title: Florida Man Returns to Federal Prison for N95 Mask Scheme

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Florida man who participated in a scheme to defraud a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, company in 2020 was sentenced on December 9, 2024, to more than three years in federal prison. Saransh “Sam” Sharma, age 44, from Wellington, Florida, originally from Muscat, Oman, received the prison term after a December 14, 2023, guilty plea to one count of wire fraud. At his guilty plea and sentencing hearings, Sharma admitted that a Cedar Rapids company was in the market to purchase one million 3M N95 masks in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On October 9, 2020, Sharma falsely represented to the Cedar Rapids company in a phone call that a Florida limited liability company had successfully transacted on 30 million masks in the prior two months when, in truth, the Florida company had not done so. The Cedar Rapids company wired over $3 million to a Florida lawyer’s bank account on October 19, 2020, expecting to receive the one million N95 masks, but the Cedar Rapids company never received them. The United States later filed a civil fraud action and recovered approximately $2.4 million of the Cedar Rapids company’s moneys. In March 2018, Sharma was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in the Northern District of California for his role in a different scheme. Sharma’s prior federal prison sentence was discharged on October 9, 2020. Sharma was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Sharma was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $390,454.57 in restitution victims of the N95 mask scheme. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-71. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Justice Department Secures Third Settlement with a Non-Depository Mortgage Company to Resolve Redlining Claims in Miami

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI — The Justice Department announced today that The Mortgage Firm, Inc. (The Mortgage Firm) agreed to pay $1.75 million to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of lending discrimination by redlining predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area (Miami MSA). Redlining is an illegal practice by which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in communities of color because of the race, color or national origin of residents in those communities. “Our efforts to protect everyone’s civil rights is never ending,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “The unlawful practice of lending discrimination is not merely a thing of the past, but persists in this country, to include within the Southern District of Florida. Our office is fully committed in ensuring that every person living in the Southern District of Florida, to include residents in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods, can achieve the American dream of building wealth through home ownership. We will continue to work with the Civil Rights Division to hold those lenders accountable who engage in unlawful discriminatory practices in our diverse district.” “Non-depository institutions, including mortgage companies, are now originating a higher share of loans to homebuyers than banks and credit unions,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “With this trend comes the obligation to ensure full compliance with our federal laws that prohibit redlining. By denying predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the greater Miami area access to credit, The Mortgage Firm violated the law, denied communities equal access to credit and exacerbated the racial wealth gap. This settlement will provide impacted communities in Miami with expanded access to homeownership, and makes clear that no matter the type of financial institution — bank, credit union or mortgage company — the department is committed to rooting out redlining across the country.” The Mortgage Firm is a non-depository mortgage company headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Florida. The complaint , filed today in the Southern District of Florida, alleges that The Mortgage Firm violated the Fair Housing Act and Equal Credit Opportunity Act by failing to provide equal access to mortgage lending services to majority- and high-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Miami MSA and discouraging people seeking credit in those communities from obtaining home loans. The Mortgage Firm located its offices in predominantly white neighborhoods and took inadequate steps to market to and develop referral networks within Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. As a result, The Mortgage Firm generated mortgage loan applications in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Miami MSA at rates far below peer institutions. The proposed consent order , which awaits court approval, would require The Mortgage Firm to: Conduct a Community Credit Needs Assessment to identify the credit needs of residents of predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Miami MSA and to consider the results of that assessment to develop future loan programs, marketing campaigns and outreach efforts. Provide $1.75 million for a loan subsidy program to offer affordable home purchase, refinance and home improvement loans in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Miami MSA. The program may provide lower interest rates, down payment assistance, closing cost assistance or payment of initial mortgage insurance premiums. Conduct a detailed assessment of its fair lending program in the Miami MSA, specifically as it relates to fair lending obligations and lending in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Enhance its fair lending training and staffing to ensure equal access to credit is provided across The Mortgage Firm’s market area, including by maintaining a Director of Community Lending. Expand its outreach and advertising efforts by maintaining an office location in a majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhood in Miami-Dade County, translating its website into Spanish and requiring all of its loan officers in the Miami MSA to engage in marketing to majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Bolster connections with the community and build referral sources in predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhoods by providing four outreach events per year, six financial education seminars per year and partnering with one or more community partner to increase access to credit in predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in the Miami MSA. The Justice Department opened this investigation into The Mortgage Firm’s lending practices after receiving a referral from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This settlement marks the Justice Department’s 16th redlining settlement under the Combating Redlining Initiative, and the third non-depository institution to reach a redlining settlement with the department. Non-depository lenders, which are not traditional banks and do not provide typical banking services, engage in mortgage lending and now make the majority of mortgages in this country. Under the Combating Redlining Initiative, the department has secured over $153 million in relief for communities of color that have been the victims of lending discrimination. This historic amount of relief is expected to generate over $1 billion in investment to address unequal access to credit in communities of color across the country. A copy of the complaint and proposed consent order, as well as information about the Justice Department’s fair lending enforcement work, can be found at www.justice.gov/fairhousing . Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s housing discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291 or submitting a report online . ###


title: Pryor Resident Sentenced To 180 Months For Child Sexual Exploitation And Abuse

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lucien Tyler Littledave, age 30, of Pryor, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child, 180 months for one count of Coercion and Enticement, 180 months for one count of Receipt of Certain Materials Involving Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 180 months for one count of Distribution of Certain Materials Involving Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 180 months for one count of Rape in the Second Degree in Indian Country, and 120 months for one count of Sexual Battery in Indian Country. These sentences are set to be served concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department and the Broken Arrow Police Department. On May 7, 2024, Littledave pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, between March 2023 and May 2023, while employed as a teacher and coach with the Coweta Public School System, Littledave knowingly enticed a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. Littledave also used a cell phone to produce and distribute sexually explicit images of the victim. The crimes occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, and in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. 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 Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s website at www.cybertipline.com , call 1-800-843-5678, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or call 877-4-HSI TIP. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Littledave will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.


title: Justice Department Secures Forfeiture of Two Miami Condos for Violations of Russia-Related U.S. Sanctions

body_text: MIAMI – The Department of Justice announced today that, pursuant to a court-ordered default judgment and final order of forfeiture entered on Jan. 7, has secured the forfeiture of two luxury Miami condominiums which were maintained, transferred, and leased in violation of U.S. sanctions against Russian national Viktor Perevalov. The forfeited properties have a combined value of approximately $1.8 million. The judgment is the result of a civil forfeiture complaint filed by the United States in February 2024 seeking the forfeiture of the properties. “Today’s successful forfeiture once again demonstrates that the attempt to hide assets behind nominees and shell companies is a risky short-term game with real long-term costs,” said Co-Director Michael Khoo of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. “The prosecutors and agents who investigated and brought this case are the proof that the United States has the people, the tools, and the will to vigorously enforce our nation’s sanctions programs.” As alleged in the complaint, Viktor Perevalov and Valeri Abramov were co-founders of VAD, AO, a Russia-based construction company responsible for constructing the Tavrida Highway in the Russian-occupied Crimea Region of Ukraine. On Jan. 26, 2018, pursuant to Executive Order 13685, the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Victor Perevalov, Valeri Abramov, VAD, AO, and others following the Russian invasion of Crimea. OFAC added Perevalov, Abramov, and VAD, AO to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons List. OFAC never issued a license which was required for anyone to transact with, or on behalf of, Perevalov and Abramov. Perevalov was re-designated by OFAC on Dec. 18, 2024, pursuant to E.O. 14024 for operating in the construction sector of the Russian economy. From in or around January 2018 through in or around March 2023, the condominiums were maintained, transferred, and leased in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Specifically, on or about June 14, 2018, a Miami real estate agent retained to manage the properties transferred the two condominiums owned by Perevalov to a limited liability company set up to obfuscate Perevalov’s interest in the properties. Following the transfer, the properties continued to be leased, generating proceeds used to maintain them. The FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Paster, Marx P. Calderón, and Eli Rubin for the Southern District of Florida, Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Lindsay Gorman of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Trial Attorney Joshua E. Kurland of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the civil action. This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls, and economic countermeasures that, beginning in 2014, the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. ###


