title: Pair Accused of Kickback Scheme Involving Lab Testing

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – An indictment has accused a St. Louis County man and an Alabama woman of engaging in an illegal kickback scheme involving genetic and COVID-19 tests given to seniors. Willie Ann Cleveland and Timothy C. Peoples were indicted August 7 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of conspiracy to receive and pay health care kickbacks. Peoples, 56, of Bridgeton, Missouri, appeared in court Friday and pleaded not guilty. Cleveland, 41, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was arrested August 14 and pleaded not guilty the same day. From 2017 through Aug. 7, 2024, Peoples collected biological specimens for genetic and COVID-19 testing, primarily from Medicare patients at senior citizen centers in eastern Missouri, the indictment says. Cleveland introduced Peoples to laboratory personnel so that they could set up the kickback scheme, the indictment says. It says that Peoples and Cleveland created sham contracts to conceal the kickbacks as a “monthly flat marketing fee.” Cleveland received $9,000 from a laboratory on March 1, 2022, and wired $7,000 to Peoples three days later, according to one allegation in the indictment. The indictment also says Cleveland and Peoples offered to pay a physician a $100 kickback in exchange for each lab test ordered. Finally, the indictment accuses both Cleveland and Peoples of lying to federal agents who were investigating. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The conspiracy charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.


title: Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Trafficking Approximately 50 Pounds of Methamphetamine into New Hampshire

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord to a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Ronny O. Ramos, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Samantha D. Elliot scheduled sentencing for November 25, 2024. A trial date for co-defendant Riley P. Thibodeau has been set for September 17, 2024. According to court documents and statements made in court, Ramos conspired to traffic approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Massachusetts to New Hampshire on five occasions. From March through October 2023, Ramos received five separate orders of methamphetamine from Thibodeau, via an intermediary. The payments to Thibodeau for the methamphetamine were made via the same intermediary. The amounts per order ranged from 10-12 pounds at a price of approximately $20,000 for each order. The methamphetamine was delivered to Thibodeau in New Hampshire. On October 31, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Ramos in Methuen, Massachusetts, and seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine destined for New Hampshire. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department, the Salem Police Department, and the Methuen Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Manhattan Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Possessing and Intending to Distribute Cocaine

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – William De La Rosa, age 29, of Manhattan, was sentenced on Friday to 60 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 1 kilogram of cocaine. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea earlier this year, De La Rosa admitted that on January 25, 2024, he drove to a hotel in Amsterdam, New York, where he planned to distribute 1 kilogram of cocaine to another person. When he arrived, law enforcement searched his vehicle and discovered the cocaine. United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 4-year term of supervised release, which will start when De La Rosa is released from prison. The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa prosecuted the case.


title: Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced to 15+ Years On Drug And Gun Charges

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. Jonathan Craig Otuel, 36, of Stallings, N.C., was sentenced today to 181 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine and related firearms offenses. According to court documents, evidence presented at Otuel’s trial, and witness testimony, on November 19, 2019, officers with the Pineville Police Department responded to a call for service at a hotel room, where they located Otuel and three other individuals. Officers also located methamphetamine and a firearm that Otuel had thrown from the balcony. A search warrant was issued and executed on the hotel room. During the search, law enforcement recovered multiple bags of methamphetamine, and an additional firearm. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Otuel was responsible for trafficking significant amounts of methamphetamine in Mecklenburg and Gaston Counties. On August 2, 2023, a federal jury convicted Otuel of conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Otuel also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Otuel remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pineville Police Department and the Gaston County Police Department for their investigation of the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Regina Pack and Timothy Sielaff of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Former Kent resident sentenced to prison for selling narcotics near drug treatment center

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 37-year-old former Kent, Washington, resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for selling narcotics near a drug treatment center announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Mohamed Aweys Muse has been in custody since his arrest in March 2023. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug that has been ravaging our community… I am particularly concerned with the targeting of a methadone clinic.” According to records filed in the case, Muse came to the attention of law enforcement in late 2022, when Muse was observed leaving an apartment in Kent each morning and making hand-to-hand drug sales in the area of Airport Way South and South Holgate Street in Seattle. Muse appeared to target the clients of a methadone clinic which was only a block away from where he was selling drugs. In January, Muse started staying overnight at a Lynwood, Washington apartment. On February 2, 2023, law enforcement served a court-authorized search warrant on both the Lynnwood and Kent apartments. In the Lynnwood apartment, investigators found fentanyl, cocaine, and three firearms. In the Kent apartment, law enforcement found additional cocaine. In asking for the three-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Muse regularly sold fentanyl in hand-to-hand transactions near a methadone clinic, targeting vulnerable individuals struggling to treat their addictions. This makes his drug trafficking particularly egregious and in reckless disregard for the safety of others.” The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in collaboration with the King County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yunah Chung.


title: Monroe Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced To More Than 11 Years In Prison

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Nicki Wayne Parker, 36, of Monroe, N.C. was sentenced today to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Eddie Cathey of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, in December 2022, ATF agents initiated an investigation into Parker for suspected distribution of methamphetamine in and around Union County. During the investigation, Parker participated in the distribution of methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with law enforcement. In January 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence in Monroe, N.C., where Parker was residing. Law enforcement found a pound of methamphetamine hidden in a cardboard box in the garage of the residence, and a pistol located inside a toolbox. At the time, Parker was on federal supervised release following a conviction in the Western District of North Carolina for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On November 28, 2023, Parker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Parker remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending placement by the federal Bureau of Prisons. This prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the ATF and the Union County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26 th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 26 th Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former CEO of failed bank sentenced to prison

