, to a cooperating witness and Woburn. In August 2022, Perez Medina was arrested and found in possession of nearly two kilograms of a mixture containing fentanyl and a fentanyl analogue. The nearly two kilograms were found secreted inside of a cereal box. On Jan. 18, 2024 , Perez Medina was sentenced to 64 months in prison and three years of supervised release after previously pleasing guilty to his role in the conspiracy. The charges of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and of possession with intent to distribute and/or distribution of 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of distribution and/or possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Department of Correction; the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Office; and the Watertown, Reading, Peabody, Hudson, Concord and Waltham Police Departments provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Carroll County Coach and Substitute Teacher Pleads Guilty to Federal Charge for Sexual Exploitation of a Child

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Evan Thomas Harris Frock age 34, of Taneytown, Maryland, has pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. Frock, a substitute teacher and volleyball coach in Carroll County, Maryland, posing as a teenager, used social media accounts to meet and communicate with children and to encourage them to produce and send to Frock images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit activity. He remains detained on related state charges. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Baltimore Field Office; Carroll County Sheriff James DeWees; Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department, and Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker. According to his plea agreement, from 2021 through May 2022, Frock, pretending to be a minor male and a minor female, used a variety of aliases on several social media platforms to communicate with other users, including eight minor victims, ranging in age from 9 to 17 years old. Specifically, Frock used the internet-based accounts and aliases to persuade, induce, and coerce the victims to produce sexually explicit images and videos of themselves and send those images and videos to Frock. On at least one occasion, Frock distributed a sexually explicit video of a minor male and sent images of his own genitalia to the minors to induce them to reciprocate. Further, Frock possessed several hundred commercially available images and videos of child sexual abuse material that depicted toddlers, violence, and bestiality. Frock faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years for sexual exploitation of a child to produce child pornography. U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson has scheduled sentencing for Frock on April 16, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. 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 the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Howard County Police Department, and the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen E. McGuinn, who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Holy Health Care Services, LLC Program Administrator Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for a Health Care Fraud Scheme

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Lambert Mbom, age 50, of Riverdale, Maryland, to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and for conspiracy to make false statements relating to health care matters in connection with a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid. The defendant’s conviction stems from a scheme involving services purportedly provided by Holy Health Care Services, LLC (“Holy Health”), a mental health services provider with locations in Washington, D.C. Judge Xinis also ordered Mbom to pay restitution in the full amount of the loss, $4,450,588.66. The sentence was imposed on February 8, 2024. The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS OIG”); and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia. According to evidence presented at Mbom’s six-day trial, he was a program administrator at Holy Health. Holy Health entered into Medicaid Provider Agreements with the District of Columbia’s Department of Health Care Finance (“DHCF”), to provide healthcare services to D.C. Medicaid recipients and was certified by the District of Columbia’s Department of Behavioral Health (“DBH”) to provide mental health services as a freestanding clinic and as a Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services (“MHRS”) provider. As a certified MHRS provider, Holy Health had authority to provide and bill for a variety of mental health services including “community support” – a service for which community support workers (“CSWs”) provide rehabilitative and educational support to mental health patients both in clinical settings and in the community. According to evidence presented at trial, Mbom and his co-conspirators paid to Medicaid beneficiaries to induce the beneficiaries to visit Holy Health for mental health services. As detailed in trial testimony, Mbom and his co-conspirators caused claims to be submitted by Holy Health to Medicaid for services, including community support services, purportedly provided to Medicaid beneficiaries. As detailed in trial testimony, Mbom and his co-conspirators paid individuals to come into the office and then used their personally identifiable information (“PII”) to bill Medicaid for services that were not rendered or were not rendered as billed. The evidence proved that Mbom made up fake Holy Health employees who were purportedly Community Support Workers so that he could bill Medicaid for services provided by these fake employees. Witnesses testified that during the investigation, sources posing as mental health patients were sent to Holy Health to obtain community support services. Not only did the sources not receive the services as billed, but Holy Health billed for CSW services for those patients for visits that never happened. The jury acquitted Mbom of conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. The owners of Holy Health, Julius Bakari, age 46, and Mboutchock Kabiwa a/k/a “Eugenie Bakari” or “Eugenie Kabiwa,” age 46, both of Silver Spring, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud in connection with a scheme to pay bribes and kickbacks to Medicaid beneficiaries to induce the beneficiaries to visit their company. Kabiwa was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay restitution of $3,493,681. Bakari is scheduled to be sentenced on April 9, 2024. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI, the HHS OIG, and the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their work in the investigation and the support provided by the District Department of Health Care Finance Division of Program Integrity during the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher M. Sarma and Megan S. McKoy, who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md . # # #


title: Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Sex Trafficking a 15-Year-Old Girl