title: Motel Shooter Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Marcus Thomas, a previously convicted felon, has been sentenced to federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition. “Thomas was released from state prison only a few days before he illegally obtained a firearm and indiscriminately shot through a motel window, endangering the lives of others within the community,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Thanks to the efforts of our law enforcement partners, violent repeat offenders like Thomas who risk the lives of others, will be brought to justice to face the consequences of their actions.” “Thomas is a dangerous felon who resumed his criminal activity shortly after being released from prison,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to do everything possible to ensure criminals are brought to justice.” “The reckless and dangerous actions of Marcus Thomas put innocent lives at risk, and this case exemplifies the Atlanta Police Department’s unwavering commitment to working with our federal partners to remove violent offenders from our streets,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On July 1, 2022, Atlanta Police Department (APD) officers responded to a report of shots fired at a Travel Inn located on Forest Hills Drive in Atlanta, Georgia. Two witnesses at the location informed APD officers that they saw an individual—later identified as Marcus Thomas—with a firearm outside his motel room. The witnesses said that they saw Thomas enter his room and then heard gunshots coming from his vicinity. As APD officers approached the room, they observed damage to the window consistent with gunshots. Thomas was ordered out of the room and was detained. APD officers then searched the room and found a firearm magazine and multiple rounds of ammunition on the floor of the bathroom, as well as shell casings from spent ammunition on the floor near one of the beds in the room. A few days later, APD officers recovered the firearm used in the shooting, which was hidden inside a fitted sheet tucked into the mattress of one of the beds in the room. FBI special agents investigated the shooting and discovered that Thomas recently served a sentence for aggravated assault and was released from prison four days prior to the shooting. Thomas was also previously convicted of multiple other felonies, including terroristic threats, possession of cocaine, and theft by receiving stolen property. Marcus Thomas, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty to three years, one month in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Thomas was convicted of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, after he pleaded guilty on August 28, 2024. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Atlanta Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Thomas M. Forsyth, III 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 launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For 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 .


title: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the Fourth Anniversary of the January 6 Attack on the Capitol

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the fourth anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results: “On this day, four years ago, police officers were brutally assaulted while bravely defending the United States Capitol. They were punched, tackled, tased, and attacked with chemical agents that burned their eyes and skin. Today, I am thinking of the officers who still bear the scars of that day as well as the loved ones of the five officers who lost their lives in the line of duty as a result of what happened to them on January 6, 2021. January 6 was a violent attack on the law enforcement officers defending the Capitol, and it was an unprecedented attack on a cornerstone of our system of government — the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next. Over the past four years, our prosecutors, FBI agents, investigators, and analysts have conducted one of the most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in the Justice Department’s history. They have analyzed massive amounts of physical and digital data, identified and arrested hundreds of people who took part in unlawful conduct that day, and initiated prosecutions and secured convictions across a wide range of criminal conduct. We have now charged more than 1,500 individuals for crimes that occurred on January 6, as well as in the days and weeks leading up to the attack. The public servants of the Justice Department have sought to hold accountable those criminally responsible for the January 6 attack on our democracy with unrelenting integrity. They have conducted themselves in a manner that adheres to the rule of law and honors our obligation to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of everyone in this country. I am proud of them, and I am grateful to them for the work they have done and the sacrifices they have made over the last four years to seek accountability for the January 6 attack on the Capitol.”


title: Justice Department Announces Distribution of Over $1B to Compensate Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism

component: Criminal Division

body_text: On Dec. 30, 2024, Special Master Mary Patrice Brown authorized payments from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (the Fund) totaling $1.035 billion to nearly 19,000 victims of state‑sponsored terrorism. In the first week of January, the Fund issued over $766 million to approximately 14,700 claimants and will continue issuing payments on a rolling basis. “This year, the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund has authorized a distribution of over $1 billion in compensation to support victims of state-sponsored terrorism — bringing the total authorized to date to over $7 billion,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division — through its Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, which administers the Fund — is tireless in its pursuit of justice for victims of state sponsored terrorism.” “Although the amount distributed is significant, no amount of money can fully compensate those devastated by acts of international terrorism for their tremendous loss and trauma,” said Special Master Brown. “As many victims have shared, it is not about the monetary compensation, it is about justice. The dedicated team at the department has remained steadfast in the pursuit of justice for these victims.” The Fund was established by Congress and is administered by the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, under the leadership of the Special Master. The Fund has previously allocated more than $6 billion for thousands of victims of state-sponsored terrorism and their families in four rounds of distributions and one round of lump sum catch-up payments. The distribution announced today brings total authorized distributions to over $7 billion. Apart from an initial appropriation of approximately $1 billion from Congress and additional congressional appropriations for lump sum catch-up payments, funds available for distributions result from certain Justice Department prosecutions and cases and other U.S. government enforcement actions. In 2024, the Fund accepted more than 4,500 newly eligible claimants, bringing the total number of eligible claimants to more than 20,000. Amounts outstanding and unpaid on these claims exceed $120 billion. Claims are anticipated to grow in the coming years as more victims of state-sponsored terrorism apply to the Fund. While the amount of funds available is not sufficient to compensate the victims’ claims in full, this compensation provides some measure of justice for victims of state‑sponsored terrorism. More information about the Fund’s compensation to victims of state‑sponsored terrorism is available on the Fund website at www.usvsst.com , including application materials, frequently asked questions, and publications.


title: Wausau Man Sentenced to 12 ½ Years for Leading Methamphetamine and Cocaine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Quo Vadis Lewis, 40, Wausau, Wisconsin, was sentenced on January 3, 2025, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 150 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was also sentenced for possessing firearms as a felon. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Lewis pleaded guilty to these charges on October 9, 2024. In February 2022, Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force officers began investigating a methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking organization operating in Wausau, Wisconsin. The multi-year investigation involved the seizure of drug-laden packages from the mail, controlled purchases of narcotics, and seizures of firearms and large quantities of drugs from residence searches. From the investigation, officers believe the drug trafficking organization was distributing kilograms quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Quo Vadis Lewis, as well as Tommie Haney, were identified as the local leaders of the drug trafficking organization. Lewis was responsible, in part, for bringing in large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine to the Wausau area from out-of-state drug suppliers. One of the ways the drugs were brought into Wisconsin was through the mail. The investigation showed that a series of packages were mailed from California to addresses associated with Lewis in Wausau during 2021 and 2022. In March 2022, US Postal Inspectors seized two 11-pound packages sent from California to Lewis’ apartment. One of the packages was searched and contained approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. On June 28, 2023, officers with the Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force executed search warrants at the residences of some of the primary members of the drug trafficking organization, including Lewis. Officers found three handguns, a loaded extended magazine, quantities of ammunition, cash, and an ounce of cocaine at Lewis’ residence. Officers found additional drugs and a gun during the search of the coconspirators’ residences. Evidence of Lewis’ DNA was found on all three of the firearms found at his residence. He is prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition because of multiple prior felony convictions. At sentencing, Judge Conley highlighted that Lewis played a key role as a leader of a drug trafficking organization involved with “incredible” quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Judge Conley determined that a significant sentence for Lewis was necessary to protect the public. Eight others were also charged in connection with this drug trafficking organization. Teala L. Kumbera was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine and sentenced on November 14, 2024, to 54 months in federal prison. Shandel L. Mohr was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine and sentenced on December 3, 2024, to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison. Tommie Haney, Edwin Lewis, Craig C. Gates, and Troy A. Olsen have all pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months. Samuel A. Teague is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on January 6, 2025, and Shelby Gutch is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on January 7, 2025. The charges against Lewis were the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Central Wisconsin Narcotics Task Force comprised of investigators from the FBI, Wisconsin State Patrol, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Everest Metro Police Department, Wausau Police Department and Wisconsin National Guard Counter Drug Program. The Marathon County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations.


