title: Fourteen Members of Major Drug Organization That Trafficked Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine and Fentanyl Sentenced

component: Office of the Attorney General

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


title: Alton Man Sentenced to 222 months’ imprisonment for Distribution of Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Escape from an Institution, and Conspiracy to Possess Contraband in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An Alton, Illinois, man, Randy Bull, 41, was sentenced on December 13, 2023, to 222 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to escape from an institution, and conspiracy to possess contraband in prison. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that the Bull sold over 72.6 grams of ice methamphetamine in July of 2020. After he was taken into custody, and while detained at the Sangamon County Jail, Bull and three others engaged in a conspiracy to break Bull, and inmate James Russwinkel, out of the county jail by breaking a cell window. During the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen R. Lawless found that Bull was responsible, based on his own admissions, for an additional 11,453.12 grams of methamphetamine, along with the 72.6 grams he had sold. Judge Lawless specifically noted that Bull’s long history of violence and the need to protect the community warranted the extended prison term. Bull pleaded guilty to both cases on May 25, 2023. He was originally detained as part of the distribution case on August 12, 2020. The statutory penalties for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine are fifteen years to life imprisonment and a $20,000,000 fine. The statutory penalties for conspiracy to escape and conspiracy to possess contraband are not more than five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Illinois State Police Central Illinois Enforcement Group investigated the defendant’s distribution case. The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office investigated the attempted escape. Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Bull is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Gibson Woman Sentenced In Staged Automobile Collision Scheme

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that FLORENCE RANDLE (“ F. RANDLE ”), age 72, of Gibson, Louisiana, was sentenced on December 13, 2023 after previously pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. According to court records, F. RANDLE recruited and directed passengers to participate in staged automobile collisions with tractor-trailers on May 17, 2017 and June 6, 2017. The passengers in these collisions filed fraudulent lawsuits that falsely claimed the tractor-trailers were at fault. F. RANDLE , and her co-conspirators, coordinated with others, including attorney, Patrick Keating, to arrange the staged collisions. U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo sentenced RANDLE to serve 24 months of probation. RANDLE was ordered to pay $63,508.00 in restitution and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the Metropolitan Crime Commission with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria M. Carboni, Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorneys’ Maria M. Carboni, Edward Rivera, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon S. Long, all of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to the December 2022 Hobbs Act Armed Robberies of D.C. Businesses

body_text: WASHINGTON – A District man pleaded guilty today to federal felony charges in a pair of armed robberies that targeted commercial establishments during one night in December 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Damion Byrd, 21, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (also known as a Hobbs Act robbery) in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. On December 13, 2022, at 11:41 p.m. Byrd entered a convenience store on the 2300 block of Rhode Island Ave., NW, and asked an employee for juice. The employee told Byrd that the juice was in the refrigerator. Byrd retrieved a bottle of water and walked towards the counter where he tossed a $1 bill. Byrd then pointed a firearm at the employee and stated, “I need the money all the money you have.” The employee emptied the register and handed over the cash. On December 14, 2022, at 12:43 a.m., Byrd drove a silver-colored sedan to the drive-thru window of a fast-food restaurant on the 3900 block of Minnesota Ave., NE. Byrd exited the vehicle, pointed a firearm at a cashier, and said, “Open the register and I won’t shoot.” The cashier ran away. Byrd reached in the window, grabbed the cash register, and fled in the vehicle. Byrd was arrested on January 11, 2023, in Washington, D.C. and has been detained ever since. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan set a sentencing date for March 26, 2024. Byrd faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Graves, SAC Geist, and Chief Smith commended the MPD officers and FBI agents who collaborated on the investigation as members of MPD's Violent Crime Suppression Unit and FBI's Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Paralegal Karla Nunez provided valuable assistance.


title: Florida Man Indicted for Hate Crime in Murder of Black Man in Kansas City, Missouri

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Florida man was charged with a federal hate crime today for a murder he committed while staying in the Kansas City, Missouri, area. Sean Walter Tonkin, 36, who was staying at a local motel at the time of the alleged offense, was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City with committing a racially-motivated hate crime resulting in death. The indictment alleges that Tonkin, armed with a knife with knuckles, approached a Black man, J.M.R., on July 4. Unprovoked, Tonkin allegedly directed racial epithets and threats toward J.M.R. and ultimately stabbed him twice in the chest and abdomen, resulting in J.M.R.’s death. The indictment alleges that Tonkin attacked J.M.R. because of his race. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri and Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Kansas City Field Office is investigating the case. Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark for the Western District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the 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: Woman Convicted of $7M COVID-19 Relief Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in the Northern District of Georgia convicted a Georgia attorney and former City of Atlanta police officer yesterday of fraudulently obtaining over $7 million in loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Shelitha Robertson, 62, of Atlanta, conspired to submit PPP loan applications on behalf of four businesses she owned. The loan applications falsely inflated the number of employees and average monthly payroll for each of the four businesses, inducing larger PPP loans than Robertson could legitimately obtain. Robertson and a co-conspirator also caused the submission of false tax documents to support the false statements in each loan application. Robertson used the loan proceeds to purchase luxury items, including a 10-carat diamond ring, and to transfer funds to family members and her co-conspirator. The jury convicted Robertson of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Robertson is the second defendant to be convicted as part of the Justice Department’s prosecution of an approximately $15 million PPP fraud conspiracy. Robertson’s co-conspirator pleaded guilty prior to trial. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia, Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG), Acting Inspector General Tyler Smith of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), and Acting Inspector General Heather Hill of the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) made the announcement. The SBA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and TIGTA investigated the case. Trial Attorney Ariel Glasner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bernita Malloy for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud . In May 2021 the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Indictment Charges District Man in the Murder of 31-Year-Old Tourist Inside Her Ivy City Hotel Room

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – George L. Sydnor, Jr., 44 of Washington, D.C., was indicted earlier today by a D.C. Superior Court Grand Jury on several felony charges stemming from the stabbing murder of 31-year-old Christy Bautista on March 31, 2023, inside her room in the Ivy City Hotel, in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. A five-count indictment charges Sydnor with premeditated first degree murder while armed; burglary while armed; first degree felony murder while armed burglary); kidnapping while armed; first degree felony murder while armed (kidnapping). The indictment also charges an aggravating circumstance enhancement as to all five counts, finding that the offenses committed were “especially heinous, atrocious or cruel.” Sydnor is also charged with committing these crimes while he was on release in another criminal case. An arraignment on the indictment is scheduled for January 4, 2024, at 9:30 am, in Courtroom 301 before the Honorable Judge Robert Okun. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Santiago. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: Missouri Husband and Wife Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Wednesday sentenced a man from Jefferson County, Missouri to nine years in prison for possessing and sharing child pornography with his wife. Judge Perry also ordered David John Dohrman to pay $6,000 in restitution to victims who appeared in the images. Judge Perry sentenced Dohrman’s wife, Jacquelin Michelle Dohrman, to seven years in prison last month. David Dohrman, 52, and Jacquelin Dohrman, now 49, pleaded guilty in June to one count of possession of child pornography. David Dohrman admitted searching for and downloading child pornography and sending a video containing child sexual abuse material to his wife on Oct. 1, 2020. The couple shared child pornography in chats and discussed a young girl they’d seen in a restaurant. The video they shared resulted in a tip from Facebook to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A St. Louis County Police Department detective then obtained a court-approved search warrant for the Dohrman’s home. The St. Louis County Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced  for Possessing Firearm  as a Convicted Felon

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – DAJUAN MARTIN , age 24, of New Orleans, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to thirty-three (33) months imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, MARTIN was arrested on June 13, 2022, by New Orleans Police Department officers for driving a stolen scooter. When MARTIN fled from officers, he discarded a loaded Glock, 9millimeter handgun. MARTIN had previously been convicted in 2017 and 2018 for illegal carrying of a weapon. These convictions prohibited his possession of a firearm. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Rayburn of the Violent Crimes Unit.


title: Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Selling Fentanyl that Killed St. Charles Mother of Three

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man who supplied the fentanyl that killed a St. Charles, Missouri mother, leaving her three young children alone for over 15 hours, was sentenced Wednesday to 90 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Audrey E. Fleissig also ordered Valentino Terez Carpenter, 39, of Maryland Heights, to pay $8,665 in funeral expenses for the victim. The victim was found dead on the couch in her home on June 21, 2022, with a capsule containing fentanyl nearby, after the cries of her children alerted a neighbor. The woman’s children, ages 2, 4 and one month, had been alone for at least 15 hours after their mother’s death. Carpenter pleaded guilty in September to one count of distribution of fentanyl and admitted selling two capsules containing drugs to the victim for $10. He also admitted that the victim was killed by a fentanyl overdose. On Wednesday, Judge Fleissig said it was “beyond dispute” that Carpenter sold fentanyl to the victim, and that the sale resulted in her death. Judge Fleissig also said that Carpenter knew that fentanyl was “extremely dangerous,” as is the sale of the drug. He knew people who had died and warned the victim not to split a pill that he sold her because it was so potent. Judge Fleissig said Carpenter left the victim alone after knowing that she was nodding off due to the effects of the drug and knowing there was no one else to care for the children. She called it an “extremely, extremely tragic case.” The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Charles Police Department and the St. Charles County Regional Drug Task Force.


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Second-Degree Murder  in 2018 Stabbing in Southeast

body_text: WASHINGTON – Marquette Jordan, 32, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a jury on December 19, 2023 of second-degree murder while armed and other charges in the April 2018 fatal stabbing of 48-year-old Ivan Lynch in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Rainey Brandt will sentence Jordan on Friday March 1, 2024. According to the government’s evidence, on April 30, 2018, the victim, Ivan Lynch, who had just attended a birthday celebration for himself, left the party and was going to meet up with a friend at his apartment. On the way to the friend’s apartment, Mr. Lynch picked up the defendant Marquette Jordan, the defendant’s girlfriend, the girlfriend’s two young children, and a childhood friend of the defendant. Once inside the apartment, a verbal altercation occurred between Jordan and his girlfriend in front of her two young children. Mr. Lynch intervened and reportedly told the defendant that that is not how we treat women. Jordan and Mr. Lynch then engaged in a verbal dispute resulting in a physical fight between the two men inside the apartment. During the fight, Jordan grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen and stabbed Mr. Lynch once in the shoulder, twice in the heart, and three times in the back. After stabbing Mr. Lynch, Jordan then continued to beat on his girlfriend, threatened to kill her, too, and charged at her with a knife. The girlfriend grabbed a pillow and fled the apartment without her shoes, and leaving behind her minor children until she returned later that day. The defendant went through the victim’s pockets before leaving the apartment. School surveillance captured Jordan on walking with the two children after the homicide. He was stopped outside by MPD officers shortly after leaving the apartment and law enforcement officers found Mr. Lynch’s keys and his blood on Jordan’s pants and shirt. The murder weapon, the butcher knife, was never recovered. Officers also found Mr. Lynch’s cell phone discarded in an area where the defendant was observed walking, according to surveillance footage in the area. Mr. Lynch’s wallet was mailed from a nearby school to the address on his driver’s license. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natalie M. Hynum and Omeed A. Assefi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Three Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Steal USDA-Mortgaged Houses

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Natchez, Miss. – Three individuals were sentenced for their respective roles in a scheme to steal houses from the United States Department of Agriculture. Barry Martin, 47, of Georgia was sentenced to 46 months in prison; Fiesta Kagler, 59, of Georgia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison; and Ella Martin, 69, of Jayess, Mississippi, a former USDA employee, was sentenced to 35 months in prison. According to court documents, the defendants conspired to identify and steal USDA-mortgaged properties. The targeted properties were mortgaged through the Brookhaven office of USDA Rural Development, an agency which helps rural residents buy or rent safe, affordable housing, especially low and very low income individuals. As an employee of that office, Ella Martin had access to a list of abandoned, foreclosed, nearly-foreclosed, or similarly distressed USDA-mortgaged properties and would create fraudulent warranty deeds designed to convey ownership of those properties to her co-conspirators and others. The fraudulent deeds included forged signatures from former homeowners, including at least one deceased individual. The fraudulent deeds were then filed in Chancery Courts around Mississippi with the intent to deprive the actual owners of the use and benefit of the properties and to deprive the United States Government of the actual value of the properties. All three defendants will be required to pay restitution, which will be determined at a separate hearing. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson of the USDA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) made the announcement. The USDA OIG and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.


title: Detox facility owner charged with health care fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Dec. 18, a detox facility owner was charged with health care fraud for allegedly defrauding the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) of over $4 million. According to the allegations in the information, Joseph Toro, 39, of Jupiter, Florida, owned and operated Reawakenings Wellness Center (RWC), a detox facility which provided substance abuse treatment to patients, including FEHBP beneficiaries. Allegedly, after RWC closed down in January 2018, Toro continued to submit insurance claims, using personal identifying information (PII) of former RWC patients, for substance abuse treatment that was never provided. As a result of these false and fraudulent insurance claims, Toro allegedly defrauded the FEHBP, and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), which administers some FEHBP insurance plans, of more than $4 million in federal employee health benefits. As alleged, Toro used the fraud proceeds to buy properties, luxury vehicles and a luxury watch. Toro’s initial appearance is scheduled for Dec. 22 at 11:00 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale. If convicted, Toro faces up to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Derek Holt of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General (OPM OIG), announced the charges. OPM OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. An information contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 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: Colorado Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: DENVER – Humzah Mashkoor, 18, of Westminster, Colorado, is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday. According to court documents, Mashkoor was arrested on Monday, December 18 at the Denver International Airport before he could board a flight for the first leg of an overseas trip. According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Mashkoor was traveling to the United Arab Emirates, where he intended to stay until he continued on to either Afghanistan or Syria to serve as a fighter for ISIS. The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Cramer-Babycz for the District of Colorado is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Vancouver Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Penny Stock Fraud

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Vancouver man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to participating in a conspiracy to defraud investors in the Boston-based biomedical company Endeavor Power Corp. Marco G. Babini, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2024. Babini was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in September 2015. He was arrested in Canada on April 21, 2020, at the request of the United States, and was extradited to the United States in July 2023. Between approximately July 2012 and March 2013, Babini agreed to participate in a securities fraud scheme involving the planned sale of stock under concealed control during a promotional campaign, a course of conduct commonly known as a “pump-and-dump.” Babini had trading authority over brokerage accounts in Switzerland in the names of nominee entities that held a significant portion of the purportedly unrestricted shares of Endeavor. To raise money to fund a promotional campaign to generate investor demand for the shares, Babini agreed to execute pre-arranged trades with an undercover federal agent. The undercover agent was posing as an individual who had a corrupt network of stockbrokers willing to purchase and hold shares on behalf of their clients in exchange for monetary kickbacks. Babini agreed to execute pre-arranged trades with the goal of raising at least $200,000, and, in December 2012, Babini attempted to execute an initial test trade valued at $20,000. Babini’s co-conspirators Edward Withrow III and Samuel Brown were previously charged with and convicted of federal offenses. In May 2018, Withrow pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). Brown separately pleaded guilty in July 2015 to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud and one count of making false statements to the SEC. Withrow and Brown were sentenced in December 2018 and January 2019, respectively. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The U.S. Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group provided valuable assistance in securing the extradition of Babini. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Braintree Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Money Laundering Ring

body_text: BOSTON – A Braintree man pleaded guilty today in connection with an elaborate money laundering conspiracy. Chengzou Liu, 36, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering as well as possession with intent to distribute marijuana. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2024. In July 2022 , Liu was charged along with seven others in connection with elaborate money laundering and money transmitting conspiracies allegedly led by two of Liu’s co-conspirators Qiu Mei Zeng and Shi Rong Zhang. According to the charging documents, Zeng and Zhang co-owned China Gourmet, a restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood. Zhang was also a registered owner of Wonderful Electronics, an electronics and restaurant supply business based in Hanover. It is alleged that the defendants used these businesses to run a large-scale money laundering and money transmitting operation that involved the laundering of drug proceeds and proceeds from stolen and/or fraudulent gift cards. Liu was a large-scale marijuana trafficker who laundered his drug proceeds through China Gourmet. On at least three occasions, Liu was observed delivering bags of cash that contained tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to the restaurant, which then wired to accounts in the U.S. and China. Specifically, it is alleged that Liu delivered the bags of cash to Zeng, who then sent electronic transfers of these funds to various accounts in China provided by Liu. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater. The charge of possession with intent to distribute marijuana provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Braintree Police Chief Tim Cohoon; and Quincy Police Chief Paul Keenan made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Correctional Sergeant Found Guilty in Retrial of Falsification of Records to Cover Up Assault of a CSP Sacramento Inmate

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A jury found former California state correctional officer Brenda Villa, 32, of North Highlands, guilty today of one count of conspiracy to commit falsification of records in a federal investigation and three counts of falsification of records, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. In July 2023, following a three-day trial, a jury found Villa guilty of perjury in connection with a federal grand jury investigation into the assault of an inmate by a correctional officer and the ensuing conspiracy to cover it up. The prior jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on additional conspiracy and falsification of records counts, and the United States requested a retrial. The retrial on those remaining counts finished today. According to the court records and evidence presented at trial, Villa was a correctional sergeant supervising other officers at California State Prison – Sacramento (also known as New Folsom State Prison or CSP-Sacramento) when correctional officer Arturo Pacheco unlawfully assaulted an inmate under color of law. Several California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officers responded to the alarm after the assault. Villa was the first responding officer to the scene and immediately took charge. The inmate was transported to the hospital but died two days later. As a supervisor, Villa directed the preparation of, and later signed off on, a series of reports about the incident that she knew were false because they completely omitted the presence and involvement of a correctional officer who had witnessed the assault, and who Villa herself had observed at the scene. Villa instructed the removal of that correctional officer witness’s name from another person’s report. The correctional officer witness’s draft report describing Pacheco’s unjustified use of force was never collected, and it did not become a part of the official record of the incident. Following the assault and the inmate’s death, CDCR initiated an internal investigation. As the CDCR internal investigation proceeded, a federal grand jury began investigating federal criminal charges in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In November 2020, Villa was called to testify in front of the grand jury about her role and the actions of her fellow officers in covering up the unlawful assault. Villa lied under oath to the federal grand jury investigating the incident. 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. Attorneys Michael D. Anderson and Rosanne L. Rust are prosecuting the case. Former correctional officers Arturo Pacheco and Ashley Aurich pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 12½ years and 21 months in prison, respectively. Villa is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2024. Villa faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the count of conspiracy and the count of perjury. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of falsification of records. 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.


title: Serial Sexual Abuser, With Multiple Prior Convictions, Sentenced to Prison Term for Another Attack on a Female Stranger

body_text: WASHINGTON – Michael Hilliard, 64, pleaded guilty on December 19, 2023, to two misdemeanor charges for sexually abusing a woman and physically assaulting another, both of whom were strangers to him. He was sentenced by the Honorable Hiram E. Puig-Lugo, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, to 180 days on the misdemeanor sexual abuse charge—the maximum sentence available by statute—and 30 days on the misdemeanor assault charge, with the sentences to run consecutively to each other. According to the government’s evidence, in the first offense, on June 28, 2023, Mr. Hilliard was observed by the victim walking in and out of traffic at 326 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Mr. Hilliard approached the victim asking for water and, after she obliged, he proceeded to rummage through her vehicle. After the victim told Mr. Hillard to stop, he struck her left arm then fled the area. He was apprehended shortly thereafter. In the second offense, on August 16, 2023, Mr. Hilliard approached the driver’s side of the victim’s vehicle at 14 th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, demanding money. After the victim stated she did not have any cash, Mr. Hilliard reached into the open window and grabbed her breast. The terrified victim inquired what he was doing, and Mr. Hilliard responded that he was grabbing her “titty.” Mr. Hilliard was apprehended shortly thereafter. Following these guilty pleas, Mr. Hilliard now has 26 misdemeanor sexual abuse convictions since 1999. His most recent sentencing for misdemeanor sexual abuse took place on January 4, 2023, where he also received the statutory maximum of 180 days. Additionally, he was convicted of a 4 th degree sexual offense in Montgomery County, Maryland, on October 3, 2022, for which he is on supervision until 2025. Mr. Hilliard has remained detained since his August 2023 arrest. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Dunlap and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Betty Jean McNeil, who prosecuted the case through the guilty plea and sentencing.


title: Columbus man pleads guilty to crimes related to sexually exploiting & sextorting more than 25 identified victims

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to crimes related to sexually exploiting and sextorting more than 25 known victims in at least three states. Lorenzo A. Winfield, 22, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting minors, possessing child pornography and communicating interstate with the intent to extort. As part of his plea, the parties involved have recommended a sentence of 23 to 27 years in prison. According to court documents, from at least 2016 until 2021, Winfield used extortion to solicit and collect explicit photos of underage girls at his Columbus high school, the Arts and College Preparatory Academy (ACPA), where he was known as the “ACPA Hacker”. Winfield would contact students at ACPA and demand nude photographs of them. He would also hack into victims’ social media accounts and use the photos he obtained against them. Winfield would further tell the victims he had nude photos of them or other students that he would distribute to friends or family unless the victims complied. On numerous occasions, Winfield followed through on these threats, distributing sexually explicit photos of his victims to others to prove he was serious with his threats in a bid to contain more content. In addition, Winfield told the victims to send him sexually explicit images or videos in order to regain control of their own social media accounts. Winfield used several social media accounts of his own to participate in the exploitation and extortion of the victims that have been identified thus far. His accounts were active across platforms such as Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype and Google Hangouts. Winfield was separately investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office for extorting and exploiting at least four victims in Fairfax and Prince William counties in Virginia. For example, one identified victim was approximately 11 years old at the time Winfield first made contact with her. Winfield sent nude photos of the victim to students at a Virginia middle school and eventually, as she got older, to students at her high school. The victim originally met Winfield via a social media game. Winfield threatened to harm her family if she did not comply with his requests for sexually explicit photos and videos and continued to exploit and extort her until his arrest. Similarly, Winfield exploited at least one victim in College Station, Texas. If you believe you were also a victim of Winfield’s crimes, or have information related to this case, please contact the FBI at (614) 849-1733. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea offered this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. U.S. Attorney Parker and Special Agent in Charge Rivers commended the cooperative investigation in this case with FBI divisions and state and local law enforcement agencies in Ohio, Virginia and Texas. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Repeat smuggler imprisoned for attempting to transport more than 560 aliens

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 25-year-old Donna man has been sentenced for conspiring to transport illegal aliens into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Miguel Angel Hernandez pleaded guilty April 26. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Hernandez to serve 108 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Hernandez’ violent history, including a conviction for robbery after he and others held a couple and their 7-year-old daughter at gun point while they robbed their fireworks stand. In handing down the sentence, the court noted there was a “huge number” of aliens involved in this case. Further, when Hernandez tried to say he wasn’t responsible for the age of the aliens or the conditions in which they were transported, Judge Ramos made it clear that as part of the conspiracy, he was responsible for the foreseeable actions of the others and he would be held accountable for that. In July 2021, authorities discovered 67 undocumented aliens in the back of a tractor trailer. This began an almost two-year investigation into an alien smuggling organization who recruited drivers on social media and then failed to pay them for smuggling illegal aliens through Border Patrol checkpoints. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered Hernandez was responsible for coordinating the smuggling of countless aliens, with at least 560 apprehended in failed attempts. The apprehended individuals included men, women and children who were often smuggled in dangerous and inhumane ways. Due to extreme temperatures, those smuggled sometimes needed immediate medical treatment for severe dehydration. In one of these cases, which occurred Sept. 11, 2022, authorities discovered 115 undocumented aliens in the back of a tractor trailer during a failed smuggling attempt. “This individual oversaw a transnational criminal organization responsible for illegally smuggling thousands of noncitizens into the U.S. in the back of tractor trailers through the deadly Texas heat with no regard for their health and safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. “Today’s sentencing is the culmination of years of hard work by HSI Corpus Christi, HSI McAllen and our law enforcement partners in South Texas to successfully dismantle this human smuggling organization and restore some integrity to our nation’s immigration system.” Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Peña prosecuted the case.


title: Man Sentenced For Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kelvin Baez-Adames, 32, of Bronx, New York, was sentenced December 20, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for his participation in a fentanyl drug conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Baez-Adames to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Baez-Adames release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. From August 2021 to May 4, 2022, Baez-Adames and co-defendant Kiara Jimenez ran an online company to sell M-30 pills utilizing Bitcoin. The M-30 pills were counterfeit and contained fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration in Omaha began its undercover operation after pills were seized in Nebraska with the moniker “THEMESSIAH11.” An undercover address was utilized to purchase pills online from THEMESSIAH11. DEA purchased 60 blue pills later identified as fraudulent M-30 pills containing fentanyl. The pills were sent in a Crunch N’ Munch box to prevent detection. The DEA set up another purchase and the tracking number for the order was from the Bronx, New York. This package contained more fentanyl pills hidden in another Crunch N’ Munch box. Surveillance was conducted in the Bronx and codefendant Kira Jimenez was observed leaving the defendant’s apartment to deliver 10 packages. The packages were intercepted by DEA and all contained fentanyl inside Crunch N’ Munch boxes. On May 4, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the defendant’s apartment in the Bronx. Law enforcement seized fentanyl pills, drug paraphernalia and several cases of Crunch N’ Munch . Baez-Adames is responsible for one kilogram of fentanyl analogue. Kiara Jimenez pled guilty to fentanyl drug conspiracy and will be sentenced on January 24, 2024. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Scott A. Berndt, 54, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 20, 2023, in federal court in Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Berndt to 14 years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Berndt’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. From November 2020 to May 2021, Berndt and others arranged to have large quantities of meth sent by mail to the Lincoln, Nebraska area. Postal records show at least ten shipments delivered to Lincoln which were believed to have contained meth, and which weighed between 1.69 pounds to over 11 pounds. Berndt and others then broke those shipments down into smaller quantities and resold the meth they received to others in Lincoln. Police also uncovered money transfer records where Berndt sent money to people in Arizona during that same period. Berndt pleaded guilty to his offense on April 17, 2023. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.


title: Albion, Nebraska Man Sentenced to more than 8 Years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine Charge

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jake Brian Spiegel, 42, of Albion, Nebraska, was sentenced December 20, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Spiegel to 105 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Spiegel’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On May 28, 2022, Spiegel was arrested after being found in possession of over 50 grams of meth. He posted bond and was arrested again on June 12, 2022, in Merrick County, Nebraska, after being found in possession of more than 50 grams of meth. Shortly after Spiegel’s arrest, codefendant Cheryl Ann Gonzalez arrived at the scene and was arrested after she was found in possession of more than 150 grams of meth. Gonzalez told law enforcement that she was intending to deliver the meth in her possession to Spiegel. Gonzalez has a motion pending and a trial date will be scheduled after its resolution. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Tuscaloosa Woman Charged in $600,000 COVID-19 Loan Fraud

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Tuscaloosa woman has been charged with defrauding the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and laundering the proceeds, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. A twelve-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Tarnisha Doss Harrell, 46, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. According to the indictment, from July 2020 through June 2021, Harrell applied for and received two fraudulent PPP loans and conspired with four other Tuscaloosa residents to apply for an additional six fraudulent loans for which she received a share of the proceeds. Harrell submitted loan applications containing material misrepresentations and supported by falsified and fraudulent documentation. The eight loans total $603,976. If convicted, Harrell faces up to 20 years in prison. FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Harrington is prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Sexual Abuse

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A man pleaded guilty today to traveling to Alabama with intent to engage in a sexual act with a child younger than 12, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. Mark Anthony Bedwell, 53, of Lowestoft, England, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala to aggravated sexual abuse: crossing the state line with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child under 12. According to court documents, Bedwell travelled from the United Kingdom to Huntsville, Alabama, in May 2013 and engaged in a sex act with a child in Madison County. The maximum penalty for the charge is life in prison. Charles Dunnavant, 37, of Huntsville, Alabama, previously pled guilty on June 16, 2015, to the same charge in a related case before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala. Dunnavant was sentenced to 435 months imprisonment. If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The FBI investigated the case, along with the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police Service and the North Rhein-Westfalia Landeskriminalamt, a German law enforcement agency. The Huntsville Police Department assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Stuart Burrell and John M. Hundscheid are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward assisted with extradition efforts.


title: ADA Agreement Ensures Effective Communication with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Patients at Kent Hospital

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha today announced a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Kent Hospital, an affiliate of Care New England Health System, to resolve a complaint brought by an individual who is deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL) as her primary means of communication. The complainant was hospitalized at Kent Hospital in December 2021, and alleged that Kent Hospital failed to provide her with effective communication until the seventh day of her hospitalization, after multiple complaints by herself and a family member. Because of Kent Hospital’s failure to provide an interpreter or other means of effective communication, the patient alleged that she experienced increased fear and confusion about her medical diagnosis and treatment. Kent Hospital cooperated fully with the investigation of this matter, which substantiated the allegations in the complaint. Under the terms of the agreement , Kent Hospital will adopt new ADA policies and practices that will deal with providing effective communication and securing qualified interpreters for patients; train its staff on these policies; report any future complaints; and cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure ongoing compliance with the terms of the settlement agreement. Additionally, Kent Hospital will pay $30,000 to the complainant and a $5,000 penalty. Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in places of public accommodations, such as hospitals. It requires places of public accommodation to provide the necessary auxiliary aids and services to ensure that communication is effective. Such aids and services can include American Sign Language interpreters for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and must be paid for by the place of public accommodation. The United States’ case was handled by AUSA Amy Romero. The Department of Justice offers a number of publications available to assist entities in complying with the ADA, including Effective Communication and a Business Brief on Communicating with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Hospital Settings. For more information on the ADA and to access these publications, visit www.ada.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 or 800-514-0383 (TDD). Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that a place of public accommodation or public entity in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (401) 709-5000. ### kent_hospital_ada_settlement_agreement_.pdf


title: Justice Department Announces WarCAT Leadership Transition

body_text: Today, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a transition in the leadership of the Justice Department’s War Crimes Accountability Team (WarCAT). Last year, while in Ukraine, Attorney General Garland announced the launch of WarCAT to centralize and strengthen the Justice Department’s ongoing work to hold accountable those who have committed war crimes and other atrocities during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. At that time, he selected Eli Rosenbaum to serve as Counselor for War Crimes Accountability. Effective January 2024, Rosenbaum, the longest-serving American prosecutor of Nazi war criminals and other human rights violators in history, will retire after a 38-year career at the Justice Department. Attorney General Garland has selected WarCAT Lead Prosecutor Christian Levesque to serve as the Director of WarCAT. Today’s announcement also follows the Justice Department’s unsealing of war crimes charges in connection with Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. “A year and a half ago, I asked Eli Rosenbaum to lead a team of Justice Department prosecutors working to identify and prosecute individuals involved in war crimes and atrocities committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am deeply grateful to Eli for postponing his retirement to stand up and lead that team, and for his decades of service to our country and to the cause of justice. Recently, the Justice Department filed the first-ever charges under the U.S. war crimes statute against four Russia-affiliated military personnel for heinous crimes against an American citizen. I have full confidence that WarCAT’s new Director, Christian Levesque, will continue to build on that work. I look forward to her leadership of our efforts to pursue accountability for Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine.” As WarCAT Director, Levesque will lead the Department’s efforts to coordinate with experts on investigations and prosecutions involving human rights abuses, war crimes, and other atrocities occurring in Ukraine to centralize and strengthen the Department’s ongoing accountability efforts, and to assist authorities in Ukraine and elsewhere investigating such crimes. The team will continue to be responsible for providing wide-ranging assistance, including operational assistance, victim-witness support, and relevant legal analysis including regarding environmental damage. As Lead Prosecutor, Levesque has been integral to WarCAT over the past year, and her experience and expertise will ensure the continued success of this initiative. Levesque joined the Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section in 2016, after a career as an international human rights attorney in private practice. In the 16 months since Attorney General Garland launched WarCAT, the team has brought together the Department’s leading experts on investigations and prosecutions involving human rights abuses, war crimes, and other atrocities to centralize and strengthen the Department’s ongoing accountability efforts, and to assist authorities in Ukraine and elsewhere investigating such crimes.


title: Justice Department Disrupts Prolific ALPHV/Blackcat Ransomware Variant

body_text: The Justice Department announced today a disruption campaign against the Blackcat ransomware group — also known as ALPHV or Noberus — that has targeted the computer networks of more than 1,000 victims and caused harm around the world since its inception, including networks that support U.S. critical infrastructure. Over the past 18 months, ALPHV/Blackcat has emerged as the second most prolific ransomware-as-a-service variant in the world based on the hundreds of millions of dollars in ransoms paid by victims around the world. Due to the global scale of these crimes, multiple foreign law enforcement agencies are conducting parallel investigations. The FBI developed a decryption tool that allowed FBI field offices across the country and law enforcement partners around the world to offer over 500 affected victims the capability to restore their systems. To date, the FBI has worked with dozens of victims in the United States and internationally to implement this solution, saving multiple victims from ransom demands totaling approximately $68 million. As detailed in a search warrant unsealed today in the Southern District of Florida, the FBI has also gained visibility into the Blackcat ransomware group’s computer network as part of the investigation and has seized several websites that the group operated. “In disrupting the BlackCat ransomware group, the Justice Department has once again hacked the hackers,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “With a decryption tool provided by the FBI to hundreds of ransomware victims worldwide, businesses and schools were able to reopen, and health care and emergency services were able to come back online. We will continue to prioritize disruptions and place victims at the center of our strategy to dismantle the ecosystem fueling cybercrime.” “The FBI continues to be unrelenting in bringing cybercriminals to justice and determined in its efforts to defeat and disrupt ransomware campaigns targeting critical infrastructure, the private sector, and beyond,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Helping victims of crime is the FBI’s highest priority and is reflected here in the provision of tools to assist those victimized in decrypting compromised networks and systems. The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue these criminal actors wherever they attempt to hide and ensure they are brought to justice and held accountable under the law.” “At the Justice Department, we prioritize victim safety and security,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In this case, agents and prosecutors worked tirelessly to restore victim networks, but these actions are not the culmination of our efforts, they are just the beginning. Criminal actors should be aware that the announcement today is just one part of this ongoing effort. Going forward, we will continue our investigation and pursue those behind Blackcat until they are brought to justice.” “Today’s announcement highlights the Justice Department’s ability to take on even the most sophisticated and prolific cybercriminals,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As a result of our office’s tireless efforts, alongside FBI Miami, U.S. Secret Service, and our foreign law enforcement partners, we have provided Blackcat’s victims, in the Southern District of Florida and around the world, the opportunity to get back on their feet and to fortify their digital defenses. We will continue to focus on holding the people behind the Blackcat ransomware group accountable for their crimes.” According to the unsealed warrant, Blackcat actors have compromised computer networks in the United States and worldwide. The disruptions caused by the ransomware variant have affected U.S. critical infrastructure – including government facilities, emergency services, defense industrial base companies, critical manufacturing, and healthcare and public health facilities – as well as other corporations, government entities, and schools. The loss amount globally is in the hundreds of millions and includes ransom payments, destruction and theft of proprietary data, and costs associated with incident response. Blackcat uses a ransomware-as-a-service model in which developers are responsible for creating and updating ransomware and for maintaining the illicit internet infrastructure. Affiliates are responsible for identifying and attacking high-value victim institutions with the ransomware. After a victim pays, developers and affiliates share the ransom. Blackcat actors employ a multiple extortion model of attack. Before encrypting the victim system, the affiliate will exfiltrate or steal sensitive data. The affiliate then seeks a ransom in exchange for decrypting the victim’s system and not publishing the stolen data. Blackcat actors attempt to target the most sensitive data in a victim’s system to increase the pressure to pay. Blackcat actors rely on a leak site available on the dark web to publicize their attacks. When a victim refuses to pay a ransom, these actors commonly retaliate by publishing stolen data to a leak website where it becomes publicly available. The FBI Miami Field Office is leading the investigation. Trial Attorneys Christen Gallagher and Jorge Gonzalez of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kiran Bhat and Brooke Watson for the Southern District of Florida are handling the case. The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt and Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Göttingen, Denmark’s Special Crime Unit, and Europol. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Cyber Operations International Liaison also provided significant assistance. Additionally, the following foreign law enforcement authorities provided substantial assistance and support: the Australian Federal Police, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Eastern Region Special Operations Unit, Spain’s Policia Nacional, Switzerland’s Kantonspolizei Thurgau, and Austria’s Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service. Victims of Blackcat ransomware are strongly encouraged to contact their local FBI field office at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices for further information and to determine what assistance may be available. Blackcat affiliates have gained initial access to victim networks through a number of methods, including leveraging compromised user credentials to gain initial access to the victim system. More information about the malware, including technical information about indicators of compromise and recommendations to mitigate its effects, is available from the FBI at www.ic3.gov/Media/News/2022/220420.pdf . Additional information regarding law enforcement’s ongoing investigation into Blackcat is available at www.justice.gov/media/1329536/dl?inline . If you have information about Blackcat, their affiliates, or activities, you may be eligible for a reward through the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program. Information can be submitted through the following Tor-based tip line (Tor browser required): he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion. For more information about rewards for information on foreign malicious cyber activity against U.S. critical infrastructure, visit https://rfj.tips/SDT55f .


title: Texas Inmates, Correctional Officers Indicted on Narcotics Smuggling Charges

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment charging 13 defendants, including inmates and correctional officers, for their involvement in the smuggling of narcotics into Texas prisons. According to court documents, inmate Juan Francisco Munoz aka “Joker,” 35, leads the Juan Munoz Drug Trafficking Organization (Munoz DTO) and is currently serving a 35-year prison sentence for murder. Using contraband cellphones that had been smuggled into the correctional facilities, Munoz and other inmates, such as Paul Govea aka “Salute,” 35, and Verndale Ray Seals, 34, are alleged to have directed and coordinated the DTO’s drug trafficking activity. The indictment alleges that the group obtained the narcotics from multiple sources of supply, including Osama Mohammed Elwan, 32, and employed correctional officers, such as Osauwa Emmanuel Williams, 48, Anival Ruiz Porras aka “Tall Guy,” 41, and Ryan Ty Melchor, 26. The three officers allegedly met with non-incarcerated members of the DTO such as Rosa Teromina Miller, 43, and Daniel Guadalupe Flores, 30, to receive narcotics, cellphones and other contraband, then smuggle the goods into the correctional facilities in exchange for thousands of dollars. The DTO also allegedly used the mail to smuggle narcotics and other contraband into prisons. In addition to Miller, non-incarcerated members Melissa Amador, 28, Ashley Marie Arriaga aka “Ashley Zavala,” 35, Amber Tanae Huey, 34, and Aida Gerardina Gomez Ortiz, 32, allegedly packaged drug-soaked sheets of paper and mailed them to inmates who were either members or customers or the Munoz DTO. The indictment alleges that special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration seized from defendant residences, more than 520 grams of paper sheets soaked with fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids, more than 120 grams of paper sheets soaked with heroin and synthetic cannabinoids, and 254.6 milliliters of liquid synthetic cannabinoids, along with envelopes addressed to inmates. According to the indictment, once smuggled into the correctional facility, DTO members could then sell a single sheet of drug-soaked paper for up to $1,000. During the dates covered in the indictment, Miller transferred nearly $333,000 from the peer-to-peer payment platforms used in the smuggling operation. Munoz and Miller are each charged with six counts including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Munoz faces 15 years to life in prison, and Miller faces 10 years to life in prison. Govea is charged with four counts including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and identity theft. If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in prison. Elwan is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in prison. Seals is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, he faces 15 years to life in prison. Amador is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, she faces 10 years to life in prison. Flores is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, he faces 15 years to life in prison. Arriaga is charged with five counts including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and identity theft. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison. Porras and Huey are each charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison. Melchor and Ortiz are each charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison. Williams is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The DEA, FBI, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, and Wichita Falls Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking and Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky . – A Philadelphia man, Austin Genay, 30, has been sentenced to 22 months in federal prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves, for cyberstalking and wire fraud. According to his guilty plea agreement, Genay and the victim initially engaged in a consensual sexual relationship online. Without the knowledge or permission of the victim, Genay took screenshots and still images of some of their online communications of a sexually explicit nature. Initially, the victim made voluntary payments to Genay; but thereafter, Genay began making numerous financial demands of the victim. Specifically, Genay sent messages seeking money from the victim, which threatened to expose the communications and contained promises to delete them to induce the payments. The victim then paid Genay substantial sums. When the victim informed Genay that he did not have sufficient funds to continue to pay him and attempted to block his phone number, Genay used threats to expose the intimate information. During the scheme, Genay fraudulently lied about a variety of things, such as being evicted, having vehicle expenses, and legal fees, to induce the victim to pay him. Despite the victim’s pleas to stop, Genay sent harassing communications and demands for money that he knew would and did cause substantial emotional distress and pecuniary harm to the victim. As part of his sentence, Genay was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim, in the amount of $338,602.00. Under federal law, Genay must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The United States was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Tashena A. Fannin. – END –


title: Biloxi Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. - A Biloxi man pled guilty to being in possession of more than 290 visual depictions of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans. According to court documents, Christopher Lee Parker, 36, was identified in a child exploitation investigation in cyber tip reports coming from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A federal search warrant obtained for Parker’s Biloxi residence resulted in the recovery of Parker’s cell phones, in which Parker, at times through mobile Apps, possessed approximately 291 visual depictions, in still and video formats, of minors, to include those who had not reached 12 years of age, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Parker is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, 2024, at 9:30 a.m., in Gulfport. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office and the Biloxi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov


title: Nine Indicted in Federal Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A federal grand jury in Abingdon, Virginia indicted nine individuals last week charging them with participating in a federal drug conspiracy that trafficked methamphetamine from North Carolina into southwest Virginia. All nine defendants have been arrested and are now in federal custody. The indictment charges Marcos Adrian Martinez Rodriguez, Nestor Gutierrez-Gonzalez, Isaias Cisneros-Hernandez, Loeum Vinn Tok, Joan Mary Schugardt, Cody Allen Cashatt, Johnie Zeke Derose, April Renae Maness, and Richard Wayne Greer. All nine defendants are charged with one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In addition, Greer is charged with one count of knowingly using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, from June 2021 and October 2021, the defendants operated a methamphetamine distribution ring in and around Lexington, North Carolina. During the life of the conspiracy, methamphetamine was transported into southwest Virginia for distribution. Last year, Joshua Kogod, of Smyth County, Virginia, was convicted for his role in the conspiracy. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement. The investigation, which remains ongoing, is being conducted by FBI in Virginia and North Carolina as well as the Lexington, N.C. Police Department; the Davidson County, N.C. Sheriff’s Office; and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Macon and Whit D. Pierce are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tampa Man Indicted For Attempting To Enter MacDill Air Force Base With AR-15 Rifle And 125 Rounds Of Ammunition

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Baruch Roche II (33, Tampa) with one count of attempted possession of a firearm in a federal facility. If convicted, Roche faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Roche that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition that were used to facilitate the offense. According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on November 3, 2023, Roche attempted to enter MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa in his vehicle. U.S. Air Force security personnel stopped him at the gate and asked for identification. Roche refused to provide it. Roche instead identified himself as “Captain America” and demanded entry, stating that he had a meeting with a General of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to provide top secret information. Roche became argumentative and threatened to come back every day to look for the officers denying him entry. Due to his suspicious behavior, Roche was detained and security personnel searched his vehicle. An AR-15 rifle was located in the trunk, as well as five magazines loaded with 125 rounds of ammunition. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Security Forces, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Download Criminal Complaint Download Indictment


title: EDVA Collects Over $25M for Crime Victims and Taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2023

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA) collected over $25 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Of the $25 million amount collected, roughly $16.9 million was collected in criminal actions and $ 5.7 million was collected in civil actions pursued independently by EDVA. Additionally, EDVA worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect $3.1 million in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $513,031 was collected in criminal actions and over $2.5 million was collected in civil actions. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department of Justice’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. In FY 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in EDVA collected over $16,254,828.05 in restitution for crime victims. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Forfeited assets are either deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund or are used to restore funds to crime victims. Assets deposited into the Assets Forfeiture Fund are used for a variety of law enforcement purposes. EDVA cases that resulted in significant forfeiture this past year include USA vs. Gao et al — where defendants agreed to forfeit four vehicles, over $130,000 in U.S. currency, numerous items of jewelry, a gold bar, and three personal residences, with a combined value totaling over $1 million— and USA v. Xizhi Li, et al , where defendant Jianxing Chen was ordered to forfeit $6 million after laundering millions of dollars of drug proceeds on behalf of international drug trafficking organizations U.S. Attorney Aber extends her gratitude to the attorneys and staff in EDVA’s Asset Recovery Unit, who are responsible for ensuring that these significant funds are recovered in full to victims and the public fisc. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.


title: Grand Rapids Man Pleads Guilty To Sex Trafficking Of A Child

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Torey Franklin, 29, of Grand Rapids, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child. “Trafficking in any form is intolerable, but the sex trafficking of a minor is especially cruel,” remarked U.S. Attorney Totten . “My office is committed to holding traffickers legally accountable for the lasting harm they cause to children within our district.” Franklin admitted that in the spring and summer of 2022, he used online advertisements to offer the sexual services of a minor to prospective customers. After posting the ads, Franklin would negotiate prices and sexual acts with prospective customers before transporting the minor to multiple locations for the “sex dates” he had arranged. Afterwards, he would receive payment, often through a popular money-sharing application. Franklin now faces a term of at least ten years and up to life in prison as a result of his guilty plea and conviction. Franklin was captured due to Operation Cross Country, a coordinated operation among the FBI, other federal agencies, state and local police, and social services agencies across the country to find and assist victims of human trafficking, particularly child victims. The previous press release and indictment can be viewed here . “Today’s plea is a testament to the progress made during Operation Cross Country (OCC), the FBI’s annual nationwide enforcement campaign focused on identifying and locating victims of sex trafficking and investigating and arresting individuals involved in child sex and human trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI in Michigan . “We would like to extend our appreciation to our wide network of law enforcement partners for their critical support in investigating sexual predators who commit crimes against children. The FBI encourages continued vigilance, cooperation, and reporting from the public to help identify and recover victims and bring perpetrators to justice. If you believe you may have any information, please contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or online at report.cybertip.org .” The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has more information about the reality of child sex trafficking on its website at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/trafficking . If you suspect that someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, information about how to make a report to law enforcement can be found at the website for the national human trafficking hotline: https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/get-help . ###


title: Florida Siblings Charged In Multimillion-Dollar Medicare Scheme Based On Fraudulent Billing For Durable Medical Equipment

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today the arrests of ERIN FOLEY and TED ALBIN on charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. As alleged in a four-count Indictment unsealed today in federal court, FOLEY and ALBIN ran a Medicare billing company that they used to bill Medicare for more than $25 million in fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment (“DME”), and on which Medicare and related private insurers paid out more than $9 million. FOLEY and ALBIN are also charged with illegally buying such DME orders for use in their own DME supply companies and with introducing buyers to sellers in return for additional kickbacks. FOLEY is expected to be presented later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Matthewman in West Palm Beach, Florida. ALBIN is expected to be presented this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek M. Maynard in Fort Pierce, Florida. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl in Manhattan. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Medicare is a valuable taxpayer-funded program designed to provide affordable health care to people over 65 or with disabilities, not to line the pockets of those who would enrich themselves through fraud. Here, the defendants are charged with illegally profiting from the purchase and sale of millions of dollars’ worth of bogus orders for medical equipment, bilking Medicare in the process. Such illicit conduct can affect the availability of medical services and drive up the cost of health care, but the career prosecutors of this office and our law enforcement partners will remain diligent in protecting these vital taxpayer-funded programs.” HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz said: “Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute involving durable medical equipment can waste scarce federal health care program funds and corrupt the medical decision-making process. Individuals who participate in the federal health care system are required to obey laws meant to preserve both the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients.” According to statements made in court and publicly filed documents in this case: [1] From at least 2018 through 2021, FOLEY and ALBIN owned and controlled Grapevine Professional Services, Inc. (“Grapevine”), a billing company that they used to bill Medicare for more than $25 million, and to collect more than $9 million, through claims based on orders for DME that had been unlawfully sold and bought. Such billing included both billing directly to Medicare through Medicare Part B and billing to private insurance companies that were reimbursed through Medicare Part C. Most of these unlawful purchases of DME orders were by Grapevine customers that were registered with Medicare as DME supply companies. Additional unlawful purchases were made directly by FOLEY and ALBIN through three DME supply companies that they themselves owned and controlled. Once these DME orders were unlawfully purchased, FOLEY and ALBIN used those orders as the basis for fraudulent claims to Medicare and to private insurers covered by Medicare Part C. In addition, FOLEY and ALBIN acted essentially as brokers of DME orders, introducing Grapevine customers who wished illegally to buy DME orders to co-conspirators who illegally sold them orders. In return for such introductions of buyers to sellers, FOLEY and ALBIN received additional kickbacks, both in the form of cash and in the form of additional DME orders. FOLEY and ALBIN also profited through these introductions by gaining additional illegal billing business for Grapevine. Following these introductions, FOLEY and ALBIN continued to oversee the relations between buyers and sellers of DME orders, for example by tracking how many orders particular sellers owed to particular buyers. * * * FOLEY, 46, of Loxahatchee, Florida, and ALBIN, 46, of Stuart, Florida, are each charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HHS-OIG. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Raymond Lewis and Rushmi Bhaskaran are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.