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – February 12, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Gabriel Joseph Gonzalez of Pomona, California was sentenced in federal court today to 12 years in prison for sex trafficking a 15-year-old girl in early 2023. Gonzalez pleaded guilty in July 2023 to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. The victim was a runaway living at a group home in Los Angeles County when Gonzalez began trafficking her. Gonzalez had known the victim since she was 13. He enticed her to leave the group home to engage in commercial sex work for Gonzalez’s financial benefit. He then transported the victim to San Diego and forced her to walk areas known for prostitution on Dalbergia Street in San Diego and Roosevelt Avenue in National City. During January 2023, Gonzalez forced the victim to engage in commercial sex work every day for seven straight days– except for the victim’s 16th birthday. He allowed her to take that day “off.” The victim escaped by calling 911. She was rescued by the San Diego Police Department on January 26, 2023, and the case was turned over to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force. Even after entering a guilty plea in July 2023, Gonzalez attempted to continue to traffic the victim while in custody through jail calls. U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns pronounced the 12-year sentence, noting Gonzalez’s “absolute lack of remorse” in his conduct while in custody and his continued victimization of the minor. “The victim’s courage to call 911 in this case was extraordinary,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Her trust in law enforcement demonstrated that when someone reports abuse, the public servants in this community are all hands on deck to bring abusers to justice.” “Human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor is inexcusable,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “At the California Department of Justice, we are fighting to hold perpetrators accountable and help survivors get a fresh start. I’m thankful to all our partners for their collaboration in the California DOJ-led San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force. I’m proud of our office’s work to help uplift vulnerable Californians. When we work together, we get results.” “The vital work being done by local and federal partners on the Human Trafficking Task Force to combat sex trafficking cannot be quantified,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “The violence or coercion that is committed against sex trafficking victims can have a lasting negative impact on the victim, their families, and the community for years to come.” If you are living or working under threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter. DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-cr-0513-LAB Gabriel Joseph Gonzalez Age: 20 Pomona, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1591(a) and (b)(1) Maximum penalty: Up to life in prison and $250,000 fine; Ten-year mandatory minimum sentence AGENCY San Diego Police Department National City Police Department Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force


title: Rockford Man Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for  Possessing a Firearm as a Felon in Springfield

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Rockford, Ill., man, Joshua Mathies, 28, of the 800 block of North Court Street, was sentenced on February 8, 2024, by Senior U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough to 48 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Mathies had taken a semi-automatic weapon into a Springfield bar on the night of his arrest and then attempted to flee when approached by police, who had been notified by a fellow bar patron about Mathies’ possessing the gun. As he was trying to flee, Mathies was tasered. At the time of his arrest, Mathies was on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections for a previous gun offense. Mathies has been in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service since his arrest on May 14, 2023. The statutory penalties for possession of a firearm by a felon are up to 15 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and up to a three-year term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Springfield Police Department with assistance from the Sangamon County Sheriff, the Illinois State Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Mathies is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Columbus man sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for attempting to support terrorist plot to murder former President

