component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Note : View the affidavit here . The Justice Department today announced the ongoing seizure of 32 internet domains used in Russian government-directed foreign malign influence campaigns colloquially referred to as “Doppelganger,” in violation of U.S. money laundering and criminal trademark laws. As alleged in an unsealed affidavit, the Russian companies Social Design Agency (SDA), Structura National Technology (Structura), and ANO Dialog, operating under the direction and control of the Russian Presidential Administration, and in particular First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, used these domains, among others, to covertly spread Russian government propaganda with the aim of reducing international support for Ukraine, bolstering pro-Russian policies and interests, and influencing voters in U.S. and foreign elections, including the U.S. 2024 Presidential Election. In conjunction with the domain seizures, the U.S. Treasury Department announced the designation of 10 individuals and two entities as part of a coordinated response to Russia’s malign influence efforts targeting the 2024 U.S. presidential election. This announcement follows the designation of actors involved in Doppelganger announced by the Treasury Department in March. “The Justice Department is seizing 32 internet domains that the Russian government and Russian government-sponsored actors have used to engage in a covert campaign to interfere in and influence the outcome of our country’s elections,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged in our court filings, President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, including Sergei Kiriyenko, directed Russian public relations companies to promote disinformation and state-sponsored narratives as part of a campaign to influence the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. An internal planning document created by the Kremlin states that a goal of the campaign is to secure Russia’s preferred outcome in the election. The sites we are seizing today were filled with Russian government propaganda that had been created by the Kremlin to reduce international support for Ukraine, bolster pro-Russian policies and interests, and influence voters in the United States and other countries. Our actions today make clear that the Justice Department will be aggressive in countering and disrupting attempts by the Russian government, or any other malign actor, to interfere in our elections and undermine our democracy.” “The Department’s seizure of 32 internet domains secretly deployed to spread foreign malign influence demonstrates once again that Russia remains a predominant foreign threat to our elections,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “At Putin’s direction, Russian companies SDA, Structura, and ANO Dialog used cybersquatting, fabricated influencers, and fake profiles to covertly promote AI-generated false narratives on social media. Those narratives targeted specific American demographics and regions in a calculated effort to subvert our election. Our republic depends on elections that are free from foreign interference, and we will not rest in our efforts to expose foreign malign influence operations and protect our democracy, without fear or favor.” “Today’s announcement exposes the scope of the Russian government’s influence operations and their reliance on cutting-edge AI to sow disinformation,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Companies operating at the direction of the Russian government created websites to trick Americans into unwittingly consuming Russian propaganda. By seizing these websites, the FBI is making clear to the world what they are, Russian attempts to interfere in our elections and influence our society. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to expose and shutdown these covert influence campaigns.” “This seizure illustrates vividly what the U.S. government and private sector partners have warned for months: the Russian government and its proxies are aggressively accelerating the Kremlin’s covert efforts to seed false stories and amplify disinformation directed at the American public,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s announcement reveals Russia is willing to impersonate our free and open press in its egregious schemes. This is our third disruption of Russian foreign malign influence operations in two months, and the Justice Department remains relentless in protecting Americans from such unacceptable conduct. To Russia, and any other government seeking to stoke discord in our society: know that we will spare no effort and use every available tool to disrupt and expose this malign activity and defend our democratic institutions.” “Protecting our democratic processes from foreign malign influence is paramount to ensure enduring public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “As America’s adversaries continue to spew propaganda and disinformation towards the American electorate, we’ll use every tool at our disposal to expose and dismantle their insidious foreign influence campaigns.” The propaganda did not identify, and in fact purposefully obfuscated, the Russian government or its agents as the source of the content. The perpetrators extensively utilized “cybersquatted” domains, a method of registering a domain intended to mimic another person or company’s website ( e.g. , registering washingtonpost.pm to mimic washingtonpost.com ), to publish Russian government messaging falsely presented as content from legitimate news media organizations. In other instances, the perpetrators sought to create their own unique media brands to promote Doppelganger content ( e.g. , Recent Reliable News). Among the methods Doppelganger used to drive viewership to the cybersquatted and unique media domains was the deployment of “influencers” worldwide, paid social media advertisements (in some cases created using artificial intelligence tools), and the creation of social media profiles posing as U.S. (or other non-Russian) citizens to post comments on social media platforms with links to the cybersquatted domains, all of which attempted to trick viewers into believing they were being directed to a legitimate news media outlet’s website. Overview The affidavit describes the perpetrators’ own internal strategy meeting notes, project proposals, and other records obtained during the course of the investigation. Several notable propaganda project proposals directed against the United States included: Good Old USA Project: Attachments 8A, 8B The Guerilla Media Campaign: Attachments 9A, 9B U.S. Social Media Influencers Network Project: Attachments 10A, 10B Doppelganger’s foreign malign influence efforts were not directed solely against audiences in the United States. Other targets of the perpetrators’ propaganda included Germany, Mexico, and Israel, among others. Doppelganger’s influence campaigns sought to influence the citizenry of those countries to support Russian government objectives, including by undermining the United States’ relationship with those countries. Doppelganger’s use of the U.S.-based domain names at the direction and control of, and for the benefit of, sanctioned persons, including Sergei Vladilenovich Kiriyenko, SDA, and Structura, violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). As a result, the accompanying payments for Doppelganger’s online infrastructure violate federal money laundering laws. In addition, Doppelganger’s publication of content on cybersquatted domains with names and content that mimic legitimate media outlets violates federal criminal trademark laws because those domains feature trademarks registered on the Principal Register maintained by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.


title: Georgia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Impersonating a U.S. Marshal and Stealing $84,000

