title: Four federally charged for gang murder near Yorktown

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

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Three gang members have been charged, in addition to one previously charged defendant, with abduction and murder in York County, Virginia. According to the indictment, in the early morning hours of May 6, 2023, Hezekiah Carney, 25, of Norfolk, Jamica Langley, 24, of Richmond, Donnisha Goodman, 26, of Portsmouth, and Acacia Jackson, 19, of New York, allegedly traveled to the victim’s residence on Bethel Street in Richmond, Virginia, to conduct a physical beating of the victim for a gang infraction. All were members of different regional sets of a national street gang, the Almighty Black P. Stone Nation. The group left the apartment after beating the victim. Around an hour later, Goodman, Jackson, Carney, and Langley allegedly returned to the victim’s apartment, this time with an additional co-conspirator and fellow gang member, Jayquan Jones, 25, of Richmond. Some of them allegedly were armed and wearing masks. The group allegedly attacked the victim again before taking her from her residence. The group allegedly drove the victim in a Hyundai Sonata approximately an hour east of Richmond to a remote area off Old Williamsburg Road in York County, where they allegedly removed her from the car and executed her. The Medical Examiner found eight gunshot wounds to the head, abdomen, back, buttocks, and legs. At approximately 6:30 a.m., deputies with the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office allegedly found the victim’s body, along with numerous shell casings with an "S&B” headstamp. On May 7, 2023, the Norfolk Police Department allegedly located and stopped the Sonata. Jackson, Goodman, and Langley allegedly were in the vehicle at the time. Investigators allegedly recovered a 9mm cartridge from the vehicle with the same “S&B" headstamp from casings found at the scene of the murder. On March 5, Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 22 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Carney, Goodman, Langley, and Jones are charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping resulting in death. If convicted of kidnapping resulting in death, they face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Ronald Montgomery, York County Sheriff, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Mack Coleman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance provided by the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-1.


title: Online Seller Of “Unwashed” Poppy Seeds Is Sentenced For Drug Offense

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Daniel Allen Childers 34, of Asheville, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release, for a drug offense involving “unwashed” poppy seeds, said Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to court documents and court proceedings, between June 2021 and January 2023, Childers engaged in a conspiracy to distribute unwashed poppy seeds. Unwashed poppy seeds are different from commercially available poppy seeds. Consumers of unwashed poppy seeds generally steep the seeds in hot water, which produces a narcotic “tea” that contains opiates such as morphine, codeine, and thebaine. Court records show that, in June 2021, Childers contacted a wholesale supplier of unwashed poppy seeds and became a vendor for the seeds. Childers began to sell the seeds online through a website he created for his business, “OrganaSeedSupply LLC” (OrganaSeed). OrganaSeed purported to sell baking goods supplies and services, including poppy seeds for commercial use. Contrary to the website’s claims, Childers exclusively sold unwashed poppy seeds and only listed the other products and services to appear legitimate. Court documents show that Childers obtained pallets of seeds from his supplier, each containing over 1,000 pounds of unwashed poppy seeds. In turn, Childers sold the unwashed poppy seeds online in various size bags, with one pound of seeds costing between $45 and $50. As Childers previously admitted in court documents, Childers knew that his customers would use the poppy seeds to make opiate tea and warned his customers that the seeds contained “opiate alkaloid residue.” In July 2023, Childers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a material used to make a controlled substance. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville.


title: Dominic Coluccio, Former President Of United Probation Officers Association, Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Union And Its Members

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced that DOMINIC COLUCCIO, the former President of the United Probation Officers Association (the “UPOA”), the union that represents all current and former New York City probation officers, pled guilty today to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the UPOA and the UPOA’s active welfare fund and retirement welfare fund. COLUCCIO pled guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Dominic Coluccio promised to look out for all the hard-working active and retired probation officers who are members of the UPOA. Instead, as admitted today in federal court, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from them to fund his lavish lifestyle. Thanks to the hard work of the DOI and the Special Agents and career prosecutors of the Southern District of New York, Coluccio’s betrayal has been exposed, and he now faces jail time and significant financial penalties.” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “This defendant, former President of the United Probation Officers Association and Administrator of the Association’s Welfare Funds, used his leadership role to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Association and its taxpayer-funded Welfare Funds, intended to benefit current and retired Department of Probation employees and family members. Today he takes responsibility for that conduct and agrees to pay $684,929 in restitution to the Association. DOI thanks the individuals who reported suspicions about misuse of funds to DOI, prompting this investigation, and the Office of the New York City Comptroller and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their commitment to hold accountable anyone who misappropriates public funds.” According to the Information filed in the case and statements made in court: The UPOA is a non-profit 501(c)(5) labor organization with the intended purpose of advancing the professional, health, and safety interests of its members – officers and supervisors in the New York City Department of Probation (“DOP” or “Probation”). The UPOA’s membership consists of all active and retired Probation Officers and Supervisors within DOP. COLUCCIO was President of the UPOA from in or about 1989 until in or about 2016. From in or about 2010 until in or about 2019, COLUCCIO also served as Administrator of UPOA’s Active Welfare Fund and UPOA’s Retirement Welfare Fund (together, the “Welfare Funds”). The Welfare Funds, established through an agreement between the City of New York (the “City”) and the UPOA, are benefit plans that provide supplemental health and welfare benefits (principally dental and vision benefits) to eligible retired and current Probation employees, their spouses, and dependents. Both Welfare Funds are almost entirely funded by the City. From in or about 2012 up to and including in or about 2019, COLUCCIO was engaged in a multi-faceted scheme to embezzle money from the UPOA and the Welfare Funds and to pay his personal expenses through money from the UPOA and Welfare Funds. COLUCCIO did this in several ways. From in or about 2012 until in or about 2018, COLUCCIO funded his personal expenses charged to his personal American Express credit card, in part, through money obtained from the UPOA and the Welfare Funds. Specifically, COLUCCIO charged his personal credit card for, among other things, high-end meals and retail items, jewelry, luxury vacations and hotels, and a relative’s college tuition. COLUCCIO then caused the UPOA, typically through electronic transfers, to pay down his personal credit card balance. From in or about 2012 up to and including in or about 2018, COLUCCIO misappropriated funds from the UPOA and Welfare Funds to fund an unauthorized individual retirement account in COLUCIO’s name. In or about 2012, COLUCCIO, without approval or authorization from the UPOA, created an IRA in the name of the UPOA and a sub-account in COLUCCIO’s name. These unauthorized transfers of funds from the UPOA to the IRA account were in addition to the pension payments COLUCCIO received from Probation and the UPOA. In or about 2016, at or around the time of his retirement as President of the UPOA, COLUCCIO and the Welfare Funds entered into an agreement pursuant to which the Welfare Funds agreed to pay COLUCCIO, as Administrator of the Funds, “an annual salary equal to the Probation Department Commissioner’s salary. . . .” The annual salary was in addition to COLUCCIO’s Probation pension, UPOA pension, and UPOA severance. Notwithstanding this agreement, COLUCCIO, who effectively controlled the Welfare Funds’ bank accounts and payroll, caused the Welfare Funds to pay COLUCCIO a salary higher than the Probation Commissioner’s salary. From in or about 2000, up to and including 2020, COLUCCIO submitted and sought reimbursement for medical, dental, and vision expenses that he and his dependents incurred. During that time period, COLUCCIO routinely authorized and concealed overpayments to him, his spouse, and his family members, i.e. , payments that exceeded policy limits. Through the scheme, COLUCCIO stole approximately $750,000 from the UPOA and the Funds. * * * COLUCCIO, 75, of Bellmore, New York, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, COLUCCIO agreed to forfeit $750,000 to the United States and to make restitution in the amount of $684,929.00 to the UPOA and the Funds. The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of DOI and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Comptroller’s Office Unit of Research and Investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Chiuchiolo is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Man Convicted for Insider Trading Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted a California man this week for insider trading. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shahriyar Bolandian, 35, of Brentwood, Los Angeles, participated in an insider trading scheme that netted more than $650,000 in illicit profits. Between 2012 and 2013, Bolandian 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. The jury convicted of Bolandian of six counts of insider trading. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California; and Acting Assistant Director in Charge Mehtab Syed of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Moghaddas for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.


