title: Jury Convicts Former Aequitas CEO and Company Executives for Roles in $300 Million Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—After a six-week trial in Portland, a federal jury found three former executives of Aequitas Management, LLC, and associated companies, guilty today for their roles in a vast fraud conspiracy. Evidence at trial showed the conspirators raised nearly $300 million from defrauded investors. Robert J. Jesenik, 63, former chief executive officer of Aequitas and resident of Lake Oswego, Oregon; Andrew N. MacRitchie, 59, formerly of Palm Harbor, Florida; and Brian K. Rice, 56, of Portland were found guilty of conspiring with one another to commit mail and wire fraud and 28 individual counts of wire fraud. Jesenik was also convicted of making a false statement on a loan application. “Today’s guilty verdicts are an important milestone in the yearslong effort to hold Bob Jesenik and other former Aequitas executives accountable for cheating investors and going to extraordinary lengths to conceal the precarious and rapidly-declining financial condition of their company,” said Ethan Knight, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “Theft is theft, whether it be taking from another's pocket or taking through a corrupt financial investment scheme. Bob Jesenik and his co-conspirators deliberately deceived investors and the federal government for years and now they will finally face the consequences,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Division. “The length of this investigation and this trial demonstrates the full measure to which the FBI, and our law enforcement partners, will go to seek justice. Today’s conviction sends a message that you will be held accountable for corrupt financial practices. We thank IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent work on this case.” “Strictly speaking, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul isn’t illegal. However, lying to Peter for personal financial gain and then not paying Paul is definitively criminal,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Corporate executives engaged in fraud tell a multitude of lies, and one of the first is convincing themselves they will get away with it. Today, these individuals are learning the cold, hard truth—they undeniably have not gotten away with it. IRS:CI is committed to bringing conmen and fraudsters to justice.” “Some of the victims of this shameful scheme were participants of employee pension benefit plans, who worked hard for a secure retirement” said Klaus Placke, Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Regional Director in San Francisco. “We were pleased to partner with federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute these former executives to the full extent of the law.” According to court documents, Jesenik, MacRitchie, Rice, and others used Aequitas, formerly headquartered in Lake Oswego, to solicit investments in a variety of notes and funds, many of which were purportedly backed by trade receivables in education, health care, transportation, and other consumer credit areas. At its peak, Aequitas employed nearly 200 people. From June 2014 through February 2016, the former executives solicited investors by misrepresenting Aequitas’ use of investor money, the financial health and strength of the company and its subsidiaries, and the risks associated with its investments and investment strategies. Collectively, the defendants also failed to disclose other critical facts about the company, including its near-constant liquidity and cash-flow crises, the use of investor money to repay other investors and to defray operating expenses, and the lack of collateral to secure funds. In 2005, Jesenik founded the Aequitas group of companies, and, as chief executive officer, controlled the organization’s structure and had ultimate decision-making authority over company activities. As elicited through trial testimony, Jesenik was a micromanager deeply entrenched in the day-to-day workings of Aequitas. He also served as the company’s principal pitchman, frequently telling others that Aequitas would one day rival leading asset management firms. MacRitchie was Aequitas’s executive vice president and chief compliance officer responsible for the development and implementation of risk management and compliance processes and procedures. MacRitchie oversaw the company’s accounting, legal, and auditing functions, and participated in fundraising. He also established Aequitas’s New York office and directed the company’s “Lux Fund,” a Luxembourg-based fund used to solicit international investors. Rice served as Aequitas’s executive vice president and president of wealth management. Among other responsibilities, Rice oversaw the solicitation of investments through registered investment advisors (RIA) and managed Aequitas’s affiliated RIAs. The company’s largest holdings were from various hospital networks, a consumer debt-consolidator, a motorcycle lender, and Corinthian Colleges, one of the nation’s largest operators of for-profit technical and post-secondary schools. The student loans Aequitas owned from Corinthian Colleges, valued at more than $200 million, were by far the company’s largest single category of receivables. By early 2014, the U.S. Department of Education began scrutinizing Corinthian’s graduation and job-placement rates and, by June of 2014, announced it would defer the payment of federal-aid funds to the schools. Soon after, Corinthian defaulted on its monthly recourse payment to Aequitas, costing the company more than $4 million per month. The collapse of Corinthian Colleges set off a series of events that ultimately led to Aequitas’s own demise. Meanwhile, Jesenik, MacRitchie, Rice, and others committed numerous financial crimes in an effort to conceal Aequitas’ bleak financial picture. In June 2014, they prepared a letter to investors claiming that Corinthian’s woes would not impact Aequitas’s ability to recoup its investment from student borrowers. At the same time, they continued soliciting new non-equity investments in the company, falsely claiming Aequitas used new investment funds to purchase receivables when, in reality, they were using the funds to pay the company’s bills and prior investors. By July 2014, Aequitas was effectively insolvent, and, in March 2016, the company collapsed. On July 13, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 31-count superseding indictment charging Jesenik, MacRitchie, and Rice with one count each of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and 28 counts of wire fraud. Jesenik was also charged with a single count of making a false statement on a loan application. In 2019, former Aequitas executives and co-conspirators Brian A. Oliver, 58, of Aurora, Oregon, and Olaf Janke, 52, of Portland, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud and money laundering. Oliver and Janke will be sentenced on December 19, 2023, and June 20, 2023, respectively, and, as part of their plea agreements, have agreed to pay restitution in full to their victims as recommended by the government and ordered by the court. On May 26, 2022, former Aequitas senior executive and chief financial officer Nelson Scott Gillis, 70, of Lake Oswego, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a bank. He will be sentenced on June 27, 2023, and has also agreed to pay full restitution. Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, three years’ supervised release, and a minimum $500,000 fine per count of conviction. Making false statements on a loan application is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, three years’ supervised release, and a $1 million fine. This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration. It was prosecuted by Ryan W. Bounds, Christopher L. Cardani, and Siddharth Dadhich, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Horsley assisted the trial team.


title: Adair County Resident Pleads Guilty To Aggravated Sexual Abuse In Indian Country

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bryan Udale Jones, 63, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country, which is punishable by not less than thirty years imprisonment. Government prosecutors alleged that beginning in 2003 and continuing until 2010, the defendant engaged in sexual acts with a child who had not yet attained the age of 12. As a part of the plea allocution, the defendant also admitted to sexually assaulting three other children, all less than 12 years old at the time of the abuse. The charges arose from an investigation by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendant is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, accepted the pleas and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Jones was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Anthony C. Marek represented the United States.