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 293 months in prison for using his former position as chief executive officer (CEO) of a bank to embezzle tens of millions of dollars in a cryptocurrency scheme which led the bank to fail at a complete loss of equity for investors. According to court documents, Shan Hanes, 53, of Elkhart pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement by a bank officer. While the CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank (HTSB) in Elkhart, Kansas, Hanes initiated 11 outgoing wire transfers between May 2023 and July 2023 totaling $47.1 million of Heartland’s funds to a cryptocurrency wallet in a cryptocurrency scheme referred to as “pig butchering.” The funds were transferred to multiple cryptocurrency accounts controlled by unidentified third parties during the time HTSB was insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The FDIC absorbed the $47.1 million loss. Hanes’ fraudulent actions caused HTSB to fail and the bank investors to lose $9 million. A federal judge ordered that restitution be finalized at a separate hearing within the next 90 days. “Hanes’ greed knew no bounds. He trespassed his professional obligations, his personal relationships, and federal law. Not only did Shan Hanes betray Heartland Bank and its investors, but his illegal schemes also jeopardized confidence in financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher. “Today’s sentence is a measure of justice for the victims, and a statement that the U.S. Department of Justice will hold those accountable who violate positions of trust for their own gain.” “Mr. Hanes, as the CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank, held the trust and confidence of the community of Elkhart, KS, but he violated that trust. He attempted to benefit financially by embezzling funds from the bank. His idea to get rich quick, in all reality, was a pig butchering scheme. His involvement in this scheme ultimately led to the bank’s collapse. His job, the bank’s job was to protect its customers and identify fraudulent scams – not to participate in them,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “As the CEO, the defendant had a duty to conduct business honestly but instead abused that trust and committed insider fraud, contributing to the failure of a bank and causing catastrophic losses to bank customers who relied on the bank for the safekeeping of their savings,” said Korey Brinkman, Special-Agent-in-Charge of FHFA-OIG’s Central Region. “We will continue to vigorously investigate criminal offenses involving frauds that impact the integrity, safety, and soundness of Federal Home Loan Banks and member banks. We are proud to partner with our colleagues and the United States Attorney’s Office with this investigation.” “Shan Hanes was sentenced today for his role in a $47.1 million embezzlement scheme that ultimately caused Heartland Tri-State Bank to fail,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin R. Bundy of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG) Kansas City Region. “We are pleased to join our law enforcement partners in bringing Mr. Hanes to justice, and we will continue to investigate and hold accountable bank insiders who violate their positions of trust and threaten to undermine the safety and soundness of our Nation’s financial institutions.” “Today’s sentencing makes clear that bank executives who undermine the safety and soundness of community banks will be brought to justice,” said Jon Ellwanger, Special Agent in Charge, Western Region, Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “We are proud to have worked with our federal law enforcement partners to achieve this result, and we thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case and holding Mr. Hanes accountable for his crimes.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), Federal Reserve Board - Office of Inspector General (FRB-OIG), and Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General ((FHFA-OIG) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith prosecuted the case. ###


title: Armed Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced To Over 11 Years In Prison

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Antonio Abrego-Bega, 37, of Mexico, was sentenced today to 135 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents and court proceedings, between September and October 2021, law enforcement learned that Abrego-Bega was selling methamphetamine in the Charlotte area. During the investigation, a confidential informant (CI) working with law enforcement was introduced to Abrego-Bega. In September 2021, the CI and purchased from the defendant over 50 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. Law enforcement arranged additional controlled purchases between the CI and Abrego-Bega, where the defendant sold the CI additional methamphetamine and firearms. On October 20, 2021, following a controlled purchase of methamphetamine with the CI, law enforcement took Abrego-Bega into custody. Law enforcement recovered approximately 334 grams of methamphetamine and digital scales that he possessed in a bag. On February 22, 2023, Abrego-Bega pleaded guilty to distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and CMPD. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26 th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 26 th Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Brooklyn Man Charged with Sex Trafficking and Interstate Prostitution of Multiple Victims at the "Penn Track" in East New York

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, an indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn, charging Ferron Facey, also known as “Azul,” “Blue,” “Royal” and “Royal Da P,” with two counts of sex trafficking and one count of interstate prostitution for bringing young women from out of state to the Eastern District of New York to prostitute under threat of force, fraud and coercion. Facey was arrested earlier today in Brooklyn and made his initial appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo where he was ordered detained. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, the defendant trafficked women from out of state, including a minor, to serve as commercial sex workers for him at the notorious Penn Track in East New York, Brooklyn,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office is working diligently with our local and federal law enforcement partners to shut down this blight on our district where vulnerable victims are callously exploited by people like the defendant and the customers who patronize this location.” “Ferron Facey allegedly coerced two young women, including a minor, to travel to New York where he subsequently trafficked them for sex under threats of violence. The defendant’s violent history and alleged actions not only pose a grave danger to the community, but also to potential victims out of state, as his depravity knows no bounds. With the assistance from our law enforcement partners, the FBI is determined to dismantle sex trafficking operations in our city and apprehend the criminals who exploit their victims for profits,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis. According to court filings, Facey allegedly recruited young women – including at least one 16-year-old minor – in another state and brought them to New York to work for him in prostitution at an open-air sex market in East New York, Brooklyn, known as the “Penn Track” or “blade.” Facey used violence, coercion and threats of force to exert control over these victims and to keep them working in prostitution for him. Facey has a history of threatening violence against women on the Penn Track. For example, in a video posted on social media in July 2023, he was captured verbally assaulting a woman on the Penn Track and saying, “I got hoes out here that’ll beat you up right now . . . I put hands on bitches[.]” Shortly afterward, two individuals emerged from the defendant’s car and physically attacked the woman. During his arrest and execution of a search warrant discovered an unloaded 9-millimeter handgun in the bedroom, an unloaded magazine kicked under the kitchen cabinets, multiple rounds of live 9-millimeter ammunition hidden in an air fryer in the kitchen, and a brown, powdery substance consistent with cocaine spilled onto the floor of the bathroom, the toilet seat, and in the toilet. Near the apparent contraband narcotics were approximately 200 glassines, or wax paper bags used in drug sales to package narcotics for individual sale. Nearly $3,000 in $100, $50 and 20$ bills was found in an elastic behind the bed in the bedroom. If convicted of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment. The interstate prostitution charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorney Margaret Schierberl is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : FERRON FACEY (also known as “Azul,” “Blue,” “Royal” and “Royal Da P”) Age: 38 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-339 (AMD)


title: Two More Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Charles Clinton Cordle, 66, of Ashland, Kentucky, and Josie Irene Copley, 59, of Flatwoods, Kentucky, were each sentenced today to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 23, 2023, Cordle received approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine and 9 grams of fentanyl in the area of the 2700 block of Highlawn Avenue in Huntington after arranging to receive the controlled substances during a phone call with another person. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cordle following the transaction, and the officer located and seized the methamphetamine and fentanyl during the traffic stop. Cordle admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances. On October 25, 2023, Copley purchased approximately 13.98 grams of fentanyl in Huntington from co-defendant Kyla Smith after calling Smith and arranging the transaction. After Copley purchased the fentanyl, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Copley was a passenger. Copley told the officer she had drugs in her possession and surrendered the fentanyl she had obtained from Smith. Copley admitted that the officer also seized approximately 2.11 grams of methamphetamine during the traffic stop that she possessed and intended to sell. On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Copley’s residence in Flatwoods, Kentucky. Officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and a New England Firearms .410-gauge shotgun. Cordle, Copley and Smith are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Cordle pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and Copley pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl. Smith, also known as “Flaca,” 29, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on April 3, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing. Cordle, Copley and Smith are among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180. ###