title: Indictment Filed in Murder of Visiting Teacher Near University

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jamie Macedo, 22, of Washington, D.C., was indicted on charges of first degree murder while armed, attempted armed robbery, and firearms offenses in relation to the July 2023 shooting death of Maxwell Emerson, a visiting teacher, during a robbery that ended on a university campus in Northeast D.C., announced United States Attorney Matthew M. Graves. The indictment, filed on April 10, 2024, in the Superior Court, also charges possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The defendant will be arraigned on Friday, April 12, 2024. According to documents filed with the court and the government’s evidence, on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, Mr. Emerson, who was in Washington, D.C. for a conference at the Library of Congress’s Teacher Institute, was approached by the defendant at 7:32 a.m. outside the Brookland-CUA Metro Station. Mr. Emerson was captured on video walking away from the Metro station a few minutes later with his hands raised and with the defendant following him. Macedo forced Emerson toward a small park area near 611 Alumni Lane. Just before 8 a.m., Mr. Emerson sent a snapchat message attempting to inform a family member he was being robbed at gunpoint. Surveillance video captured Macedo closing in on Mr. Emerson who was seated on a park bench. Macedo attempted to grab personal property from Mr. Emerson and a struggle ensued during which Macedo shot Mr. Emerson in the abdomen. Mr. Emerson died as a result of the gunshot wound. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.


title: Brentwood Man Found Guilty of Insider Trading

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Brentwood man has been found guilty by a jury of participating in an insider trading scheme that netted more than $650,000 in illicit profits, the Justice Department announced today. Shahriyar Bolandian, 35, was found guilty Tuesday of six counts of insider trading. According to court documents and evidence presented at a five-day trial, 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 more than $340,000, which he used, among other things, to cover previous trading losses and repay loans to family and friends. United States District Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. scheduled a July 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Bolandian will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Ali Moghaddas of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force and Trial Attorney Della Sentilles of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case.


title: DHS employee indicted for money laundering

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A deportation officer has been taken into custody on allegations he transported nearly $700,000 in what he believed to be drug proceeds, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Christopher Washington Toral, 48, Spring, is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison at 2 p.m. A federal grand jury returned the indictment April 9, which was unsealed upon Toral’s arrest. Toral is an employee of Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working as a deportation officer for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On three occasions in 2023, Toral allegedly transported a total of approximately $700,000 in exchange for cash payments. In each instance, he believed the monies were proceeds from drug transactions, according to the indictment. Toral transported $200,000 between Feb. 9 and 28, 2023, from Dallas to Houston, according to the charges. In early March 2023, he allegedly travelled from Newark, New Jersey, to Houston with $300,000 in U.S. currency. If convicted, Toral faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine. FBI and DHS – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Ferko is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Lakeland Man Pleads Guilty To Bringing Loaded Firearm Into Tampa International Airport Terminal

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Abraham Othman Yacoub (26, Lakeland) has pleaded guilty to one count of violating airport security requirements and one count of attempted possession of a dangerous weapon on an aircraft. Yacoub faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. He has also agreed to forfeit the Glock 19 and assorted ammunition, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, on August 4, 2023, Yacoub arrived at Tampa International Airport to board a flight to Las Vegas, Nevada. He entered the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening line and placed his backpack, shoes, and other personal items into a TSA bin before proceeding through TSA screening. TSA electronically screened Yacoub’s items with an x-ray machine and observed a firearm inside of Yacoub’s bag. While TSA officers were attempting to locate the bag containing the firearm, Yacoub took his bag from the conveyor belt and proceeded to the nearest men’s restroom. Once in the restroom, Yacoub removed the firearm from his backpack, wrapped it in toilet paper, and hid it in a trash can. A short time later, Yacoub exited the restroom and returned to the TSA screening area, still holding his backpack, where he was met by a TSA officer. TSA officers rescreened Yacoub’s backpack and questioned Yacoub, who lied to TSA officers and told them that he had not brought a firearm into the airport. The airport terminal was evacuated of passengers, delaying numerous flights. Officers from the Tampa International Airport Police Department (TIA PD) responded to the screening area, questioned Yacoub, and searched the restroom that Yacoub had entered. Inside the trash can in the handicap stall, TSA and TIA PD officers located a black firearm partially wrapped in toilet paper with fourteen 9mm rounds of ammunition inside a magazine and loaded into the gun. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Rules and Regulations for Tampa International Airport state that “[n]o person except those persons authorized by law may carry a firearm or concealed weapon inside the passenger terminal and sterile areas of the airport….” Further, the airport has clearly posted no-firearms signs at the entry of every airport security line. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Tampa International Airport Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.