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Charmmorro Vijay Strothers, 31, of Auburn, Georgia, was sentenced for Wire Fraud. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed a sentence of 30 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, as well as restitution of $85,945. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on August 13, 2023, Strothers rented a car at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and drove to Yakima, Washington. Two days later, on August 15, Strothers’ co-schemer called the victim, told her she was speaking with law enforcement, and that she had an active warrant for her arrest. The co-schemer then told the victim that to avoid arrest, she needed to drive to Egley’s Bail Bonds in Yakima and pay a bond of $14,000. The co-schemer remained on the phone with the victim while she withdrew the money. The co-schemer then instructed the victim to report to the Yakima County Jail Parking lot, which is across the street from Egley’s Bail Bonds. When the victim arrived, Strothers approached the victim, collected the cash, and gave the victim a handwritten receipt indicating it was from Egley’s Bail Bonds and listing a fraudulent case number. A short time later, another co-schemer called the victim and told her a felony warrant was issued for her arrest. The victim was again told she needed to drive to the parking lot at the Yakima County Jail and this time pay a bond of $25,000 or she would be arrested. The victim complied, and Strothers collected the additional $25,000 payment. The victim asked for identification information and Strothers falsely told the victim he could not provide it because he was a United States Marshal. On August 16, 2023, a second victim received a call informing her a federal arrest warrant was issued because she failed to appear as an expert witness. The second victim received several follow up calls. The caller ID on the victim’s phone showed the number to be from the Puyallup Police Department. The victim was concerned this was a scam, but because of the information provided on the call and concern for their reputation, the victim withdrew $44,000 from her bank account. The victim met Strothers at CJ Johnson Bail Bonds in Tacoma, Washington, and handed over the money. Strothers provided the victim with a receipt and left the scene. On August 18, 2023, law enforcement located and arrested Strothers inside the Sea-Tac airport. During a search, investigators located a receipt booklet containing a copy of the receipt issued to one of the victims and $59,000 in cash. “Mr. Strothers used the threat of arrest as part of a fraudulent scheme to deceive law-abiding people and con them out of significant amounts money. However, once the fraud was discovered, dedicated investigators worked quickly and effectively to identify Mr. Strothers, and were waiting to take him into custody when he arrived for his flight to attempt his getaway,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect Eastern Washington from fraudsters and make our communities safe and strong.” This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, Yakima Police Department, and Puyallup Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney R. Pratten and Benjamin D. Seal prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.


title: Cary Man Sentenced to More than 8 Years in Prison for Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Cary man was sentenced today to 97 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for receipt of child pornography. Derrick Alexander Swick, age 29, pled guilty on August 8, 2023, after law enforcement was alerted in April 2021 by Dropbox that one of their users was uploading child pornography to its platform. Swick was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Swick was investigated by the Cary Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security (HSI). The investigation was initiated after Dropbox notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a user, later identified as Swick, uploading child pornography to its platform. Subsequent search warrants led law enforcement to uncover child pornography in both Swick’s Dropbox and Google accounts. Based on the search warrant results, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Swick’s residence in Cary. Swick was present when the search warrant was executed and initially denied having ever accessed child pornography. When confronted with the search warrant results of his Dropbox and Google account, Swick acknowledged there would be child pornography on his digital devices. Two digital devices were seized and forensically analyzed and found to contain child pornography. In total, Swick possessed over 939 images and 76 videos that depicted child pornography. He additionally had approximately 4200 images that depicted child erotica or were difficult to ascertain the age of the individual. Swick’s collection of photos and videos included very young children, infants, and toddlers, as well as images depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan presided over the sentencing. The Cary Police Department and HSI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson 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. 5:22-CR-103-FL. ###


title: New Jersey Man Charged with Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on August 29, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a four count indictment charging Andy Soto, 32, of Jersey City, New Jersey, with conspiring to distribute controlled substances; possessing with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine; possessing with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl; and possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. Soto entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on September 3, 2024, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle previously had ordered that Soto be detained during the pendency of this matter. According to court records, Soto was arrested by state authorities in North Troy, Vermont on July 24, 2024, in connection with the execution of a state search warrant at a residence where he had recently been staying. Law enforcement located over 600 grams of suspected cocaine powder, over 300 grams of suspected cocaine base, over 700 grams of suspected fentanyl, over 80 grams of suspected xylazine, approximately $46,000 in currency, and five loaded firearms from the bedroom identified as Soto’s. The majority of the suspected narcotics, the currency, and a loaded .40-caliber firearm were located in a safe bolted to the floor of that room. Soto had been the subject of a long-standing drug investigation, during which authorities conducted multiple controlled purchases involving Soto between July and December 2023. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Soto is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Soto faces at least ten years’ and up to life imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Northeast Vermont Drug Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. This case is part of ongoing collaborative efforts between those agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to address drug and gun trafficking in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher. Soto is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Charlotte Man Is Sentenced To Prison For Possession Of A Machinegun

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Durell Smith, 22, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for possession of a machinegun, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on February 10, 2023, CMPD officers observed Smith park a vehicle that displayed a fictitious tag in front of a residence in Charlotte. An officer approached the vehicle and saw a Glock, model 17, 9mm caliber handgun with distinctive white skulls painted on it with a machinegun conversion device, also known as a Glock switch, installed. The firearm with the skulls had been stolen and had a 30-round magazine inserted into the weapon. A further search of the car revealed a second machinegun, a Glock model 33 .357 caliber handgun with a Glock switch installed. Court records show that Smith had previously posted photos online posing with the firearm with the painted skulls. According to court documents, several months after CMPD seized the two machineguns, Smith was arrested at the same residence. CMPD executed a search warrant on the property and recovered several stolen firearms from the residence. On April 24, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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: $2.95M Penalty and Permanent Injunction Resolves Lawsuit Against Verkada Inc. for Alleged Unlawful Commercial Emails, Data Security Failures and Deceptive Practices

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that Verkada Inc. (Verkada), a cloud-based security company headquartered in San Mateo, California, has agreed to a settlement requiring it to pay a $2.95 million civil penalty and implement extensive data security measures. This settlement resolves allegations that Verkada violated the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing (CAN-SPAM) Act and engaged in unfair and deceptive practices in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the United States alleges that Verkada failed to implement reasonable security measures such as appropriate access management and data protection controls and adequate encryption of customer data. These failures allegedly exposed sensitive information — including security-camera footage of consumers visiting locations like hospitals and schools — to unauthorized access. The complaint additionally alleges that Verkada misrepresented the extent to which it used appropriate data security safeguards and complied with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The complaint also alleges that Verkada sent numerous promotional emails that failed to clearly and conspicuously notify recipients of their opportunity to opt out of such messages and failed to include a valid physical postal address, and that Verkada did not honor requests to opt out from its promotional emails within ten business days of receiving those requests, all in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act. To resolve the lawsuit, the parties agreed to a settlement reflected by the stipulated order issued today by the Court. The stipulated order requires Verkada to pay a $2.95 million civil penalty and to comply with the CAN-SPAM Act, including by honoring requests to opt out of its commercial emails. The stipulated order also prohibits Verkada from misrepresenting its data security practices and requires it to establish a comprehensive information security program and undergo regular third-party assessments of its data security practices. “This settlement underscores the importance of robust data security measures, especially for companies that are themselves in the security industry. Failure to protect sensitive information puts consumers at risk,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to work with the FTC to hold companies accountable for such violations.” “When customers invite companies into private spaces to monitor consumers by using their security cameras and other products, they expect those companies to provide basic levels of security, which Verkada failed to do,” said Director Samuel Levin of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Companies that fail to secure and protect consumer data can expect to be held responsible.” Trial Attorneys Cameron A. Brown and Amanda K. Kelly, Senior Trial Attorney James T. Nelson and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vivian Wang for the Northern District of California are handling the case, in coordination with staff from the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov .


title: Methamphetamine Trafficker Is Sentenced To 19+ Years In Prison

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bobby Lee Fish, Jr., 44, of Catawba, N.C., was sentenced today to 235 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department (HPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, in 2022, HPD was investigating Fish’s drug trafficking activities in Catawba County. During the investigation, HPD utilized a confidential informant (CI) to conduct a series of controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Fish. Court records show that one of the drug transactions occurred on April 6, 2022, where Fish sold the CI approximately 52.8 grams of actual methamphetamine. A few days later, on April 21, 2022, Fish sold the CI approximately 105.9 grams of actual methamphetamine. On May 2, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Fish’s vehicle. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, HPD officers seized four packages from the car. Laboratory testing revealed the packages contained 919.3 grams, 916.9 grams, 918.8 grams, and 919.1 grams of actual methamphetamine, respectively. On April 3, 2024, Fish pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine. Fish has an extensive criminal history for crimes committed in North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. Fish is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and HPD for their investigation of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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: Louisville Man Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Carjacking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for carjacking and brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Division, and Interim Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Corey M. Buford, 23, was sentenced to 10 years and 5 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for illegally carjacking a 2014 BMW on April 14, 2022. Buford’s sentence included his conviction for brandishing a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, a crime that carries a mandatory sentence of 84 months consecutive to the sentence imposed for the carjacking. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Ford and Emily Lantz 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: Pharmaceutical Company Pays $25 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Price-Fixing of Generic Drug

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA, a generic pharmaceutical manufacturer located in Mahwah, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $25 million, based on its ability to pay, to resolve its alleged liability under the False Claims Act for conspiring to fix the price of a generic drug. The government alleged that, between 2013 and 2015, Glenmark paid and received compensation prohibited by the Anti-Kickback Statute through arrangements on price, supply and allocation of customers with other pharmaceutical manufacturers for a generic drug manufactured by Glenmark, pravastatin, which is widely used to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. “At a time when excessive drug costs are already imposing unprecedented burdens on our country’s vulnerable citizens, an illegal conspiracy to fix the prices of generic drugs is alarming,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “My office is proud to work with the rest of the department and our investigative partners to hold companies accountable when they illegally inflate prices on drugs used for the health and well-being of our citizens.” “Conspiring to raise prices on generic medications is illegal and could prevent patients from being able to afford their needed prescription drugs. Americans have the right to purchase generic drugs set by fair and open competition, not collusion,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Philadelphia Regional Office. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of health care fraud that put the public and the Medicare program at risk.” “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, seeks to protect the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for U.S. military members and their dependents,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “When pharmaceutical corporations artificially inflate prices, they place an unnecessary financial burden on the TRICARE program. The settlement agreement announced today demonstrates our commitment to partner with investigative agencies, the Justice Department’s Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to combat healthcare fraud.” The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits companies from receiving or making payments in return for arranging the sale or purchase of items such as drugs for which payment may be made by a federal health care program. These provisions are designed to ensure that the supply and price of health care items are not compromised by improper financial incentives. This settlement reflects the important role of the False Claims Act to ensure that the United States is fully compensated when it is the victim of kickbacks paid to further anticompetitive conduct. Glenmark previously entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division to resolve related criminal charges. Glenmark paid a criminal penalty of $30 million based on its ability to pay and admitted to conspiring with two other generic drug companies to fix prices on pravastatin. The civil settlement payment announced today is in addition to the criminal penalty paid by the company. The civil settlement is the sixth resolution arising from the Justice Department’s investigation of price fixing by generic drug manufacturers and was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with support from HHS-OIG, the Defense Health Agency Program Integrity Office and DCIS. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Landon Y. Jones III, Rebecca S. Melley, and Anthony D. Scicchitano of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer L. Cihon and Senior Litigation Counsel Laurie A. Oberembt of the Civil Division. Except for those facts admitted to by Glenmark in the deferred prosecution agreement, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Former Chief Operating Officer of Covid-19 Testing Kit Company Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling $1.85 Million

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — The former Chief Operating Officer of a suburban Chicago company that sold Covid-19 testing kits has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for embezzling more than $1.85 million in company funds. While on pre-trial and pre-sentencing release for an earlier fraud scheme, DENNIS W. HAGGERTY, JR. issued fraudulent payments from the Willowbrook, Ill.-based company’s bank account for services and goods purportedly provided by himself or the company’s main vendor, a manufacturer from whom the company purchased Covid-19 testing kits. In reality, the services and goods had not been provided. The money purportedly sent to the testing-kit supplier was wired to a bank account that Haggerty controlled, and he spent the funds for his personal benefit. In addition to the wire transfers, Haggerty issued checks drawn from the company’s bank account to himself, knowing that he would spend the money for his personal benefit. Haggerty concealed his fraud by making false and misleading statements on the checks and to the company’s president. In all, Haggerty in 2021 and 2022 embezzled and fraudulently misappropriated more than $1.85 million from the company. Haggerty, 48, of Burr Ridge, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a wire fraud charge and admitted that he committed the offense while on pre-trial and pre-sentencing release. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey on Thursday sentenced Haggerty to six years and five months in federal prison. Haggerty must serve the sentence after completing his federal sentence for the earlier fraud scheme. In the prior case, Haggerty pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges for swindling hospitals that had paid him millions of dollars for scarce personal protective equipment in the early weeks of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. He was sentenced in December 2022 to nearly five years in federal prison. The recent sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Heidi Manschreck.