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODNEY OFFRAY (“ OFFRAY”) , age 49, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on August 13, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion after previously pleading guilty to a three-count indictment charging him with distribution of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents began investigating OFFRAY in July 2023 for narcotics distribution in New Orleans. The ATF used an undercover operation to conduct three controlled purchases from OFFRAY , totaling 125 grams of heroin and fentanyl. On October 10, 2023, agents arrested OFFRAY , searched his residence, and located a semi-automatic rifle, 85 grams of heroin, 69 grams of cocaine, 120 fentanyl pills, and 13 grams of crack cocaine. Judge Papillion sentenced OFFRAY to 84 months imprisonment on all counts to run concurrently. Judge Papillion also ordered that OFFRAY be placed on four (4) years of supervised release and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Briana Williams of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Houston felon sent to prison for possessing machine gun

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Houston man has been sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm and machine gun conversion devices (MCDs), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Lenard Butler pleaded guilty April 22. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now handed Butler a 37-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. On May 28, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge Challenger on Highway 59 near Edna. Butler was driving. At that time, they detected an odor of marijuana and asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle – including weapons – which Butler denied. He stated he had smoked marijuana “hours ago.” Authorities conducted a search of the vehicle which resulted in the discovery of a small baggie of marijuana residue and a Glock pistol located under the front passenger seat. Attached to the firearm was a gold MCD with the word “Glock” inscribed on the back of the device. MCDs alter the firing mechanism of the guns to allow them to fire multiple shots automatically. MCDs are considered machine guns under the law and are illegal to possess. Additionally, as a convicted felon Butler is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Booth prosecuted the case.


title: Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Maurice Fitzgerald Alexander, Jr., 33, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 40 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Earlier this year, Alexander was convicted by a federal jury after a three-day trial of Sex Trafficking of a Minor by Force, Fraud, or Coercion. The jury also found Alexander guilty of one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor Using Force, Fraud, or Coercion, one count of Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, and one count of Production of Child Pornography. At the time of the offense, Alexander was already required to register as a sex offender. On October 4, 2021, officers from the Tucson Police Department responded to a 911 call from the victim and learned she had possibly been trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. A Tucson Police detective quickly responded to a local hospital and immediately initiated an investigation. The investigation revealed that Alexander trafficked the victim, who was 14 years old at the time, through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado between August 19, 2021, and October 4, 2021. Department of Homeland Security Special Agents and Task Force Officers arrested Alexander in Tucson on October 21, 2021. A subsequent review of Alexander’s phone showed that Alexander also forced the minor victim to create photos and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct that were later used in advertisements on social media and various other websites commonly used for prostitution. The Tucson Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathaniel J. Walters and Monica E. Ryan, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-21-02972-JAS-EJM RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-114_Alexander # # # 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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Aiken Man Sentenced in Tax Evasion Scheme

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Dennis Wayne Brite, 72, of Aiken, was sentenced to probation pleading guilty to tax evasion. He also immediately paid more than $669,000 in back taxes and interest. Evidence presented to the court showed that for nearly a decade, Brite used a complex scheme involving foreign shell companies and overseas banks to hide over $2 million of income from the Internal Revenue Service. IRS criminal investigators learned of the scheme when one of the overseas banks involved in the scheme, Euro Pacific Bank, became a target of a federal investigation. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Brite to probation after his payment of $669,249.86 for his back taxes and interest. Evidence introduced in court indicated that defendants do not typically repay the entire tax loss amount including the interest and that Brite had made extraordinary efforts to come into compliance with his taxes. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Prominent Oregon Drug Trafficker and Final Defendant in Large Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—The manager of an Oregon-based drug trafficking cell with ties to a large Mexico-based drug trafficking organization was sentenced to federal prison today following an investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Horacio Luna-Perez, 42, of Hillsboro, Oregon, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in November 2020, DEA special agents began investigating a drug trafficking organization with ties to Mexico operating in several states, including Oregon. In the early stages of the investigation, Luna-Perez was identified as the leader of an Oregon-based drug trafficking cell responsible for maintaining a constant supply and sale of various narcotics, including methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl, in Portland and Eastern Washington. In his role, Luna-Perez directed a network of associates and couriers responsible for obtaining, selling, and redistributing the narcotics. As part of the same investigation, DEA agents identified a separate drug trafficking cell responsible for redistribution and sale of drugs in Portland and Salem, Oregon led by 34-year-old Portland resident Jesus Miramontes-Castaneda. On August 11, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Miramontes-Castaneda and five associates with conspiring with one another to traffic large quantities of heroin and methamphetamine from California for distribution in Portland and Salem. One month later, on September 14, 2021, Luna-Perez and nine associates were charged in a separate indictment with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from California for distribution in and around Portland and in Eastern Washington. Luna-Perez’s cell also had ties to drug traffickers in Colorado and California. Following these indictments, in August and October 2021, coordinated law enforcement operations targeting Luna-Perez and Miramontes-Castaneda’s drug trafficking cells led to the arrests of both men and sixteen associates, including several individuals whose involvement in the conspiracies had been previously unknown. Additional charges were brought against those defendants in several parallel cases. As a result of the various interdictions and takedowns in this investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 200,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, two pounds of powdered fentanyl, 40 pounds of methamphetamine, 45 pounds of heroin, 13 pounds of cocaine, nine firearms, and more than $1.4 million in cash that had been bundled and stuffed into suitcases. On August 12, 2022, Miramontes-Castaneda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. Two months later, on December 8, 2022, he was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. On January 22, 2024, Luna-Perez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl. In addition to Luna Perez and Miramontes-Castaneda, as part of this investigation, 17 members of their cells have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in the various drug conspiracies, with sentences ranging from time served to 151 months’ imprisonment. These cases were investigated by the DEA with assistance from Oregon State Police, Portland Police Bureau, Tigard Police Department, the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) including member agencies the Canby Police Department, Oregon City Police Department, and Tualatin Police Department; and Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE). They were prosecuted by William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. These cases resulted from an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Man Who Smuggled Seven Undocumented Immigrants Through Sewer Tubes Between Mexico and the United States Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 19, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Kevin Noe Campos Villa of Tijuana was sentenced in federal court today to seven months in prison for human smuggling. Campos previously pleaded guilty, admitting he guided seven unauthorized immigrants through sewer pipes during heavy rains. Several had to be rescued from the Tijuana River by San Diego lifeguards. Campos was arrested on January 22, 2024, after U.S. Border Patrol agents observed Campos directing the individuals from Mexico into the United States through the pipes about two miles west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry during heavy rains. When confronted by Border Patrol agents, Campos and three of the immigrants he was guiding ran to avoid apprehension. While attempting to escape, they fell into the Tijuana River, known to be contaminated, and had to be rescued by San Diego lifeguards. According to court records, two of the unauthorized immigrants who were rescued stated that they feared for their lives when crossing the river because they did not know how to swim. One stated that he was swept away by the river’s current and was able to grab and hold onto a tree branch until his rescue. Sewer tubes between the United States and Mexico have grates to prevent individuals from illegally entering the United States. During heavy rain, the grates are opened to let water ﬂow through the sewer tubes without damaging the grates. Due to heavy rain that was occurring in the area at the time, the grates were open, and Campos used the opportunity to smuggle the unauthorized immigrants into the United States. Court documents established Campos agreed to guide the group in the January event, and in exchange he would have his own smuggling fee reduced to $6,000. Campos also admitted that he has been working for smugglers by building ladders to smuggle people across the U.S.-Mexico border fence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Adeline Schulberg. DEFENDANT Case Number 24CR0290-LL Kevin Noe Campos Villa Age: 20 Tijuana, Mexico SUMMARY OF CHARGES Title 8, United States Code, §1324(a)(1)(A)(i)— Bringing in Illegal Aliens at a Place other than a Designated Port of Entry Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison; $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES United States Border Patrol San Diego Lifeguard River Rescue