title: Former Teacher Sentenced for Sexual Abuse and  Enticement of Minors

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A former South Coffeyville middle school teacher was sentenced today for two counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Harold Steven Moore, 41, of Kansas City, to 180 months imprisonment, followed by 12 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Moore will also be required to register as a sex offender. “Children trust their teachers and Harold Moore betrayed that trust,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “No child should ever have to question the motives of an adult they interact with at school. I commend the courageous victims that came forward.” According to court documents, Moore was a teacher and coach at a South Coffeyville middle school. He had sexual relationships with two separate minor children beginning in 2006 and continuing through 2007. Both minor children were under the age of 16 years old and students at the middle school. Moore further admitted to enticing a third minor to engage in sexual activities while he was her coach. Moore made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature and engaged in improper touching. Moore is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI, Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and Montgomery County Sheriff's Office in Kansas investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Two Defendants Are Sentenced For Stealing Social Security Benefits

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced that two defendants convicted for theft of Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits in separate cases have been sentenced in federal court. Henry Lionel Barber, 77, of Charlotte, was sentenced to three years of probation, with eight months of home confinement, for theft of government funds and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $140,541 to SSA. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, from 2009 to 2023, Barber stole SSA survivor’s benefits which were paid monthly in the name of a deceased beneficiary. Court records show that Barber converted United States Department of Treasury checks issued to the deceased beneficiary for his own use. Barber later used ATM cards associated with a bank account in the deceased beneficiary’s name where the survivor’s benefits were direct deposited to make cash withdrawals and other unauthorized financial transactions. Barber collected approximately $140,000 in funds administered by the SSA in the form of survivor’s benefits, which he was not entitled to receive. On October 18, 2023, Barber pleaded guilty to theft of government funds. In a separate case, Ivan Buxton Gay Jr., 81, of Huntersville, N.C., was sentenced to five years of probation, with eight months of home confinement, for theft of government funds and making a false statement on a passport application. Gay was also ordered to pay $142,000 in restitution to SSA. According to court records in this case, as early as 1992, Gay stole the identity of Alvin Vincent Lee, an infant that died in the 1940’s. Gay used Alvin Vincent Lee’s information, including a birth certificate, to fraudulently obtain a North Carolina Driver’s License and a Social Security card under Alvin Vincent Lee’s name. Court records also show that, in 2006, Gay applied for and began to receive retirement benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the SSA under Alvin Vincent Lee’s name. In total, Gay collected approximately $142,000 in funds administered by the SSA in the form of retirement benefits and SSI. Then, in 2020, Gay applied for a United States passport using Alvin Vincent Lee’s identity, declaring under penalty of perjury that the statements and information on the application form were true and correct. In support of the passport application, Gay provided false documentation and a photograph of himself attesting that it was a correct and true photograph of Alvin Vincent Lee. On November 6, 2023, Gay pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and making a false statement on a passport application. “Theft of social security benefits is theft of taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office’s prosecutions protect the integrity of the SSA programs and ensure that funds are administered to individuals qualified to receive them. I want to thank SSA-OIG for their partnership and for joining forces with my Office to accomplish our shared mission.” In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the SSA-OIG for its thorough investigation of both cases, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service for its invaluable assistance with Gay’s investigation. The charges are the result of an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina to deter theft of government funds and bring to justice individuals who steal government benefits that millions of Americans rely on. The cases were prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Eric Frick. Mr. Frick is a prosecutor with the Social Security Administration and is assigned to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, in charge of prosecuting SSA fraud cases. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the SSA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. If you suspect someone of committing fraud, waste, or abuse against Social Security, you can submit a report online at oig.ssa.gov or contact the SSA-OIG’s fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 .


title: Extradited Colombian National Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison For Conspiring To Import Cocaine Into The United States

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LIBIA AMANDA PALACIO MENA was sentenced to 14 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. PALACIO MENA pled guilty on December 21, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Libia Amanda Palacio Mena's sentence marks a significant blow to drug trafficking networks, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to dismantling criminal enterprises. Through the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, this Office and our partners uncovered the complex network Palacio Mena and others orchestrated alongside FARC operatives and other violent drug trafficking organizations. This outcome underscores that those who conspire to flood our streets with narcotics will face stiff consequences for their actions.” According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings: [1] PALACIO MENA conspired with her co-defendants and other individuals associated with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (“FARC”) — a violent organization based in Colombia that was dedicated to the overthrow of the Colombian government and responsible for the production and distribution of the majority of the cocaine that eventually reached the U.S. — to source and distribute tons of cocaine destined for the U.S. PALACIO MENA negotiated with individuals she believed to be narcotics traffickers from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (the “Mexican DTO”) seeking to establish a cocaine supply line from Venezuela to the U.S. These individuals, however, were actually confidential sources working at the direction of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (the “DEA”). In dozens of communications recorded during the investigation, PALACIO MENA presented herself to the Mexican DTO as a broker for large cocaine and weapons transactions. PALACIO MENA touted her connections to, among others, Colombian political leaders, the FARC, and the Cartel of the Suns — a group of high-ranking Venezuelan officials who abused the Venezuelan people and corrupted the legitimate institutions of Venezuela to facilitate the importation of tons of cocaine into the U.S. in partnership with the FARC. After exploring working with various drug traffickers and introducing the confidential sources to several possible partners for sourcing and transporting cocaine, PALACIO MENA ultimately introduced the confidential sources to one of her co-defendants, who agreed to use his political and logistics connections in Colombia to assist the venture. In December 2021, to prove their bona fides and establish the quality of their supply, PALACIO MENA sold the confidential sources a five-kilogram sample of extremely pure cocaine from a FARC-associated farm outside of Medellín. PALACIO MENA was arrested in Colombia in February 2022, in the midst of negotiating a much larger partnership with the Mexican DTO, which they envisioned entailing the shipment of approximately 500 kilograms of cocaine per week. * * * In addition to the prison term, PALACIO MENA, 50, of Medellín, Colombia, was sentenced to four years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit and Bogota Country Office, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Judicial Attaché’s Office in Bogota. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley, Kaylan E. Lasky, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution. [1] Communications, conversations, and statements discussed and quoted herein are described in substance and in part, and many of these conversations occurred in Spanish.