title: Milford Man Who Used Telegram App to Traffic Drugs Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILSON GUZMAN, JR., 40, of Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford 36 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for distributing various drugs on Telegram, an encrypted phone messaging application. According to court documents and statements made in court, a DEA New Haven Task Force investigation revealed that Guzman advertised various controlled substances, including fake oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and fake Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, and other drugs, on Telegram. He then distributed the drugs to customers in person and through the U.S. mail. Guzman used locations in West Haven, North Haven, and East Haven to store and prepare narcotics for distribution. Between May and August 2023, investigators made controlled purchases of drugs from Guzman, including more than 1,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine, and psilocybin mushrooms. Guzman was arrested on September 6, 2023. On that date investigators searched his Milford residence and the West Haven and North Haven locations and seized various controlled substances, including counterfeit Adderall pills, psilocybin mushrooms, and approximately 20 kilograms of marijuana, as well as an AR-15 style rifle and a Glock style Polymer 80 handgun that had no serial numbers (“ghost guns”). Guzman has been detained since September 21, 2023, after he continued to use Telegram for drug trafficking activity and his bond was revoked. He pleaded guilty on May 20, 2024. This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Haven Task Force, and the East Haven Police Department, West Haven Police Department, New Haven Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.


title: Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Terrence Jay Mason, 31, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 6, 2023, Mason sold approximately 26 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Charleston. Mason is scheduled to be sentenced on December 19, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5 million fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department-Street Crimes Unit. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Francesca C. Rollo and Samuel D. Marsh are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-34. ###


title: Orlando Man Indicted For Enticing A Minor, Producing, Receiving, And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Kevin Michael Lukens (38, Orlando) with one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, one count of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one count of receipt of CSAM, and one count of possession of CSAM. If convicted, Lukens faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for the enticement offense; a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production offense; a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for the receipt offense; and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the possession offense. According to the indictment, the conduct underlying the enticement, production, and receipt offenses took place between July 2020, and September 2021. Lukens was then found in possession of CSAM on January 29, 2024. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sartoian. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Jamaican Man Sentenced To 63 Months For His Role In Conspiracy To Defraud Elderly Woman

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On September 4, 2024, Morice Armani Brown, 24 years old, a Jamaican national, currently of Florida, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 63 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for a period of one year. The defendant was also ordered to repay nearly $700,000 in restitution to the victim in this case. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Brown pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 and 1341. Brown’s co-conspirators, Marklyn Antonio Forrester, Jamali Jermaine Ramsay, and Jahmarley Kiboki McFarlane, were sentenced to 63 months, 36 months, and 57 months in prison, respectively. A fifth individual, Tessa Nicole Hines, is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2024, for her role in laundering money related to this scheme. According to court documents, Brown conspired to defraud a 76-year-old Lenoir City resident out of nearly $700,000 by tricking her into believing she had won millions of dollars in a sweepstakes’ competition through the mail. Brown and the co-conspirators convinced the victim to pay various fees and taxes to claim the winnings and traveled to Lenoir City to collect funds from the victim. The conspirators then split the proceeds between themselves and others. United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. The charges were the result of an investigation by the Lenoir City Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne-Marie Svolto and Michael Deel of the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Hoover Brothers Plead Guilty to Selling Stolen Goods Online

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two Hoover brothers have pleaded guilty to running an online fencing scheme that resulted in the sale of over $1 million worth of stolen goods, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis. Appearing before U.S. District Judge Madeline Haikala, Abdurrahman Amar , 32, and Yahya Amar , 33, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the interstate transportation of stolen goods. According to the defendants’ plea agreements, from January 2022 through December 2023, Abdurrahman Amar organized and led a network of “boosters”—professional thieves. The boosters regularly offered the Amars various new and unopened goods for purchase, especially personal electronic devices and tools. The Amars knew that the boosters obtained these goods by stealing them from various retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. After purchasing the goods from the boosters at a steep discount from their retail value, the Amars listed the goods for re-sale on various online platforms—primarily eBay and Facebook—at prices that included a markup from the boosters’ prices but that were still well below the stolen goods’ retail value. Over the course of the conspiracy, the Amars completed approximately 7,283 separate sales of stolen goods on eBay, resulting in total revenue of approximately $1,014,191.44. After selling the stolen goods online, the Amars shipped the stolen goods to customers located throughout the United States and internationally. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation of stolen goods is five years in prison. The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.


title: Lee County Felon Sentenced To Prison For Unlawfully Possessing A Loaded Firearm

body_text: Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Caleb Frank Hamm (21, Lee County) to 30 months in federal prison for unlawfully possessing a loaded firearm. Hamm entered a guilty plea on May 24, 2024. According to court documents, on September 15, 2023, a deputy from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Hamm was driving and observed indicators of alcohol impairment. Hamm, a convicted felon and state probationer, was subsequently arrested for DUI and his vehicle was searched before it was towed from the scene. Inside the center console of the vehicle deputies located Hamm’s loaded, unserialized, Glock-style 9mm handgun equipped with a high-capacity magazine and a machinegun conversion device. As a previously convicted felon, Hamm is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth. 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 RT Employees Indicted for Covertly Funding and Directing U.S. Company that Published Thousands of Videos in Furtherance of Russian Interests