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Iraqi citizen living in Columbus was sentenced in federal court here today to 178 months in prison for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization as part of a plot to murder former United States President George W. Bush. Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, 53, believed the former President was responsible for killing many Iraqis and breaking apart the entire country of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The defendant’s own life changed during and after the war and he proudly assisted in this plot. Shihab originally entered the United States in September 2020 and primarily resided in Columbus from December 2020 until his arrest in May 2022. Throughout much of that time, Shihab attempted to provide material support to terrorists in furtherance of a plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush. Shihab hoped to smuggle at least four Iraqis associated with ISIS into the United States with the goal of completing the assassination. In fact, in the fall of 2021, Shihab believed he successfully smuggled an ISIS member into the United States for a fee of $40,000. Shihab accepted tens of thousands of dollars for the purported smuggling. In reality, the individual was fictitious, and the interaction was coordinated under the direction of the FBI. In furtherance of the assassination plot, Shihab traveled to Dallas in February 2022 to conduct surveillance of locations associated with the former President. For example, he recorded videos of the front access gate and surrounding area leading into the neighborhood of the former President’s home. In March 2022, Shihab met with others in a hotel room in Columbus to look at sample firearms and law enforcement uniforms. Shihab required the use of burner phones, encrypted communication applications and code names as plans evolved. Shihab was arrested by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents in May 2022. He pleaded guilty in March 2023 to attempting to provide material support to terrorists. Shihab was also sentenced today to a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice, National Security Division; Cheryl Mimura, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight and Trial Attorney Frank Russo from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Dock Edward Hoilman Sentenced To 151 Months For Distribution And Possession Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On February 9, 2024, Dock Edward Hoilman, 64, currently of Kingston, Tennessee, was sentenced to 151 months by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Hoilman agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2); and one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2252A(a)(5)(B) and 2252A(b)(2). Following his incarceration, Holliman will be on ten years’ supervised release, and he will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions. According to the filed plea agreement, on May 27, 2022, Hoilman, a former Y-12 IT Systems Administrator with top secret clearance, distributed child pornography videos through the internet to unknown persons. On August 24, 2022, a search warrant was executed on his home. Hoilman was found to be in possession of 14 images and 25 videos of child pornography. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Inspector General , Teri L. Donaldson, United States Department of Energy, Office of Inspector General (DOE-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud, of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the DOE-OIG, HSI and 9 th District Attorney General’s Office. This investigation was led by DOE-OIG Special Agent Paul B. Gilbride and HSI Task Force Officer Cortney Duggar. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.” ###


title: Arizona Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Upstate Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: ANDERSON, S.C. — Jesus Paz Rodriguez, 30, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Evidence presented to the court showed that Paz-Rodriguez was the source of at least 60 kilograms of cocaine from approximately 2019 until his arrest in February 2022. During the conspiracy, Paz was shipped large amounts of cocaine from his home state of Arizona to Upstate South Carolina. Members of the drug trafficking organization would then courier or ship drug proceeds from South Carolina back to Paz-Rodriguez in the border state. On Feb. 9, 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at a location in Mauldin, South Carolina, used by the traffickers to store and distribute drugs. Investigators found Paz-Rodriguez and co-conspirators with multiple kilograms of cocaine. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Paz-Rodriguez to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Former Navy corpsman indicted for failure to register as sex offender

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 34-year-old South Carolina man has been taken into federal custody for failing to register as a sex offender after traveling interstate to Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Authorities arrested Robert Counterman in Laredo. He is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga at 9:30 a.m. In 2018, Counterman, corpsman in the U.S Navy, was convicted for attempting lewd acts with a child under the age of 16 and was ordered to register as a sex offender, according to the charges. He was allegedly discharged from military service following his conviction. According to the indictment returned Feb. 6, Counterman failed to register or update his registration as a sex offender upon arriving in Texas in December 2022. If convicted, Counterman faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) led the investigation with assistance from the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Terence A. Check Jr. is prosecuting the case, which is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources." The Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force is a team comprised of law enforcement officers from the USMS, Laredo Police Department, Webb County Sheriff’s Department, Webb/Zapata County District Attorney’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol. The task force’s objective is to seek out and arrest violent criminals, gang members and sex offenders. These task forces combine the efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest the most dangerous fugitives. Anonymous tips can be made by texting 411TIPS (847411) keyword GULFCOAST. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Beaufort Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Transferring Millions of Dollars to Prevent Seizure