title: Federal Jury Finds Wisconsin Woman Guilty of Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: DULUTH, Minn. – A federal jury found a Wisconsin woman guilty of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. Following a three-day trial before Judge John R. Tunheim, Shue Moua, 35, was convicted yesterday on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. According to the evidence presented at trial, a deputy with the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office executed a traffic stop after witnessing Moua’s erratic behavior behind the wheel of a Ford Taurus in the early hours of March 2, 2023. During their interaction, Moua presented an expired Wisconsin driver’s license and admitted she did not have a valid license or insurance coverage. Officers also observed signs of impairment, namely bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, and conducted a series of field sobriety tests, which she failed. After initially consenting to a search of her vehicle, Moua revoked consent and was subsequently arrested for suspected impaired driving. A search of her person prior to her arrest revealed $634 in cash, and while conducting an inventory of her vehicle prior to impoundment, officers discovered approximately two pounds of methamphetamine and unused plastic baggies. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew D. Evans and Michael P. McBride tried the case.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Staffing Agency to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with staffing company Infinity Employment Solutions Inc. (Infinity), formerly doing business as Express Employment Professionals of Mesquite, Texas. The settlement agreement resolves the department’s determination that Infinity violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it discriminated against a worker based on his citizenship status by rejecting his valid documents and requesting that he provide a specific document to prove his permission to work. “It is unlawful discrimination for employers to reject a worker’s valid documents showing their permission to work because of the worker’s citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting workers who experience discrimination during the hiring process; employers that violate our nation’s civil rights will be held accountable.” After an investigation, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) determined that Infinity rejected a lawful permanent resident’s valid driver’s license and unrestricted Social Security card, even though they were enough to show his permission to work. The investigation also found that the company demanded that the worker provide a Permanent Resident Card before he could start working. As a result, the worker lost 20 days of wages. Under the terms of the settlement, Infinity will pay a civil penalty, provide back pay plus interest to the worker and be subject to monitoring requirements. Under federal law, employers cannot reject a worker’s valid work authorization document based on the worker’s immigration or citizenship status. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens are (for example, a state ID or driver’s license and an unrestricted Social Security card). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to the worker. IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website . Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation ; email IER@usdoj.gov or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.


title: El departamento de justicia llega a un acuerdo con una agencia de dotación de personal que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado un acuerdo conciliatorio con la empresa de dotación de personal Infinity Employment Solutions Inc. (Infinity), que anteriormente operó bajo el nombre de Express Employment Professionals of Mesquite, Texas. El acuerdo conciliatorio resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Infinity infringió la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) cuando discriminó a un trabajador en función de su estatus de ciudadanía, al rechazar sus documentos válidos y solicitar que proporcionara un documento específico para demostrar su permiso para trabajar. «Se considera discriminación ilegal cuando los empleadores rechazan documentos válidos de un trabajador que demuestran su permiso para trabajar, debido al estatus de ciudadanía del trabajador», comentó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles se compromete a proteger a los trabajadores que sufren discriminación durante el proceso de contratación; se les hará rendir cuentas a aquellos empleadores que infrinjan los derechos civiles de nuestra nación». Después de una investigación, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles determinó que Infinity rechazó la licencia de conducir válida de un residente permanente legal y la tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones, aunque eran suficientes para demostrar su permiso para trabajar. La investigación también descubrió que la empresa exigía que el trabajador proporcionara una Tarjeta de Residente Permanente antes de poder empezar a trabajar. Como resultado, el trabajador perdió 20 días de salario. En virtud de los términos del acuerdo, Infinity pagará una sanción civil, emitirá pagos retroactivos más intereses al trabajador y se someterá a requisitos de supervisión. Conforme a las leyes federales, los empleadores no pueden rechazar un documento válido de autorización para trabajar de un trabajador en función del estatus migratorio o de ciudadanía del trabajador. De hecho, muchos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., incluidos los residentes permanentes legales, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos para demostrar su permiso para trabajar como lo son ciudadanos de los EE. UU. (por ejemplo, una identificación estatal o licencia de conducir y una tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que los trabajadores mismos elijan y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parezca razonablemente genuina y relacionada con el trabajador. La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminar al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien en el sitio web de la IER . Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea en vivo o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.


title: Tampa Drug Trafficker Convicted By A Federal Jury

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Anthony Carroll (50, Tampa) guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Carroll faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Carroll and his co-defendant agreed with an individual located in Mexico and associated with the Sinaloa Cartel to purchase 30 kilograms of cocaine in Tampa. An undercover agent in communication with the Mexican cartel member was solicited by that individual to transport the 30 kilograms of cocaine from El Paso, Texas to Tampa. Once in Tampa, the undercover agent contacted the Mexican cartel member who told the agent that two people would be arriving to the meeting location in a white sedan. Carroll and his co-defendant arrived shortly afterwards in Carroll’s white car. The pair met with two undercover agents, paid them the transportation fee, and took possession of the cocaine. A short while later, troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle. After a narcotics dog was deployed on the vehicle, troopers discovered the cocaine in the trunk. The pair were then arrested. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration - Tampa District Office and El Paso Field Division and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.


title: Wayne County man arrested on multiple child exploitation charges

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that John C. Aldrich, IV, 54, of Palmyra, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with the production, receipt, possession, and distribution of child pornography, and enticement of a minor. The charges carry a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine up to $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, law enforcement began investigating Aldrich in March 2024, after receiving information that he had engaged in the ongoing physical and sexual abuse of a minor victim in Palmyra, NY. Investigators recovered messages between the victim and Aldrich, which revealed that Aldrich had been involved in an ongoing pattern of abuse in which he sexually abused the victim and produced child pornography. According to the complaint, the abuse took place on a weekly basis over a period of more than one year, beginning when the victim was only 14 years old. Aldrich made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson and was held pending a detention hearing on April 22, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, Lyons, under the direction of Major Miklos Szoczei II, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Sober home owner sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding over $4 million from Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to fund lavish lifestyle