title: Summerset Woman Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Multistate Sexual Exploitation of Minors

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Summerset, South Dakota, woman convicted of seven federal criminal offenses, including Enticement to Travel for Illegal Sexual Activity, Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity, Possession of Child Pornography, Obstruction of Justice, Tampering with a Witness, and Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor. The sentencing took place on January 3, 2025. Emily Nicole Yeary, 26, was sentenced to a total of 40 years in federal prison, which will be followed by five years of supervised release. She will pay a $700 assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $3,000 in restitution to one of her victims. Another victim’s family will make a later restitution request. Yeary will also pay restitution to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for forensic examinations of Yeary’s phone and other devices. “This is among the most heinous cases of child exploitation our office has prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “The lengths to which Emily Yeary went to groom and then manipulate these young girls is reprehensible, and the use of these minor victims as pawns in a game of sexual abuse and terror is unforgivable. Yeary earned herself every month of today’s federal sentence. Let us all be grateful for the expertise of DCI’s Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce and the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies throughout South Dakota and other jurisdictions. Law enforcement’s thorough investigation exposed Yeary’s criminal activity and allowed the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek justice in federal court.” “I commend the State Trooper, the Division of Criminal Investigation, and South Dakota law enforcement for working with law enforcement across state lines to protect a young victim and hold a serious offender accountable. Human trafficking and its young victims remain a national concern that we unfortunately are not immune from in South Dakota,” said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. In July of 2022, a federal grand jury charged Yeary with multiple crimes arising out of her criminal conduct with minors, including Attempted Exploitation of a Minor, Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet, and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity. The multistate investigation revealed Yeary offended against multiple victims, all of whom were minors from Mississippi, Kentucky, Florida, and Missouri. Yeary pleaded guilty to seven federal offenses on November 1, 2024. On June 25, 2022, Yeary was arrested by the South Dakota Highway Patrol after being pulled over for speeding. Yeary had a 14-year-old female in her vehicle who had been reported missing from Mississippi. When Yeary bonded out of jail days later, she immediately contacted the same minor, spray painted her truck to avoid detection, and returned to Mississippi, where Yeary removed the child from her home a second time and took her to Kansas. The investigation revealed that Yeary routinely presented herself to be an underage male named “Riley” and used Tik Tok and other cell phone apps to obtain access to minor females. Over the course of three years, Yeary traveled to multiple states to meet her victims and convince them to run away with her. Yeary crossed state lines intending to engage in sex with her victims, and then took her victims across state lines with similar intentions. Yeary sexually abused at least one of her victims, using a prosthetic penis, after giving alcohol to the minor. Yeary possessed sexually explicit photos of another minor female from Kentucky, with whom Yeary had an illegal sexual relationship with and to whom Yeary sent sexually explicit photos of a prosthetic penis. Yeary had another illegal relationship with a minor from Missouri, whom Yeary hid from police in a college fraternity house. After Yeary was arrested in Rapid City, and while she was in custody at the Pennington County Jail, she attempted to persuade one of her victims not to testify against her and used the same victim to try to persuade the Missouri victim to similarly not cooperate with the prosecution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. The investigation was led by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Instrumental to the investigation were the Simpson County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, Galena Kansas Police Department, Santa Rosa County Florida Sheriff’s Office, Rapid City Police Department, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Rankin County Mississippi Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Knox County Missouri Sheriff’s Office, Kirksville Missouri Police Department, Hannibal Missouri Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspector’s Service, Cherokee County Kansas Sheriff’s Office, and the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case. Yeary was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Associate Of Miles Guo, Yvette Wang, Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Her Role In An Over $1 Billion Dollar Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Daniel M. Gitner, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced today that YVETTE WANG, a/k/a “Yanping,” was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with her managerial role in a sprawling and complex scheme WANG and her co-conspirator, Miles Guo, orchestrated in order to fraudulently solicit investments from thousands of Miles Guo’s online followers in various entities and programs. As part of that scheme, WANG and Guo made false representations to induce victims to invest money in various entities WANG and/or her co-conspirators controlled, including GTV Media Group, Inc. (“GTV”), the Himalaya Farm Alliance, G Club Operations, LLC (“G|CLUBS”), and the Himalaya Exchange. And then WANG and her co-conspirators spent their victims’ money on themselves, purchasing luxurious items such as million-dollar sports cars and a New Jersey mansion. Attorney for the United States Daniel M. Gitner said: “Yvette Wang worked with Miles Guo to defraud thousands of victims out of more than $1 billion. Today’s sentence is a reminder that there will be serious consequences for this conduct, and that this Office will tirelessly in its work to detect, prosecute, and punish fraud.” According to the charging documents, public court filings, statements made in court, and evidence admitted at Miles Guo’s trial: From at least in or about 2018 through at least in or about March 2023, WANG and others conspired to defraud thousands of victims of more than approximately $1.4 billion. Miles Guo was the leader of this complex conspiracy. WANG was Guo’s “Chief of Staff.” In that capacity, WANG played a managerial role in a variety of entities that the Government has alleged were part of the “G Enterprise” – a series of interrelated entities and companies that were used by WANG and her co-conspirators to carry out this billion-dollar fraud scheme. Through her work in the G Enterprise, and as WANG well knew, WANG directed the expenditure of fraud proceeds on luxury items for herself, Miles Guo’s family, and others. WANG and her co-conspirators’ fraud relied on several interrelated operations: the Rule of Law Charities, GTV Private Placement, the Farm Loan Program, G|CLUBS, the Himalaya Exchange, and A10. Between on or about April 20, 2020, and on or about June 2, 2020, approximately $452 million worth of purported GTV common stock was sold to more than 5,500 investors. Investors participated in the GTV Private Placement based, in part, on the belief that their money would be invested into GTV to develop and grow that business. In early June 2020, as WANG and her co-conspirators agreed, WANG transferred $100 million of funds raised from the GTV Private Placement into a high-risk hedge fund for the benefit of GTV’s parent company and its ultimate beneficial owner, Guo’s son. On or about July 22, 2020, in a video distributed via social media, WANG’s co-conspirator promoted the Farm Loan Program, which was a purported opportunity to obtain stock in GTV in exchange for a loan. However, no stock was ever provided, and WANG and her co-conspirators misappropriated funds that were raised through the Farm Loan Program. For example, approximately $2.3 million was used to cover maintenance expenses associated with an approximately 145-foot luxury yacht worth approximately $37 million. From at least in or about October 2020 through at least in or about March 2023, WANG and her co-conspirators fraudulently obtained more than approximately $250 million in victim funds through G|CLUBS. G|CLUBS claimed on its website to be “an exclusive, high-end membership program offering a full spectrum of services” and “a gateway to carefully curated world-class products, services and experiences.” WANG was the de facto CEO of G|CLUBS, and as she well knew, G|CLUBS did not provide anything other than superficial services to its members. Moreover, on the basis of Guo’s statements in online videos, victims sent money to G|CLUBS expecting to receive stock in GTV, G|Fashion, or other entities. But, as WANG well knew, victims never received stock and instead G|CLUBS funds were used—often at WANG’s direction—to purchase, among other things, a 50,000 square foot New Jersey mansion; various furniture and decorative items including, among other items, Chinese and Persian rugs worth approximately $978,000, a $62,000 television, and a $53,000 fireplace log cradle holder; a $900,000 Lamborghini, and a custom-built Bugatti sports car for approximately $4.4 million. On or about November 1, 2021, WANG’s co-conspirators introduced purported cryptocurrencies called the Himalaya coin and the Himalaya dollar through a fraudulent cryptocurrency exchange called the Himalaya Exchange. These purported cryptocurrencies were fraudulent and designed so that the conspiracy could collect additional money from victims. On or about September 20, 2022, and September 21, 2022, U.S. authorities served judicially-authorized seizure warrants on several domestic banks and subsequently seized approximately $335 million of proceeds from bank accounts held in the names of Himalaya Exchange entities and other entities associated with WANG and her co-conspirators. Wang was arrested on March 15, 2023, at which time FBI agents located $130,000 of cash in a safe in her apartment. In connection with the sentencing, Judge Torres said that Wang was an “integral part of the conspiracy and knew what she was doing was illegal.” * * * In addition to the prison term, WANG, 45, of New York, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release concurrently on each count. WANG also agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $1.4 billion. Guo was convicted at trial on July 16, 2024. Guo’s sentencing date is pending. Mr. Gitner praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the Office’s Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah F. Fergenson, Ryan B. Finkel, Justin Horton, and Juliana N. Murray are in charge of the prosecution.