title: Ada Resident Sentenced For Manslaughter In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nathan Paul Nolen, age 47, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced for driving while under the influence of methamphetamine and causing a fatal car crash. Nolen was sentenced to 68 months in prison for Manslaughter in Indian Country. The charges arose from investigations by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. On May 10, 2022, Nolen pleaded guilty to Manslaughter in Indian Country. According to investigators, the defendant was driving under the influence of methamphetamine when he crossed the center line of State Highway 3 in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma. The defendant struck an oncoming vehicle, killing two passengers and seriously injuring a third. “No sentence will fully heal the pain from this tragic loss of two innocent lives,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “But it is important for our community to see such careless actions come with very serious consequences. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable those who engage in criminally reckless violence.” “The defendant’s decision to ingest methamphetamine and drive a motor vehicle resulted in a disastrous collision and loss of life,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “My heart goes out to the families of the victims, and I can only hope the sentence imposed will deter the defendant and others from driving under the influence and endangering the lives of others.” The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted these cases because the victim is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Nolen will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary W. Parsons represented the United States.


title: Former Preschool Teacher's Assistant Sentenced To 90 Years In Federal Prison For Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK— Augustus “Gus” Shenker, 23, of Little Rock was sentenced to serve the next 90 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Shenker was sentenced earlier today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. In May 2021, FBI received a cyber tip that Dropbox user Augustus Shenker, using an email address that contained his name, possessed seven videos containing child pornography. Investigators determined Shenker’s address and learned that he was employed at Miss Selma’s School in Little Rock, an early education school with children from 18 months old to fifth grade. FBI agents obtained a search warrant for Shenker’s home and made contact with him at the school where he worked. Law enforcement seized Shenker’s iPhone and advised him a search warrant was being executed at his residence. A review of items seized from Shenker’s residence revealed six videos created in March 2021 that showed Shenker touching the buttocks and vagina of a preschool-age child in a classroom at Miss Selma’s School. His iPhone contained a hidden folder with 19 additional videos, all of which were taken in the same preschool classroom where Shenker worked. Shenker’s face is visible in several of the videos. In addition to the videos of abuse that Shenker produced himself, law enforcement located more than a thousand images of child sexual abuse on Shenker’s phone and other devices. Shenker later admitted making the videos of the preschool-age children during nap time. Shenker was first charged in a criminal complaint on May 18, 2021, when the FBI received the initial cyber tip. On June 1, 2021, after the discovery of the videos on his phone, a federal grand jury returned an indictment, charging Shenker with 22 counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Shenker pleaded guilty to three counts of production of child pornography in December 2022. Judge Rudofsky sentenced Shenker to the maximum of 30 years on each count, to run consecutively, for a total of 90 years. In addition to the 90-year prison term, Shenker was sentenced to life of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. “We are grateful that Judge Rudofsky imposed the maximum sentence allowed by the law against Mr. Shenker,” said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “This sentence ensures that Mr. Shenker will spend the rest of his life in prison, which means he will never harm another child. In the Eastern District of Arkansas, we will not waste time empathizing with adults who have a sexual interest in children, but rather resolve to fully investigate and prosecute each and every child predator. Our office, the FBI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will maintain our commitment to make sure that every criminal that harms and exploits children will be brought to justice.” “As an educator, Mr. Shenker was entrusted to support and protect our children,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson. “Instead, he chose to exploit and manipulate the very children he was hired to teach. Today’s sentence ensures he will never again victimize our community. FBI Little Rock will continue to utilize all resources to protect innocent youth from predators who seek to harm them.” The investigation was conducted by the FBI Little Rock Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant. # # # This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar Twitter: @EDARNEWS


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Observers National Police Week

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In observance of National Police Week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement and pays tribute to the officers who have fallen in the line of duty. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. “During National Police Week, we honor and remember the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King. “We remember their bravery, their service, and their willingness to put themselves at harm’s way to protect the lives of others. We also pledge our support to our federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement officers for their dedication and for serving our communities with honor, dignity, and excellence.” This year, the names of 556 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (NLEOMF) in Washington D.C., to include Master Trooper John Sumter Horton with the North Carolina Highway Patrol of Western North Carolina, who died on January 3, 2022. An additional 332 officers added to the Memorial died earlier in history but their names and stories of sacrifice had not been previously documented. There are currently 23,785 names engraved on the Memorial, representing law enforcement officers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, territories, federal law enforcement, and military police agencies. The names of the fallen officers added to the Memorial this year will be read on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at the 35th Annual Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 p.m. EST. The Candlelight Vigil will be livestreamed on the NLEOMF YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF . The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website .


title: Massachusetts Man Indicted for Acting as an Illegal Agent of the People's Republic of China

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Massachusetts man was arrested on May 9 for allegedly acting as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General. Litang Liang, 63, of Brighton, was indicted on one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General and one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General. According to the charging documents, from in or around 2018 through at least 2022, Liang acted within the United States as an agent of the PRC government by allegedly providing PRC government officials with information on Boston-area individuals and organizations; organizing a counter-protest against pro-democracy dissidents; providing photographs of and information about dissidents to PRC government officials; and providing the names of potential recruits to the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security. At no point did Liang notify the U.S. Attorney General that he was acting as a PRC government agent. Specifically, beginning in or around 2018, Liang allegedly provided information about Chinese individuals and organizations in the Boston area to PRC government officials – including PRC officials formerly in the United States, the Ministry of Public Security, and the United Front Work Department, an entity which reports directly to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and works to further the CCP’s goals. It is alleged that Liang provided PRC government officials with information regarding members and leaders of Boston-area, Chinese family associations and community organizations with pro-Taiwan leanings. Additionally, it is alleged that Liang sent information regarding anti-PRC dissidents to PRC officials including: identification of an individual he accused of having “sabotaged” PRC flags in Boston’s Chinatown in October 2018; video of a dissident attending the “Boston Stands with Hong Kong” march in August 2019; and photographs of anti-PRC dissidents in front of the Boston Public Library in September 2019. The charge of acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the U.S. Attorney General provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI Counterintelligence Division; and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner for the District of Massachusetts is prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorney Elizabeth Abraham of the Justice Department’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Jackson Felon Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison  for Using 3D-Printers to Manufacture Machineguns