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On April 10, a substance abuse facility owner was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,444,417.65 in restitution, for defrauding the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) of over $4 million. The sentence comes after the defendant entered a guilty plea in February. Joseph Toro, 39, of Jupiter, Florida, owned and operated Reawakenings Wellness Center (RWC), a substance abuse facility that treated patients, including FEHBP beneficiaries, from 2013 until January 2018, when RWC was evicted from their location in Miramar, Florida. After the RWC eviction, Toro continued to submit FEHBP insurance claims, using personal identifying information of former RWC patients, for substance abuse treatment that was never provided. To do so, he called the FEHBP hotline, impersonated former patients, and changed their mailing addresses to addresses that he controlled so he could obtain the fraudulent insurance reimbursement checks. For over a year, Toro submitted fraudulent claims on behalf of 29 former RWC patients for over $6.7 million in substance abuse treatment that he knew RWC never provided. As a result of Toro’s fraudulent claims, he obtained nearly $4.2 million in proceeds from the FEHBP. Toro also applied for and obtained a $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. That application misrepresented that RWC had five employees and grossed over $1.4 million in 2019, when in truth RWC had shut down years prior. With the fraudulently obtained proceeds, Toro purchased a waterfront mansion in Jupiter, a Lamborghini Aventador, a Mercedes G Wagon, two Cadillac Escalades, an Audemars Piguet watch, and various other properties and luxury goods. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General (OPM OIG), announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith. OPM OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster handled asset forfeiture. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-60237. ###


title: Ohkay Owingeh Man Charged with Assault

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Ohkay Owingeh man is facing federal charges for allegedly assaulting a victim with a firearm. Robert Abyeta , 50, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh, appeared in federal court for an initial appearance where the Court temporarily detained him pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for April 15, 2024. The indictment alleges that on June 28, 2023, Abeyta assaulted the victim with a firearm with the intent to cause bodily harm. Abeyta is charged with assault with an assault resulting is serious bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon, and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, discharging said firearm. If convicted, Abeyta faces up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department and Santa Clara Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Eden Prairie Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1 Million from Employer

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – An Eden Prairie woman has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $1 million from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, Monica Svobodny, 51, worked as the Supply Chain and Engineering Manager at a furniture manufacturing company located in Edina, Minnesota. Svobodny used her managerial position to embezzle funds and convert them to her own use and benefit. Svobodny regularly used company credit cards for unauthorized personal expenses such as designer clothing, spa services, and luxury hotel stays. To cover her fraud, she left unapproved credit card expenses as “pending” for accounting purposes. On more than 300 occasions, she used company cards to transfer funds to herself via PayPal to cover personal expenses. Svobodny also edited PayPal transaction receipts and fraudulently listed some of the expenses as payments to a defunct company. In total, Svobodny knowingly and willfully embezzled more than $1,137,000 over a period of seven years. Svobodny pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to one count of wire fraud before Judge Ann D. Montgomery. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Edina Police Department with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker is prosecuting the case.


title: Colorado Man Indicted for Firearm Offense

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Louisville, Colorado man was indicted in connection with a firearm offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Shelby Theriault, 30, was indicted on one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Theriault was arrested on January 20, 2024, and he is currently in state custody. Theriault will appear in federal court in Concord on April 17, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, the defendant knowingly received and possessed a weapon made from a shotgun, with an overall length of less than 26 inches and a barrel length of under 18 inches and did not register this weapon with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Weapon. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Conway Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former California Resident Involved in Interstate Cocaine Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Oxnard, California, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 10, 2024, to a drug trafficking charge, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Christopher Andrew Salgado, 24, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between March 2022 and September 2022, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The investigation revealed that a cocaine source of supply in California would mail parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine to a residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. After investigators seized a parcel containing two kilograms of cocaine before it reached the Aliquippa residence, the source of supply began sending the parcels to Salgado in West Virginia. Thereafter, mobile and electronic surveillance confirmed that Salgado would drive the parcel from West Virginia to the Pittsburgh International Airport, pick up co-defendant Jose Sanchez, who would arrive on flights from California, and transport both the parcel and Sanchez to another co-defendant, Romaro Foster Sr., in Aliquippa. Following one re-supply of cocaine to Foster Sr., law enforcement followed Salgado as he drove Sanchez back to the Pittsburgh airport, and observed Salgado dispose of a box in the trash of a fast food restaurant parking lot. Investigators recovered the box, observing a shipping label with Salgado’s West Virginia address as well as drug packaging material within the box. A field test of the packaging revealed the presence of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. In August 2022, investigators seized a parcel sent from California to Salgado in West Virginia. The parcel contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine. Investigators conducted a controlled delivery operation of the parcel at Salgado’s residence, executing a federal search warrant at the residence in conjunction with the operation. From Salgado’s bedroom, investigators recovered another parcel sent from California to Salgado containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine, along with a loaded 9mm handgun, an empty pistol magazine, a box of ammunition, and a digital scale. Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for August 14, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court remanded Salgado to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Salgado. This prosecution is part of an OCDETF investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Owners of Local Debt Consolidation Service Indicted in Federal Court, Additional Victims Sought

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—The owners of ConsoliDebt Solutions, LLC, a debt consolidation service that operated in Oregon and other locations between April 2019 and April 2024, have been indicted in federal court for knowingly and intentionally defrauding their customers. Javier Antonio Banuelas Urueta, 54, and Dalia Castilleja Saucedo, 38, both residents of Oregon and Washington State, have been charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiring to commit and committing mail and wire fraud. According to the indictment, from approximately April 2019 and continuing until their arrests, Banuelas and Castilleja are alleged to have devised and carried out a scheme whereby they used ConsoliDebt Solutions to collect money and property from various clients in exchange for purported debt consolidation or reduction services. Banuelas and Castilleja directed their clients to deposit funds directly into ConsoliDebt bank accounts, transfer funds to the company, or mail in personal checks, cashier’s checks, or money orders. Banuelas and Castilleja are further alleged to have used client funds to pay for various personal expenses such as car leases, loan repayments, residential rent, and various wire transfers. Banuelas was arrested Tuesday in Portland, Oregon. He made his first appearance in federal court the same day and was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending further court proceedings. Castilleja is still at large. Mail and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release per count of conviction. Anyone with information about Banuelas, Castilleja, or ConsoliDebt Solutions, LLC, are encouraged to contact Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) by submitting a tip online at https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form or by calling (866) 347-2423. This case was investigated by HSI. It is being prosecuted by Rachel K. Sowray, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: New Castle Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Fentanyl and Cocaine Violations