title: Jackson County Man Sentenced  for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A McKee, Ky., man, David Jason Parkey, 41, was sentenced on Monday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, to 270 months in prison, for production of child pornography. According to his plea agreement, on January 18, 2023, in a Facebook messenger conversation, Parkey exchanged a series of sexually explicit messages and images with a minor victim. In these messages, Parkey directed the victim to take sexually explicit photos, and then send them to him, via Facebook messenger. Under federal law, Parkey must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . — END —


title: Grants Pass Man Accused of Causing Train Derailment

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—A Grants Pass, Oregon man is facing federal charges for manipulating railroad track equipment and causing a derailment. Craig David Saddler, 50, has been charged by criminal complaint with wrecking, derailing, or disabling railroad equipment and vehicles. According to court documents, on August 12, 2024, officers responded to reports of Saddler trespassing at the Union Pacific Railroad (UPR) yard in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He was reported to be on the railroad near a lever that redirects the train to different tracks. While a train occupied by UPR employees was in motion, Saddler pulled the lever causing the tracks to switch and the train to derail. The derailment caused an estimated one million dollars in damage to the railway, four railcars, and surrounding property. Saddler fled the railyard, but officers quickly located him less than a mile away. Saddler stated he witnessed the train derail but denied involvement. He was arrested after a witness identified him as the man who pulled the lever causing the derailment. Saddler made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from other agencies. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judi Harper. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Greece man pleads guilty to child pornography charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Isolino S. Presutti, Jr., 36, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas M. Testani and Meghan K. McGuire, who are handling the case, stated that in March, 2023, Presutti possessed three desktop and two laptop computers, which contained approximately 5690 images and 28 videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct and violence against children. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2024, at 9:15 a.m. before Judge Siragusa. # # # #


title: Texas Man Sentenced for Cocaine Conspiracy

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Lonnie Embers, age 53, of San Marcos, Texas, was sentenced August 19, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Embers to 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Embers’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Drug Enforcement Agents agents became aware of co-defendant Gary Pope II as a dealer of cocaine in the Omaha area. This led to a three-month wiretap of Pope’s cell phone in 2022. The wiretap intercepts and resulting investigation confirmed that Pope would receive cocaine deliveries from Texas in kilogram quantities and sell the cocaine in lesser quantities in the Omaha area. Embers talked on the phone with Pope about distributing cocaine and was seen meeting with Pope at an Omaha hotel for a suspected one-kilogram transaction in June 2022. On July 15, 2022, Embers was arrested in Oklahoma with approximately two kilograms of cocaine and two firearms, a loaded 9 mm pistol and a .270-caliber rifle in a gun case. After being advised of his rights, Embers told investigators he was being paid to transport the cocaine to Omaha from San Antonio. Pope, age 42, was sentenced to 87 months in prison earlier this year. Pope also received an additional 66-month sentence in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Co-defendant Joseph Reyes, age 34, of Houston has been sentenced to 46 months in prison. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Norwich Man Who Trafficked Meth is Sentenced

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSEPH WILK, JR., 53 of Norwich, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to three years probation including six months of home confinement, a $5,000 fine and a $100 special assessment; for trafficking methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified a series of parcels suspected to contain controlled substances that were being mailed to Wilk’s Norwich residence and a P.O. Box in Norwich that he opened. On November 21, 2022, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of a suspicious USPS Priority Express parcel mailed from California to his P.O. Box and found that it contained more than one pound of pure methamphetamine. Investigators determined that Wilk’s co-conspirator, Michael Mihalko, had been tracking the package. On December 8, 2022, Wilk picked up the package in Norwich and drove to his residence. Shortly thereafter, Norwich police officers arrived at his residence. After Wilk gave his consent, investigators searched his home and seized approximately 2.575 kilograms of methamphetamine, approximately 16 grams of ecstasy, items used to process and package narcotics, two handguns, and $1,740 in cash. Wilk was arrested on state charges at that time. The investigation revealed that approximately 17 parcels suspected to contain narcotics were mailed to Wilk between May and December 2022. After Wilk received methamphetamine that had been mailed to him, he would deliver some of it to Mihalko, who at the time was living in the Boston area, and distribute some of his to his own customers in Southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. Wilk also trafficked liquid Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid ( GHB ). On May 31, 2023, Wilk pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Mihalko, 41, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty to the same charge on October 12, 2023, and awaits sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force and the Norwich Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, the Connecticut Army National Guard, and the Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, and Town of Groton Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison for Defrauding Zelle Users