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

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and engaging in business as a manufacturer of firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. According to court documents, Kent Edward Newhouse, 41, possessed firearms on or about July 13, 2022 and July 20, 2022, and engaged in the business of manufacturing firearms from April to July 2022. In April 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives discovered through a confidential informant that Newhouse was using 3D-printers to manufacture auto-sears, which are firearm components designed to cause semi-automatic firearms to function as fully automatic machineguns. Under federal law, auto-sears are themselves machineguns. On July 13, 2022, Newhouse sold a confidential informant a firearm and several auto-sears. On July 20, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Newhouse’s residence, where additional firearms and auto-sears were located. The government also obtained videos of Newhouse operating fully functional machineguns. Newhouse was previously convicted of felony sale of controlled substances in Madison County in 2009. Newhouse pled guilty on September 1, 2022 to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of engaging in business as a manufacturer of firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bert Carraway and Andrew W. Eichner prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg Recognizes Police Week

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL - In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Roger Handberg recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, national events are taking place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 10 through Monday, May 15, 2023. “Each day, law enforcement officers across America answer the call to uphold the law, preserve the peace, and protect all of us from harm,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “This sacred duty comes with great responsibility and oftentimes at great risk. This week, our District remembers the men and women who have paid the ultimate price while answering the call to public service and supports those who continue to serve the people of Florida and across our nation.” In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 118 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2022. During this period, four officers have died in the line of duty in the Middle District of Florida. Additionally, according to 2022 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program , 60 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2022 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 58 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts decreased 17.8% in 2022, when compared to the 73 officers who were killed as a result of criminal acts in 2021. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program. The names of 556 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Saturday, May 13, 2023, during a Candlelight Vigil (https://nleomf.org/event/35th-annual-candlelight-vigil/) in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF . The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website . ### Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.


title: Bronx Man Charged With Sex Trafficking Of A Minor And Distribution Of Fentanyl

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the arrest of VIRGIL WARDLOW for paying for sex with a minor with fentanyl-laced pills. WARDLOW was arrested yesterday evening in the Bronx, New York, and will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The defendant’s alleged conduct is reprehensible: He allegedly used pills laced with fentanyl to pay for sex with a 16-year-old minor victim. The victim’s 19-year-old friend ingested one of those pills and died shortly thereafter. Worse, the defendant’s conduct was allegedly part of a pattern of similar behavior in which he exchanged or attempted to exchange dangerous narcotics for sex. This Office will be relentless in its efforts to seek justice for victims of child sexual exploitation and for the families facing the horrific tragedy of losing a loved one to fentanyl poisoning.” According to the allegations contained in the Complaint: [1] WARDLOW engaged in a pattern of paying for sex with illicit pills laced with fentanyl. On or about March 25, 2023, at a hotel room in the Bronx, New York, WARDLOW provided two of those pills to a 16‑year-old female (“Victim-1”) in exchange for sex. After Victim-1 had sex with WARDLOW and WARDLOW left the hotel room, Victim-1 and her 19-year-old female friend (“Victim-2”) ingested the pills he provided. Thereafter, Victim-1 and Victim-2 became ill, and Victim-2 died. Between at least on or about February 8, 2023, and on or about April 7, 2023, WARDLOW exchanged multiple messages with other individuals in which WARDLOW offered to provide pills in exchange for sex and otherwise sell pills. WARDLOW sent these messages using an anonymized cellphone number that masked his identity from his intended victims. * * * WARDLOW, 31, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and one count of unlawful distribution of narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The mandatory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York State Police, the New York City Police Department, and Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit and Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey W. Coyle is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Three Waterloo Fentanyl Dealers Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Three Waterloo fentanyl dealers were sentenced to federal prison this week. Sheryl Wellner, age 44, received the prison term after an October 11, 2022 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Melvin Williams, age 55, received the prison term after a January 8, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Justin Jensen, age 41, received the prison term after a January 9, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Information at a prior hearing showed that, on August 7, 2021, and August 13, 2021, Wellner distributed heroin to another person in Waterloo, Iowa. Then, on August 18, 2021, law enforcement officers searched Wellner’s residence and recovered almost 10 grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture and a digital scale. Information disclosed at their respective sentencing hearings showed that, between March 2022, and May 26, 2022, Williams and Jensen worked together to distribute fentanyl. In late March 2022, Williams distributed an amount of fentanyl to another person, which caused the person to suffer an overdose and die. Then, in early April 2022, Williams distributed fentanyl to Jensen, who in turn distributed it to another person, which caused the person to suffer an overdose and crash their car on a highway in Waterloo. In May 2022, law enforcement officers conducted several controlled purchases from Williams and Jensen before arresting them on May 26, 2022. All three individuals were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Wellner was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a six‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Williams was sentenced to 79 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Jensen was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Wellner, Williams, and Jensen are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison. These case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and were investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file numbers are 22‑CR‑02028 and 22-CR-02034. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Defendant on Ten Most Wanted List Extradited from Canada  to the United States to Face Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - A dual citizen of Laos and Canada on Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Ten Most Wanted list was extradited this week by the government of Canada to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in Detroit, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Ison was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Field Division. According to court records, Khaophone Sychantha, age 41, was first indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2005. Further investigation by agents of HSI Detroit led to charges in a superseding indictment returned in October 2013, charging Sychantha and three additional defendants. Sychantha is charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, ecstasy, BZP, and marijuana between 2003 and 2011. He is also charged with three counts of possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and ecstasy. Following these American indictments, Sychantha was also charged and arrested in Canada on three separate Canadian criminal cases. In 2014, Sychantha fled while under house arrest in Canada. HSI Detroit subsequently added Sychantha to the Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Ten Most Wanted List and offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his capture. In 2017, Sychantha was arrested in the Montreal, Canada area following an assault on a police officer and a short pursuit. Since his 2017 arrest, Sychantha has remained in Canadian custody while he contested his extradition to the United States along with two Canadian co-defendants. Sychantha made his initial appearance in federal court in Detroit yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony P. Patti. “I commend the work of the agents from HSI and Canadian law enforcement for pursuing this long-time fugitive and significant drug trafficker,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of our international partners, Sychantha will now face justice in the United States.” “HSI will continue to work with our partners both in the United States and across the globe to hold criminals accountable,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “More than a decade has passed since this investigation began. I am proud of the HSI special agents, prosecutors, and law enforcement who did not let the passage of time prevent them from bringing the defendant to justice.” The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence that the defendant committed the crimes charged. The defendant is presumed innocent until the government meets its burden in court of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carl D. Gilmer-Hill. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Canada. sychantha_firstsupersedingindictmentfiledcopy_oct162013.pdf