body_text: Note : View the indictment here . An indictment charging Russian nationals Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31, also known as Kostya, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, also known as Lena, with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering was unsealed today in the Southern District of New York. Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva are at large. “The Justice Department has charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country’s free exchange of ideas in order to covertly further its own propaganda efforts, and our investigation into this matter remains ongoing.” “Our approach to combating foreign malign influence is actor-driven, exposing the hidden hand of adversaries pulling strings of influence from behind the curtain," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged in today’s indictment, Russian state broadcaster RT and its employees, including the charged defendants, co-opted online commentators by funneling them nearly $10 million to pump pro-Russia propaganda and disinformation across social media to U.S. audiences. The Department will not tolerate foreign efforts to illegally manipulate American public opinion by sowing discord and division.” “Covert attempts to sow division and trick Americans into unwittingly consuming foreign propaganda represents attacks on our democracy,” said FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. “Today’s actions show that as long as foreign adversaries like Russia keep engaging in hostile influence campaigns, they are going to keep running into the FBI. We will continue to do everything we can to expose the hidden hand of foreign adversaries like Russia and disrupt their efforts to meddle in our free and open society.” “The Russian government has long sought to sow discord and chaos in the United States through propaganda and foreign malign influence campaigns,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “As alleged, the covert operations by RT employees exploited our free and open press and targeted millions of Americans as unwitting victims of Russia’s psychological warfare.” “As alleged, the Russian state broadcaster RT orchestrated a massive scheme to influence the American public by secretly planting and financing a content creation company on U.S. soil,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “The instruments of the scheme were RT employees Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, who managed the operation from Moscow using fake personas and shell companies, and the victims of the scheme were the American people, who received Russian messaging without knowing it. As the charges unsealed today demonstrate, this Office will work with our law enforcement partners to unmask and hold accountable all those who conduct malign influence campaigns in the United States, no matter how hard they try to hide their tracks.” According to the court documents, RT, formerly known as Russia Today, is a state-controlled media outlet funded and directed by the Government of Russia. Over at least the past year, RT and its employees, including Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva, deployed nearly $10 million to covertly finance and direct a Tennessee-based online content creation company (U.S. Company-1). In turn, U.S. Company-1 published English-language videos on multiple social media channels, including TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Since publicly launching in or about November 2023, U.S. Company-1 has posted nearly 2,000 videos that have garnered more than 16 million views on YouTube alone. Many of the videos posted by U.S. Company-1 contain commentary on events and issues in the U.S., such as immigration, inflation, and other topics related to domestic and foreign policy. While the views expressed in the videos are not uniform, most are directed to the publicly stated goals of the Government of Russia and RT — to amplify domestic divisions in the United States. In order to carry out RT’s secret influence campaign in the United States, Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva operated under covert identities at U.S. Company-1. Posing as an outside editor, Kalashnikov edited U.S. Company-1 content, monitored U.S. Company-1’s funding and hiring, and introduced Afanasyeva as a member of his purported editing team. Using the fake personas Helena Shudra and Victoria Pesti, Afanasyeva posted and directed the posting by U.S. Company-1 of hundreds of videos. Afanasyeva also collected information from and gave instructions to U.S. Company-1 staff. For example, after the March 22, 2024, terrorist attack on a music venue in Moscow, Afanasyeva asked one of U.S. Company-1’s founders to blame Ukraine and the United States for the attack, writing: “I think we can focus on the Ukraine/U.S. angle. . . . [T]he mainstream media spread fake news that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack yet ISIS itself never made such statements. All terrorists are now detained while they were heading to the border with Ukraine which makes it even more suspicious why they would want to go to Ukraine to hide.” Between in or about October 2023 and in or about August 2024, RT sent wire transfers to U.S. Company-1 totaling approximately $9.7 million, which represented nearly 90% of U.S. Company-1’s bank deposits from all sources combined. The wires were sent from shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Mauritius, and were often accompanied by wire notes ascribing the payments to the purchase of electronics. For example, the wire note for a $318,800 wire payment from a shell entity in Turkey to U.S. Company-1 on March 1, read: “BUYING GOODS-INV.013-IPHONE 15 PRO MAX 512GB.” U.S. Company-1 never disclosed to its viewers that it was funded and directed by RT. Nor did U.S. Company-1 or its two founders register with the Attorney General as an agent of a foreign principal. Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva both of Russia, are charged with conspiracy to violate FARA, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Li and Juliana Murray for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Brett Reynolds of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Monroe County Man Convicted Of Making Straw Purchases Of Firearms

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Delvin Hutchinson, age 33, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted of three counts of making false statements in connection with the purchase of six firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer following a four-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Hutchinson purchased six firearms in three separate transactions at Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter, in Stroudsburg, within a 19-day period in March 2019. When investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives later interviewed Hutchinson, he was in possession of none of the firearms and claimed that some of the firearms had been stolen. Testimony presented at trial showed that Hutchinson’s story regarding the theft was false and that he had “straw purchased” the firearms for one or more other individuals. In connection with the purchase of the firearms, Hutchinson completed federal forms in which he falsely stated that he was purchasing the firearms for himself, when in fact he was purchasing the firearms for one or more other individuals. Hutchinson was convicted of three counts of providing false information to Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter regarding the purchase of the firearms. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bensalem Police Department also participated in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert J. O’Hara and Sarah R. Lloyd 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. The maximum penalty under federal law for each of the offenses is ten years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. # # #


title: Four Sacramento Men Charged in Federal Grand Jury Indictment Alleging They Kidnapped Antelope Valley Businessman

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Three Sacramento men have been arrested on a two-count indictment charging them with kidnapping an Antelope Valley business owner at gunpoint last year, in an alleged attack in which the victim was beaten, his home was burglarized, and he was abandoned in a desolate part of California, the Justice Department announced today. A fourth defendant remains at large. The indictment, returned August 27 and unsealed Tuesday, charges the following defendants with two counts of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping: Shanjeet Brar, 57; Jerome Franklin Jr., 43; Peter Arafiles Jr., 29; and Andrae Hawkins, 39. Brar, Arafiles, and Hawkins, who were arrested last week, are expected to be arraigned in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks. Franklin remains at large. “These defendants are charged with putting the victim through a terrifying ordeal, one that will leave lasting emotional and psychological scars,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We will not tolerate such brazen acts of violence and will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to ensure stiff penalties for perpetrators of such violent acts.” “The community can rest assured that the perpetrators of this violent and heinous kidnapping are now in custody and will face serious consequences for their actions,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The exemplary collaboration and perseverance from the men and women of the FBI and our law enforcement partners resulted in today's arrests and have made our streets safer.” According to the indictment and underlying criminal complaint, on October 27, 2023, the defendants traveled from Sacramento to Lancaster to kidnap the victim at gunpoint from the victim’s workplace. They beat the victim, zip-tied his hands, and duct-taped his turban over his face. They demanded $100,000 or more from him, as well as gold and jewelry. They threatened to kill the victim if he did not comply with their demands and told him, “This is your last day.” While the victim was kidnapped, some of the defendants traveled to the victim’s home to burglarize it. After the victim’s wife noticed the burglars on their home security system, she contacted the victim’s phone, which was in the kidnappers’ possession. The kidnappers eventually abandoned the victim in a desolate area. Brar allegedly rented one of the two vehicles used in the kidnapping – specifically, the one used in the burglary. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments. The FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime are prosecuting this matter.