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KADER GAHMAAL BIWAKI EDMOND, 24, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 36 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release and 125 hours of community service, for his role in a scheme that defrauded individuals who use the electronic payments system Zelle. According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating crimes against users of digital payment applications, including Zelle. Typically, a scheme victim receives a fraudulent text message, purporting to be from the victim’s bank, asking the victim to confirm whether a Zelle transaction was authorized. When the victim denies the transaction, the victim receives a response that a bank representative will be in contact. The victim then receives a phone call from an individual impersonating a bank representative, who informs the victim that an unauthorized transaction has occurred and that they need to work together to reverse the transaction. Without the victim’s knowledge, the fraudsters will link the victim’s actual phone number or email address via Zelle to a bank account that does not belong to the victim. The victim is then instructed to “reverse” the fictional fraudulent transaction by making a Zelle payment to what they believe is their own account, but is, in fact, an account controlled by the fraudsters. From approximately February 2021 through August 2023, Edmond and others defrauded numerous victims, including victims in Connecticut, of a total of more than $250,000 through this Zelle scheme and other fraud schemes. Judge Shea ordered Edmond to pay $290,157 in restitution. Edmond was arrested on August 31, 2023. On May 21, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Edmond, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 21, 2024. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Chang. Victims can report Zelle fraud to their bank or credit union, or to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime, at www.ic3.gov . Additional information about digital payment application schemes is available at https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2022/PSA220414 .


title: Former Homewood Finance Director Charged With Embezzling Nearly $950,000

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The former finance director for the City of Homewood has been charged with, and agreed to plead guilty to, crimes related to his embezzling nearly $950,000 from Homewood’s coffers. United States Attorney Prim Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples made the announcement. An information filed today in federal district court charges Robert Winston Burgett, 64, of Hueytown, with three counts of wire fraud. Also filed today was a plea agreement indicating that Burgett has agreed to plead guilty to the charges. According to the information and plea agreement, Burgett worked for the City of Homewood as its finance director. Between at least May 2023 and about March 2024, Burgett used that position to embezzle almost $950,000 from City of Homewood bank accounts. Burgett concealed his conduct by first moving the City’s funds into a commercial bank account he controlled before transferring the funds into his personal account. Burgett also altered City bank account statements and made false journal entries in City accounting records. Burgett ultimately used the embezzled funds for personal purposes. The Court will set a date for Burgett to enter his guilty plea. The FBI and the Homewood Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward is prosecuting the case. An information contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Former Alabama Police Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Offense for Using Excessive Force

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former Daleville, Alabama, Police Department sergeant, Ryan Phillips, pleaded guilty yesterday to depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law. “When police officers violate the law and abuse their power, it erodes the community’s trust in the ability of law enforcement to keep them safe and to preserve their rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant abused his power by entering the cell of an arrestee to violently strike him in the face and upper body without cause or reason. The Justice Department is steadfast in its determination to protect the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, including people who are incarcerated, and to hold accountable law enforcement officials who use excessive force.” “Although police officers are granted authority to maintain law and order, that authority has its limits,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama. “The defendant lost his composure and beat an arrestee inside his cell. This type of excessive force cannot be tolerated. By holding accountable those who disparage the profession by breaking the law, we will protect the reputations of the countless officers who serve honorably.” “Ryan Phillips clearly violated his position of public trust,” said Acting Assistant Director Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Law enforcement officers take an oath to protect and serve all people and Phillips betrayed that trust. The law enforcement community relies on each other to uphold that sacred oath, and the FBI remains committed to holding those accountable should that oath be violated."” According to documents submitted and statements made in court, Phillips willfully used unreasonable force against an arrestee identified as D.M. Specifically, while D.M. was inside a jail cell, he and Phillips had a verbal altercation. Phillips removed his badge and firearm, entered D.M.’s cell and hit D.M. in the upper body and face multiple times resulting in bodily injury to D.M., including lacerations and bruising. With the plea agreement, Phillips admitted that he had no legitimate law enforcement purpose for engaging in this conduct, that he acted willfully and that D.M. suffered bodily injury. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Phillips faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Trial Attorney MarLa Duncan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.


title: 15 charged in Brazoria County narcotics ring

body_text: HOUSTON – Several individuals are set to appear for detention hearings for their alleged roles in two large-scale conspiracies to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Those taken into custody include Clute residents Joseph Andre Luna, 40, Jacklyn Luna, 37, and David Allen Nunez, 37; Houston resident Eloy Tre Delarosa, 27; Juan Manuel Lara, 42, Angleton; James Wayne Andrews, 40, Bay City; Andrew Bryan Compian, 41, Wharton; and Luis Angel Rodriguez, 45, Lake Jackson. All are scheduled for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett at 9 a.m. Co-conspirator Mary Alice Galindo, 48, Oyster Creek, is set to make an initial appearance Aug. 21, while Edward Villarreal Humphrey, 43, Oyster Creek, is in custody in another county and will appear in Houston in the near future. Also charged are Irvin Lopez, 33, Clute, and Lake Jackson residents Monissa Shayla Najera, 35, Liliana Contreras, 35, Jordan Rodriguez, 18, and Robert Blake Partlow, 30, who have already made initial appearances. The indictment, returned Aug. 7 and unsealed Aug. 8 upon the arrests, stems from a months-long investigation into narcotics distribution organizations working within Brazoria County. All are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance with several facing substantive counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted of any of the charges, each faces up to life prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office, Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, police departments in Houston and Aransas Pass, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Marshals Service and San Patricio County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Hrach and Lisa M. Collins are 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: Mother of Minor Who Died of a Drug Overdose Sentenced for Making False Statements to Law Enforcement Officers

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 15, 2024, Melanie Cruz Clivilles was sentenced by United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordan to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making false statements to a task force officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in relation to a criminal investigation. Defendant Melanie Cruz Clivilles was the mother of 13-year-old female minor G.L.C.C. who died of a drug overdose in August of 2023 and had been brought by 26-year-old Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández to the hospital. Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández was charged with production of child exploitation material and drug trafficking in relation to the deceased minor. According to court documents, Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández attempted to induce, entice, and coerce 13-year-old female minor G.L.C.C., to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child exploitation material. Pérez Hernández was also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and distribution of cocaine to a minor. Pérez Hernández plead guilty on April 18, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 20, 2024. Melanie Cruz Clivilles, mother of G.L.C.C., was charged with lying to a federal law enforcement agent. Cruz Clivilles made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation by falsely stating to a Task Force Officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations that she first met Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández at the hospital on August 4, 2023, where he arrived with defendant’s deceased daughter G.L.C.C. The statement and representation was false because, as she then and there knew, she had met Pérez Hernández at the latest in July of 2023, and had been with him during a meeting on August 3, 2023. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case. For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians ; and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Justice Department Transfers Approximately $300,000 in Forfeited Criminal Proceeds to Bonaire