title: Waldorf Man Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland - U.S. District Judge Paul Xinis today sentenced Jeffrey Darnell Alderson, age 34, of Waldorf, Maryland, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Judge Xinis also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Alderson must register as a sex offender in the places where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”). The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to Alderson’s guilty plea, a man was arrested in Philadelphia in January 2020, on charges relating to the advertisement and sale of child sexual abuse material. Alderson was identified as one of that individual’s customers through social media and financial records. At that time, Alderson was a Mission Support Specialist with the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C. Specifically, Alderson engaged in several conversations via messaging applications between September 2019 and January 2020 and ultimately purchased links to child sexual abuse material that documented the sexual abuse of minor boys, including prepubescent minors. On October 2, 2020, law enforcement executed federal search warrant for the contents of multiple online accounts controlled by Alderson. A review of the information revealed communications with other users whose usernames indicated an interest in child sexual abuse material and searches and visits to websites related to child sexual abuse material. On March 4, 2021, a search warrant for the contents of Alderson’s online storage account was executed and additional images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct were discovered. On May 13, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Alderson’s residence and seized his cell phone. A subsequent review of the contents of the phone included chats on various platforms about sexually explicit images and videos of children and/or obtaining additional child sexual abuse material. Links to additional images and videos documenting the sexual abuse of children were also found. The child pornography that Alderson possessed included prepubescent minors and material portraying the sexual abuse of exploitation of an infant or toddler. In total, Alderson possessed over 100 videos and hundreds of images containing child pornography. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy F. Hagan, Jr. and Joel Crespo, who prosecuted the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Illinois Hospital Agrees to Pay $12.5 Million to Settle Allegations of Billing Error

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – St. Elizabeth’s Hospital of the Hospital Sisters Health System (“St. Elizabeth”) in O’Fallon, Illinois, this week agreed to pay $12.5 million to resolve allegations that it committed billing errors that may have resulted in an overpayment for services. A lawsuit alleged that the hospital submitted claims for urgent care services billed at a higher level of service. When the errors were brought to the attention of St. Elizabeth, the hospital fully cooperated with the Department of Justice’s investigation. The settlement resolves a qui tam , or whistleblower, lawsuit. St. Elizabeth is not admitting any wrongdoing but has agreed to settle the claims to avoid the expense and uncertainty of litigation. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens, known as relators, can bring suit on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois; the Office of the Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management; the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of Health and Human Services; the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; and the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. “I would like to commend the excellent work of our investigators, their law enforcement partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s office for their tireless efforts on this complex case,” said U.S. Office of Personnel Management Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Conrad J. Quarles. “Safeguarding the integrity of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan is of the utmost importance to our Office and benefits millions of Federal employees, retirees, and dependents who rely on the program.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Klein and Department of Justice Trial Counsel Allie Pang represented the government during the settlement process. To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil .


title: Convicted Fayetteville Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to More Than 20 Years in Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – Jarrell Raeshon Bordeaux was sentenced to 248 months in prison for 13 drug trafficking and firearm charges. Bordeaux was convicted by a federal jury in January of this year. According to court records and evidence presented in court, Bordeaux sold ounces of fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant 10 times. During the drug deals, he bragged about how successful he was at selling drugs and the steps he took to keep from being caught. “Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This defendant recklessly stored fentanyl and stolen guns in the same room where his seven-year-old played. We are proudly partnering with local law enforcement to put narcotics traffickers like Bordeaux behind bars where they belong.” Following the controlled purchases, officers executed search warrants at two locations used by Bordeaux to distribute drugs. At his house, officers found his seven-year-old son playing video games in the same room as 200 grams (seven ounces) of fentanyl and heroin and two loaded handguns that were stolen. At another location, officers seized three more handguns along with tools and packaging Bordeaux used to distribute drugs. At sentencing, the Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II emphasized the danger and harm caused by fentanyl and armed drug trafficking across the United States, and specifically in communities like Fayetteville. Chief Judge Myers also noted that Bordeaux ignored these risks by storing fentanyl and loaded guns in his own child’s room. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Fayetteville Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Lemons and Nick Hartigan prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-cr-00428-M.


title: Salem Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of Machine Guns

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Salem man was sentenced today in federal court for the unlawful possession of machine guns, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Kyle Morris, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 18 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Morris was also ordered to pay a fine of $1000. On January 17, 2023, Morris pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of machine guns. He was ordered to forfeit to the government the two machine guns seized during the execution of the search warrant at his home. “The defendant expressed an interest in perpetrating horrific acts of violence against racial and religious minorities,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Those beliefs coupled with his illegal possession of machine guns pose a danger to our communities and today’s sentence sends a clear message that such conduct will result in not only a felony conviction but in incarceration.” "Today, Kyle Morris learned his fate for illegally possessing two machine guns, while advocating for a race war and the bombing of mosques and synagogues. Weapons, he collected in furtherance of his desire to commit racially motivated violence,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “I commend the diligent work conducted by our New Hampshire Joint Terrorism Task Force for removing this threat from our community." Morris kept the machine guns in a locked gun room in his home. This locked room also contained over 20 other firearms and various Nazi paraphernalia, including a Nazi uniform, two Nazi flags, and a framed photo of Adolf Hitler. In private correspondence, he advocated for bombing mosques, synagogues, and diversity centers, and for starting a race war. He expressed an interest in participating in lone wolf attacks in Massachusetts involving shootings in Lawrence, culminating in a plan to drive a truck bomb into the Massachusetts State House. Morris also wanted to “mag dump a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters, especially the darker ones.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation and New Hampshire State Police led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anna Z. Krasinski and Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case. ###


title: Rochester Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

body_text: CONCORD – A Rochester woman was sentenced today in federal court for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Jennelle Brown, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 60 months in prison. On January 18, 2023, Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Brown’s co-defendant, Bradford Sargent, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and will be sentenced on July 6, 2023. “Today’s sentence sends a message to the defendant and other drug traffickers that such illegal conduct will be prosecuted and will result in significant periods of incarceration,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The outstanding collaborative efforts of federal and local law enforcement stopped those drugs from entering the community.” Brown and Sargent sold drugs multiple times from their hotel room in Portsmouth. When law enforcement searched their room, they uncovered large quantities of money, drugs, and drug ledgers. Searches of two vehicles, storage units, and safety deposit boxes uncovered more currency and drugs. In total, law enforcement seized over $130,000, 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, almost 650 grams of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of cocaine. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Strafford County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander S. Chen and Jarad E. Hodes prosecuted the case. ###