title: Former Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors in $2 Million Green Energy Scheme

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on September 3, 2024, to a charge of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Jonathan Freeze, 65, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Freeze and his co-conspirators, Robert Irey (deceased) and Kevin Carney, 62, of Euclid, Ohio, owned and ran a company called Alternative Energy Holdings, LLC (AEH). The defendants informed victims that AEH was going to build a plant that would convert biodegradable waste into green energy and offered victims an opportunity to invest in AEH. Specifically, Freeze and his co-conspirators solicited short-term loans that offered high interest rates and, in some cases, an ownership interest in AEH. Additionally, Freeze informed several victims that he personally guaranteed repayment of their loans, despite having insufficient funds to cover any of the guarantees. From approximately June 2016 until April 2018, approximately 22 victims loaned AEH $2,017,228.44. Freeze and his co-conspirators further told victims that their funds would be used for costs associated with building the plant and other business expenses. Instead, the defendants often split the victims’ funds three ways and used it for their personal benefit, including for gambling, high-end clothing, and restaurants. Despite the promise of a short-term repayment and personal guarantees, the co-conspirators did not repay the victims. Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for January 22, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Both Irey and Carney pleaded guilty to the same charge, with Carney’s sentencing scheduled for December 5, 2024. Assistant United States Attorneys Lee J. Karl and Heidi M. Grogan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The United States Postal Inspection Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Freeze and his co-defendants.


title: New Castle Resident Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Fluorofentanyl Violations

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiring to distribute fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Kailin Stewart, 37, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl between May 2021 and October 2022. Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for January 8, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Stewart.


title: Pharmaceutical Company Pays $25M to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Price-Fixing of Generic Drug

body_text: A generic pharmaceutical manufacturer, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. USA (Glenmark), located in Mahwah, New Jersey, has agreed to pay $25 million, based on its ability to pay, to resolve its alleged liability under the False Claims Act for conspiring to fix the price of a generic drug. The government alleged that, between 2013 and 2015, Glenmark paid and received compensation prohibited by the Anti-Kickback Statute through arrangements on price, supply and allocation of customers with other pharmaceutical manufacturers for a generic drug manufactured by Glenmark, pravastatin, which is widely used to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. “Illegal collaboration on the price or supply of drugs increases costs both to federal health care programs and beneficiaries,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will use every tool at its disposal to prevent such conduct and to protect these taxpayer-funded programs from abuse.” “At a time when excessive drug costs are already imposing unprecedented burdens on our country’s vulnerable citizens, an illegal conspiracy to fix the prices of generic drugs is alarming,” said U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “My office is proud to work with the rest of the department and our investigative partners to hold companies accountable when they illegally inflate prices on drugs used for the health and well-being of our citizens.” “Conspiring to raise prices on generic medications is illegal and could prevent patients from being able to afford their needed prescription drugs. Americans have the right to purchase generic drugs set by fair and open competition, not collusion,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Philadelphia Regional Office. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of health care fraud that put the public and the Medicare program at risk.” “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, seeks to protect the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for U.S. military members and their dependents,” said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty of the DCIS Northeast Field Office. “When pharmaceutical corporations artificially inflate prices, they place an unnecessary financial burden on the TRICARE program. The settlement agreement announced today demonstrates our commitment to partner with investigative agencies, the Justice Department’s Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to combat healthcare fraud.” The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits companies from receiving or making payments in return for arranging the sale or purchase of items such as drugs for which payment may be made by a federal health care program. These provisions are designed to ensure that the supply and price of health care items are not compromised by improper financial incentives. This settlement reflects the important role of the False Claims Act to ensure that the United States is fully compensated when it is the victim of kickbacks paid to further anticompetitive conduct. Glenmark previously entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division to resolve related criminal charges. Glenmark paid a criminal penalty of $30 million based on its ability to pay and admitted to conspiring with two other generic drug companies to fix prices on pravastatin. The civil settlement payment announced today is in addition to the criminal penalty paid by the company. The civil settlement is the sixth resolution arising from the Justice Department’s investigation of price fixing by generic drug manufacturers and was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with support from HHS-OIG, the Defense Health Agency Program Integrity Office and DCIS. The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement, can be reported to HHS at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Senior Trial Counsel Jennifer L. Cihon and Senior Litigation Counsel Laurie A. Oberembt of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Landon Y. Jones III, Rebecca S. Melley and Anthony D. Scicchitano for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania handled the matter. Except for those facts admitted to by Glenmark in the deferred prosecution agreement, the claims resolved by the civil settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. View the settlement agreement here.


title: Former Community College Coach Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sexual Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man who served as the head men’s basketball coach at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, was sentenced to federal prison today for persuading a child to send him sexually explicit images. Nathan Ezell Bowie, 38, was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison and 20 years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in November 2021, Bowie conducted a basketball camp at an Oregon high school. Bowie asked students at the camp to connect with him online, and the victim sent Bowie a message asking for basketball drills. Bowie continued communicating with the minor, eventually persuading the victim to send sexually explicit images. In January 2022, another coach learned of the communications and alerted law enforcement. On March 15, 2022, Bowie was charged by criminal complaint with sexually exploiting a child, coercion and enticement, and receipt of child pornography. On May 15, 2024, Bowie pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor. This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and FBI Portland’s Eugene Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Jeffrey S. Sweet, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov . The FBI CETF conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. CETF is committed to locating and arresting those who prey on children as well as recovering and assisting victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation. Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: South Florida Couple Plead Guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death of Baby and To Being Felons in Possession of Firearms