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Peter J. Strauss, 45, of Beaufort, has pleaded guilty to removal of property to prevent seizure. Strauss was the founder and managing partner of the Strauss Law Firm, LLC located in Hilton Head. The Strauss Law Firm specialized in estate and tax planning, asset protection and the implementation of captive insurance solutions for clients. Strauss also served as principal of Hamilton Captive Management (“HCM”), a captive insurance management company that provides management services to his clients’ captive insurance funds. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Strauss knowingly transferred millions of dollars for Jeff and Paulette Carpoff, two individuals who have since been convicted and sentenced for their roles in the largest criminal fraud scheme in the Eastern District of California. Jeff and Paulette Carpoff owned and operated DC Solar Solutions, Inc. and DC Solar Distribution, Inc. (“DC Solar”), California corporations that designed, manufactured and leased renewable energy products, specializing predominantly in the production of mobile solar generators. On Dec. 18, 2018, the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies executed numerous search warrants on the businesses associated with DC Solar, as well as the personal residences of Jeff and Paulette Carpoff. Several seizure warrants were also executed on bank accounts and assets associated with DC Solar and its principals. The search warrants were conducted in conjunction with a large-scale investigation regarding an investment fraud and money laundering scheme being operated by the principals of DC Solar. At the time, federal authorities alleged that the Carpoffs committed wire fraud and tax fraud and diverted investors’ money for personal use. Federal authorities further alleged that DC Solar manufactured only a small percentage of the mobile solar generators and created fictitious lease agreements to show their investors in order to obtain investments. Following the execution of search and seizure warrants related to an investigation into the Carpoffs’ company, Strauss received $11 million from the Carpoffs. On Dec. 19, 2018, the first $5 million was transferred into Strauss’ IOLTA account and thereafter distributed to various criminal defense attorneys and bankruptcy counsel and to Carpoffs’ captive insurance funds, managed by Strauss’ captive insurance management company. Thereafter, on Dec. 28, 2018, Strauss received an additional $3 million, used to pay for the Carpoffs’ captive insurance fund premiums. Finally, on Jan. 15, 2019, the Carpoffs wired Strauss $3 million into Strauss’ IOLTA account. Thereafter, the funds were comingled in Strauss’ IOLTA account and completely spent over the next few months. By pleading guilty, Strauss admitted that by the time of the $3 million transfer on Jan. 15, 2019, he knowingly transferred and aided and abetted the transfer of funds from Carpoff to prevent and impair the government’s lawful authority to take such property into its custody and control. The defendant has agreed to pay $2,700,000 in restitution to the Federal Clerk of Court at or before the sentencing. On Jan. 24, 2020, Jeff Carpoff pleaded guilty in California to money laundering and wire fraud and was thereafter sentenced to 30 years in prison. On Nov. 9, 2021, Paulette Carpoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and money laundering. Paulette was sentenced to 11 years and three months on June 28, 2022. Strauss faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Strauss after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Limehouse is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty To Stealing Over $100k Of Veteran Affairs Funds

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tamiko L. Williams (48, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to theft of government money. Williams faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. As part of her plea, Williams agreed to forfeit $103,820, the proceeds of her criminal conduct. According to court documents, between December 2019 and continuing through April 2022, Williams agreed to be a fiduciary for Veterans Affairs (VA) funds that were meant to benefit her disabled family member. During that time, Williams made large cash withdrawals from the fiduciary account and used it for personal spending until she was removed from the fiduciary account in April 2022. “Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that the VA OIG will vigorously investigate those who steal from vulnerable veterans who are unable to manage their financial affairs,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG appreciates the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts to stop fraud within the VA’s Fiduciary Program.” This case was investigated by Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brenna Falzetta. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Harrington.


title: Marion County Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Firearm

body_text: Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Michael Latrelle Simpson (23, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Simpson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury indicted Simpson on July 19, 2022. A sentencing date has not been set. According to court documents, on January 26, 2022, Simpson was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement for a traffic infraction. A handgun was located near where Simpson was seated in the vehicle. Simpson’s DNA was found on the magazine, slide, and sights of that firearm. Simpson has multiple prior state convictions, including for battery on detention staff, felony battery, and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement with disregard for safety. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert E. Bodnar, Jr., and Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Felon with Lengthy Criminal Past Pleads Guilty to ID Theft in Dark Web Scheme