title: Straw Purchaser Sentenced to 42 months for Lying to Buy Firearm

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who made an illegal straw purchase of a firearm for a convicted felon, was sentenced this week to 42 months in federal prison. Garland Thomas Lawton, 25, pleaded guilty in February 2023 to one count of making a false statement to a federal firearms licensee in connection with the acquisition of a firearm. According to court documents, on May 22, 2020, Lawton purchased a Taurus 9mm pistol from Doomsday Tactical, a federal firearms dealer located in the Western District of Virginia. As part of the purchase, Lawton claimed that he was the intended owner of the firearm, when, in fact, he was actually purchasing the firearm on behalf of Jermaine Drummond, a convicted felon, who paid Lawton $220 in cash to get the pistol. The firearm was later recovered in Maryland on September 10, 2022, in connection with criminal activity. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia and Michael Weddel, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced the sentence today. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin B. Johnson prosecuted the case for the United States. 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: Burnsville Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of Machineguns

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Burnsville man has been charged in a criminal complaint for illegal possession of machinegun conversion devices, or switches, and for possessing firearms as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, in March 2023, federal agents received information that Benjamin Jehle Zwack, 29, an employee at a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) business, was selling 3D-printed machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as “switches” or “auto sears.” These devices enable firearms to be fired as a fully automatic weapon by a single function of the trigger and qualify as machineguns under federal law. According to court documents, on March 7, 2023, an undercover agent went to the FFL business and purchased eleven 3D-printed machinegun conversion devices designed to convert a semiautomatic AR-Type weapon to shoot automatically from Zwack. During the purchase, the undercover agent observed a firearm in Zwack’s waistband. According to court documents, on March 30, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Zwack’s residence and vehicle. Officers recovered a Girsan-Regard, 9mm semi-automatic pistol from the center console of Zwack’s vehicle and a shotgun and ammunition from his residence. A search of Zwack’s storage locker revealed additional firearms, suspected homemade silencers, ammunition, and a suspected destructive device. Because Zwack has a prior felony conviction he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. The complaint charges Zwack with one count of possession of machineguns and one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. Zwack made his initial appearance yesterday before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. He was ordered to remain in detention pending further court proceedings. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dakota County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp is prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Cheyenne Man Convicted of Unlawful Possession of Firearm

body_text: Devon Jonathan Souza, a/k/a/ Devon Jonathan Swan, age 29, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was convicted on May 10, 2023, by a federal jury for being a felon and a drug user in unlawful possession of a firearm. The trial was held before U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on September 1, 2021, Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers attempted to pull defendant Swan over based on known warrants. Swan led troopers, police officers, and sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase through Cheyenne and then attempted to flee on foot. He was apprehended and taken into custody. Law enforcement returned to the vehicle and found a loaded Ruger pistol in a bag. While in custody, Souza tested positive for methamphetamine. Souza faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. Judge Johnson will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2023 at 10:30 in Cheyenne. This crime was investigated by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Cheyenne Police Department, Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys T.J. Forwood and Seth Griswold.


title: Construction Company Principal Sentenced To Three Months In Prison In Connection With Worker Death On Construction Site In Poughkeepsie

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that ONEKEY, LLC, a New Jersey construction company, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $218,417 fine and its principal, FINBAR O’NEILL, was sentenced to three months in prison today by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison, following their guilty plea to willfully violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) regulations, resulting in the death of a construction worker (“Victim-1”) in Poughkeepsie, New York, on or about August 3, 2017. According to statements and filings in federal court: In 2017, ONEKEY and O’NEILL implemented a soil compaction plan at a construction site at 1 Dutchess Avenue in Poughkeepsie. The soil compaction plan involved piling large quantities of dirt, called “surcharges,” on top of the sites of three future buildings. An engineering firm designed a plan for the use of the surcharges. ONEKEY and O’NEILL did not follow this plan. Instead, they built a wall to hold back one of the surcharges, so workers could get started on the buildings next to it. ONEKEY and O’NEILL did not consult with any qualified person to see if the wall could withstand the weight to be placed on it by the surcharge. While people were working next to the wall, ONEKEY kept using construction machinery to add dirt to the surcharge pressing up against the wall. The people working near the wall were not warned about the dangers it created. ONEKEY and O’NEILL heard from people working at the site that the wall was not safe. They did not fix the wall. On August 3, 2017, workers complained that construction machines were driving on top of the surcharge, adding dirt to it. Later that day, the wall collapsed. As it fell, Victim-1 ran away from the wall, but he could not get away in time and was killed. * * * In addition to the prison term, O’NEILL, 57, of Paramus, New Jersey, was sentenced to one year of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of OSHA and the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven J. Kochevar and Stephanie Simon are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded Gun in Rockford

body_text: ROCKFORD — A federal judge has sentenced a man to nearly five years in federal prison for illegally possessing a loaded firearm in Rockford. U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber on Tuesday sentenced CEDRIC MARKS, 35, to four years and nine months in prison. Marks pleaded guilty last year to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Marks admitted in a plea agreement that on Sept. 4, 2019, he possessed a loaded handgun in Rockford. Marks was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over for speeding. He was asked to exit the vehicle after the officer detected an odor of marijuana. Marks reached for a backpack in the vehicle, ignoring the officer’s request to stop, and then defeated the officer’s attempt to handcuff him. Marks then ran, dropping the backpack. He was ultimately arrested with a firearm that was loaded with five rounds of .38-caliber ammunition. The backpack contained ammunition, cash, drugs, and drug paraphernalia. Marks had previously been convicted of a felony and was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd. Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.


title: Fort Pierce Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Federal Prison for Carjacking at Gunpoint