title: U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery Announces Resignation

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: New Haven – United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery today announced that she will resign from the Office effective at 11:59 p.m. on January 17. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as United States Attorney, and I am profoundly appreciative of President Biden for trusting me to serve our nation and the people of Connecticut in this position,” said Ms. Avery. “I have been especially honored to lead an office of extremely talented public servants who are dedicated to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism and committed to the cause of justice. Together, we have employed collaborative, data and intelligence-driven strategies to make our communities safer and ensure justice for all who live in our state. We have done the hard work of engaging the community alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, contributing to declining violent crime rates and opioid overdose deaths. I am confident that this Office will continue to make Connecticut a safe place to live, and have a positive impact in our communities.” Ms. Avery was appointed by President Biden after confirmation by the United States Senate and sworn in as the 54th U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut on May 9, 2022. Under Ms. Avery’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritized the prosecution of crimes related to gun and gang violence, firearms trafficking , narcotics and counterfeit opioid pill trafficking, child exploitation , human trafficking and smuggling , financial frauds, public corruption , cybercrime , and national security issues. In addition, the Office’s Civil Division has aggressively pursued health care fraud violators, achieved numerous disability rights settlements, and recovered millions of dollars through forfeiture actions. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Office recovered more than $233 million in criminal and civil actions, which ranked third in the nation among all U.S. Attorney’s Offices. As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Avery has stressed the Office’s community engagement, particularly through its HEAT and Fed-Up programs, as a critical component to reducing drug addiction, overdose deaths, and violent criminal behavior. In addition, she has spearheaded civil rights and hate crimes prevention through United Against Hate presentations across Connecticut. United Against Hate has raised community awareness about hate crimes, hate incidents, and discrimination, and is building bridges between law enforcement and community, ethnic, and religious groups, particularly those with members who have been reluctant to contact law enforcement for help. Prior to her appointment as U.S. Attorney, Ms. Avery served as the Associate Attorney General and Chief of the Division of Enforcement and Public Protection at the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. From 2014 to 2019, Ms. Avery was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division in this District, prosecuting a variety of complex civil fraud cases under the False Claims Act, asset forfeiture cases, environmental violations, civil rights matters, and defending Bivens and medical malpractice cases. From 2006 to 2014, Ms. Avery was a litigation attorney at McCarter & English LLP, where she focused on business and financial litigation, intellectual property, trust and probate, and product liability cases. From 2003 to 2005, Ms. Avery was a Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division in Washington, D.C. From 1999 to 2003, she was an attorney in the Hartford Trial Group at Cummings & Lockwood LLC. Ms. Avery is a graduate of Yale University and the Georgetown University Law Center. Marc H. Silverman, who has served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney since May 2024, will serve as Acting U.S. Attorney upon Ms. Avery’s departure. Mr. Silverman joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010. From 2014 to 2022, he served as Deputy Chief of the Office’s Appellate Division, and from 2022 to May 2024, he was Chief of the Criminal Division. Mr. Silverman is a graduate of Yale University and Yale Law School. Mr. Silverman will be the 55th U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, an office that was established in 1789. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is in excellent hands,” said Ms. Avery. “Marc and the Office’s superb supervisory team have the highest professional and ethical standards and, together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will ensure that the administration of justice will seamlessly continue in our District.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut and representing the federal government in civil litigation. The Office is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 54 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport.


title: Burnsville Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Electronics Manufacturer of $1.2 Million

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Burnsville man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud after defrauding an electronics manufacturing business out of more than $1.2 million, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, between 2019 and 2020, Thomas Thanh Pham, 53, devised a scheme to defraud a California based company of approximately $1.2 million. Pham, who was the CEO of Enterprise Products, LLC, purported to provide consulting and financial services to commercial clients involved in engineering and manufacturing. Pham held himself out as a broker with supposed business relationships with large, well-known companies. As a supposed broker, Pham claimed he could arrange service agreements between an electronic manufacturing services company based in San Jose, California, (identified as Victim A) and his ostensible business affiliates in the electronics and technology sectors. According to court documents, starting in June 2019, Pham began a series of discussions with Victim A, in which Pham pitched that Enterprise Products could facilitate multi-million-dollar manufacturing and repair contracts between Victim A and large electronics companies. Pham supplied Victim A with bogus documents, including fabricated contracts, correspondence, and business proposals. As part of the scheme, Pham first required Victim A to pay a “deposit bond” in the amount of $1,278,000. Pham’s fraudulent tactics resulted in Victim A agreeing to enter into a contract in September 2019, through which Victim A ostensibly would receive millions of dollars in exchange for repair services. Pham unsuccessfully pitched other phony deals to Victim A that purportedly involved even larger financial contracts deals with other companies. As part of the scheme and to give the impression that he was fulfilling the fraudulent contract, Pham caused the initial delivery to Victim A in California of approximately 20 samples of electronic devices that supposedly required repairs by Victim A. However, Pham failed to disclose to Victim A that these 20 “sample” devices were, in fact, stolen property. It was additionally part of the scheme that Pham tried to lull Victim A into a false sense of security by offering a series of excuses and promises when Victim A either inquired about its money or demanded a refund. Rather than maintain the money securely in a refundable escrow as promised, Pham fraudulently misappropriated Victim A’s funds for a series of unauthorized uses and transactions. On Friday, January 3, 2025, Pham pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of wire fraud before Judge Joan N. Ericksen. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew S. Ebert and Rebecca E. Kline are prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Plea in Case Involving Sexual Contact with Minors