component: USAO - Georgia, Middle

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. –A Florida resident who is already serving more than a decade in federal prison for committing fraud in his home state pleaded guilty this week to a new aggravated identity theft charge in Southwest Georgia after being caught trading personal identification information with individuals on the dark web and teaching others how to obtain fraudulent bank loans. Damien D. Dennis, 44, of Middleburg, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft before U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner on Feb. 7. Dennis faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be served consecutively to 12 years imprisonment imposed in the Middle District of Florida to be followed by three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. For more information about the Middle District of Florida conviction and sentencing, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/jacksonville-man-sentenced-12-years-federal-prison-bank-fraud-and-aggravated-identity . Dennis is not eligible for parole. “Innocent people’s identities were stolen and used to create phony documents so other scam artists could commit all manner of theft and fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Damien Dennis was running an ID theft scheme that went so far as to teach other individuals how to commit fraud—including how to obtain bank loans—using other people’s stolen identities. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, our office is committed to holding fraudsters accountable and stopping these criminals from preying upon individuals and businesses.” “This case is another example that clearly shows criminals are continuously looking for ways to steal from unwitting victims. In this case, victims were violated when Damien Dennis possessed their Personal Identifiable Information (PII) for the sole purpose of committing fraud,” said Resident Agent in Charge Clint Bush of the U.S. Secret Service’s Albany, Georgia, Resident Office. “The United States Secret Service, along with our state, local and federal law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate, arrest and support the successful prosecution of the criminals who choose to commit this and other types of financial fraud in our community and around the nation.” According to court documents, the Ashburn Police Department pulled Dennis over for speeding on Feb. 25, 2020; Dennis was driving with a suspended license and was taken into custody. Inside Dennis’s car, officers found eight drivers licenses belonging to actual people living in seven states and one social security card. Officers also found blank W-2 forms, blank check papers, badge makers, printers, bank ID cards, security laminates and scotch business card protectors inside the car; these materials are some of the tools used to commit fraud and identity theft. Cells phones, laptops and a USB thumb drive were also recovered. Dennis told officers he purchased the identification documents from unknown individuals on the dark web. He would use this information to create profiles to sell to other people. Dennis admitted to using the equipment and documents found in his car to make counterfeit identification cards, drivers licenses, social security cards, W-2s, lease agreements and entire profiles for customers needing them for fraudulent uses. Secret Service agents discovered extensive conversations on Dennis’s cell phones where he was teaching unknown individuals how to use the fake profiles to request and obtain bank loans. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service (USSS) and the Ashburn Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Redavid is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Tampa Man Indicted For Gas Station Robbery

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Brandale Swails (29, Tampa) with Hobbs Act robbery and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted on both counts, Swails faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years in federal prison. According to court documents, on October 15, 2023, Swails arrived at a Tampa gas station on a bicycle, entered the business, pointed a gun at the clerk, and demanded money. The clerk immediately hid behind the counter, and Swails jumped over the counter. Swails stated he would shoot the victim if he did not open the register and demanded one-hundred-dollar bills. Swails continued to hold the victim at gunpoint while directing the victim into a bathroom. Swails then exited the business with an undisclosed amount of cash and fled on a bicycle. Swails was arrested two weeks later, hiding inside a bedroom closet. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Fairfax Man Sentenced for Downloading Child Sexual Abuse Videos and Images, Including Computer-Generated Material

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax man was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison for downloading millions of images and videos of child exploitation, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and computer-generated videos depicting the violent rape of children. According to court documents, James Andrew Whitney, 62, sought out and downloaded video and image files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including material depicting prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12. Using technology to conceal his identity, Whitney collected millions of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Whitney also downloaded thousands of computer-generated images depicting the same. Among the downloaded computer‑generated materials was a video featuring the abduction of a child from a playground, followed by the sadomasochistic rape of the child. As early as April 2010, Whitney also used the CSAM he downloaded to create projects in which he photoshopped prepubescent, naked minor females into photographs around his residence and narrated sexual encounters between himself and the minor victims. Whitney pleaded guilty on September 11, 2023, to charges that he possessed and received CSAM and that he received obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The investigation showed that Whitney downloaded CSAM for at least 15 years, and investigators ultimately recovered more than five terabytes (TB) of CSAM from his electronic devices. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles announced the sentence. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe prosecuted the case. The forensic examiners of the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) provided significant assistance in this case. 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 epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-124.


title: District Man Indicted on Three Counts of Armed Carjacking and Other Charges

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON- Dallas McKinney, 19, of the District of Columbia, was arraigned yesterday on an indictment returned by a Superior Court grand jury that charged him with armed carjacking, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, and other charges arising from a series of armed carjackings through several neighborhoods in Southeast DC, committed in just 35 minutes. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The 11-count indictment charges McKinney with three counts of armed carjacking; four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; one count of assault with a dangerous weapon; two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle during a crime of violence; and one count of carrying a pistol without a license. The Honorable Judge Jason Park ordered that McKinney be held without bond pending trial. On September 29, 2023, McKinney carjacked an Uber driver at gunpoint in the Eastern Market neighborhood, threatening both the Uber driver and his passenger. About 20 minutes later, McKinney and a co-conspirator used the stolen Uber to try to commit another armed carjacking near Branch and Pennsylvania Avenues SE. Fifteen minutes later, McKinney and his co-conspirator then committed a third armed carjacking at the corner of Alabama and Massachusetts Avenues SE. Police arrested McKinney that afternoon in the 1300 block of Congress Street SE, not far from the two stolen vehicles. At the time, McKinney had a tan Glock 19X 9mm pistol loaded with an extended magazine and equipped with a “giggle switch” or “auto sear,” a device used to make a semi-automatic weapon automatic. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Lawrence and Erica Rudolf. 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: Multi-Convicted Felon Sentenced To Over Ten Years For Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