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Xavier Daughtry, 25, of Fort Pierce, Florida, has been sentenced to 13 years in federal prison, including a sentencing enhancement for obstruction of justice during the trial, for carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Following his conviction by a South Florida federal jury in February. Just before midnight on May 9, 2022, the Fort Pierce Police Department received a 911 call from the victim advising that she had parked her vehicle at a gas station on U.S. Hwy 1 in Fort Pierce. After going inside the store, the victim returned to find Daughtry attempting to enter her vehicle. The victim confronted Daughtry, who then raised a loaded .45 caliber pistol and pointed it at the victim’s face and told her to “back the f--- up.” Daughtry then got inside the vehicle and left the area. As a result of the call, the police department issued a BOLO “be on (the) lookout” for the vehicle, a 2022 Nissan Altima, including the license plate number. Less than eight minutes later, law enforcement observed the Nissan Altima turning onto Saint Frances Drive in Fort Pierce and initiated a traffic stop. After apprehending Daughtry, police officers located a fully loaded Llama Minimax .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun on the driver’s seat of the vehicle. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Fort Pierce Field Office, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Pierce Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Porter and Justin Hoover prosecuted the case. This case stems from Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In 2017, PSN was reinvigorated as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14047. ###


title: Former Grantham Man Indicted for Embezzling More Than $230,000 From Charity

body_text: CONCORD – A former Grantham man and current resident of Holly Springs, North Carolina, was indicted in connection with stealing nearly a quarter million dollars from a charity and gambling away a large amount of the stolen funds at the MGM casino in Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Kyle Fisher, 42, was indicted on four counts of wire fraud. Fisher is scheduled to appear in federal court on a later date. According to the charging documents, Fisher was the Executive Director of a charity in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He had full access to the charity’s finances, including its QuickBooks accounting records, PayPal account, and bank account. Between February 2021 and September 2022, Fisher embezzled more than $230,000 from the charity. He wrote unauthorized checks to himself and transferred funds from the charity’s PayPal account to his own personal bank account. Fisher created fake invoices and receipts and altered the charity’s accounting records. He gambled a large amount of the stolen funds away at the MGM casino in Springfield, Massachusetts. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lebanon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Justice Department Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Property Manager and Owner of California Rental Property

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the property manager of an apartment building in Koreatown and the owner of the rental property alleging the sexual harassment of female residents in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Abraham Kesary, who resides at the apartment building on South Western Avenue, sexually harassed female residents at the rental property from at least 2012 until at least 2020, according to the lawsuit filed today in federal court. According to the complaint, Kesary offered housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual acts, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants, entered the homes of female tenants without their permission, and subjected female tenants to unwelcome sexual acts. Kesary managed the apartment building on behalf of M&F Development, LLC, the property’s owner, who is also named as a defendant in the suit. “Mr. Kesary allegedly abused his power as a property manager to sexually harass and victimize vulnerable tenants for years,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Sexual harassment is a violation of the Fair Housing Act, and the Justice Department will do everything in its power to seek justice for victims of discrimination and harassment.” “No one should be subjected to demands for sex, sexual comments or propositions in exchange for safe and affordable housing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “A home is a place of refuge; not a place to be subjected to degrading and unlawful harassment. The Justice Department is committed to vigorously enforcing the Fair Housing Act and holding landlords and housing providers accountable when they sexually harass their tenants.” The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate persons harmed by the alleged harassment, a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest, and a court order barring future discrimination. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of sexual harassment or other types of housing discrimination at rental dwellings owned or managed by Abraham Kesary or M&F Development, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-833-591-0291. Individuals may also email the Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov or submit a report online . Reports also may be made by contacting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online . Assistant United States Attorney Margaret Chen of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section and attorneys from the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are handling this matter.


title: Two Additional Defendants Charged in Juvenile Overdose Case

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Two more defendants have been charged in the drug conspiracy that claimed the lives of three teenagers, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Roberta Alexander Gaitan, 20, and Rafael Soliz, Jr., 22, were charged in a superseding indictment filed in March with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance; Mr. Gaitan was also charged with distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21 years of age. The charges were unsealed on Tuesday, immediately following the defendants’ arrests. They made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver on Friday and were both ordered detained pending trial. According to the indictment, Mr. Gaitan and Mr. Soliz allegedly conspired with Jason Xavier Villanueva , Donovan Jude Andrews , Stephan Paul Brinson , Magaly Mejia Cano, and Luis Eduardo Navarrete to traffic counterfeit opioid pills laced with fentanyl to young teens, often via juvenile dealers. To date, members of the conspiracy are tied to at least 12 juvenile overdoses – three of them fatal – in Carrollton and Flower Mound. The victims span the ages of 13 to 17. The deadly drugs were often advertised via social media. An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All conspirators are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years each in federal prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School District and the Lewisville Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case. Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill .


title: Nashua Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

body_text: CONCORD – A Nashua man was sentenced on May 11, 2023 in federal court for trafficking methamphetamine in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Philip Wetmore, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 8 years in federal prison and 4 years of supervised release. On February 3, 2023, pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. “The sentence imposed reflects the severity of the defendant’s criminal conduct, that being trafficking methamphetamine into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Drug traffickers like the defendant will be prosecuted and will serve lengthy periods of incarceration.” “In selling crystal meth on the streets of Nashua, while carrying a firearm when he was prohibited from doing so, Philip Wetmore has continued to demonstrate why he is a serious threat to the citizens of New Hampshire,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s sentence is another example of our Major Offender Task Force’s commitment to removing criminals that plague our communities with drugs, guns, and violence from our streets.” On two occasions in February 2022, Wetmore sold approximately 81 grams of crystal methamphetamine to an individual in Nashua. The FBI arrested Wetmore after the second drug sale. At the time of his arrest, Wetmore had a loaded firearm on him. The FBI subsequently seized approximately 671 grams of crystal methamphetamine, a second loaded firearm, and other items associated with drug trafficking from Wetmore’s car. Wetmore is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Major Offender Task Force led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Davis. 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 . ###


title: Forsyth man admits to two separate assaults with weapons on Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS — A Forsyth man accused of assaulting two men with a gun in one assault and assaulting a woman with a metal bar in a separate assault, admitted to charges on May 11, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Both assaults were committed in Lame Deer, on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Edward Leroy Widner III, 29, pleaded guilty to five counts in a superseding information charging him with two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Widner faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on each count. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Widner was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged that on May 22, 2022 at Lame Deer, Widner assaulted two victims, John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, with a firearm. Widner went to John Doe 1’s residence and first assaulted Doe 2 in the living room by hitting him in the head with a pistol. Widner dragged Doe 2 into a bedroom occupied by Doe 1 and told Doe 1 to get up or Doe 2 was going to die. Widner then hit Doe 1 repeatedly in the face. At some point, the gun discharged, and a round went through the bed, a wall and into the ground outside of the residence. Doe 1 suffered serious injuries. The government further alleged that in March 2020 at Lame Deer, Widner assaulted Jane Doe 1, who sought medical attention for serious injuries. At the time, Doe 1 declined to name her assailant citing increased danger if she were to speak to law enforcement. Doe 1 reported that Widner assaulted her with multiple objects, including a metal pipe. In a recent interview with the FBI, Doe 1 identified Widner as her assailant. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah A. Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Northern Cheyenne Investigative Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Shadow Creek Ranch manager pleads guilty to scamming HOA company