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Newcomb man pleaded guilty to federal charges of sexual contact with two minors. According to court documents, Roderick Bitsilly , 61, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, admitted to engaging in sexual contact with Jane Doe 1, a child under 12, between February and August 2014. Additionally, Bitsilly pleaded guilty to similar charges involving Jane Doe 2, also under 12, between September 2019 and September 2020. Bitsilly will remain in third-party custody at a halfway house pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Bitsilly faces up 75 months in prison. Upon his release from prison, Bitsilly will be subject to no less than five years up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement (Bitsilly).pdf # # #


title: United States Attorney Nikolas Kerest Submits Resignation

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – United States Attorney Nikolas Kerest announced today that he will resign effective January 20, 2025. Following his nomination by President Biden and confirmation by the Senate, Mr. Kerest has served as the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont since December 10, 2021, leading the United States Attorney’s Office’s 51 employees, in the enforcement of federal criminal and civil laws in the state. Prior to becoming United States Attorney, Mr. Kerest served as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the criminal and civil divisions for eleven years, including 4.5 years as the Chief of the office’s civil division. Mr. Kerest stated, “Representing the United States as a member of the U.S. Attorney’s Office team for over fourteen years and as its leader for the past three years has been the highlight of my career. Public service is a gift, and I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to work towards a better Vermont – one that is safer for its residents, one in which civil rights are upheld, and one in which the rule of law is respected. The criminal and civil Assistant U.S. Attorneys, administrative staff, and support staff who constitute the small but mighty U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont are unmatched public servants, and I know they will continue to pursue justice without fear or favor and achieve great results in the years ahead.” During the past three years, the United States Attorney’s Office redoubled its efforts to address violent crime. With strong law enforcement partnerships across Vermont, the Office prosecuted illegal gun possessions at an increased rate. In particular, the U.S. Attorney’s Office supported the efforts of the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force, worked hand in hand with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other law enforcement partners in prosecutions arising out of Bennington and Rutland counties, and provided significant prosecutorial resources to address violence in the Northeast Kingdom. Examples of the Office’s steadfast approach to curbing violent crime are the prosecutions of Everett Simpson , Lawrence Jackson , Carl Martin , Dominique Troupe , Deven Moffitt , and Sean Fiore . In addition to increased violent crime prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office initiated and promoted safe gun storage in partnership with the Vermont State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the UVM Medical Center, and other partners supporting the www.gunsafevt.org website. Under Kerest’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office focused on enforcing federal civil rights laws, as well as educating Vermonters about their rights under these laws. Through its United Against Hate program, the Office provided outreach and education about federal civil rights laws to high school students all around Vermont. The Office also maintained strong relationships with Vermont’s faith communities by providing regular civil rights outreach. In addition, the Office’s civil rights program has paid close attention to civil rights violations in Vermont schools. The Twin Valley and Stepping Stones settlements are specific examples of this important work. For the past three years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has also taken significant steps to address elder financial fraud in Vermont. The prosecutions of Nicholas Melanson and Nasir Hussain are prime examples of the Office holding elder fraud perpetrators responsible for their harmful conduct. In addition, in partnership with the U.S. Secret Service, HSI, and Diplomatic Security Service, Mr. Kerest led numerous events providing education and tips to avoid becoming a victim to Vermont’s elder community. Under Kerest’s leadership, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s civil division continued to be a nationwide leader. On the defensive side of the docket, the Office successfully represented the Federal Highway Administration against challenges to the construction of Burlington’s Champlain Parkway. The civil division’s work fighting fraud and recovering damages continued to set the standard for small-sized U.S. Attorney’s Offices. In particular, the office was responsible for a ground-breaking Controlled Substances Act settlement with eBay, along with recoveries from NextGen, an electronic health records company, and Vermont defense contractors ( Preci , Galvion , and Revision ). Mr. Kerest also thanked the many federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, as well as community groups who partner with the United States Attorney’s Office. “The partnerships the U.S. Attorney’s Office enjoys throughout Vermont are vital to the success of our work and the work of all law enforcement. Support for law enforcement and collaboration is necessary to achieve a better Vermont. I am thankful for all of our partners and will look back fondly on the relationships fostered and created during my tenure as U.S. Attorney.” First Assistant United States Attorney Michael Drescher, who has served the Office as a civil and criminal AUSA for over 22 years, will become Acting United States Attorney for the District of Vermont upon Mr. Kerest’s departure. Kerest has not yet determined his future professional plans.


title: U.S. Attorney, FBI Announce Federal Charges Against Zuni Man for Murder

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has been charged with second degree murder in Indian Country. The indictment alleges that on or about December 1, 2024, Glendon Laate , a member of the Zuni Pueblo, allegedly killed John Doe with malice aforethought by shooting him with a homemade firearm. Laate will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled . If convicted, Laate faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment (Laate).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Phenix City Man Sentenced to Over Seven Years in Federal Prison for COVID-19 Loan Scheme

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On January 6, 2025, a federal judge ordered that 39-year-old Kyle Nathan Carlisle, a resident of Phenix City, Alabama, receive a sentence of 92 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges related to loans received through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. Following his prison sentence, Carlisle will be on supervised release for three years. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act established the EIDL program, which was directly administered by the Small Business Administration. This financial assistance program was designed to help eligible small businesses by giving them working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses such as payroll, rent or mortgage expenses, utilities, or business debt. According to his plea agreement and other court records, between July 2020 and April 2021, Carlisle applied for 23 EIDL loans online, many of which were duplicates. Five of the loans were ultimately funded. Carlisle made multiple false statements and misrepresentations in his applications, including the businesses’ revenue, the number of employees, and that he had no felony convictions in the last five years. Records indicate he had two 2016 felony convictions in Russell County, Alabama. Carlisle further admitted to submitting forged documents with the applications including fake or altered business licenses. As a result of his scheme, Carlisle received approximately $600,000 for four separate applications. Part of the funding was recovered before it cleared Carlisle’s accounts. The total amount sought in the scheme was $3,470,832. Carlisle was also convicted of money laundering for using the illegal proceeds to purchase a vehicle, among other unauthorized personal expenses. In addition to the prison sentence, the judge ordered that Carlisle pay the Small Business Administration $547,846.54 in restitution. Carlisle was also ordered to forfeit the same amount to the United States government. “Kyle Carlisle fabricated lies and forged documents in a scheme to divert taxpayer money for his own self-enrichment,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “The EIDL program was intended to provide relief to actual struggling businesses during a pandemic that created an enormous economic burden on the entire country. My office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of government programs.” The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the Alabama Department of Labor. Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Verdict in Nigerian Romance Scheme