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Justice Department shared $300,921.09 in forfeited criminal assets with Bonaire, a special Dutch Caribbean municipality within the country of the Netherlands, in recognition of Bonaire’s assistance to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s investigation of, and the department’s forfeiture of criminal proceeds derived from, the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business that was active in the black market for exchanging Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars. This transfer marks the first international sharing of forfeited assets involving the Governments of the United States and Bonaire. Bonaire’s Public Prosecutors Office intends to use the funds to support ongoing criminal justice efforts. The funds transferred are a share of net assets forfeited by U.S. authorities from an investigation into the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business run by Hjalmar Gibelli Gomez. A U.S. law enforcement investigation revealed that Gibelli was engaging in unlicensed money transmitting through his business, a Venezuelan insurance agency called Resguardo Sociedad de Corretahe. The unlicensed money transmitting business exchanged Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars on a black market currency exchange in violation of U.S. law. The funds were used to promote Gibelli’s illegal money transmitting business and were utilized in money laundering transactions. As part of his illegal scheme, Gibelli transferred $2,486,525 from the scheme to purchase a luxury yacht named the “Navigante,” among other transactions. On Dec. 22, 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the yacht and other assets held by Gibelli. As described in court documents, the yacht is subject to forfeiture as property involved in a transaction or attempted transaction in violation of U.S. money laundering statutes, or as property traceable to such property. Bonaire authorities provided important law enforcement assistance in the seizure and forfeiture by restraining the Navigante in their territory, safely offloading the yacht’s crew, and assisting in the yacht’s transfer to the United States. Gibelli consented to the forfeiture of the Navigante and other property. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Marshals Service. The DEA and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. The Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) provided assistance in connection with the international sharing process. The Criminal Division, through MLARS’ International Unit, administers the department’s international asset forfeiture sharing program. Pursuant to federal law, and in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and State, the department may share proceeds of successful forfeiture of property with foreign countries that participate in the seizure or forfeiture of the property.


title: Convicted Felon Is Sentenced To Prison For Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – John Edward Bradley, 50, of Cherokee, N.C., was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. According to court documents and court proceedings, Bradley was previously convicted of a federal firearms offense in the Western District of North Carolina and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. After serving his prison term, Bradley was placed under court supervision on conditions of federal supervised release. In June 2023, Bradley’s federal probation officer obtained a warrant for Bradley’s arrest on allegations that Bradley had violated the terms of his supervision. According to court documents, on June 13, 2023, law enforcement observed Bradley driving his vehicle in Cherokee. Knowing that there was an active arrest warrant against Bradley, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Bradley’s vehicle and Bradley was taken into custody. While in custody, Bradley told law enforcement that he had narcotics hidden in his underwear. Law enforcement searched Bradley and retrieved two baggies containing a controlled substance. Following a lab analysis of the substances it was determined that the larger baggie contained fentanyl and the smaller baggie contained methamphetamine. Bradley admitted that he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it to others. On December 20, 2023, Bradley pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. This prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the DEA, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, and the Cherokee Alcohol Law Enforcement, with the assistance of the U.S. Probation Office in the Western District of North Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Scott with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.


title: Bellows Falls Man Charged with Bank Robbery

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Stephen Loewe, 42, of Bellows Falls, Vermont, was charged by complaint with robbing the Claremont Savings Bank in Springfield, Vermont, on August 13, 2024. Mr. Loewe had his initial appearance in federal court yesterday afternoon and is currently detained in federal custody. A hearing will be held next Thursday to determine whether he will remain detained pending trial. According to court records, Mr. Loewe committed a burglary of a Springfield, Vermont store in the early hours of August 13, 2024. Later that morning, he entered an M&T Bank branch in Springfield and demanded cash. Later that afternoon, he entered the Claremont Savings Bank in Springfield and demanded $500, stating in a note that it was a robbery. Mr. Loewe then stole a car from a gas station in Springfield. The next morning, on August 14, 2024, he entered an M&T Bank branch in Putney, Vermont, and again demanded cash, this time, $1500. Mr. Loewe was apprehended later that day and admitted to robbing the banks and using the money he stole to purchase cocaine base. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Mr. Loewe faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Any actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigative collaboration among the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Vermont State Police, Springfield Police Department, Brattleboro Police Department, Windham County Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Assistant U.S. Attorney handling the prosecution is Corinne Smith. The Office of the Federal Public Defender has been appointed to represent Mr. Loewe. 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 Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Former California Resident Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Oxnard, California, was sentenced in federal court on August 14, 2024, to five years of imprisonment on his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Christopher Andrew Salgado, 24. According to information presented to the Court, between March 2022 and September 2022, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The investigation revealed that a cocaine source of supply in California would mail parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine to a residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. After investigators seized a parcel containing two kilograms of cocaine before it reached the Aliquippa residence, the source of supply began sending the parcels to Salgado in West Virginia. Thereafter, mobile and electronic surveillance confirmed that Salgado would drive the parcels from West Virginia to the Pittsburgh International Airport, pick-up co-defendant Jose Sanchez, who would arrive on flights from California, and transport both the parcel and Sanchez to another co-defendant, Romaro Foster Sr., in Aliquippa. Following one re-supply of cocaine to Foster, law enforcement followed Salgado as he drove Sanchez back to the Pittsburgh airport, and observed Salgado dispose of a box in the trash of a fast food restaurant parking lot. Investigators recovered the box, observing a shipping label with Salgado’s West Virginia address as well as drug packaging material within the box. A field test of the packaging revealed the presence of cocaine. In August 2022, investigators seized a parcel sent from California to Salgado in West Virginia. The parcel contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine. Investigators conducted a controlled delivery operation of the parcel at Salgado’s residence, executing a federal search warrant at the residence in conjunction with the operation. From Salgado’s bedroom, investigators recovered a separate parcel sent from California to Salgado containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine, along with a loaded 9mm handgun, an empty pistol magazine, a box of ammunition, and a digital scale. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Salgado. This prosecution is part of an OCDETF investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Registered Sex Offender Admits Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from Lake St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday admitted possessing child pornography. Timothy Ray Dirck, 53, admitted possessing child sexual abuse material between Nov. 1, 2022, and May 3, 2023. Dirck was using peer-to-peer software that made that material available for download. On March 20, 2023, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent was able to download child sexual abuse material and traced the computer to Dirck’s address. During a court-approved search of the home, Dirck admitted possessing images and videos containing child pornography on his laptop. The computer was actively downloading and uploading files consistent with child pornography at the time of the search. Dirck pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to count of possession of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 20, 2025. Both sides have agreed to recommend a 10-year prison sentence. Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Saint Charles County Police Department and the Lake Saint Louis Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Jury Finds Calhoun Falls Man Guilty in Threat Case

body_text: GREENVILLE, S.C. —Johnathan C. McCaslan, 51, of Calhoun Falls, was found guilty by a federal jury of stalking, mailing threatening communications and perpetuating letter hoaxes. Evidence presented to the jury showed that while McCaslan was in divorce proceedings, he attempted to have his wife arrested by sending threatening letters to a Calhoun Falls police officer and to the Calhoun Falls Police Department. Both letters contained a white powdery substance and were written to appear as if his wife was the author. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) twice deployed the bomb squad to investigate the powder, which law enforcement feared was fentanyl, anthrax, or another deadly substance. Fortunately, powder was harmless. The SLED laboratory examined the letters and found McCaslan’s DNA on the stamps of the letter sent to the police officer. SLED investigators also determined that some of the information contained in the letters was known only by McCaslan and not his wife. “The letter hoaxes in this case had the potential to have an innocent woman arrested for a crime she did not commit,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for this District of South Carolina. “Caslan’s criminal actions were a terrible abuse law enforcement resources, and we are committed to prosecuting such abuse.” “The United States Postal Inspection Service is always proud to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who misuse the U.S. Mail, to elicit fear and frame the innocent victims we work so diligently to protect,” said US Postal Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke of the Atlanta Division. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, and targeting law enforcement to frame someone for a crime is appalling,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “The hard-working professionals at SLED are subject matter experts committed to conducting thorough investigations. I’m grateful that no one was hurt, and that SLED could help find the facts that led to justice.” United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins presided over the trial and will sentence McCaslan after the United States Probation Office prepares a presentence report. McCaslan faces a statutory maximum of five years on each of the four counts of the indictment. This case was investigated by SLED and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Marosek and Bill Watkins prosecuted the case. ###


title: Woman Charged for Scheme to Defraud Elvis Presley’s Family

body_text: A Missouri woman was arrested this morning on federal charges in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family of millions of dollars and steal the family’s ownership interest in Graceland, the former home of Elvis Presley, located in Memphis, Tennessee. Lisa Jeanine Findley, also known as Lisa Holden, Lisa Howell, Gregory Naussany, Kurt Naussany, Lisa Jeanine Sullins, and Carolyn Williams, 53, of Kimberling City, Missouri, was charged in a criminal complaint unsealed today after her arrest. Findley will make her initial appearance later today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. “As alleged in the complaint, the defendant orchestrated a scheme to conduct a fraudulent sale of Graceland, falsely claiming that Elvis Presley’s daughter had pledged the historic landmark as collateral for a loan that she failed to repay before her death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As part of the brazen scheme, we allege that the defendant created numerous false documents and sought to extort a settlement from the Presley family. Now she is facing federal charges. The Criminal Division and its partners are committed to holding fraudsters to account.” “As a Memphian, I know that Graceland is a national treasure,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This defendant allegedly used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark. Of course, all homeowners deserve to have their property protected from fraud, and the Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who commits financial crimes or identity theft.” According to court documents, Findley allegedly posed as three different individuals affiliated with a fictitious private lender named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC (Naussany Investments). Findley allegedly claimed falsely that Elvis Presley’s daughter had borrowed $3.8 million in 2018 from Naussany Investments, pledged Graceland as collateral for the loan, and failed to repay the debt. To settle the purported claim, Findley allegedly sought $2.85 million from Elvis Presley’s family. Findley allegedly fabricated loan documents on which Findley forged the signatures of Elvis Presley’s daughter and a Florida State notary public. Findley then allegedly filed a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles, and a fake deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office in Memphis. Findley also allegedly published a fraudulent foreclosure notice in The Commercial Appeal , one of Memphis’s daily newspapers, announcing that Naussany Investments planned to auction Graceland to the highest bidder on May 23. Finally, when Naussany Investments was sued by Elvis Presley’s family in Tennessee state court as part of an effort to stop the sale of Graceland, Findley allegedly submitted false court filings. After the scheme attracted global media attention, Findley allegedly wrote to representatives of Elvis Presley’s family, the Tennessee state court, and the media to claim falsely that the person responsible for the scheme was a Nigerian identity thief located in Nigeria. “Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress. This is an example of our relentless investigative work and commitment to bringing criminals to justice for their illegal activity.” “Today’s announcement of charges and law enforcement action shows our broad approach to investigating allegations of identity theft and mail fraud, which can affect people from all walks of life,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “We will continue to vigorously pursue cases against individuals, in the United States and abroad, who would steal an identity and use fraud to benefit themselves personally.” Findley is charged with mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud. USPIS and the FBI Memphis Field Office are investigating the case with significant assistance from the FBI Kansas City Field Office. Assistant Chief Cory E. Jacobs and Trial Attorney Christopher Fenton of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. André III for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Complaint


title: Wife of Large-Scale Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A California woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for her role in a money laundering conspiracy involving proceeds of methamphetamine and marijuana distribution. The defendant laundered over $200,000 of her husband’s drug proceeds. In total, over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns, and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized during the investigation. A marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled. Christina Lua, 51, of Santa Rosa, Cali., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 12 months and one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release. In April 2024, Lua pleaded guilty to one count of a second superseding indictment charging her with money laundering conspiracy. Lua was originally charged in a superseding indictment, along with four others, in September 2021 with money laundering conspiracy. The indictment charged a total of 11 defendants in connection with a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy. In addition to the money laundering conspiracy charged against Lua and four others, the other 10 defendants were also charged with controlled substance and firearm offenses. In approximately October 2020, investigators received information about drug trafficking activities of a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Boston area. In late 2020 Lua’s husband Reshat Alkayisi was identified as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to distributors throughout the New England area. Lua assisted Alkayisi in laundering his drug proceeds, including by purchasing vehicles with cash drug proceeds, and by depositing cash drug proceeds in amounts less than $10,000 so as to conceal the nature of the funds and to avoid reporting requirements. Lua is the third defendant to be sentenced. The remaining eight defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Shawn Jenkins, Interim Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Obtains Settlement Of Fair Housing Act Case Compensating Discrimination Victim Threatened With Eviction For Maintaining Support Animals

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the entry today of a Consent Decree with the RUTHERFORD TENANTS CORP. (“RUTHERFORD”) resolving the United States’ lawsuit against RUTHERFORD and its former Board President James Ramadei under the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”). The lawsuit alleged that RUTHERFORD discriminated against a shareholder (the “Complainant”) in its co-operative building by refusing to permit her to live with emotional support animals to accommodate her disability and by retaliating against the Complainant when she filed a Complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden approved the Consent Decree on August 16, 2024. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This is the largest recovery the Department of Justice has ever obtained for a person with disabilities whose housing provider denied them their right to have an assistance animal. This outcome should prompt all housing providers to consider carefully whether their policies and procedures comply with federal law. We greatly appreciate our partners at HUD who provided invaluable assistance in the investigation and resolution of this matter.” According to documents filed by the Government in federal court: The Rutherford is a residential cooperative apartment building that contains 175 units and is located at 230 East 15th Street in New York, New York. Defendant RUTHERFORD is the shareholder cooperative association. The Complainant moved into the building in 1999. At the time, RUTHERFORD did not have a reasonable accommodation policy of any kind, whether for people with disabilities generally or for assistance animals specifically. The Complainant maintained parrots in her home as emotional support animals to assist her with her disabilities and did so without incident until March 2015, when one of her neighbors began complaining about alleged noise. In response, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (“DEP”) visited the building and/or the Complainant’s apartment on 15 occasions over the course of a year and conducted inspections of these noise complaints. DEP issued zero notices of noise violations. RUTHERFORD never conducted any decibel testing or other objective evaluation of the alleged noise complaints. Similarly, RUTHERFORD never retained the services of a noise prevention consultant, architect, engineer, or anyone with qualifications or experience in soundproofing to address the neighbor’s complaints. In March 2016, the Complainant asked RUTHERFORD to allow her to maintain her parrots as support animals as a reasonable accommodation under the FHA, supporting her request with a letter from her treating psychiatrist. The FHA makes it unlawful to discriminate in the terms and conditions of the sale or rental of, or to otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling based on the prospective buyer or renter’s disability. The FHA also mandates that reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, and services be provided when necessary to afford equal housing opportunities to persons with disabilities. The assistance animals that must be allowed in private dwellings under the FHA are different from those that must be allowed in places of public accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is limited to dogs and miniature horses. Under the FHA and its applicable regulations, persons with disabilities may maintain in their homes a wide array of animals as support animals, provided the animal does not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others, and does not physically damage the property. Despite being aware that the Complainant was a person with a disability who needed the parrots as support animals, RUTHERFORD commenced eviction proceedings against the Complainant in May 2016. The Complainant began to suffer severe emotional harm because of the eviction proceedings and left her apartment in July 2016. Despite the fact that the Complainant left the building in 2016, RUTHERFORD continued to maintain the eviction proceeding against her well into 2024. In May 2018, the Complainant filed a Complaint with HUD, alleging that the eviction proceeding interfered with her fair housing rights. While HUD was investigating the Complaint, the Complainant obtained an offer to purchase the shares appurtenant to her unit for $467,500, but RUTHERFORD rejected the application from the proposed purchaser, thereby prolonging the dispute and, as alleged by the Government, engaging in retaliation against the Complainant for asserting her rights. HUD completed its investigation and, in January 2021, found probable cause to believe that RUTHERFORD violated the FHA, at which juncture the parties had the opportunity to settle the matter, or, failing that, either the Complainant or RUTHERFORD could elect to proceed to federal court with the dispute. RUTHERFORD chose to proceed to federal court, thereby triggering the statutory requirement that the Department of Justice file suit against it to resolve the matter in federal court. Under the consent decree approved by Judge Rearden, RUTHERFORD must: • Pay the Complainant $165,000 in damages, upon receipt of a release from the Complainant; • Offer $585,000 to purchase the Complainant’s shares in the co-operative at a time when similarly situated units in the building are valued at approximately $500,000; • In the event that the closing of the sale of the Complainant’s unit does not occur, provide the Complainant with additional accommodations, including a right to sublet the unit for 10 years; • Adopt a reasonable accommodation policy regarding requests for assistance animals; • Comply with certain notice, training, and recordkeeping requirements to ensure that its agents and officers are knowledgeable about and comply with the requirements of the FHA; • Allow the U.S. to monitor compliance with the Consent Decree; • Dismiss the eviction proceedings against the Complainant in Housing Court. This is the tenth case brought in recent years by the Southern District of New York to vindicate the rights of tenants and co-operative shareholders to maintain support animals in their homes, and the tenth case to end with an agreement compensating the victims of the alleged discriminatory acts and requiring the adoption of reasonable accommodation policies to protect future residents and co-operative shareholders from discrimination. The monetary recovery for the Complainant in this case, above and beyond the value of her shares, is the largest recovery by the Government for a victim of housing discrimination denied the right to an assistance animal. Individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination may submit a report online at www.civilrights.justice.gov, by email to SDNY.Rights@usdoj.gov , or may contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or www.hud.gov . The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Kennedy is in charge of the case.


title: Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Trafficking of Fentanyl, Fluorofentanyl, and Cocaine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on August 15, 2024, to 15 years of imprisonment on his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of fluorofentanyl, and 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Andre Nunley, 50. According to information presented to the Court, between June 2022 and December 2023, Nunley was the subject of a joint investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 500 grams of cocaine from a mid-level drug dealer as he left a brief meeting with Nunley. In January 2023, law enforcement executed federal search warrants upon both of Nunley’s known stash houses, resulting in the seizure of approximately 15,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills, 4,200 stamp bags, 40 boxes containing empty glassine bags, and bulk U.S. currency. A laboratory confirmed that the seized substances contained about 1,352 grams of fentanyl, 797 grams of a fluorofentanyl and fentanyl mixture, and 199 grams of fluorofentanyl. Fluorofentanyl and fentanyl are Schedule I and II controlled substances, respectively. Following that seizure, law enforcement continued to investigate Nunley’s drug trafficking operation and identified a third residence used by Nunley. In December 2023, law enforcement intercepted a parcel addressed to that residence, which contained about two kilograms of fentanyl. During a controlled delivery operation of the seized parcel to the third residence, law enforcement encountered Nunley, who confessed to expecting a parcel containing drugs. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Nunley.