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - A 63-year-old Houston resident has pleaded guilty to wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Maria Denise Southall-Shaw was the former manager of Shadow Creek Ranch in Pearland. Today, she admitted to defrauding FirstService Residential, a company which managed Shadow Creek Ranch’s homeowner associations and had employed Southall-Shaw. As part of her plea, Southall-Shaw admitted she approved invoices from a vendor for goods and services which she knew had not been provided. In return, the vendor then provided kickbacks to her. From November 2013 through November 2017, the vendor would pay Southall-Shaw half of payments they received from the fraudulent invoices, which were allegedly for goods such as pool equipment and supplies but not actually provided to Shadow Creek Ranch. Southall-Shaw admitted she approved the invoices. In return, the vendor made his payments to Shawdashian Group, a company Southall-Shaw owned. U.S. District Judge Randy Crane accepted Southall-Shaw’s guilty plea and set sentencing for Sept. 19. At that time, Southall-Shaw faces up to 20 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Braddock is prosecuting the case.


title: Bogue Chitto Woman Pleads Guilty to Murder on Choctaw Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Bogue Chitto woman pleaded guilty on May 11, 2023, to the murder of a tribal member on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi. According to court documents, Bethany Thomas, 27, of the Bogue Chitto Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation, stabbed the victim with a knife which resulted in his death. In November of 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Thomas on the charge of murder in the second degree. Thomas pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10, 2023. Thomas faces a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney LaMarca commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation who investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.


title: Chinese Real Estate Developer’s L.A. Company Fined $4 Million for Providing Over $1 Million in Benefits to Corrupt City Councilman

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A downtown Los Angeles-based company was sentenced today to five years of probation and was fined $4 million – the maximum penalty under the law – for the actions of its billionaire Chinese real estate developer owner and others who provided more than $1 million in benefits – including luxury trips and a sham loan – to bribe then-Los Angeles City Councilman José Huizar to obtain city approval to build a 77-story skyscraper. Shen Zhen New World I LLC was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who noted that this criminal case exposed the “crushing costs of public corruption.” At the conclusion of an 11-day trial that ended in November 2022, a jury found Shen Zhen guilty of three counts of honest service wire fraud, four counts of interstate and foreign travel in aid of bribery, and one count of bribery. Shen Zhen’s owner – Wei Huang, 57, a resident of Shenzhen, China, who also maintains a residence in San Marino – is also charged in this case, but he has yet to make a court appearance in this matter. He is a fugitive believed to be in China. In 2010, Shen Zhen – on Huang’s behalf – purchased the L.A. Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The property was located in the 14th City Council District, whose representative at that time was Huizar. As part of his roles on the Los Angeles City Council, Huizar, 55, of Boyle Heights, was the chairman of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, commonly referred to as the PLUM Committee, which oversaw major commercial and residential development projects in the city. In June 2018, Shen Zhen filed an application with the Los Angeles City Planning Department to redevelop the L.A. Grand Hotel into a skyscraper featuring a mix of residential and commercial uses. From February 2013 to November 2018, Shen Zhen, acting through Huang, provided Huizar with cash, casino gambling chips, flights on private jets and commercial airlines, stays at luxury Las Vegas hotels and casinos, expensive meals, spa services, prostitution services, political contributions, and a $600,000 collateral for Huizar to confidentially settle a pending sexual harassment lawsuit against Huizar by a former staffer that threatened his career. At the time Shen Zhen provided these items, it did so intending to influence Huizar to take official acts to benefit the L.A. Grand Hotel redevelopment project, a project that would have transformed Shen Zhen’s hotel into a 77-floor mixed use skyscraper that would have been the tallest such structure west of the Mississippi River. Specifically, Shen Zhen intended that Huizar benefit the project by presenting motions and resolutions in various city committees; voting on the project in the PLUM Committee and City Council; acting in the PLUM Committee to expedite the approval process of the project; exerting pressure on other city officials to influence the approval process of the project; and introducing and voting on city resolutions to enhance the professional reputation and marketability of Wei Huang. Other defendants charged in this indictment are: Huizar, who pleaded guilty on January 20 to one count of racketeering conspiracy and one count of tax evasion. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 25. As part of his plea agreement, Huizar has agreed to seek a sentence of no less than nine years in prison. Dae Yong Lee , a.k.a. “David Lee,” 57, of Bel Air, a real estate developer who along with one of his companies, 940 Hill LLC, was found guilty in June 2022 of providing $500,000 in cash to Huizar in exchange for his help in resolving a labor organization’s appeal of their downtown Los Angeles development project. Both defendants are scheduled for sentencing on July 21. Raymond She Wah Chan , 67, of Monterey Park, a former Los Angeles deputy mayor, has pleaded not guilty to charges of RICO conspiracy, bribery, honest services fraud and lying to federal agents. His retrial is expected in March 2024. Other defendants in related cases stemming from the Huizar corruption matter are: George Chiang , 44, of Granada Hills, a real estate development consultant who pleaded guilty in June 2020 to one count of racketeering conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on October 20. Justin Jangwoo Kim , 56, of Mar Vista, a political fundraiser who pleaded guilty in June 2020 to one count of bribery and is scheduled for sentencing on October 23. George Esparza , 36, José Huizar’s former special assistant, who is scheduled for sentencing on October 27. Esparza pleaded guilty in July 2020 to one count of racketeering conspiracy. Morris Roland Goldman , 60, of Porter Ranch, a lobbyist who pleaded guilty in September 2020 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services fraud and is scheduled for sentencing on November 3. Salvador Huizar , 56, of Boyle Heights, José Huizar’s brother, who testified as a witness for the prosecution in the Shen Zhen trial, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to a felony charge of making false statements to federal investigators. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 3. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Criminal Division, Assistant United States Attorneys Susan S. Har and J. Jamari Buxton, of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Castañeda of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, prosecuted this defendant.