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Following a four-day trial and less than three hours of deliberation, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against two Nigerian nationals who participated in an international romance scheme. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the scheme, which began in January 2016, involved the creation of a fictitious persona named "Glenn Brown" on the dating website eHarmony.com. Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja , 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola , 37, both Nigerian nationals, worked with another individual who used this fake profile to initiate a romantic relationship with a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico and subsequently request money from them. Throughout the course of the fraud, the victim was led to believe that their financial assistance was necessary for “Glenn Brown” to complete a purported construction project in Malaysia and return safely to the United States. The victim sent approximately $560,000 to various accounts in the United States, Canada, and Malaysia between January 2016 and April 2017. On September 27, 2016, the victim wired approximately $28,000 to a Woodforest Bank account in the name of Daramola Cars, as instructed by the fraudulent "Glenn Brown" persona. Daramola subsequently wired $18,000 to a seafood importer in Denmark and issued a check for $14,000. Daramola denied any knowledge of the romance scheme, however the FBI's investigation uncovered extensive evidence, including text and WhatsApp correspondence on Daramola 's phone, revealing his role as a provider of bank accounts for various fraud schemes including romance fraud schemes. Ogunlaja 's involvement included using his Bank of America account for receiving fraudulent funds. Specifically, on March 9 and March 15, 2016, “Glenn Brown” instructed the victim to deposit $20,000 cash into Ogunlaja 's account. Following these deposits, Ogunlaja made multiple cash withdrawals and transfers to Daramola’s account. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Ogunlaja and Daramola remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Ogunlaja and Daramola each face up to 20 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Part-Time Actor from O.C. Sentenced to Over 8 Years in Prison for Soliciting Investors for Shell Companies Peddling Bogus COVID Cure

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man and part-time actor was sentenced today to 98 months in federal prison for soliciting investors in companies that marketed what in fact were a bogus cure and treatment for COVID-19 during the pandemic’s early days. Keith Lawrence Middlebrook, 57, of Huntington Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who also fined him $25,000 and ordered him immediately remanded to federal custody to begin serving his prison sentence. At the conclusion of a three-day trial in May 2024, a jury found Middlebrook guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud. In March 2020, Middlebrook solicited potential investors in California, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Colorado via text messages, videos and statements posted on YouTube and Instagram about his purported cure for COVID-19. Middlebrook called this so-called cure “QC20,” and he also marketed a purported COVID treatment, which he called “QP20.” Middlebrook claimed to have personally developed a “patent-pending” cure and a treatment to prevent coronavirus infection. Middlebrook fraudulently solicited investments in various companies with a series of false promises. These fraudulent claims included miraculous results from the prevention product and the cure, risk-free and 100 percent guaranteed “enormous returns” on investments,” and that former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson was a director and officer of Middlebrook’s company. He induced victims to invest their money by promising them enormous returns. Judge Fischer based Middlebrook’s sentence in part on finding that he obstructed justice by his lying on the witness stand when he testified about his purported relationship and business dealings with Johnson. To bolster these claims, Middlebrook lied that a party in Dubai had offered to purchase his companies for $10 billion, and this offer would secure the victim-investors’ investments in the companies. He also lied that he had secured funding from seven investors who had each already invested between $750,000 and $1 million. The FBI arrested Middlebrook in this case in March 2020 after Middlebrook delivered pills – purportedly the treatment that prevents coronavirus infection – to an undercover agent who was posing as an investor. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kenneth R. Carbajal of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Joseph S. Guzman of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Two Indian Chemical Companies and a Senior Executive Indicted for Distributing Fentanyl Precursor Chemicals

body_text: Two indictments were unsealed today and Saturday charging India-based companies Raxuter Chemicals and Athos Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (Athos Chemicals) and Bhavesh Lathiya, a founder and senior executive of Raxuter Chemicals, with criminal conspiracies to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States. Lathiya was arrested on Jan. 4, in New York City and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo for the Eastern District of New York. Lathiya was ordered detained pending trial. “The Justice Department is targeting every link in fentanyl trafficking supply chains that span countries and continents and too often end in tragedy in the United States,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege these companies, and a company founder and senior executive who is now in custody, conspired to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals from India to the United States and Mexico. We made a promise that the Justice Department would never forget the victims of the fentanyl epidemic, and that we would never stop working to hold accountable those who bear responsibility for it — that is what we have done, and that is what we will continue to do.” “Much of our nation’s illicit fentanyl crisis can be traced to bad actors overseas who knowingly and illegally traffic precursor chemicals to North America, where cartels refine them into deadly narcotics and wreak immeasurable heartbreak and destruction on so many American communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The Department of Homeland Security, alongside our federal partners, will continue to take the fight against fentanyl directly to alleged foreign precursor chemical exporters like the companies and the individual indicted today — because the best way to stop illicit fentanyl from killing Americans and devastating communities is by preventing it from being manufactured in the first place.” “Our efforts to disrupt the global fentanyl supply chain are being fought on many fronts, and as alleged in these indictments, by charging two chemical companies based in India and a company executive with knowingly distributing the chemical building blocks of fentanyl,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “My office will vigorously prosecute those pushers of poison, here and abroad, who are responsible for fueling our nation’s opioid epidemic without any regard for the extreme harm they are causing.” Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is the deadliest drug threat currently facing the United States. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is designated as a Schedule II controlled substance while various precursors that can be used to produce fentanyl are included on the controlled substance schedules List I and List II. Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya are charged with conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical, distribution and importation of a listed chemical knowing it would be used to manufacture fentanyl, smuggling, and other related offenses. Athos Chemicals is charged with similar offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical and distribution and importation of a listed chemical. As alleged in the indictments and court filings, the defendants supplied precursor chemicals to the United States and Mexico, among other places, knowing they would be used to manufacture fentanyl. They also sent their chemical products to the United States and Mexico using international mail and package carriers. The chemicals distributed by the defendants included all the materials necessary to manufacture fentanyl via the most common methods or pathways. To prevent detection and interception of chemical products at the borders, the defendants employed deceptive and fraudulent practices, such as mislabeling packages, falsifying customs forms, and making false declarations at border crossings. For example, on or about June 29, 2024, a package shipped by Raxuter Chemicals was delivered to an address in the Eastern District of New York. The package had a false manifest that listed its contents as Vitamin C. In truth, the contents were a List I chemical, 1-boc-4-piperidone, an unlawfully imported fentanyl precursor. On or about Oct. 2, 2024, and Oct 15, 2024, Lathiya appeared on a video call to discuss sale of fentanyl precursor chemicals with an Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) undercover officer. After being told by the undercover officer that his “clients in Mexico were very happy with the quality of what you sent me” and with “the yield they got of the final product,” Lathiya agreed to sell 20 kilograms 1-boc-4-piperidone, which is a List I chemical used in fentanyl synthesis. Lathiya also proposed mislabeling the chemical as an antacid. The undercover officer replied and asked if it would be easier to ship the product to Mexico, stating “This is a very controversial product … Because like you said it’s banned and in Mexico I think it could be easier but there’s so much pressure on them because of fentanyl.” On or about Nov. 23, 2024, Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya shipped approximately 20 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to the Eastern District of New York. The package was mislabeled as an antacid. In addition, on or about Feb. 20, 2024, Athos Chemicals agreed to sell 100 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to a known drug trafficker in Mexico who was making fentanyl in association with a drug trafficking organization. Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including but not limited to the Sinaloa Cartel, have increasingly availed themselves of the fentanyl precursors developed and distributed by companies like the defendants. The chemicals provided by the defendant companies have enabled such cartels and other drug trafficking organizations to produce fentanyl in clandestine laboratories in Mexico on a massive scale for subsequent distribution in the United States and elsewhere. If convicted, Lathiya faces a maximum penalty of 53 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI New York investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office provided assistance. HSI New York investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office provided assistance. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. athos_chemicals_indictment.pdf 24-cr-525_bhavesh_lathiya_et_al_indictment.pdf