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for committing fentanyl and cocaine trafficking crimes, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Rayjzon Sams, 31, also ordering Sams to serve six years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Sams previously pleaded guilty in this case to committing the following crimes in 2020 and 2021: (1) conspiring to distribute cocaine and crack, (2) distributing crack within 1,000 feet of a school, and (3) possessing fentanyl and crack with intent to distribute. According to information presented to the Court, Sams engaged in fentanyl and cocaine trafficking in Lawrence and Mercer counties despite several prior convictions and incarceration sentences from state prosecutions during the preceding 10 years, including for cocaine trafficking and aggravated assault. Sams was on bond and probation, subject to house arrest, at the time he was trafficking fentanyl and cocaine. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, Hermitage Police Department, and Farrell Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Sams. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: South Carolina Man Indicted for Murder of NMSP Officer

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Jaremy Smith with the murder of New Mexico State Police Officer Justin Hare. Smith, 33, of South Carolina, is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges April 18, 2024. According to court documents, on March 15, 2024, Smith attempted to flag down passing motorists on Interstate 40 in Quay County, New Mexico, to assist with a flat tire . Smith had stolen the vehicle, a white BMW, from South Carolina on or about March 13, 2024, and drove it to New Mexico before it became disabled. NMSP Officer Justin Hare was dispatched to the scene to assist Smith . Upon Officer Hare’s arrival at approximately 5:04 a.m. that morning, Smith approached the passenger side of Officer Hare’s patrol vehicle where the two engaged in a short conversation. Smith then shot Officer Hare with a Taurus 9mm pistol that he had stolen from South Carolina. Afterward, Smith walked to the driver’s side window and shot Officer Hare two additional times. Smith then entered Officer Hare’s patrol vehicle and drove it westbound Interstate 40 before taking the first exit. After driving some distance, Smith removed Officer Hare from the vehicle and then continued driving the patrol unit before eventually crashing it in Guadalupe County, New Mexico. Officer Hare succumbed to the injuries that Smith inflicted during the course of the carjacking and kidnapping. The federal indictment charges Smith with carjacking resulting in death, causing death by the discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, kidnapping resulting in death, being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm and interstate transport of a stolen vehicle. If convicted of the current charges, Smith faces a mandatory life sentence or death for the kidnapping resulting in death charge, and any number of years up to life or death for the carjacking and discharge of a firearm offenses. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police investigated this case with assistance from the Tenth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. States Attorneys Paul Mysliwiec and Jack Burkhead are prosecuting the case. View the Indictment An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Farrell Resident Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Farrell, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Kenneth Miller, 62. Miller previously pleaded guilty in this case to conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine between June 2020 and June 2021. Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that Miller assisted his co-defendants with cocaine trafficking by repeatedly allowing his Farrell apartment to be used as a location where powder cocaine was converted into crack cocaine, with Miller repeatedly receiving some of the cocaine in return. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, Hermitage Police Department, and Farrell Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Miller. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Beaver Falls Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearms Convictions

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 10 years of imprisonment on his convictions for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Robert Carpenter Jr., 39. According to information presented to the Court, on July 25, 2022, the Beaver Falls Police Department executed a search warrant upon an apartment used by Carpenter. From the master bedroom, officers recovered 41.65 grams of cocaine base, in the form commonly known as crack, 6.74 net grams of cocaine, and 30 pills in a nightstand that also contained Carpenter’s identification and two digital scales. A laboratory analysis confirmed that some pills contained fentanyl while others contained fluorofentanyl. In addition to the packaged narcotics, law enforcement seized two firearms, a 9mm caliber handgun and a 5.56 caliber semiautomatic rifle. Both firearms were loaded and had been reported stolen, with the semiautomatic rifle loaded with a 30-round capacity magazine and having an altered serial number. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Beaver Falls Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Carpenter.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Bowling Green Man for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment yesterday charging a Bowling Green, Kentucky, man with wire fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division made the announcement. According to the indictment, from October 2009 and continuing until May 2020, Kennith Ray Moore, 55, committed wire fraud by engaging in a scheme to embezzle $1,145,800 from his employer. Specifically, the indictment alleges Moore caused his employer to issue checks to him and to “KBM Solutions,” a company Moore created whose primary purpose was to receive the embezzled funds. The indictment further charges that Moore laundered money by transferring the embezzled funds to his personal checking, personal savings, and credit card accounts. The indictment also charges Moore with tax evasion for tax years 2017 to 2020. If convicted, Moore faces a maximum sentence of 140 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The case is being investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Bowling Green Post of Duty Office and the USPIS Bowling Green Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Sewell, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: McKees Rocks Convicted Felon Sentenced to More than Three Years in Prison for Possession of Loaded Firearm

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 37 months of imprisonment on his conviction for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Shawn Layne, 39. According to information presented to the Court, on June 14, 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police executed a search warrant upon Layne’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of a loaded handgun from the bedroom. At the time Layne possessed the loaded firearm, he had been convicted of multiple felony drug offenses through the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Layne.


title: Former California Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Stephen Joseph Crittenden, 44, of Suisun City, pleaded guilty today to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Crittenden was a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation correctional officer at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. From 2021 through 2023, he accepted bribes, totaling more than $45,000, from inmates to smuggle cellphones into the California Medical Facility. Crittenden is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. Crittenden faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg is prosecuting the case.


title: Stilwell Resident Sentenced To 30 Years For Aggravated Sexual Abuse

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bryan Udale Jones, age 63, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. Jones will also be required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office. On May 2, 2023, Jones pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, beginning in 2003 and continuing into 2010, Jones sexually assaulted a minor under the age of 12. As part of the plea agreement, Jones admitted to additional assaults on three other minors over a span of 15 years. The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “Four innocent children suffered unimaginable horrors at the hands of Bryan Jones. He is both a danger and a disgrace, and now, thanks to the courage of the victims who came forward in this case, he will spend the rest of his natural life behind prison bars,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “This sentence sends a clear message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate the abuse and exploitation of children.” “Thanks to brave individuals with the courage to speak up and the diligent efforts of investigators and prosecutors, Bryan Udale Jones will effectively spend the rest of his life in prison,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I want to thank our partners in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case and for their continued partnership in keeping our communities safe from child predators.” 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 . The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Jones will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.


title: Japanese-Language Translator Charged in Complaint with Illegally Transferring More Than $16 Million from Baseball Player’s Account

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Japanese-language translator was charged today via federal criminal complaint with unlawfully transferring more than $16 million from a Major League Baseball (MLB) player’s bank account – without the player’s knowledge or permission – to pay off his own substantial gambling debts incurred with an illegal bookmaking operation. Ippei Mizuhara, 39, of Newport Beach, is charged with bank fraud, a felony offense that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. Mizuhara is expected to appear in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles for his initial appearance in the near future. According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, from November 2021 to January 2024, Mizuhara wired more than $16 million in unauthorized transfers from a checking account belong to an MLB player identified in the affidavit as “Victim A,” who in fact is MLB star Shohei Ohtani. The transfers from this bank account allegedly were made from devices and IP addresses associated with Mizuhara, who served as Ohtani’s translator and de facto manager. In 2018, Mizuhara accompanied Ohtani, who didn’t speak English, to a bank branch in Arizona to assist Ohtani in opening the account and translated for Ohtani when setting up the account details. Ohtani’s salary from playing professional baseball was deposited into this account and he never gave Mizuhara control of this or any of his other financial accounts, according to the affidavit. Mizuhara allegedly told Ohtani’s U.S.-based financial professionals, none of whom spoke Japanese, that Ohtani denied them access to the account. In September 2021, Mizuhara began gambling with an illegal sports book and, several months later, started losing substantial sums of money, the affidavit states. During this time, the contact information on Ohtani’s bank account allegedly was changed to link the account to Mizuhara’s phone number and to an anonymous email address connected to Mizuhara. Mizuhara allegedly also telephoned the bank and falsely identified himself as Ohtani to trick bank employees into authorizing wire transfers from Ohtani’s bank account to associates of the illegal gambling operation. From January 2024 to March 2024, he also allegedly used this same account to purchase via eBay and Whatnot approximately 1,000 baseball cards – at a cost of approximately $325,000 – and had them mailed to Mizuhara under an alias, “Jay Min,” and mailed to the clubhouse for Ohtani’s current MLB team. In an interview last week with law enforcement, Ohtani denied authorizing Mizuhara’s wire transfers. Ohtani provided his cellphone to law enforcement, who determined that there was no evidence to suggest that Ohtani was aware of, or involved in, Mizuhara’s illegal gambling activity or payment of those debts. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeff Mitchell of the Major Frauds Section, Dan Boyle of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, and Rachel N. Agress of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Detroit Business Owner Charged with Possessing Over 40 kilograms of Fentanyl in Basement Stash House

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A Detroit gas station owner has been charged with several federal crimes stemming from his involvement with a Detroit-based stash house that held over 40 kilograms of fentanyl, a pill press, and a variety of other materials used to manufacture fentanyl pills, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today. Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville Greene, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Chief Thomas Goralski, Livonia Police Department. On March 28, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at three locations connected to Barry Willis, 55, a resident of Clinton Township and owner of a Detroit gas station. Officers searched Willis’s primary residence in Clinton Township, his gas station in Detroit, as well as his suspected stash house in Detroit. In the basement of the stash house, officers recovered over 40 kilograms of fentanyl in both pill and powder form, as well as a hoard of materials for manufacturing fentanyl pills such as a pill press, narcotics scales, and drug recipes. Officers further located two handguns at the stash house, one at Willis’s residence, and another at his gas station, as well as over $100,000 in cash from Willis’s Clinton Township residence. “This case represents the largest law enforcement seizure of fentanyl in the state of Michigan to date. We are incredibly proud of our law enforcement partners who conducted this investigation and recovered these deadly substances before they could harm members of our community,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “This amount of fentanyl has the potential to provide nearly two deadly doses to every man, woman and child living in the state of Michigan. We will continue to work with our partners to pursue anyone pushing poisons into our communities and bring them to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Greene. "This major seizure of fentanyl has saved lives. The great partnerships we have with law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels in southeast Michigan, enable us to make these types of investigations successful,” said Chief Goralski. Willis has now been indicted for possession of over 400 grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the charges in the indictment. An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was investigated by the Livonia Police Department, including officers assigned to the Livonia Police Intelligence Bureau, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Michigan State Police and the Clinton Township Police Department also assisted with the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Ramamurthy.


title: Montour County Man Charged With Threatening To Murder FBI Agents

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Thomas Green, age 33, of Danville, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of influencing federal officials by threat and interstate communications with a threat. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Green called multiple FBI field offices across the country for several years to express frustration that the FBI was not investigating alleged criminal conduct reported by Green. The indictment also alleges that, beginning on or about August 18, 2022, Green began calling several FBI field offices across the country and threatening to assault and murder FBI agents if they did not investigate the alleged criminal conduct reported by Green. The indictment also alleges that Green called the FBI field office in Miami, Florida, and told FBI personnel that he knew about the murder of two Miami FBI agents and that “can happen again” if FBI personnel did not “act” how Green wanted them to. FBI Special Agents Laura Schwartzenberger and Daniel Alfin, who were members of FBI Miami, were killed while executing a search warrant in 2021. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Moreno is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Hannibal Man Sentenced to 137 Months in Prison for Gun, Drug Crimes

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

body_text: ST. LOUIS –U.S. District Judge Ronnie L. White on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon from Hannibal, Missouri who was caught with methamphetamine and a gun to 137 months in prison. After a traffic stop of Justin Fuget on March 25, 2022, Hannibal Police Department officers spotted a large safe on the passenger seat of Fuget’s vehicle, according to witnesses and evidence at Fuget’s trial in January. Fuget appeared nervous and a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the vehicle. Police also found a firearm between the driver’s seat and the center console. Fuget is a felon and is barred from possession of a firearm. During a subsequent court-approved search of the safe, officers found meth, drug paraphernalia and ammunition. They also found text messages on Fuget’s phone that indicated that he was distributing meth. Fuget, 35, was found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in January of three felony counts: being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Hannibal Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Hoag and Paul D’Agrosa are prosecuting the case.


title: Affluent businessman turned repeat offender imprisoned for paying minor to produce child pornography

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 62-year-old man residing in McAllen has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Luis Fabian Vela pleaded guilty Oct. 27, 2023. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Vela to serve 195 months in federal prison. The court enhanced the sentence after determining he was a repeat and dangerous offender against minors and because the offense involved a minor under the age of 16. In handing down the prison term, Judge Alvarez noted how Vela had community support throughout his life but turned to illegal sexual conduct when he was stressed. Calling his behavior sexually deviant, Judge Alvarez expressed concerns for the safety of the community due to these crimes occurring in the dark. Vela will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. “Vela is a prominent business owner who used his significant means to coerce minors into producing pornographic material of children for his own gratification, even going as far as instructing them how to take photographs of specific areas,” said Hamdani. “He boasted about his wealth to get what he wanted, but there won’t be much of that now…at least for the next 16 years.” From Sept. 29, 2022, through Oct. 5, 2022, Vela operated a financial account listed under Birdiebistro, a business he owns, and began communicating with a 15-year-old child. Even after the minor told Vela their age, he continued to engage in those conversations which were at times sexual in nature and extremely vulgar. He then instructed the minor on how to produce child pornography and utilized the Birdiebistro account to pay for the files. At the hearing, Vela expressed his apologies to his own family for all that has happened to him. Vela will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.


title: Pearl River Man Pleads Guilty to Incest

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A man from the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians pleaded guilty in federal court to knowingly engaging in a sexual act with a member of his family. According to court documents, in July 2021, Ronnie Reed, Sr., 52, had a sexual relationship with a family member in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Reed was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023. Reed is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd Gee and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.


title: Two San Antonians Sentenced to 18 and 15 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A San Antonio man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 216 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine into the U.S. from Mexico. According to court documents, Miguel Bazan, 39, was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol agents at the Eagle Pass Border Patrol Station on Oct. 14, 2019. Agents referred the vehicle to secondary inspection and discovered 64.671 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in after-market compartments built into the vehicle. Bazan pleaded guilty on June 14, 2021, to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Codefendant Melanie Mendoza Garza, who was in the vehicle with Bazan, pleaded guilty on March 22, 2021, to the same charge. She was sentenced on June 8, 2023, to 188 months in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the USBP investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Garner prosecuted the case. ###


title: Massachusetts Construction Company Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Crimes and Making a False Statement

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today to an employment tax scheme and making a false statement at an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) hearing. According to court documents and statements made in court, Mauricio Baiense, formerly of Quincy, owned and operated Contract Framing Builders Inc. (CFB), a Medford, Massachusetts, construction business. Baiense was responsible for paying to the IRS the payroll taxes withheld from CFB employees’ wages and for filing the quarterly employment tax returns. From approximately April 2013 through December 2017, Baiense operated an “off-the-books” cash payroll for CFB. To generate cash for the payroll, Baiense wrote checks drawn on CFB’s bank account to purported subcontractors, which were in fact nominee entities that Baiense controlled. Baiense then cashed or directed others to cash approximately $11 million in such checks at a check cashing business. Baiense and another man then used a portion of the cash to pay some of CFB’s employees’ wages. Baiense did not report the cash wages to the IRS and did not pay the required employment taxes on them. Baiense also helped prepare at least one false employment tax return that underreported the actual wages paid to CFB’s employees. In total, Baiense caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $2,824,577.45. Finally, when questioned at an OSHA hearing regarding a workplace accident, Baiense made a false statement. OSHA was investigating the workplace death of an individual working for CFB. During the hearing and while testifying under oath, Baiense falsely claimed that the deceased employee did not work for CFB at the time of the accident. Baiense is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each of the seven counts of willful failure to collect or pay over employment taxes, five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States and three years in prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. He also faces up to five years in prison for the false statement. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts, OSHA Region 1 Administrator Galen Blanton, Special Agent in Charge Harry Chavis Jr. of IRS-Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Boston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone of the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General in Boston made the announcement. IRS-CI, OSHA and the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General Assistant Chief Thomas F. Koelbl of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Tobin for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Georgia Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization Case

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Perry Johnson Jr., 30, of Dunwoody, Georgia, was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson participated in the DTO by directing large quantities of methamphetamine into the Southern District of West Virginia for distribution to local dealers and customers. On or about November 28, 2022, Johnson conducted phone calls with co-conspirator Alexandria Jasmine Estep during which he arranged to sell multiple pounds of methamphetamine to her. Johnson arranged for the methamphetamine to be delivered by third parties, including co-defendant Dashounieque Lashay Wright, in a vehicle to Estep’s Charleston residence the following day. After Estep received the methamphetamine from Wright, officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle that had delivered the methamphetamine. Upon conducting a search of that vehicle, officers discovered and seized approximately six pounds of methamphetamine. Johnson has a criminal history that includes seven prior convictions for controlled substances offenses in Virginia and Kentucky. Estep, 22, of Charleston, was sentenced on February 22, 2023, to four years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Wright, 27, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on January 8, 2024, to use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking and awaits sentencing. Johnson, Estep and Wright are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash. Johnson, Estep and Wright are also among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31. ###


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Reginald Clay Jackson, 43, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 3, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Jackson after conducting a traffic stop of a scooter he was operating in St. Albans. The scooter was reported stolen and Jackson could not produce a valid license, insurance, or registration. Jackson was taken to the South Charleston Detachment of the West Virginia State Police and processed. The following day, officers found a plastic bag under a bench in the booking area. The bag contained seven individually wrapped baggies that each contained approximately 1 ounce of fentanyl. Security video footage showed Jackson removing the bag from his clothing and throwing it under the bench during his processing. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 13, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of West Virginia State Police and the assistance provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-33. ###