title: Multi-Convicted Felon Sentenced To 15 Years For Possessing A Firearm And Controlled Substances

body_text: Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Curtis Tyrone Johnson (35, Melbourne) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute various controlled substances. The court also ordered Johnson to forfeit a Glock .40 caliber pistol and ammunition traceable to the offense. A federal jury had found Johnson guilty on February 8, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, on March 25, 2022, the Melbourne Police Department and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, along with members of the DEA and FBI, were executing search warrants at two residences on Williams Street in Melbourne. While law enforcement moved in to set a perimeter, Johnson came jogging down the side of a residence holding a black bag. Upon making eye contact with law enforcement, Johnson took off running through backyards on Ryoland Street. Agents who followed Johnson observed him holding the black bag and a firearm. Johnson was given commands to put his hands in the air but instead threw the bag and firearm over a fence into a church parking lot. Both items were recovered. The firearm was determined to be a Glock .40 caliber pistol, loaded with 16 rounds of Winchester ammunition. The bag contained approximately 181 grams of methamphetamine, 35 grams of crack cocaine, 15 grams of fluorofentanyl, and 194 grams of N, N-Dimethylpentylone, a drug similar to MDMA. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Melbourne Police Department, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Beatriz Gonzalez and Sarah Megan Testerman. 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: Two St. Petersburg Men Plead Guilty To Possession Of Controlled Substances With Intent To Distribute

body_text: Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Armani Dilworth (28, St. Petersburg) and Lemar Cowart (27, St. Petersburg) have pleaded guilty to possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them. Each faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Dilworth has also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense and faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison for the firearm offense, to run consecutive to the other sentence imposed. Sentencing dates have not yet been set. According to court documents, on May 4, 2020, an eyewitness observed a vehicle, occupied by Dilworth and Cowart, pull into oncoming traffic and shoot into the front of another vehicle. This action caused the other vehicle to retaliate, and a high-speed chase ensued. The car which Dilworth and Cowart occupied ultimately crashed into a gate at Azalea Middle School, and Cowart and Dilworth ran from the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, officers found cocaine, two substances containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, alprazolam, oxycodone, amphetamine, buprenorphine, and cannabis. They also found evidence of narcotics distribution inside the vehicle including plastic baggies, two scales, scissors, and a firearm. Both Dilworth and Cowart’s DNA were found on the firearm recovered from the vehicle. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James Muench. 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: Convicted Felon Sentenced To Five Years For Possessing A Firearm And Ammunition

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Raequan M. Nelson (24, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Nelson to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Nelson had pleaded guilty on September 26, 2022. According to court documents, on February 13, 2022, Nelson had two warrants for his arrest in Hillsborough County. Officers from the Tampa Police Department located Nelson in Tampa. When Nelson entered his car, the officers executed a “box-in” to stop Nelson from leaving the scene. Nelson responded by trying to flee. Once detained, law enforcement removed a loaded Glock 9mm pistol from Nelson’s right front pocket. At the time, Nelson had multiple prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky. 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: Convicted Felon Indicted For Possessing A Firearm And Ammunition

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Milton Anthony Bradshaw (43, Tampa) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Bradshaw faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Bradshaw that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition traceable to the offense. According to the indictment, on September 20, 2022, Bradshaw was in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At the time of the incident, Bradshaw had four previous felony convictions for delivery of cocaine. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth. The forfeiture will be handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky. 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: Tampa Man Convicted In A Conspiracy To Distribute Nearly Four Kilograms Of Methamphetamine And Over 8,000 Pressed Fentanyl Pills

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Victor Yoel Perez Cremades (52, Tampa) guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Cremades faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 8, 2023. Cremades had been indicted on June 22, 2022. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on September 8, 2021, the FBI served a search warrant at Cremades’s residence located at 4813 N. MacDill Avenue in Tampa. Inside Cremades’s bedroom, agents located a bag containing more than 800 grams of pills pressed to look like oxycodone tablets and over 3,000 grams of methamphetamine. The bag was in the same closet as Cremades’s passport, ID card, and Social Security card. On the same day, agents intercepted a suspicious package from the mail that was addressed to a fictitious person at 4813 N. MacDill Avenue. The package contained more than 1,300 grams of methamphetamine and over 1,200 fentanyl pills pressed to look like oxycodone tablets. During the search, agents located financial receipts showing Cremades had sent money to the same city from which the suspicious package was mailed. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.


title: Sarasota Woman Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Defraud The United States

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Madeline Nikolson has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to impede and impair the ability of the Internal Revenue (“IRS”) to ascertain and collect personal and corporate income tax revenue. Nikolson faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement and information presented at the plea hearing, Nikolson owned and managed a restaurant in Sarasota. Beginning at least as early as August 2013, she and her partner and co-owner of the restaurant instituted a scheme to defraud the IRS by removing the records of daily cash sales from the point-of-sale registers at the restaurant, leaving the record to consist only of credit card sales. The owners used this falsified record of sales income to submit to tax preparers who prepared both their personal income tax returns and their corporate tax returns for tax years 2016, 2017, and 2018. As a result, they falsified and removed any reference to approximately $726,105 in sales income from their corporate and personal tax returns for those tax years, resulting in over $100,000 of taxes due and owing on those sums of unreported income. This case was investigated by the IRS - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.


title: Jackson Woman Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

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

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson woman pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives. According to court documents, Betty Butler, 56, possessed a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony. On December 8, 2021, federal and state law enforcement executed a search warrant at her home and found a firearm in her bedroom. Butler has several prior felony convictions for narcotics violations. Butler is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department. Criminal Chief Erin Chalk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen are prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, “Bell Ringer”, which began as an operation targeting illegal methamphetamine and cocaine distribution in central, Mississippi. 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: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Gun Control Act

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SHAMAR HOLMES , age 23, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on May 11, 2023 before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to a one-count indictment alleging that he illegally possessed a firearm having previously been convicted of a felony, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court records, in September 2022, HOLMES was traveling on Interstate 10 near the Claiborne Avenue exit when another car opened fire on his car. HOLMES was shot several times and taken to the hospital. When New Orleans Police Officers arrived to investigate, they seized the car as part of the shooting investigation. During a search of the vehicle, the police located a Glock, Gen. 22, 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Earlier, in January 2022, HOLMES had pleaded guilty to aggravated battery, a felony, in Orleans Parish and was thus prohibited from possessing guns at the time of this event. HOLMES is set to be sentenced on August 17, 2023. He faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.