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A couple from Lake Worth, Fla., pled guilty to distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of a baby and for being felons in unlawful possession of firearms. Today, Samantha Yi, 32, pled guilty to a superseding indictment charging Yi and her boyfriend Darnell Mendez with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Mendez, 31, pled guilty to the same offenses on July 25. Their guilty pleas follow a long-term joint investigation by the Boynton Beach Police Department (BBPD), the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) after the death of a 10-month-old infant in Boynton Beach who ingested fentanyl. On March 31, 2022, PBSO responded to a 911 call of an infant in distress. The infant was transported to Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach, Fla., with her mother. On April 1, 2022, the baby was transferred to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Fla. On April 5, 2022, the baby died. An autopsy conducted by the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner determined that the baby’s death was caused by fentanyl intoxication and that her manner of death was homicide. The BBPD conducted a homicide investigation during which law enforcement recovered fentanyl at the baby’s home. The investigation determined that the baby’s mother and father were addicts and had been abusing fentanyl regularly in the kitchen of their apartment. The investigation also determined that the baby was teething and ingested fentanyl on March 31, 2022, while in the care of her mother, and while her father was at work. The mother was arrested by the BBPD and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child by culpable negligence. DEA joined the investigation to identify the drug dealers that were responsible for the distribution of the fentanyl that killed the baby. Through data and information retrieved from the mother’s cellphone, law enforcement was able to identify Yi as the drug dealer. The investigation uncovered months of electronic communications exchanged between Yi and the mother involving drug transactions in which the mother was the customer. The investigation further determined that Yi’s boyfriend, Mendez was also involved in the distribution of fentanyl. Investigators were able to determine that on March 30, 2022, the mother met with Yi in Boynton Beach to purchase fentanyl, and that fentanyl was ingested by the baby resulting in her death. As part of the joint investigation, DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), BBPD, and PBSO conducted an operation involving two undercover officers who purchased fentanyl from Yi and Mendez. The undercover operation culminated in the arrests of Yi and Mendez on March 6, at their residence in Lake Worth, where law enforcement discovered 14 firearms. As part of their pleas, Yi and Mendez admitted being felons unlawfully in possession of firearms. Both defendants face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years to a maximum sentence of life. A sentencing hearing for Mendez is set for Oct. 29. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled for Yi. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of DEA, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of ATF, Miami Field Division, Chief Joe DeGiulio of BBPD, and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw of PBSO announced the guilty pleas. The Office of State Attorney Dave Aronberg for the 15 th Judicial Circuit – Palm Beach County provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McMichael and Shannon O’Shea Darsch are prosecuting the case. 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 24-cr-80041. ###


title: Inmate Charged with Assaulting Officers

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mark Randall Harken, 42, an inmate at Federal Correctional Institution Gilmer, was indicted by a grand jury today on four counts of assault of a correctional officer resulting in bodily injury. According to the indictment, Harken injured four correctional officers during an altercation, causing injuries. Harken is facing up to 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tennessee Man Indicted on Federal Drug Charges

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Kenneth Ray Frye, 51, of Kingsport, Tennessee, was indicted by a federal grand jury today on methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl charges. Frye was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to the court documents, Frye fled from an attempted traffic stop in Fairmont, West Virginia. After a short pursuit and Frye’s arrest, officers discovered that Frye was in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. Frye faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison for the methamphetamine charge and faces up to 20 years for each remaining charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Three Rivers Drug Task Force and the Fairmont Police Department investigated. An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Correctional Staff Sexual Abuse at Two California Prisons

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the conditions of two prison facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino. Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders, the department has found significant justification to open this investigation. The investigation will evaluate whether CDCR protects people incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women from sexual abuse by correctional staff. “No woman incarcerated in a jail or prison should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff who are constitutionally bound to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Every woman, including those in prison, retains basic civil and constitutional rights and should be treated with dignity and respect. California must ensure that the people it incarcerates are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse. This investigation will determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations.” “Concern about the physical safety of people inside California women’s prisons is not new,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Media coverage, state audits, advocates’ efforts and private litigation have sought to draw attention to an issue often unseen by many in the community. This investigation responds to those concerns and will aim to ensure that California is meeting its constitutional duty to incarcerated individuals.” “Sexual abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated in prisons,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California said. “Together, with our colleagues in the Eastern District and the Civil Rights Division, my office will thoroughly investigate the conditions at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women to determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations to incarcerated persons.” Women have filed hundreds of private lawsuits in the past two years alleging officer sexual abuse of people incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility over the last decade, ranging from allegations of inappropriate groping during searches and genital rubbing to forcible rape. This week in state court, a trial is scheduled to begin involving allegations that a former correctional officer at the Central California Women’s Facility engaged in widespread sexual assaults. Of course, these are allegations and the state process will proceed. A civil lawsuit was filed on behalf of 21 women incarcerated at the California Institution for Women and included allegations of forcible rape and penetration, groping, oral copulation, as well as threats of violence and punishment with abusive conduct ranging from 2014 to 2020. Correctional staff at both facilities reportedly sought sexual favors in return for contraband and privileges. The correctional officers named in these allegations range in rank and have included the very people responsible for handling complaints of sexual abuse made by women incarcerated at these facilities. In March, a working group established by the State and composed of advocacy groups and community-based organizations published a report to the California Legislature that identified longstanding cultural deficiencies in addressing staff sexual abuse, including an unsafe and inaccessible reporting process and the absence of staff accountability. Justice Department officials have informed California state officials of the investigation. The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. This statute gives the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the rights of individuals in institutional settings, including prisons. The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation jointly with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1-888-392-9490 or by email at Community.CAWomensPrisons@usdoj.gov . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons .


title: Brothers who led a massive methamphetamine distribution ring sentenced to significant prison time