body_text: Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Antione Oshea Ladson (29, Orlando) to 10 years and 6 months in federal prison for drug trafficking and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Ladson pleaded guilty on July 11, 2023. According to court documents, on August 27, 2022, Ladson checked into a hotel in Orlando. While walking through an outdoor breezeway, Ladson encountered another man walking past him. After a brief verbal confrontation with the man, Ladson lifted his modified pistol and shot the man in the neck using a caliber of ammunition similar to that commonly found in military assault rifles (shell casing pictured below). The man survived the shooting. On November 16, 2022, Ladson was apprehended by law enforcement at a convenience store in Orlando. Beneath a grocery shelf that Ladson was seen lifting, officers found a fanny pack containing Ladson’s wallet and Social Security card, two digital scales used for weighing narcotics, a pistol magazine, and plastic baggies containing cocaine and marijuana. Underneath Ladson’s fanny pack was a Glock 23 pistol loaded with 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition. At the time, Ladson had multiple prior felony convictions and is prohibited from possessing both firearms and ammunition under federal law. Ladson was arrested on state charges and subsequently released on bond. On December 27, 2022, members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Enforcement Unit observed Ladson driving near Orange Blossom Trail and initiated a traffic stop. A search of Ladson’s car revealed an XD9 firearm with 19 rounds of live ammunition, an additional 12-round magazine fully loaded with 9mm rounds, a drum-style magazine (pictured below), 4.8 grams of crack cocaine, and 61.4 grams of marijuana. Photographs of the firearm and drum magazine below: Court documents further showed that Ladson frequently livestreamed himself driving around the Orlando area while fully armed, often with modified weapons (video stills below): This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Enforcement Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Russian mobster extradited from Ukraine and sentenced in $9+ million fraud scheme involving exotic car leasing business catering to drug traffickers and others