component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY - Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, two indictments were unsealed charging India-based companies Raxuter Chemicals and Athos Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (Athos Chemicals) and Bhavesh Lathiya, a founder and senior executive of Raxuter Chemicals, with criminal conspiracies to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States. Lathiya was arrested on January 4, 2025 in New York City and arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo. Lathiya was ordered detained pending trial. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General and Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Department of Homeland Security Secretary, announced the arrest and indictments. “Our efforts to disrupt the global fentanyl supply chain are being fought on many fronts, and as alleged in these indictments, by charging two chemical companies based in India and a company executive with knowingly distributing the chemical building blocks of fentanyl,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office will vigorously prosecute those pushers of poison, here and abroad, who are responsible for fueling our nation’s opioid epidemic without any regard for the extreme harm they are causing.” Mr. Peace thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, Homeland Security Investigations, New York and United States Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, for their invaluable assistance. “The Justice Department is targeting every link in fentanyl trafficking supply chains that span countries and continents and too often end in tragedy in the United States,” stated Attorney General Garland. “We allege these companies, and a company founder and senior executive who is now in custody, conspired to distribute and import fentanyl precursor chemicals from India to the United States and Mexico. We made a promise that the Justice Department would never forget the victims of the fentanyl epidemic, and that we would never stop working to hold accountable those who bear responsibility for it — that is what we have done, and that is what we will continue to do.” “Much of our nation’s illicit fentanyl crisis can be traced to bad actors overseas who knowingly and illegally traffic precursor chemicals to North America, where cartels refine them into deadly narcotics and wreak immeasurable heartbreak and destruction on so many American communities,” stated DHS Secretary Mayorkas. “The Department of Homeland Security, alongside our federal partners, will continue to take the fight against fentanyl directly to alleged foreign precursor chemical exporters like the companies and the individual indicted today – because the best way to stop illicit fentanyl from killing Americans and devastating communities is by preventing it from being manufactured in the first place.” Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, is the deadliest drug threat currently facing the United States. It is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is designated as a Schedule II controlled substance while various precursors that can be used to produce fentanyl are included on the controlled substance schedules List I and List II. Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya are charged with conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical, distribution and importation of a listed chemical knowing it would be used to manufacture fentanyl, smuggling and other related offenses. Athos Chemicals is charged with similar offenses, including conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical and distribution and importation of a listed chemical. As alleged in the indictments and court filings, the defendants supplied precursor chemicals to the United States and Mexico, among other places, knowing they would be used to manufacture fentanyl. They also sent their chemical products to the United States and Mexico using international mail and package carriers. The chemicals distributed by the defendants included all the materials necessary to manufacture fentanyl via the most common methods or pathways. To prevent detection and interception of chemical products at the borders, the defendants employed deceptive and fraudulent practices, such as mislabeling packages, falsifying customs forms, and making false declarations at border crossings. For example, on or about June 29, 2024, a package shipped by Raxuter Chemicals was delivered to an address in the Eastern District of New York. The package had a false manifest that listed its contents as Vitamin C. In truth, the contents were a List I chemical, 1-boc-4-piperidone, an unlawfully imported fentanyl precursor. On or about October 2, 2024 and October 15, 2024, Lathiya appeared on a video call to discuss sale of fentanyl precursor chemicals with an HSI undercover officer. After being told by the undercover officer that his “clients in Mexico were very happy with the quality of what you sent me” and with “the yield they got of the final product,” Lathiya agreed to sell 20 kilograms 1-boc-4-piperidone, which is a List I chemical used in fentanyl synthesis. Lathiya also proposed mislabeling the chemical as an antacid. The undercover officer replied and asked if it would be easier to ship the product to Mexico, stating “This is a very controversial product … Because like you said it’s banned and in Mexico I think it could be easier but there’s so much pressure on them because of fentanyl.” On or about November 23, 2024, Raxuter Chemicals and Lathiya shipped approximately 20 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to the Eastern District of New York. The package was mislabeled as an antacid. In addition, on or about February 20, 2024, Athos Chemicals agreed to sell 100 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone to a known drug trafficker in Mexico who was making fentanyl in association with a drug trafficking organization. Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including but not limited to the Sinaloa Cartel, have increasingly availed themselves of the fentanyl precursors developed and distributed by companies like the defendants. The chemicals provided by the defendant companies have enabled such cartels and other drug trafficking organizations to produce fentanyl in clandestine laboratories in Mexico on a massive scale for subsequent distribution in the United States and elsewhere. The charges in the indictments are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of all the charges, Lathiya faces up to 53 years in prison. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, William P. Campos and Chand Edwards-Balfour are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti. The Defendants : BHAVESH ranCHHODBHAI LATHIYA (also known as “Bhavesh Patel” and “Bhavesh Bhai”) Age: 36 Surat, Gujarat, India RAXUTER CHEMICALS Surat, Gujarat, India E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-525 (PKC) ATHOS CHEMICALS PVT. LTD. Surat, Gujarat, India E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-526 (RPK)


title: Massachusetts Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Million Dollar Tax Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Hanson man was sentenced on Jan. 3, 2025, for a tax fraud scheme in which he willfully failed to pay employment taxes for his two businesses. Kenneth Marston, 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to six months in prison, to be followed by 18 months of supervised release, with the first six months served on home detention. Marston was also ordered to pay $101,791 in restitution. In October 2024, Marston pleaded guilty to one count of failure to collect and pay over employment taxes. From 2015 through 2018, Marston owned and operated two businesses: Bowmar Steel Industries, Inc., which engaged in steel fabrication, and Teleconstructors, Inc., which provided installation services on cellular phone towers. During that time, Marston falsely treated his employees as if they were independent contractors and, in turn, failed to withhold employment taxes on over $3.8 million in combined wages. As a result, Marston avoided reporting and paying $1 million in employment taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit and Trial Attorney Mark McDonald of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Roxbury Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Heath Street Gang member/associate pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to drug conspiracy charges. Charles Bomman, 34, of Roxbury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for April 10, 2025. Bomman was charged and arrested in February 2024, along with over 40 alleged Heath Street Gang members/associates, who were charged with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms and financial fraud charges. From 2021 through 2024, Bomman participated in a conspiracy to distribute various controlled substances, in particular, powdered cocaine, cocaine base (crack) and fentanyl. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. The investigation was supported by the Boston Housing Authority Police Department and Massachusetts State Police. Valuable assistance was provided by the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Crowley and Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney, FBI Announce Federal Charges Against Three Individuals in Kidnapping and Assault Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Three individuals face federal charges for allegedly kidnapping a woman, with one defendant facing multiple assault charges, including the use of a firearm. The indictment alleges that Michael Clubfoot , 45, Carlyn Calavaza , 41, both of Zuni, and Alexis Mahooty , 40, of Pine Hill, all enrolled members of the Zuni Pueblo, unlawfully kidnapped Jane Doe in 2024, and held her for ransom, reward, and otherwise. Clubfoot faces additional charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Clubfoot will remain in custody pending trial . Calavaza and Mahooty , will remain in the third-party custody pending trial, which is currently set for February 10, 2025. If convicted, Clubfoot , Calavaza and Mahooty face any term of years up to life in prison for the kidnapping charge. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment (Clubfoot et al.).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Brentwood Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Insider Trading Scheme That Netted More Than $650,000 in Illegal Gains

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A man from the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for his role in an insider trading scheme that netted more than $650,000 in illicit profits. Shahriyar Bolandian, 36, was sentenced by United States District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. to 24 months in federal prison. A forfeiture order will be imposed at a later date. At the conclusion of a five-day trial, a jury in April 2024 found Bolandian guilty of six counts of insider trading. “This defendant – now a convicted felon – illegally traded on inside information to enrich himself and others,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “All those who seek to get rich by manipulating the financial markets and taking advantage of others should think again – there will be consequences for this misconduct.” In 2012 and 2013, Bolandian received material non-public information about two upcoming corporate acquisitions by publicly traded companies. Bolandian then used the inside information to trade in advance of the public announcements of Integrated Device Technology Inc.’s April 2012 planned acquisition of PLX Technology Inc., and Salesforce.com Inc.’s June 2013 acquisition of ExactTarget Inc. As a result of his illegal trades, Bolandian’s personal share of the scheme’s illicit proceeds was $450,000, which he used, among other things, to cover previous trading losses and repay loans to family and friends. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission in August 2015 filed a civil complaint against Bolandian and others in connection with the scheme. That litigation remains pending. Judge Hatter today also sentenced Kevan Sadigh, 37, formerly of Encino and now a Miami resident, to two years of probation and ordered forfeiture in the amount of $36,684 and a money judgment in the amount of $206,525. In a separate, six-day trial, a jury in July 2024 found Sadigh guilty of seven counts of insider trading. Sadigh’s personal share of the illicit proceeds was approximately $200,000. The Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force is designed to expand and prioritize complex corporate and securities fraud investigations, some of which involves corporate executives and other individuals involved in criminal conduct. Members of the Strike Force examine accounting fraud, insider trading, and other matters that directly impact the financial system and trading markets. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew M. Roach of the General Crimes Section and Solomon D. Kim of the Major Frauds Section, and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.


title: Man Sentenced for Insider Trading Scheme

body_text: A California man was sentenced today to two years in prison for his role in an insider trading scheme that netted more than $650,000 in illicit profits. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2012 and 2013, Shahriyar Bolandian, 36, of the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, received material non-public information about two upcoming corporate acquisitions from his childhood friend, who was an investment banking analyst at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. Bolandian then used the inside information to trade in advance of the public announcements of Integrated Device Technology Inc.’s April 2012 planned acquisition of PLX Technology Inc., and Salesforce.com Inc.’s June 2013 acquisition of ExactTarget Inc. As a result of his illegal trades, Bolandian personally made over $340,000, which he used, among other things, to cover previous trading losses and repay loans to family and friends. In April 2024, a federal jury convicted Bolandian of six counts of insider trading. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California; and Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Los Angeles Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Moghaddas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Roach for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.


title: Orleans Parish Man Indicted for Firearm and Narcotics Violations

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – MELCOLM DOLLIOLE (“DOLLIOLE”) , age 39, of New Orleans, Louisiana was charged on January 3, 2025, by a federal grand jury in an eight-count superseding indictment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Count 1 charged him with distribution of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Count 2 charged him with distribution of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C) and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. Count 6 charged him with possession with the intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(2). Count 7 charged him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Finally, Count 8 charged him with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to the superseding indictment, on November 18, 2024, New Orleans police officers and federal agents arrested DOLLIOLE for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act while he was in possession of firearms. Further investigation determined that DOLLIOLE was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his prior felony conviction(s). If convicted, DOLLIOLE faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, at least 3 years of supervised release for Counts 1, 2, and 6; a mandatory minimum of 5 years up to life of imprisonment to run consecutive to Count 6, up to a $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release for Count 7; and up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release for Count 8. DOLLIOLE also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee as to all five counts. United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crimes Unit. * * *


title: Georgia Man Sentenced for Illegal Transfer of Firearms

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Devon Newsome, age 32, of Forrest Park, Georgia, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for unlawfully transferring firearms to a New York resident. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Field Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement. When he pled guilty, Newsome admitted that on May 21, 2023, he delivered 29 firearms to a New York resident in Georgia, including stolen firearms and a handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device. Those firearms were then transported from Georgia to a property on Western Avenue in Albany. Newsome knew the firearms were destined for New York and knew that neither he nor the person for whom the guns were destined were licensed importers, manufacturers, dealers, or collectors of firearms. On May 23, 2023, law enforcement searched the Western Avenue property and found 34 firearms, including the firearms that Newsome had transferred. United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release following Newsome’s imprisonment. The following defendants have also been charged in connection with this investigation: Anthony Luizzi pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and his possession of more than 30 firearms, including drugs and guns found at the Western Avenue property. Luizzi was sentenced to 210 months in prison and a $10,000 fine on October 1, 2024 . Brandon Bartley was sentenced on September 24, 2024, to 180 months in prison and to pay a $5,000 fine , for drug and gun crimes related to his possession of drugs and guns at the Western Avenue property. Jabree Jones was charged with a violation of the terms of his federal supervised release on May 23, 2023, based on violations of federal gun and drug trafficking laws, and has been detained pending the resolution of the supervised release violation petition. A final revocation hearing is currently scheduled for January 29, 2025. The violations against Jones are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Another suspect in the investigation, Anthony Zaremski, was fatally shot during the execution of a federal search warrant on May 23, 2023, at Zaremski’s apartment in Clifton Park, New York, after Zaremski opened fire and wounded two officers. The DEA and the ATF are investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), the Rotterdam Police Department, and the Henry County Police Department in Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.


title: Honduran National Indicted for Misuse of Social Security Number

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on December 19, 2024, MARIA DINORA PORTILLO-ALFARO (“ PORTILLO-ALFARO ”), age 36, of Honduras, was indicted for misuse of a social security number in order to obtain employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B). According to the indictment, on or about December 10, 2022, in the Eastern District of Louisiana, the defendant, PORTILLO-ALFARO , willfully, and with intent to deceive, did falsely represent a Social Security account number that was not assigned to her for the purpose of obtaining and maintaining employment. If convicted, PORTILLO-ALFARO faces up to five years imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Removal Office, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit in in charge of the prosecution.


title: Lynn Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to possession of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Jansyel Hernandez, 22, pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging one count of possession of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Hernandez and codefendant Juan Ramos were charged by criminal complaint in May 2023. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for April 17, 2025. In April 2023, an apartment in Lynn was identified as being fraudulently rented under a fictitious name. It was determined that the listed tenant did not exist and that the premises was being utilized as a hub for drug distribution and packaging. On May 2, 2023, a search was executed at the premises where Hernandez and Ramos were discovered in the residence. Hernandez and Ramos both fled by way of the balcony and were apprehended a short distance away. At the time of the search, Ramos was on pretrial release for an unrelated domestic violence offense and wearing a court-ordered GPS bracelet. Review of the records for the GPS bracelet showed that Ramos travelled frequently to the apartment. During a search of the apartment approximately 1200 grams of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine were located. In addition to the controlled substances, 30 pounds of cutting agent, blenders, scales and other paraphernalia used in the distribution and packaging of drugs were also located. A .38 caliber Taurus revolver was located in the apartment as well. In a subsequent search of Ramos’ vehicle that was parked outside the apartment, an additional 200 grams of fentanyl and a .40 caliber Glock pistol was discovered in a hidden compartment under the driver’s seat. In October 2023 Ramos pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison. The charge of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi S. Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney, Paul F. Tucker made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.