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – The leader of a methamphetamine trafficking ring was sentenced Friday August 30, 2024, in U.S. District Court for federal felonies related to his drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Jesus Venegas-Gatica, 37, of Lakewood, Washington was sentenced to 97 months. At the sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo found that Mr. Venegas-Gatica served in a leadership role in a drug trafficking organization that was responsible for transporting as much as 50 pounds of methamphetamine from California to Washington each month. In announcing the sentence, Chief Judge Estudillo said, “Drugs like methamphetamine are dangerous…it affects individuals who are addicted as well as their families. Many have children that are neglected or develop habits based on what they are exposed to, and some lose their parents who overdose. Everyone around that person is left to pick up the mess that person’s addiction created”. “Methamphetamine goes hand in hand with fentanyl in taking a toll on our community,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Overdose deaths often indicate both illegal drugs in the user’s system. This defendant and his co-conspirators brought huge loads of methamphetamine to our south sound and Olympic Peninsula communities. This sentence will disrupt their damaging conduct.” According to records filed in the case, brothers Jesus and Jose Venegas-Gatica pleaded guilty to drug distribution charges in April 2024. As part of his plea, Jesus Venegas-Gatica admitted to serving in a commanding and controlling role of the drug trafficking organization and utilizing a series of drug redistributors that he controlled and directed. The Venegas-Gatica family has been involved in drug trafficking since at least 2012. The criminal complaint details Jose Venegas-Gatica’s arrest in 2019 in Kitsap County with 20 pounds of meth. Jose Venegas-Gatica fled and used aliases to return to drug trafficking. The Kitsap County case is resolved by the plea and sentencing in his federal case. Jose Venegas-Gatica was sentenced to 85 months in prison on July 11, 2024. The men admit various large-scale methamphetamine deals in Cowlitz, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Pierce, and Thurston Counties. The Venegas family transported 20 to 25 kilograms of methamphetamine to Washington each month. Law enforcement tied these defendants to trafficking more than 105 pounds of meth at locations ranging from casino parking lots to outlet mall stores. In one instance, law enforcement caught a co-conspirator getting off an Amtrak train in Kelso, Washington with 55 pounds of methamphetamine in his luggage that he had transported from Sacramento, California. In May 2022, authorities recovered another 16 kilos of methamphetamine when they executed search warrants at Jesus Venegas-Gatica’s home and an additional 3 kilograms from various co-conspirators. This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tacoma Resident Office, the Lewis County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET), and the Grays Harbor Drug Task Force (GHDTF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon in consultation with the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office. U.S. v. Venegas-Gatica et al 22-5142


title: Federal Jury Finds Manatee County Man Guilty Of Using A Hidden Camera To Produce Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Joshua Scott Landers (48, Bradenton) guilty of three counts of producing child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. Landers faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years in federal prison for each production offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for the possession offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Landers installed a video camera inside a smoke detector on the ceiling of the teenage victim’s bedroom. Landers used the footage he captured of the victim to save videos specifically of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He then saved that footage on multiple devices and maintained those videos and screenshots for multiple years. This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Courtney Derry. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Nebraska Man Indicted for Violent Carjackings in Minneapolis

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Nebraska man has been indicted for two carjackings, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on June 16, 2024, Nathan Mathias Sughroue, 31, used violence and intimidation to steal a Hyundai Elantra from one victim. Later that same day, Sughroue used force and violence that resulted in serious bodily injury to steal a Nissan Murano from a second victim. The indictment charges Sughroue with two counts of carjacking. Sughroue made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on August 29, 2024, before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung. He was ordered to remain in federal custody pending further proceedings. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Shakopee Police Department, Robbinsdale Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Classen is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Saint Lucie County Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: MIAMI - On Sept. 3, Patrick Ward, 39, of Saint Lucie County, Fla., was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl. The sentence comes after Ward previously pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl on three separate occasions. According to the court record, on July 6, July 13, and August 18, of 2022, Ward sold a total of 47 grams of fentanyl in Port St. Lucie, Fla. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Acting Chief Richard R. Del Toro, Jr., of the Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD) announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon. DEA Miami Field Division and PSLPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted it. According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment , synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are poisoning our nation. Fentanyl has proven to be a deadly poison that does not discriminate. Its victims include every gender, race, age, and economic background, and its debilitating effects are the same across all demographics. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Florida has seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2022, more than 5,622 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida. For more information visit: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx ; https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html# ; and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl . You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . 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 24-cr-14001. ###


title: Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Staff Sexual Abuse at Two California State Prisons

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the conditions of two prison facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla and the California Institution for Women in Chino. Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders, the department has found significant justification to open this investigation. The investigation will evaluate whether CDCR protects people incarcerated at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women from sexual abuse by correctional staff. “Sexual abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated in prisons,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Together, with our colleagues in the Eastern District and the Civil Rights Division, my office will thoroughly investigate the conditions at Central California Women’s Facility and the California Institution for Women to determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations to incarcerated persons.” “No woman incarcerated in a jail or prison should be subjected to sexual abuse by prison staff who are constitutionally bound to protect them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Every woman, including those in prison, retains basic civil and constitutional rights and should be treated with dignity and respect. California must ensure that the people it incarcerates are housed in conditions that protect them from sexual abuse. This investigation will determine whether California is meeting its constitutional obligations.” “Concern about the physical safety of people inside California women’s prisons is not new,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Media coverage, state audits, advocates’ efforts and private litigation have sought to draw attention to an issue often unseen by many in the community. This investigation responds to those concerns and will aim to ensure that California is meeting its constitutional duty to incarcerated individuals.” Women have filed hundreds of private lawsuits in the past two years alleging officer sexual abuse of people incarcerated at the Central California Women’s Facility over the last decade, ranging from allegations of inappropriate groping during searches and genital rubbing to forcible rape. This week in state court, a trial is scheduled to begin involving allegations that a former correctional officer at the Central California Women’s Facility engaged in widespread sexual assaults. Of course, these are allegations and the state process will proceed. A civil lawsuit was filed on behalf of 21 women incarcerated at the California Institution for Women and included allegations of forcible rape and penetration, groping, oral copulation, as well as threats of violence and punishment with abusive conduct ranging from 2014 to 2020. Correctional staff at both facilities reportedly sought sexual favors in return for contraband and privileges. The correctional officers named in these allegations range in rank and have included the very people responsible for handling complaints of sexual abuse made by women incarcerated at these facilities. In March, a working group established by the State and composed of advocacy groups and community-based organizations published a report to the California Legislature that identified longstanding cultural deficiencies in addressing staff sexual abuse, including an unsafe and inaccessible reporting process and the absence of staff accountability. Justice Department officials have informed California state officials of the investigation. The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. This statute gives the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the rights of individuals in institutional settings, including prisons. The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation jointly with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern and Central Districts of California. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 1-888-392-9490 or by email at Community.CAWomensPrisons@usdoj.gov . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons . Individuals in the seven counties of the Central District of California may file a complaint about housing discrimination or other civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office by completing and submitting this form ( English ) ( Spanish ) by email to USACAC.CV-CivilRights@usdoj.gov .