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Mani Chulpayev, the leader of a luxury car leasing scheme that operated in the Atlanta and Miami areas from 2009 to 2016, has been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay more than $4.6 million in restitution. Chulpayev was arrested in October 2020 while hiding in Ukraine, using a fake identity, and working as a movie producer. His conviction marks the end of a multi-agency collaboration known as “Operation Riding Dirty,” which targeted a web of drug traffickers utilizing multiple, hard-to-trace cars, the fraudsters who laundered drug money for the traffickers and left banks and investors on the hook for millions of dollars of losses, and the corrupt government officials who facilitated and protected the traffickers. “Chulpayev ran a sophisticated scheme that inflicted vast losses on banks and the individuals he recruited to assist his fraudulent scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Chulpayev then used the fruits of his fraud – a fleet of exotic cars – to enable drug traffickers to operate, evade detection, and launder their illicit proceeds. The disruption of his illegal network is the culmination of an unrelenting, coordinated, and comprehensive investigation by our agency partners.” Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division stated, “Through hard work, this illegal drug distribution and money laundering network has been removed from our streets. This criminal enterprise had no regard for the potential impact of their actions.” “This sentence punishes the defendant’s extensive criminal conduct and serves as a significant deterrent to others who would think about engaging in these types of illegal activities,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Atlanta Division. “Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners are proud of the prosecutive results of this aggressive and extensive investigation to dismantle this criminal organization.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Chulpayev was born in the Soviet Union but moved to the United States with his family at the age of 12. By age 20, he acted as the lead money handler and scheme organizer for a Russian crime ring operating in Brooklyn and Queens, New York, and engaged in extortion, arson, kidnapping, human trafficking, and various frauds. Following a previous federal conviction and prison term, he moved to Atlanta, where he was soon arrested for operating a chop shop selling stolen cars with altered VINs and fraudulent titles. Following a second federal conviction and prison term, in 2009, he started a car leasing business in Atlanta catering to drug traffickers who used untraceable cash deposits to pay Chulpayev for cars registered in other people’s names. In 2012, Chulpayev expanded his operation to Miami with the help of coconspirators Paul Carruth, Lyle Stephen Livesay, and Kimberly Ann Reiss. To create an inventory of these vehicles, Chulpayev and his associates recruited straw purchasers – people who would buy luxury cars in their names but had no intention of actually using the vehicles. The straw purchasers then gave the cars to Chulpayev to be leased to others, including to drug traffickers who used drug proceeds to pay Chulpayev for the pricey leases, and to high-profile clients connected to the music and sports industries. The straw purchasers bought the cars using bank loans and financed several luxury vehicles in a short period of time before the new loans appeared on their credit reports. Chulpayev and his associates gave the straw purchasers falsified documents, including fake paychecks, to use for the loan applications. Chulpayev initially made the loan payments for the straw purchasers. But when he stopped, his straw purchasers were left responsible for handling the payments. When the straw purchasers inevitably defaulted on the loans, Chulpayev left the banks to try to repossess the cars from the drug traffickers or to locate vehicles moved to other states, stolen, or exported to foreign countries. Chulpayev eventually orchestrated the purchase of more than 115 cars, including Bentleys, Aston Martins, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Porsches worth more than $9 million. One of Chulpayev’s drug trafficking clients was Kevin Johnson, also known as “Webb,” who was the leader of a drug trafficking operation in the Atlanta area that moved packages of drugs through the mail and employed as a talent scout and booking agent for rap artists. Johnson leased several flashy cars for members of his drug trafficking operation. Following a federal wiretap investigation, Johnson and four of his associates were convicted of federal drug trafficking charges. In a spinoff investigation, 17 mail carriers and other employees of the U.S. Postal Service were convicted of collecting bribes to deliver packages of drugs through the mail. Chulpayev also used relationships with corrupt law enforcement agents to advance and protect his scheme by helping him repossess cars, arrest competitors and enemies, and avoid arrest himself. He first gained the officers’ trust by feeding them information about his drug trafficker clients, but gradually curried their favor through bribes and other means. Robert Bentivegna was a Detective with the Dunwoody Police Department and a Task Force Officer with the U.S. Secret Service who received bribes from Chulpayev in the form of airline tickets, legal fees, and luxury cars for his children. In exchange, Bentivegna agreed to alert Chulpayev about any arrest warrants issued for him. Bentivegna was convicted of federal computer access crimes and sentenced to prison. Mani Chulpayev, also known as “Mani Chilpayen,” and “Immanuel Cohen,” 46, of Kew Gardens, New York, was sentenced to ten years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $4,663,978.73. Chulpayev was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud on July 31, 2023, after he pleaded guilty. The following defendants were previously convicted as part of Operation Riding Dirty: Lyle Stephen Livesay, 36, of Colbert, Georgia, was sentenced on July 15, 2021, to eight years, one month in prison (with credit for four years served on a prior conviction), followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $2,644,722.15, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Paul Alexander Carruth, 39, of Boynton Beach, Florida, was sentenced on November 28, 2018, to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $93,498.36, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering. Kimberly Ann Reiss, 38, of Miami Beach, Florida, was sentenced on July 15, 2021, to five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution of $2,674,563.05, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Kevin Michael Johnson, 48, of Lilburn, Georgia, was sentenced on June 16, 2016, to six years, six months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Walter Ray Hamilton, 42, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced on November 2, 2016, to six years, three months in prison, followed by six years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and maintaining a place for distributing drugs within 1,000 feet of a school. James Robert Jones, also known as “Sean Jones,” 50, of Dallas, Georgia, was sentenced on November 2, 2016, to five years, ten months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Jeorge Collier, 38, of Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced on December 21, 2017, to five years, one month in prison, followed by seven years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Eric Swiney, 51, of Forest Park, Georgia, was sentenced on May 10, 2016, to five years, ten months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Robert Pasquale Bentivegna, 73, of Woodstock, Georgia, was sentenced on June 30, 2015, to two months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $1,500, after pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a computer. Additionally, from February 13, 2018, to March 30, 2023, 17 U.S. Postal Service employees and one non-postal employee were convicted in four separate indictments and sentenced to a range of three to nine years of prison for bribery, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, attempt to distribute controlled substances, and unlawfully using the mail to distribute controlled substances. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .