title: UNITED STATES ATTORNEY DAWN N. ISON ANNOUNCES IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW VOLUNTARY SELF-DISCLOSURE POLICY

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has implemented the new United States Attorney’s Offices’ Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy. The policy, which became effective in February, details the circumstances under which a company will be considered to have made a voluntary self-disclosure (VSD) of misconduct to a United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), and provides transparency and predictability to companies and the defense bar concerning the concrete benefits and potential outcomes in cases where companies voluntarily self-disclose misconduct, fully cooperate and timely and appropriately remediate. The goal of the policy is to standardize how VSDs are defined and credited by USAOs nationwide, and to incentivize companies to maintain effective compliance programs capable of identifying misconduct, to expeditiously and voluntarily disclose and remediate misconduct, and to cooperate fully with the government in corporate criminal investigations. The policy was developed pursuant to the Deputy Attorney General’s September 15, 2022 memorandum, “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies Following Discussions with Corporate Crime Advisory Group” (Monaco Memo), which directed each Department of Justice (DOJ) component that prosecutes corporate crime to review its policies on corporate voluntary self-disclosure and, if there was no formal written policy to incentivize self-disclosure, draft and publicly share such a policy. Under the new VSD policy, a company is considered to have made a VSD if it becomes aware of misconduct by employees or agents before that misconduct is publicly reported or otherwise known to the DOJ, and discloses all relevant facts known to the company about the misconduct to a USAO in a timely fashion prior to an imminent threat of disclosure or government investigation. A company that voluntarily self-discloses as defined in the policy and fully meets the other requirements of the policy, by—in the absence of any aggravating factor—fully cooperating and timely and appropriately remediating the criminal conduct (including agreeing to pay all disgorgement, forfeiture, and restitution resulting from the misconduct), will receive significant benefits, including that the USAO will not seek a guilty plea; may choose not to impose any criminal penalty, and in any event will not impose a criminal penalty that is greater than 50% below the low end of the United States Sentencing Guidelines (USSG) fine range; and will not seek the imposition of an independent compliance monitor if the company demonstrates that it has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. The policy identifies three aggravating factors that may warrant a USAO seeking a guilty plea even if the other requirements of the VSD policy are met: (1) if the misconduct poses a grave threat to national security, public health, or the environment; (2) if the misconduct is deeply pervasive throughout the company; or (3) if the misconduct involved current executive management of the company. The presence of an aggravating factor does not necessarily mean that a guilty plea will be required; instead, the USAO will assess the relevant facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate resolution. If a guilty plea is ultimately required, the company will still receive the other benefits under the VSD policy, including that the USAO will recommend a criminal penalty of at least a 50% and up to a 75% reduction off the low end of the USSG fine range, and that the USAO will not require the appointment of a monitor if the company has implemented and tested an effective compliance program. In cases where a company is being jointly prosecuted by a USAO and another DOJ component, or where the misconduct reported by the company falls within the scope of conduct covered by VSD policies administered by other DOJ components, the USAO will coordinate with, or, if necessary, obtain approval from, the DOJ component responsible for the VSD policy specific to the reported misconduct when considering a potential resolution. Consistent with relevant provisions of the Justice Manual and as allowable under alternate VSD policies, the USAO may choose to apply any provision of an alternate VSD policy in addition to, or in place of, any provision of its policy. The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams, requested that the White Collar Fraud Subcommittee of the AGAC, under the leadership of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace, develop policies in response to the Deputy AG’s memo. The policy announced today was prepared by a Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policy Working Group comprised of U.S. Attorneys from geographically diverse districts, including U.S. Attorney Peace, as well as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica Aber, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare Connors, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Stephanie Hinds, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher Kavanaugh, and U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip Sellinger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Riedel, White Collar Crimes Coordinator for the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, also participated in the development of the policy.


title: Crime Stoppers Tip Leads to Convicted Murderer  Going Back to Prison for 15 years

body_text: DETROIT – A Detroit man, who has five prior felony convictions, including for murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and two drug trafficking offenses, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison today as an Armed Career Criminal for his illegal possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Detroit Division. Eric T. Walker, 46, had previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Gershwin A. Drain. According to court records, after receiving Crime Stoppers complaints that Walker was selling drugs from his home, and that one person nearly overdosed after buying his drugs, the Detroit Police Department executed a search warrant at his home. DPD recovered 136 grams of cocaine, 23.5 grams of heroin laced with fentanyl, 672 grams of marijuana, 93 oxycodone pills, 4.5 amphetamine pills, scales, drug packaging materials, and over $8,000 in cash. Officers also recovered a 9mm semiautomatic pistol loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. Walker was arrested at his home, and the case was adopted for federal prosecution. “Taking any and all violent offenders, including armed drug dealers, off our streets is a top priority of my office. Today’s sentence reflects my commitment to aggressively prosecute violent offenders of all kinds to make our neighborhoods safer for law abiding citizens. The citizens responsible for working to improve the quality of life in their neighborhood by reporting Walker’s conduct to Crime Stoppers should be commended,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Mr. Walker continued his criminal activities despite being a convicted felon. While his lengthy sentence has removed a dangerous person from the neighborhood, it should also send a strong message to anyone who chooses to terrorize our communities with violence and illicit drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Orville. This case was investigated by the DEA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moran.


title: Laredo resident indicted on charges of fraud and aggravated identity theft

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old woman who used multiple aliases has been charged with using someone else’s identity on multiple occasions and lying to authorities in connection with obtaining a passport, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Elizabeth Ann Berbel is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Dos Santos at 9:30 a.m. Berbel, who turned herself in to authorities yesterday, is also known as Ana Elizabeth Gomez-Garcia, Ana Elizabeth Gomez Garcia, Ana Elizabeth Gomez, Anna Elizabeth Gomez Garcia, Anna Elizabeth Gomez, Elizabeth Berbel, Elizabeth Ann Gomez, Tina Gomez-Manns and Anna Gomez. A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment March 7. The charges include one count of passport fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft linked to the passport fraud as well as four counts of lying to a federal agency and three counts of misusing a Social Security number. On March 22, 2019, Berbel applied for a U.S. passport, claiming the identity of another individual, according to the charges. As part of that process, she allegedly provided false information to include she was born in Chicago when she was not. The indictment further alleges she gave fraudulent information about her parents and provided a Social Security number that did not belong to her as part of the application process. Along with the allegedly fraudulent passport application, the charges also allege that on two separate occasions, she had applied for a Texas driver’s license. In each instance, Berbel allegedly used the same victim’s Social Security number. If convicted, Berbel faces up to 10 years for the passport fraud in addition to five years each for lying to authorities and for misusing a Social Security number. She will also receive a mandatory two years for the identity theft, upon conviction, which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. The Department of State conducted the investigation with assistance from the Social Security Administration and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Two Business Owners Plead Guilty to Illegally Tampering with Emissions Controls

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The owner of a Kirbyville, Mo., towing company, and the owner of a Springfield, Mo., business have pleaded guilty in federal court to their roles in a conspiracy to illegally tamper with the emissions controls of the company’s diesel towing vehicles. Dennis Cleveland, 73, of Kirbyville, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Thursday, March 9, to a federal information that charges him with one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act and one count of tampering with a Clean Air Act monitoring device. Robert Dyche, 67, of Springfield, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty on Monday, March 13, to a federal information that charges him with one count of conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act. Cleveland is the owner of Affordable Towing, a roadside, recovery, hauling, and mobile repair provider for commercial and private automobiles and vehicles throughout southwest Missouri. Affordable Towing utilized heavy-duty, commercial diesel trucks to tow and haul away vehicles to repair facilities. By pleading guilty, Cleveland admitted that, since 2011, he has directed his employees to physically disable emissions control components on multiple heavy-duty diesel tow trucks. Cleveland conspired with Dyche, the owner and operator of Full Flash Tuning, which specializes in illegally tampering with the on-board diagnostic systems on these vehicles. Cleveland caused the Affordable Towing trucks to be tampered with to save money by avoiding maintenance expenses on emissions control systems and by spending less money on fuel. This tampering is frequently referred to as “tuning” or “flashing” an on-board diagnostic system. One purpose for “tuning” is to allow the vehicles to continue to seemingly operate normally while the emissions control system is disabled, rather than forcing the vehicle’s engine into a state known as “limp mode,” which greatly limits the maximum speed of the vehicle, incentivizing the driver or owner to repair the malfunction. The use of “tuning” thereby serves to reduce the high costs associated with maintaining or repairing components of the emissions control systems on heavy-duty diesel trucks. As a consequence of “tuning,” tampered vehicles spew substantially more deleterious pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (Nox), carbon monoxide (CO), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), and particulate matter (PM) into the air, presenting a risk to the environment and public health. Cleveland, through Affordable Towing, contracted with Dyche on multiple occasions to “tune” or “flash” the emissions control systems of Affordable Towing vehicles, thereby causing multiple fleet vehicles to be altered in such a way that the vehicles released pollutants into the air that far exceeded the legally allowable amounts under the Clean Air Act. Each diesel truck would continue to operate normally, as if the vehicle were operating in accord with existing Clean Air Act restrictions, rather than go into limp mode. In addition to personally tuning Affordable Towing vehicles, Dyche, on multiple occasions, would take the vehicles to an unidentified entity in Rogersville, Mo., to “tune” the vehicles, for which he was compensated by Affordable Towing. Under federal statutes, Cleveland is subject to a sentence of up to seven years in federal prison without parole Dyche is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. They were investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency.


title: Jacksonville Man Charged With Being An Illegal User Of Narcotics While Possessing Firearms

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Joshua Earrey (44, Jacksonville) has been charged by criminal complaint with being an illegal user of narcotics while possessing firearms. If convicted, Earrey faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. According to the criminal complaint, Earrey unlawfully used a controlled substance and possessed a firearm from between at least as early as November 7, 2022, through December 5, 2022. He has been employed as a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper for approximately 22 years and was assigned as a Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) since June 2020. A complaint is merely a 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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from United States Customs and Border Protection. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Hamilton. The United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and United States Customs and Border Protection thank the Florida Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their cooperation during this investigation.


title: Callahan Man Charged With Possession With Intent To Distribute Controlled Substances

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Darrell Hickox (37, Callahan) has been charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. According to the criminal complaint, Hickox possessed with intent to distribute cocaine, MDMA, and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. He has been employed with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office for 17 years and formerly served as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force Officer from March 2014 through September 2022. A complaint is merely a 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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from United States Customs and Border Protection. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Hamilton. The United States Attorney's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and United States Customs and Border Protection thank the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their cooperation during this investigation.


title: Colchester Man Sentenced for Heroin and Fentanyl Offense

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on March 13, 2023, Marc Wells, 48, of Colchester, Vermont, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Christina Reiss to 49 months’ imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl on June 2, 2021. According to court records, on June 2, 2021, investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Wells’ Colchester residence, where investigators seized approximately 2,181 glassine baggies that contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. Wells, who has two prior federal drug convictions, admitted that he intended to distribute a portion of those narcotics. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Burlington Resident Office, in the investigation and prosecution of Wells. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew C. Gilman represented the government. Jordana M. Levine, Esq. represented Wells.


title: Twelve indicted on federal charges for crimes including drugs and illegal firearms possession

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: Twelve defendants are among those facing federal charges including illegal possession of firearms and drug charges after separate indictments by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while recent actions in U.S. District Court include guilty pleas and criminal sentences related to illegal gun possession. The indicted cases are being investigated as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, to reduce violent crime with measures that include targeting convicted felons who illegally carry guns. “Getting guns out of the hands of criminals is an essential element of the fight against violent crime and the disruption of our neighborhoods,” said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. “We commend the hard work of our law enforcement officers as they continue to identify and apprehend those who illegally possess firearms.” In the past four years, more than 800 defendants have been federally charged in the Southern District of Georgia for illegal firearms offenses – most often for possessing a firearm after conviction for a previous felony. Federal law increased the maximum penalty for illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to 15 years, up from 10, for those found in possession after June 25, 2022. Defendants named in federal indictments from the March 2023 term of the U.S. District Court grand jury include: Jovonn Courtney Stokes, 26, of Springfield, Ga., charged with three counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and three counts of Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence for a string of armed robberies of Chatham County convenience stores in November and December 2022. Stacey Vincent , 45, and Felicia Sherrod , 54, both of Douglas, Ga., each charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute, and to Distribute, 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Vincent also is charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Tavarres L. Freeman Jr., 22, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Todd Joseph Harbuck , 47, of Augusta, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Daquan Minor , 32, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Calvin Polite , 35, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Arthur Singleton , 46, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Desirae Heinsler , 37, of Eastman, Ga., charged with six counts of making false statements during the purchase of firearms. Stephan DeWaine Jackson , 27, of Brunswick, Ga., charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Alvin York , 47, of Swainsboro, Ga., charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Kenneth Oliver Riley , 60, of Savannah, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Additional defendants recently have been adjudicated on federal charges that include illegal firearms possession: Seth Patrick Anderson , a/k/a “Shane Anderson,” a/k/a “AB,” 37, of Hinesville, Ga., was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Long County sheriff’s deputies arrested Anderson in October 2021 at a license checkpoint after finding a pistol in the vehicle he was driving. Anderson is a member of the Aryan Brotherhood white supremacist street gang. Reginald DeMarco Smith , a/k/a “Gunslinger,” 49, of Augusta, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $2,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Smith sped away from an attempted traffic stop in February 2021 by a Richmond County Sheriff’s deputy, then abandoned his vehicle and ran into the woods. Investigators found a loaded pistol, a significant amount of drugs, and more than $18,000 in cash at the scene, and Smith was located and arrested nine months later. Smith has multiple prior felony convictions for drug trafficking offenses and was on federal supervised release at the time of his arrest. Diallow Akpan Johnson , a/k/a “Kevin Williams,” 50, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Savannah Police officers were called to Johnson’s apartment in January 2021 to investigate a report of domestic violence and found a pistol and drugs in the residence. Tareem Burgess , 39, of Hephzibah, Ga., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Burgess after a traffic stop in August 2020 when they found a pistol in his vehicle. Burgess has prior convictions for robbery and family violence. Dwight Eady , 40, of Milan, Ga., was sentenced to 54 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon. Eady was arrested in September 2020 after running from a Georgia State Patrol traffic stop in Telfair County. Telfair County Sheriff’s deputies and a Georgia Department of Natural Resources warden later found Eady in a wooded area, along with drugs, ammunition and a semi-automatic pistol. Eady has prior federal and state felony convictions for drug trafficking. Rondell Smith, a/k/a “Rondal Smith,” 27, of Hephzibah, was sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $1,500 after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Smith in February 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop. At the time of his arrest, Smith was on supervised release from a 2017 federal conviction for Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Joshua Jerome Russell , 27, of Swainsboro, Ga., was sentenced to 13 months in prison after pleading guilty to Discharging a Firearm in a School Zone. A Johnson County Sheriff’s office investigator arrested Russell in August 2022 after seeing Russell exit his vehicle at a Johnson County High School football game, point a pistol in the air and fire multiple times, causing a panic at the stadium. Amir Dontell Foreman , 27, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Foreman in August 2022 after finding a pistol in his vehicle during a traffic stop as part of Operation Grace. Kevon Quantae Davis , 23, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Davis in January 2022 as part of Operation Grace, a gang-focused investigation in coordination with the FBI. A member of the Bolt Alley Drive Boyz street gang, Davis dropped a pistol while running on foot from deputies. Reco Casey , a/k/a “Rico,” 33, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. In September 2021, Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found a pistol in the vehicle where Casey was a passenger. Casey was on state felony probation at the time of his arrest. Nicholas Robinson , 22, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah Police officers arrested Robinson in March 2022 after finding two pistols in Robinson’s pockets while investigating a domestic disturbance at a motel. Ricky Maurice Johnson, 35, of Swainsboro, Ga., awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Johnson was arrested in June 2022 after a car and foot chase by Georgia State Patrol troopers and Savannah Police officers. Kenneth Sallen , 42, of Savannah, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Sallen was arrested in July 2022 when Pooler Police officers found a pistol in Sallen’s waistband during a traffic stop. Sallen previously was convicted of armed robbery and was on probation for a firearms charge at the time of his arrest. Taipai La’Don Brewer, 43, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Brewer in July 2022 after finding a pistol and drugs in his car during a traffic stop as part of the Operation Grace investigation of gang-related crimes in the Augusta area. Terrance Webster Dunn , 32, of Augusta, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. A previously convicted felon, Dunn was arrested in October 2022 when Richmond County Sheriff’s deputies found him riding a bike in a shopping center parking lot, taking photos of himself with a pistol in his waistband. Agencies investigating these cases include the ATF, the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Savannah Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia State Patrol. The cases are being prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office. Under federal law, it is illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she falls into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon; illegal alien; or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to purchase – firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, also is a federal offense. For more information from the ATF on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/atfw-form-4473


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges 9 Defendants with Child Exploitation Offenses in Ongoing Program to Prevent Victimization of Children

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Federal authorities today announced a series of child sexual exploitation cases alleging the victimization of minors – sometimes by convicted sex offenders – and charging a range of crimes that include sex trafficking, enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and producing child pornography. United States Attorney Martin Estrada, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang made the announcement. In eight new cases filed in recent weeks – five resulting from FBI-led investigations, and three from investigations led by Homeland Security Investigations – nine defendants are accused of exploiting children in person and on the internet. There have been significant recent developments in other child exploitation cases being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, including a life sentence imposed on an offender who filmed his sexual assaults of disabled children. The cases announced today are part of Project Safe Childhood , which is the Justice Department’s longstanding initiative to combat the ongoing epidemic of child exploitation crimes. “Protecting our children from sexual exploitation is some of the most important work my office does,” said United States Attorney Estrada. “For years, we have vigorously prosecuted child sexual predators, and we have only increased those efforts in recent times. To those who would seek to victimize our youth, let me be clear: We will use every tool in our arsenal to bring you to justice and thereby stop you from causing further irreparable harm to others.” “The various cases being announced today are a reminder of the constant threat of sexual extortion minors face, as well as the persistent demand for child pornography,” said FBI Assistant Director Alway, who runs the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Whether an offender sexually abuses a child in person or online, or continues to exploit children by producing or sharing images of sexual abuse, the FBI and our partners will continue to seek justice for innocent victims by holding offenders accountable.” “HSI Los Angeles is committed to removing sexual predators from our streets and working aggressively to hold them accountable for their heinous actions,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Wang. The new cases announced today are: United States v. Griffin Dakota R. Griffin, 33, of Benton, Illinois, was arrested on March 8 for allegedly coercing a 16-year-old girl he encountered online to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) by making her believe he was holding one of her online friends captive and that he was associated with the Ku Klux Klan. The complaint alleges that Griffin further demanded that the victim travel to Illinois to have sex with him. During their communications, Griffin allegedly threatened to kill her and her family. After learning that the victim suffered from seizures, Griffin told her that he had always wanted to sexually abuse “a girl while she had a seizure,” according to court documents. During his initial appearance in a federal court in Illinois, Griffin was ordered detained pending trial. The FBI is investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremiah Levine from the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this matter. United States v. Lozano A criminal complaint filed Friday charges Ivan Lozano, a 36-year-old resident of Long Beach, with enticing a minor victim to commit sexual acts and possession of child pornography. Over the course of nearly two years, starting when the victim was 14, Lozano allegedly encouraged and enticed a girl a residing in Tanzania to repeatedly send him videos and photos of a sexual nature using the WhatsApp social media application. In October 2021, according to the complaint affidavit, Lozano traveled to Tanzania for the purpose of having sex with the girl, which he recorded on video. Lozano is currently a fugitive being sought by the FBI, which conducted the investigation in this matter together with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Riordan from the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting case. United States v. Sheehan Dustan David Sheehan, 45, of Hollywood, surrendered on Friday after being named in a criminal complaint that accuses him of distributing child pornography and possession of and access with intent to view child pornography. In an August 2020 conversation with an undercover agent on the Kik internet messaging platform, Sheehan discussed his desire to meet and sexually abuse the undercover’s fictitious 9-year-old daughter, according to the complaint affidavit. Sheehan allegedly also shared sexually explicit images with the undercover agent. During a subsequent search of Sheehan’s residence, investigators FBI identified approximately 2,919 CSAM images and 21 CSAM videos on Sheehan’s digital devices, the affidavit states. During his initial appearance Friday afternoon, Sheehan was released on a $100,000 bond and was ordered to reside at a residential rehabilitation center. The FBI is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey Chemerinsky and Hava Mirell from the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case. United States v. Kicyla A federal grand jury on March 8 returned a three-count indictment charging Nathan Kicyla with coercing a 10-year-old girl he encountered online to engage in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment charges Kicyla with sexual exploitation of a child for the purpose of producing a sexually explicit visual depiction, enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, and commission of a felony offense involving a minor while required to register as a sex offender. If convicted, Kicyla would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years in federal prison. Kicyla, 39, of Van Nuys, whose screen name was “Nathan-Bert-2,” is currently in federal custody on a supervised release violation stemming from a 2007 conviction of sexually exploitation of minors in the Eastern District of California. The FBI field offices in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Butler from the Violent and Organized Crimes Section is prosecuting this case. United States v. Johnson Ian Nathanial Johnson, 36, of Santa Clarita, was arrested Friday after prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging him with distribution and possession of child pornography. The investigation into Johnson was launched after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received information that Johnson had uploaded CSAM to a Dropbox account, according to the complaint affidavit. Pursuant to a search warrant, agents seized Johnson’s digital devices and discovered over 200 images of child pornography and chats on Telegram, several of which included images of prepubescent children and children in bondage, the affidavit states. Johnson is scheduled to make his initial appearance on Wednesday in United States District Court. Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation into Johnson. Assistant United States Attorney Catharine Richmond from the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case. United States v. Anderson and Thomas Norrell Alan Anderson, 24, of San Francisco, and Raeonnah Raina Thomas, 20, of Santa Rosa, were named in a criminal complaint filed on March 3, alleging they conspired to transport minors across state lines for the purpose of prostituting them. Anderson and Thomas are currently in state custody on charges that have been brought by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force – which includes the Irvine, Anaheim and Santa Ana police departments, as well as the California Highway Patrol – are investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop from the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Kristin Spencer from the Santa Ana Branch Office are prosecuting this matter. United States v. Gissell Thomas Gissell, 27, of Moorpark, was arrested on March 6 on charges of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity for allegedly soliciting sexually explicit photos from two individuals he thought were 14-year-old girls, but who were actually undercover agents. Gissell is scheduled to be arraigned on April 11. The newly formed, FBI-led Ventura County Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is investigating this case. Assistant United States Attorney Kellye Ng from the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this matter. AUSA Ng is the office’s Project Safe Childhood coordinator. United States v. White Parker William White, 22, of Johnsonville, New York, a former Army private based at Fort Irwin, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Friday on charges of possession of child pornography. White was arrested on February 24 pursuant to a criminal complaint that alleges White used Instagram and other social media platforms to find minor “girlfriends” as young as 14. White would groom these minor girls by telling them that he would treat them like “queens,” according to the complaint’s affidavit. Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Lyndsi Allsop from the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this matter. There have been developments recently in other child exploitation cases being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office. Those cases are: United States v. Dorame Francisco Anthony Dorame, 41, of Echo Park, was sentenced on March 8 to 20 years in federal prison for using an online messenger app last year to attempt to sexually traffic two children – ages 7 and 9 – and for distributing sexually explicit images of children. Dorame was also sentenced to a lifetime period of supervised release and ordered to pay $33,000 in restitution to 11 victims. Dorame pleaded guilty in October 2022 to one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child under 14 years old and one count of distribution of child pornography. During a conversation on the Kik platform, Dorame made two payments totaling $100 to a person who had access to the victims. Among other things, Dorame requested photographs of the victims, expressed his desire to “play with them right away” upon meeting up, and set a specific date, time and location for the meeting. In April 2022, Dorame used Kik to distribute sexually explicit images of children between 4 and 6. “[Dorame’s] lifelong and dangerous obsession with girls has manifested in an extensive collection of child sex abuse material, several attempts to procure girls for sex acts, and inappropriate relationships with then-minors,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Dorame’s] possession and dissemination of child sex abuse material are not victimless crimes, either. Here, the real victims portrayed in the child sex abuse material defendant possessed and distributed provide heartbreaking accounts of the harm they have suffered, and continue to suffer.” The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Kathy Yu from the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case. United States v. Rodriguez, Bocardo and Banguguilan Two men who were found guilty by a jury last year of receiving and possessing videos of sexual assaults of severely disabled children were sentenced on February 24 to lengthy prison terms. Miguel Bocardo, 23, of Baldwin Park, was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Holcomb to 18 years in federal prison. Cyr Dino Banguguilan, 36, of Azusa, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Their co-defendant – Steve Rodriguez, 38, of Pomona – systematically raped at least three disabled children for years while working as a certified nursing assistant at a group home facility in San Bernardino County. Rodriguez filmed these repeated attacks and sent some of these child pornography films to others, including Bocardo and Banguguilan. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to eight child exploitation offenses and in January 2023 was sentenced to life in federal prison . Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter as part of the Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The United States Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the Baldwin Park Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Pomona Police Department, and the Burbank Police Department provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Catharine Richmond and Scott Lara from the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case. United States v. Schmitt Matthew Timothy Schmitt, 36, of Fontana, was sentenced on March 6 to 135 months in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor for sexual purposes. Schmitt was arrested after communicating with an undercover agent, whom Schmitt believed was a 13-year-old girl, and travelling to Riverside for sex with the minor. The court also ordered that Schmitt serve a lifetime period of supervised release. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office investigated this matter with assistance from the Fontana Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Kaitlyn Lasater from the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case. United States v. Bradford Donavin Dwayne Bradford, 31, of South Los Angeles, was charged in a superseding indictment filed on February 24 with sex trafficking four victims, including three minors (ages 15 to 17), and an adult victim, whom Bradford allegedly trafficked using threats of force, fraud and coercion. Bradford is also charged with producing and possessing child pornography featuring his trafficking victims. Bradford allegedly advertised his victims on the internet and instructed them to walk “blades,” areas commonly known for prostitution, to make money for him. He also allegedly used violence and threats of violence to control his victims. Bradford is detained pending a trial scheduled to begin on April 11. The FBI’s Los Angeles Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated this matter in coordination with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Inglewood Police Department, the Pomona Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Maria Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. Assistant United States Attorneys Chelsea Norell and Kathy Yu from the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case. Indictments and criminal complaints contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. The charges of enticing a minor victim to commit sexual acts and producing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The charges of distributing and receiving child pornography carry a five-year mandatory minimum sentence and a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Possession of child pornography does not carry a mandatory minimum sentence, but a conviction on this charge can bring a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. The charge of conspiracy to transport minors across state lines for the purpose of prostitution carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * These cases are being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood program, which combats the sexual exploitation of children through impactful federal criminal investigations and prosecutions. The goal of the program is to provide children with a childhood safe from sexual exploitation and with resources if they become victims. In addition to the efforts of prosecutors and investigators in bringing child exploitation offenders to justice, authorities are engaging in public outreach efforts designed to prevent children from being victimized in the first place. Educational efforts aimed at teens encourage them to reject online solicitations, warning young people that you don’t really know someone online, especially if you have not engaged in video chats with them. Those warnings include typical “red flags” that include requests for “nudes,” to talk about sex, to meet in real life, or for money. When any problems arise, teens are encouraged to get help from a trusted adult, to block the other person from contacting them, and to get help removing any unwanted images from the internet. If you believe you or someone you know are the victim of child sexual exploitation, please visit our website , which contains information about reporting, education, services and how to submit a request to remove child exploitation images posted online.


title: Resident Doctor Arrested for Possessing Images and Videos of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A resident doctor in Western Massachusetts was arrested this morning for allegedly possessing child pornography. Bradford Ferrick, 32, of Winchester, Mass., and Amherst, Mass., was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Ferrick will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 11:45 a.m. today via remote proceeding. At the time of his arrest today, Ferrick was on home confinement restrictions for pending related state charges. According to the charging documents, Ferrick lived in Syracuse, N.Y., between approximately 2018 and 2022 while he attended State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University. After graduating from SUNY, Ferrick began a medical residency in July 2022 focused on Family Medicine with Baystate Franklin Family Medicine, including rotations at facilities in at least Greenfield, Deerfield and Springfield, Mass. It is alleged that during a search of Ferrick’s Winchester, Mass., residence on Feb. 13, 2023, approximately 61 devices – including external hard drives, computers, cell phones, hidden camera systems and SD cards – which state investigators allege contained thousands of images and videos of suspected child pornography were seized. Ferrick was arrested by state authorities and released on home confinement after posting bail in Woburn District Court. On Feb. 17, 2023, a second search of Ferrick’s residence in Winchester, Mass., resulted in the recovery of 11 additional devices by state investigators. A preliminary review of some of the devices seized allegedly revealed images and videos depicting child pornography of victims who appear to be between the ages of six and 11 years old. During a search of a separate residence Ferrick was renting in Amherst, Mass., on Feb. 21, 2023, eight additional devices including multiple hidden camera devices and USB storage devices were seized. It is alleged that one of the hidden camera devices – which was designed to be worn as a bracelet – was found to contain at least two surreptitiously recorded videos of Ferrick administering medical exams. It is alleged that two minors who investigators believe to be patients could be heard and, at times, partially seen in the videos. Forensic review of the devices seized at both residences remains ongoing. “I can think of no greater fear as a parent or guardian than potential harm coming to your child. Today we allege that this doctor, who held a position of trust with access to children, maintained child sexual abuse material. The investigation is active and ongoing,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Members of the public with questions, concerns or any information pertaining to this doctor are strongly encouraged to contact the FBI via the provided form. As members of law enforcement, the safety of children is our highest priority. Together, in close cooperation with the medical facilities where Dr. Ferrick was employed, we will do all that we can to identify the duration and scope of his alleged offenses and proceed accordingly and expeditiously.” “Today, the FBI arrested Dr. Bradford Ferrick, a resident doctor with access to children, who now stands accused of extremely troubling behavior,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “This is very much an active investigation and we urge anyone with information to contact us. Thanks to our close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we are grateful to have been able to put a stop to Dr. Ferrick’s alleged conduct.” Members of the public who have information, questions or concerns regarding this case should visit this link: https://forms.fbi.gov/FerrickInvestigation The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. U.S. Attorney Rollins; FBI SAC Bonavolonta; Winchester Police Chief Daniel O'Connell; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine G. Curley and Michael Mazur of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office are 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Fresno Man Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Trayvon Smith, 32, of Fresno, was sentenced Monday to six years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, on June 24, 2021, law enforcement officers received a report of two individuals possessing a firearm in a hotel parking lot. When the officers responded to the parking lot, they located the suspected car and activated their emergency lights. Edward Page, 33, of Fresno, and Smith exited the car. Smith initially fled, but both were eventually detained. The officers then searched the car and found two loaded semi-automatic firearms, one of which had a corresponding a high-capacity magazine attached. Page and Smith are both prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of their criminal history. On Jan. 17, 2023, Page was sentenced to five years and three months in prison. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Admits Role In Health Care And Wire Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A former pharmaceutical sales representative today admitted defrauding New Jersey state and local health benefits programs and other insurers by submitting fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary prescriptions, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced. Vincent Tornari, 49, of Linwood, New Jersey, pled guilty today via videoconference before Judge Robert B. Kugler to one count of an indictment charging him with conspiring to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Tornari was previously charged with Dr. Brian Sokalsky, 44, of Margate, New Jersey, and former advanced nurse practitioner Ashley Lyons-Valenti, 66, of Swedesboro, New Jersey, in June 2020. Lyons pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2023, to health care fraud conspiracy. The conspiracy to which Tornari pleaded guilty also involved former pharmaceutical sales representative Mark Bruno, 48, of Northfield, New Jersey, who pleaded guilty on Dec.16, 2019, to health care fraud conspiracy and obstruction of justice. The charges against Sokalsky remain pending and he is scheduled to proceed to trial on April 24, 2023. The charges and allegations against Sokalsky are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. According to court documents and statements made in Court: Compounded medications are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. Although compounded drugs are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they are properly prescribed when a physician determines that an FDA-approved medication does not meet the health needs of a particular patient, such as if a patient is allergic to a dye or other ingredient. The conspirators learned that certain medications made by compounding pharmacies reimbursed for up to thousands of dollars for an individual’s one-month supply. They learned that certain insurance plans – including insurance plans for state and local government employees and certain other insurance plans – covered these medications. Tornari’s company had an agreement with a compounding pharmacy in Pennsylvania to receive 50 percent of the insurance reimbursement for prescriptions that were arranged by him and those working with him, such as Bruno. Tornari then paid Bruno 20 percent of that amount. Tornari and Bruno approached Sokalsky to secure his authorization for prescription medications made by the compounding pharmacy. Sokalsky agreed to prescribe the medications in exchange for cash and other remuneration. Sokalsky prescribed the medications to people Bruno paid cash to agree to receive the medications, even though those individuals did not need those medications and did not have a pre-existing doctor-patient relationship with Sokalsky. Sokalsky then billed insurance plans for patient visits for the people Bruno directed to his medical practice. Sokalsky also prescribed the medications to existing patients of his medical practice – as opposed to other medications or no medications at all – to financially benefit Tornari, Bruno, and himself. When insurance stopped covering certain formulations of the medications, Tornari and Bruno informed Sokalsky that he needed to authorize new prescriptions. Sokalsky did so, often without seeing the individual for a follow-up visit or informing the person of the change in medication. The fraudulent prescriptions cost insurers over $541,000 and Tornari personally received more than $359,000 as part of the scheme. Tornari faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 25, 2023. Attorney for the United States Khanna credited agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy Tomlins in Newark; and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Christina O. Hud, Senior Trial Counsel in the Health Care Fraud Unit; R. David Walk Jr., Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman. tornari.etal_.indictment.pdf


title: Federal Jury Convicts Okmulgee County Resident Of Felon In Possession Of A Firearm And Ammunition

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that Kent Matthew Stapp, age 34, of Okmulgee County, Oklahoma was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm & Ammunition. The jury trial began on Monday, March 13, 2023, and concluded on the same day with the guilty verdict. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on February 11, 2022, local law enforcement in Okmulgee, Oklahoma stopped Kent Matthew Stapp’s vehicle for a traffic violation and discovered that he had outstanding arrest warrants. When officers attempted to arrest Stapp, he tried to flee. Officers were able to prevent Stapp’s escape and take him into custody. The evidence included body camera footage of the arrest, wherein the defendant, a convicted felon, was shown to be in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The guilty verdict was the result of an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, the Okmulgee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case due to the federal crime of a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and because the defendant in this case is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crime occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Stapp was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Genevieve Ozark and Jarrod Leaman represented the United States.


title: Oregon Man Sentenced to Over 34 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: BOISE – Brett Michael Malone, 31, of Adrian, Oregon, was sentenced to 412 months in federal prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also sentenced Malone to a lifetime of supervised release and entered an order forfeiting the electronic device used to commit the offense. Malone was ordered to pay restitution to the victim of the offense and will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction. Malone was convicted by a jury on October 24, 2022, after a four-day trial. Following the jury’s verdict, Malone admitted to a sentencing enhancement for committing the enticement offense while having a duty under state law to register as a sex offender. In 2013, Malone was convicted of rape in the third degree in Malheur County, Oregon. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Malone used Facebook to communicate with a 15-year-old girl in Idaho. During the communications, Malone sent the victim sexually explicit images and videos and enticed her to meet him for sexual contact. The victim’s mom located messages between Malone and the victim on the victim’s cellphone and reported the messages to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI assumed the victim’s online identity and began communicating with Malone in an undercover capacity. During the communications, Malone continued to engage in sexually explicit conversation with the undercover agent posing as the victim and arranged to meet the victim for sexual contact. When Malone traveled to meet the victim, he was apprehended by law enforcement. “While nothing can make up for the trauma suffered by the victim in this case and all victims of child exploitation, this sentence sends a strong message that those who victimize children will be prosecuted and severely punished,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “In this case, we are glad that the community will be protected from further predation by this repeat offender. I am grateful to the federal, state, tribal, and local investigators, parents, teachers, and all others who take action to protect vulnerable minors.” “Malone’s days of preying on and exploiting the minors of Idaho are hopefully over,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations operations in the Pacific Northwest. “This sentence should serve as a warning to those engaged in this type of criminal behavior, if you seek to exploit our children HSI and our Idaho law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to hold you accountable. This outcome highlights the consequences of believing otherwise. The partnership with Idaho State police and Boise Police Department was tremendous on this case and was critical to its overall success." U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, Idaho State Police, and Boise Police Department, which led to the charges. 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Oklahoma Man with Prior Felony Convictions Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Kewon Yarbrough, 37, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was charged yesterday by criminal complaint for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Yarbrough was arrested Sunday evening in Rutland, Vermont. Yarbrough appeared yesterday for his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, and will appear again today for a detention hearing. According to court records, on March 7, 2023, Yarbrough was involved in a car accident in Rutland County. Yarbrough was the sole occupant of his vehicle at the time of the crash. Yarbrough’s vehicle was towed to an auto shop in Killington after the accident. A person called the auto shop multiple times inquiring about property left in the vehicle. An employee of the auto shop checked the vehicle, and located a Taurus Model G3C 9x19mm semi-automatic pistol in the center console. The auto shop then called the Killington Police Department, who secured the firearm from the auto shop. On March 8, 2023, Yarbrough went to the auto shop looking for his handgun, and became upset when he learned that Killington Police had taken the firearm. Yarbrough thereafter emailed Killington Police asking that his weapon be returned. Yarbrough’s criminal history includes several prior felony convictions in the State of Oklahoma for which he received sentences exceeding one year. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that a criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Yarbrough remains presumed innocent until and unless he is convicted of a crime. Yarbrough faces a maximum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Killington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Vermont State Police. The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Corinne Smith and Jonathan Ophardt. Yarbrough is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Neri Mendoza-Rodriguez, 31, was sentenced on March 10, 2023, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for his participation in a methamphetamine and fentanyl drug conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Mendoza-Rodriguez to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Mendoza-Rodriguez will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Mendoza-Rodriguez is subject to deportation to Mexico by U.S. immigration authorities when he completes his sentence of imprisonment. In March 2021, a confidential source (CS) contacted Mendoza-Rodriguez to arrange the purchase of methamphetamine. On April 5, 2021, the CS met with Mendoza-Rodriguez and Mendoza-Rodriguez’s cousin, Rigoberto Madrid-Morga, and successfully purchased 399.78 grams of pure methamphetamine. During this controlled delivery, the CS discussed purchasing M-30 fentanyl pills from Mendoza-Rodriguez. Mendoza-Rodriguez confirmed he had fentanyl pills available, and on April 29, 2021, Madrid-Morga delivered 106.79 grams of fentanyl to the CS in Omaha. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Two Arrested For Trying To Send Over 90 Firearms To Drug Cartel Members In Mexico

body_text: Tampa, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrests of Yuendry Rodriguez Hilario (28, Cleveland, OH) and Saleh Yusuf Saleh (24, Cleveland, OH) on a criminal complaint charging conspiracy to transfer firearms to commit a felony and/or drug trafficking crime; possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, illegal transfer of firearms, unlicensed firearm dealing, and conspiracy to violate federal gun laws. If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The defendants were arrested in Cleveland, Ohio on March 2, 2023, and both were recently ordered detained pending the outcomes of their cases. According to the complaint, since 2021 undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), posing as Mexican cartel members, were introduced to Rodriguez Hilario as a trafficker of firearms that could be smuggled into Mexico. Undercover communications with Rodriguez Hilario and others discussed the purchase of AR-15s and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. One of the coconspirators described that he sold AR-15s and AK-47s to El Salvadorans and had cocaine available for distribution. Rodriguez Hilario further offered fentanyl to one of the agents to make pills. Beginning in late-2021, members of the conspiracy sold or arranged for the sale of at least 90 rifles and one Mac-10-type machine gun with a silencer to undercover agents in the Middle District of Florida and Cleveland. In November 2022, an undercover agent told Rodriguez Hilario that his associates in Mexico were “battling and losing” and needed to purchase more firearms. On March 2, 2023, Rodriguez Hilario arranged to deliver 40 AM-15 multi-caliber firearms to the agents. Saleh, who acquired and assembled the parts to make the firearms, arrived at the meeting with Rodriguez Hilario and the agents. After an undercover agent inspected one of the boxes of firearms, both Rodriguez Hilario and Saleh were arrested. In post-arrest interviews with agents, both admitted to trafficking firearms. A complaint 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in collaboration with the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The Cleveland Division of Police, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, and the Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch of U.S. Customs and Border Protection also provided assistance. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF . It is being prosecuted by Dan Baeza.


title: Arizona Licensed Insurance Agent Charged with Scheme to Defraud Elderly Clients

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. –On March 2, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Victoria Totten, 71, of Green Valley, Arizona, for Mail Fraud. The indictment alleges that Totten, while working as a licensed insurance agent, defrauded various elderly clients out of approximately $114,000. It asserts that Totten fraudulently represented and advised prospective clients to pay insurance premiums in advance and directly to her company instead of making payments to the insurance companies. Totten falsely represented the actual terms of the premium payment structure offered by the insurance companies, and claimed that payment should be made in advance to lock in a lower rate. After receiving the fraudulently obtained funds, instead of transmitting the victims’ premium payments directly to the insurance companies, Totten misused large portions of the victims’ funds for her own personal use and to pay insurance premiums for her other clients. A conviction for Mail Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. If convicted, a restitution judgment will be imposed against the defendant for any losses sustained by the victims. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Financial Crimes Auditor for the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Secret Service conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00282-TUC-JGZ-LCK RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-033_Totten # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Former New Orleans Police Officer Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting a 15-Year-Old Girl

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: According to the court documents, in May 2020, Rodney Vicknair, 55, while working in his capacity as an NOPD officer, escorted a then-14-year-old girl, who had been sexually assaulted by another man, to the hospital to undergo a forensic exam, also known as a rape kit. Vicknair gave the victim his cell phone number and offered to be her friend and mentor. In the months and weeks thereafter, Vicknair and the victim spoke on the phone and exchanged messages on Snapchat. Vicknair, while in uniform, often stopped by unannounced at the victim’s residence. Over time, Vicknair made comments to the victim that were sexual in nature. On the night of Sept. 23, 2020, Vicknair arrived at the victim’s house. By that time, she had turned 15 years old. He told her to come outside and get into his vehicle. She got into the passenger’s seat while the Vicknair remained in the driver’s seat. Then, he locked the doors so that the victim could not leave. Vicknair leaned over toward the victim, and she feared for her physical safety. He then sexually assaulted the victim when he intentionally touched her genitals under her clothing without her consent. Vicknair admitted in court that he acted without a legitimate law enforcement purpose and that he knew his actions were wrong and against the law but that he engaged in such conduct anyway. “We are grateful to this young survivor for coming forward, even though she thought no one would believe her,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Had she not been willing to do so, we would not have been able to hold the defendant accountable for his heinous crime. This case should send a strong message to law enforcement officers who sexually abuse victims, particularly children, that they are not above the law and will be held accountable.” “The public must be able to trust that law enforcement will faithfully execute their sworn duties or face the consequences for failing to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Our office, along with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and state and local law enforcement agencies, will continue to investigate and prosecute any violations of constitutional rights.” “The FBI is dedicated to doing the work to restore public faith in law enforcement when individuals attempt to use the badge to hide their illegal behavior,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “We also thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and the New Orleans Police Department Public Integrity Unit for their efforts in this case.” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. made the announcement. The FBI New Orleans Field Office and the New Orleans Police Department Public Integrity Bureau investigated the case. Criminal Chief Tracey Knight for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Former Special Litigation Counsel Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.


title: Greenville Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Owensboro, KY – A Greenville man was sentenced last week to 20 years in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for producing, distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement. According to court documents, Corey Allen Stephens, 31, used a social media application to chat with others, and in the chat, he posted an image of his sexual abuse of a toddler. He boasted that it was “Not the first time I’ve done it.” Homeland Security officers traced the chat to Stephens’s home, where agents recovered additional evidence of child pornography offenses. In addition to the 20-year prison sentence, Stephens was ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $3,000. “I appreciate the exceptional work of HSI, KSP, and AUSA Sewell in this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Protecting the children of the Western District from predators like the defendant is a top priority of this office. We remain vigilant and will continue to investigate and aggressively prosecute those who seek to sexually exploit our children.” “The significant sentence imposed on Corey Stephens sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those who exploit the most vulnerable members of our society, our children. Stephens will serve 20 years in federal prison for his incomprehensible acts,” stated HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue predators who traumatize and victimize children and maintain our vigilance to bring them to justice.” The case was investigated by the HSI and the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Madison Sewell of the United States Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” ###


title: Las Vegas Man Sentenced To 33 Years In Prison For Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 33 years in prison followed by lifetime supervised release for committing multiple child sexual exploitation crimes. Stephen Thomas Parshall, aka “Kiwi,” (38) pleaded guilty in October 2022, to two counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Parshall is required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, law enforcement learned of Parshall’s alleged participation in a conspiracy to cause destruction during protests on May 30, 2020, and of Parshall’s alleged membership in the “Boogaloo” movement. Parshall was arrested and search warrants were executed on Parshall’s electronic devices. Law enforcement officers located 10 images of child sexual abuse material, and numerous images of child erotica, on Parshall’s cellular phone. Investigators identified Victim 1, a child under the age of 18 years old, in two of the child sexual abuse images located on Parshall’s phone. Parshall forced Victim 1 to perform sex acts upon him while he photographed it. Investigators also located social media conversations on a second cell phone owned by Parshall, under account names “cptkiwi1”, “nopictoobad”, and “pervysage”. In some of those social media conversations, Parshall messaged with Victim 2, another child under 18 years old, and convinced Victim 2 to take sexually explicit pictures. Victim 2 sent the requested child sexual abuse material to Parshall. Additionally, in separate social media conversations, Parshall traded child pornography material with other users. “As part of our Project Safe Childhood initiative, together with law enforcement partners, we will use all available resources to identify, apprehend, and prosecute predators who exploit children,” said United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “Thanks to the hard work by the prosecution team and law enforcement, the defendant is no longer a threat to children and the community.” “The FBI is committed to stopping and holding accountable anyone who engages in the sexual exploitation of children,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI. “Every time child pornography is viewed on the internet it re-victimizes a child. Together with our partners, we are dedicated to investigating and bringing federal charges against those who commit these heinous crimes.” The FBI and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Bianca Pucci and former Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Portz prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’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 . Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org . ###


title: Two Men Plead Guilty to $1.3 Million Penny-Stock Scheme

component: Criminal - Criminal Fraud Section

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Two men pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud in connection with a penny-stock manipulation scheme. According to court documents, from at least November 2016 through October 2018, Phillip W. Offill, Jr., 64, of Dallas, Texas; Justin Wallace Herman, 52, of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania; and others conspired to misappropriate millions of shares of a publicly traded company that held mining claims in Arizona and Idaho. The defendants then fraudulently marketed the shares for sale through third parties, including call centers, who made materially false statements to potential investors, while manipulating the market so that the stock falsely appeared to be trading more actively than it actually was. As a result of the scheme, victim investors lost approximately $1.3 million. Over a decade ago, in January 2010, Offill, a former attorney with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, was convicted during a jury trial in the Eastern District of Virginia for participating in multimillion-dollar pump-and-dump stock manipulation schemes. Offill was sentenced on April 23, 2010 to eight years in prison in connection with that case. Offill was serving a three-year term of supervised release when he committed the new offense to which he pleaded guilty yesterday. Offill and Herman are scheduled to be sentenced on June 21, 2023. They each face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston, Jr. accepted the guilty pleas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Pedersen of the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorneys Andrew Tyler and Amanda Fretto Lingwood of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section at the Justice Department, are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-152.


title: Miami Man Charged for Running Fraudulent Cryptocurrency and Stock Investment Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted Ryan James Crawford, a/k/a “Brody,” 30, with eight counts of wire fraud for running a fraudulent cryptocurrency and stock investment scheme. According to the charges, from around June 2020 through March 2022, Crawford tricked victims into investing about $800,000 in his scheme by: falsely claiming to be a highly successful licensed stockbroker who had made tens of millions of dollars through similar cryptocurrency and stock investments; falsely claiming to have access to enough money to timely repay potential investors; falsely claiming that he had developed an artificial intelligence trading software that “never lost,” and misrepresenting the investment as low-risk and high reward, among other things. It is alleged that Crawford did not return any victim funds, or generate the exponential returns he promised. Rather, on some occasions, he simply diverted investors’ funds and cryptocurrency for his own personal use, including to pay for luxury rental cars and gambling at the casino. Crawford was arrested in Colorado and made his initial federal court appearance on March 13, in Denver federal court. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, acting Special Agent in Charge Maged Behnam of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, and Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the charges. FBI Miami, USSS Miami, and Miami-Dade Police Department Cyber Crimes Investigative Unit investigated the case, with assistance from the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR). Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hauser is prosecuting it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture. An indictment 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-20100. ###


title: Two Men Charged for Breaching Federal Law Enforcement Database and Posing as Police Officers to Defraud Social Media Companies

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Sagar Steven Singh and Nicholas Ceraolo with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit computer intrusions. The charges stem from Singh’s and Ceraolo’s efforts to extort victims by threatening to release their personal information online. Singh was arrested this morning in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and will make his initial appearance this afternoon in federal court in Providence, Rhode Island. Ceraolo remains at large. In pursuit of victims’ personal information, Singh and Ceraolo unlawfully used a police officer’s stolen password to access a restricted database maintained by a federal law enforcement agency that contains (among other data) detailed, nonpublic records of narcotics and currency seizures, as well as law enforcement intelligence reports. Ceraolo (with Singh’s knowledge) also accessed without authorization the email account of a foreign law enforcement officer, and used it to defraud social media companies by making purported emergency requests for information about the companies’ users. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the charges. “Singh and Ceraolo aptly belonged to a group called, as their crime was, ‘Vile.’ That conduct ends today,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “As alleged, the defendants shamed, intimidated and extorted others online. This Office will not tolerate those who impersonate law enforcement officers and misuse the public safety infrastructure that exists to protect our citizens.” “As these charges make clear, the alleged unauthorized access of a US federal law enforcement system and impersonation of law enforcement officials are serious offenses, and the criminals who perpetrate these schemes will be held accountable for their crimes.” stated HSI New York Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “HSI and its law enforcement partners are committed to safeguarding public safety infrastructure from cyber criminals and ensuring that those seeking to compromise these systems face the fullest extent of the law.” As alleged in the criminal complaint, Singh and Ceraolo belonged to a group called “ViLE,” whose logo is the body of a hanging girl, as depicted below in the group’s official roster: Members of ViLE sought to collect victims’ personal information, such as names, physical addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers and email addresses. ViLE then posted that information (or threatened to post it) on a public website administered by a ViLE member – an action known as “doxxing.” Victims could pay to have their information removed from or kept off the website. ViLE members acquired victims’ information by various means, including by impersonating law enforcement officers and sending forged requests or orders purporting to be from law enforcement to social media companies, often demanding victim information on the pretense that loss of life was imminent. As alleged in the complaint, in pursuit of victims’ personal information. Singh and Ceraolo used a police officer’s credentials to access without authorization a nonpublic, password-protected web portal (the “Portal”) maintained by a U.S. federal law enforcement agency, whose purpose is to share intelligence from government databases with state and local law enforcement agencies. After both Singh and Ceraolo accessed the Portal, Ceraolo wrote to Singh: “were all gonna get raided one of these days i swear.” Later that day, Singh wrote to a contact that the “portal [] i accessed i was not supposed to be there not one bit.” Singh said he had “jacked into a police officer’s account” and “that portal had some fucking potent tools.” Singh continued: “it gave me access to gov databases,” followed by the names of five search tools accessible through the Portal. Within one day of this unauthorized access, Singh was using his access to the Portal to extort victims. Singh wrote to a victim (Victim-1) that he would “harm” Victim-1’s family unless Victim-1 gave Singh the credentials for Victim-1’s Instagram accounts – and appended Victim-1’s social security number, driver’s license number, home address, and other personal details. During the conversation, Singh told Victim-1 that he had “access to [] databases, which are federal, through [the] portal, i can request information on anyone in the US doesn’t matter who, nobody is safe.” Singh added: “you’re gonna comply to me if you don’t want anything negative to happen to your parents.” Singh ultimately directed Victim-1 to sell Victim-1’s accounts and give the proceeds to Singh. In addition to accessing the Portal without authorization, Ceraolo posed as a police officer to obtain subscriber information from various online service providers. For example, between February 2022 and May 2022, Ceraolo accessed without authorization an official email account belonging to a Bangladeshi police official. Ceraolo used the account to pose as a Bangladeshi police officer in communication with U.S.-based social media platforms. In one instance, Ceraolo induced a social media platform (Platform-1) to provide information about one of its subscribers, including the subscriber’s address, email address and telephone number, by asserting that the subscriber had participated in “child extortion” and blackmail and had threatened officials of the Bangladeshi government. Ceraolo shared the information with another ViLE member, who sent the information to Singh. Ceraolo also used the Bangladeshi police account to attempt to purchase a license from a facial recognition company whose services are not available to the general public. Similarly, between March 2022 and May 2022, Ceraolo targeted a company (Platform-2) that operates an online gaming platform. Ceraolo used the Bangladeshi police account to request data about one of Platform-2’s users. Employees of Platform-2 detected Ceraolo’s fraud and publicly discussed the attempted fraud. Ceraolo told an associate that he would “hack” Platform-2 in retaliation for “acting like their [sic] untouchable,” that he would “handle dumping and defacing everything for trying to snitch to homeland security” and that he could “easily get 6 figs” for selling Platform-2’s information “on one of the dark web markets.” At Ceraolo’s behest, an associate posed as a U.S. local police officer and sent a forged subpoena to one of Platform-2’s vendors, seeking registration details about Platform-2’s administrators. The vendor did not provide the information. If convicted, Ceraolo faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and both Ceraolo and Singh face five years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit computer intrusions. The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Office extends its appreciation the New York City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for their assistance on this case. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Mindlin, Ellen Sise and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendants : NICHOLAS CERAOLO (also known as “Convict,” “Anon” and “Ominous”) Age: 25 Queens, New York SAGAR STEVEN SINGH (also known as “Weep”) Age: 19 Pawtucket, Rhode Island E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-213