title: Michigan Man Charged with Drug Distribution and Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Michigan man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with a conspiracy to import and sell illegal pharmaceuticals, including opioids, and to fund the operation of the scheme by fraudulently obtaining a Covid pandemic relief loan. Donald Nchamukong, 37, was charged by Information with conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States, to commit loan fraud and to distribute controlled substances. Nchamukong will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on a date to be scheduled by the Court. According to the charging documents, starting in 2019 and continuing to 2022, Nchamukong and a co-conspirator, Doyal Kalita, conspired to distribute drugs to persons in the United States over the internet and using call centers in India. Nchamukong allegedly used shell companies, including a purported dietary supplements company and an auto parts supplier, and associated bank and merchant accounts to process sales of illegal foreign drugs, including the Schedule IV opioid, tramadol. Nchamukong and Kalita also received shipments of tramadol from India and reshipped the drug to customers across the United States, including in Massachusetts. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Nchamukong and Kalita allegedly fraudulently obtained a $200,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan to fund their illegal drug scheme. Kalita was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating the online drug distribution scheme and a technical support fraud scheme and related money laundering. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the monetary gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Fernando P. McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in New York, Small Business Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial, and Cyber Fraud Unit, is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Lexington Man Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID Relief Loans and COVID Relief Rental Assistance

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Vonnie McDaniels, 35, was sentenced on Friday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, to 96 months, for wire fraud and other charges related to COVID relief programs. Specifically, McDaniels was convicted in September 2024 of four counts of wire fraud, for fraudulently applying for three Small Business Administration (SBA) COVID-19 relief loans and for fraudulently applying to the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government’s (LFUCG) federally funded Housing Stabilization Program (HSP), a tenant rent relief program; two counts of aggravated identity theft for submitting tenant rent relief applications, pretending to be his tenants; six counts of money laundering; and two counts of committing an offense while on conditions of release. According to the evidence at trial, McDaniels submitted a materially false application to the SBA, to obtain an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EDIL), for one business, fraudulently obtaining a $100,000 loan. The Defendant also submitted three materially false Payment Protection Program (PPP) applications, for the same business and for another business that was no longer in operation at the time of the pandemic. Two of the three PPP applications were eventually funded, and McDaniels obtained $93,231. McDaniels also inflated numbers on his applications to increase the loan amount and uploaded fraudulent tax documents to support his numbers. In 2020, he obtained a total of $193,231 in disaster relief funds from the SBA. The theft was discovered by law enforcement when preparing for an earlier trial, in June 2021, when McDaniels was previously convicted of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. McDaniels used the SBA loan proceeds to pay off personal credit cards and loans, free up home equity lines of credit, purchase a new property in South Carolina, and pay his unlawfully obtained mortgage, which had been the subject of his June 2021 bank fraud trial. In 2021, McDaniels also submitted a materially false application to LFUCG’s HSP for tenant rent relief for two properties. McDaniels uploaded fraudulent leases, vastly inflating the monthly rent amount and pretended to be his two tenants when he submitted the tenant portions of the application. McDaniels solicited personal identifying information from his tenants, told his tenants about the rent relief program, and informed his tenants that they did not qualify. Then, he fraudulently obtained $45,000 in COVID rental relief assistance, while he continued to make his tenants pay their monthly rent. He committed these offenses while subject to conditions of release, following his prior conviction. Under federal law, McDaniels must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. McDaniels was also ordered to pay $262,017.43 in restitution. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Kathy Enstrom, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Dunn-Pirio and Andrea Mattingly Williams are representing the United States in the case. — END —


title: Owensboro Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Online Enticement

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – An Owensboro, Kentucky, man was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement. According to court documents, Corey James Jarboe, 30, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for attempted online enticement of a minor and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Jarboe used the internet to communicate with an undercover law enforcement officer who he believed to be a 14-year-old female, and, during those conversations, he knowingly attempted to entice the minor to engage in criminal sexual activity by making plans to meet in person for sexual contact. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by HSI Bowling Green and the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” ###


title: Pikeville Man Sentenced to 33 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearms Possession

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Pikeville, Ky., man, Samuel C. Atkins, 52, was sentenced on Friday, by U.S. District Chief Judge Danny C. Reeves, to 396 months, for possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, distribution of fluorofentanyl, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. According to court documents, on January 3, 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located Atkins, who was wanted on two outstanding state arrest warrants, at a residence in Richmond. During a search of the residence, law enforcement located sixteen firearms and quantities of methamphetamine and fluorofentanyl in Atkins’s bedroom. Atkins, who had several prior felony convictions, later admitted to obtaining some of these firearms through his drug trafficking. Atkins was taken into custody and lodged at the Madison County Detention Center. A few days later, detention center employees responded to Atkins’s cell, where four other inmates had suffered non-fatal overdoses. A subsequent search of Atkins’s cell revealed multiple baggies containing approximately two and a half ounces of fentanyl and/or fluorofentanyl. Atkins later admitted to concealing the drugs, bringing them into the detention center after his arrest on January 3, and distributing them to the other inmates. Under federal law, Atkins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon Atkins’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; Jeremy Honaker, Acting U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: Lycoming County Man Sentenced On Tax Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Matthew W. Brann sentenced James Michael Barr, age 69, of Cogan Station, Pennsylvania, to a time-served sentence plus 2 years of probation including 10 months of home confinement for failing to pay employment taxes owed by his construction company. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Barr pleaded guilty in July 2024, to failing to account for and pay over employment taxes owed by Barr Construction from 2017 through 2020. During that time period, in addition to a normal paycheck from which taxes were withheld, Barr also paid his employees in cash and did not withhold federal taxes from the cash payroll or remit taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service. “Employers have a responsibility to their employees to withhold the proper amount of taxes and pay those taxes over to the IRS,” said Amy MacNeely, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office. The sentence also imposed a $5,000 fine on Barr and required him to make restitution to the I.R.S. in the amount of $337,000 plus civil penalties. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case. ###


title: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Earl Cureton Jr., also known as “Black Rob,” 40, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 12, 2024, Cureton sold approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant while on the 2400 block of Collis Avenue in Huntington. Cureton admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand with the confidential informant. Cureton further admitted to selling approximately 18.6 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $1,300 on November 9, 2023, and approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $380 on December 7, 2023, each time to a confidential informant in the area of the 2400 block of Collis Avenue. On November 26, 2024, Cureton traveled by Greyhound bus from Michigan to Cincinnati, Ohio, and then by rideshare vehicle from Cincinnati to Huntington. Cureton admitted that he possessed a suitcase while traveling that contained approximately 5.08 kilograms of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the rideshare vehicle in which Cureton was a passenger in the 900 block of 7th Avenue in Huntington, and arrested Cureton on a warrant for the current offense. Officers seized the suitcase containing the methamphetamine and approximately $4,566 on Cureton’s person. Cureton admitted that the cash was proceeds from selling methamphetamine. Cureton is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is 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. 3:24-cr-117. ###


title: Shenandoah Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Shenandoah, Virginia man pled guilty today to wire fraud for stealing over $200,000 from his former employer. Vernon Fisher, 66, pled guilty today to two counts of wire fraud. At sentencing, Fisher faces up to 20 years in prison. According to court documents, from approximately 2017 and continuing through 2021, Fisher was employed by ‘Victim Company,’ a plastics company located in Elkton, Virginia. Fisher served as an accountant and controller and his responsibilities included filing taxes, running payroll, managing cash, bank deposits, and paying company bills on behalf of Victim Company. Fisher admitted to engaging in a multi-year scheme to steal from and defraud Victim Company by linking his personal bank accounts to the Victim Company bank accounts. Through a series of over 300 financial transactions, Fisher funneled over $200,000 of company money to his own accounts and used it for personal expenses at Neiman Marcus, Kay Jewelers, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and other high-end retailers. Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.


title: Sapulpa Couple Sentenced for Their Role in Abusing Three-Week-Old Baby

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Jeannie Rene Romero, 25, for Child Abuse and Child Neglect in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Jeannie to serve 60 months, followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2022, Jeannie was taking care of her three-week-old baby. While changing the baby's diaper, Jeannie admittedly used unreasonable force, breaking the baby’s femur in half. She failed to seek medical attention for more than 48 hours. Doctors noted that the baby had additional injuries consistent with abuse. In June, Judge Hill sentenced Jeannie’s husband, Jacob Alejandro Romero, 24, for Child Neglect in Indian County. Jacob was at work when the abuse occurred. However, the infant's injury was noticeable, and he failed to seek help. Judge Hill ordered Jacob to serve 24 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. The baby and its sibling were removed from the home and placed in the care of the family members. Jeannie and the baby are citizens of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Jeannie will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Jacob was previously released on bond and taken into custody following his sentencing in June. The FBI and Sapulpa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Ihler prosecuted the case.


title: Louisville Man Sentenced to Over 20 Years in Federal Prison for Carjacking Resulting in Death

body_text: Louisville, KY – Today, a Louisville man was sentenced to 20 years and 5 months in federal prison for a carjacking which resulted in the death of teenage motorist. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff Mark Moore made the announcement. According to court documents, Michael Dewitt, 31, was sentenced to 20 years and 5 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for carjacking resulting in death. Dewitt committed a carjacking at gunpoint on March 1, 2021, and stole a 2011 Ford F350 from its owner in Simpsonville, Kentucky. During the immediate flight from the carjacking, and while still in possession of the stolen truck, Dewitt collided with a vehicle on Dixie Highway in Louisville, causing the death of a minor victim. Dewitt had controlled substances in his system at the time. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the FBI Louisville Field Office, the Louisville Metro Police Department, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Bonar and Mac Shannon prosecuted this 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: Two Brooklyn Park Men Plead Guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Two Brooklyn Park men have pleaded guilty in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine throughout central and northern Minnesota, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, on June 22, 2024, a Minnesota State Patrol trooper initiated the traffic stop of a white Ford Expedition on Highway 10 in Royalton, Minnesota. As the trooper approached the vehicle, he noticed several indications of drug trafficking activity including a single screwdriver, flashlight, black electric tape, loose panels and molding around the radio and center console, and a marijuana pipe, as well as a marijuana blunt roach and flakes all over the center console. The driver, Dillon Peter-Cody Clemens, 38, and his passenger, Jacob Seth Cobb, 30, both had revoked driver’s licenses. Clemens and Cobb claimed to be on their way to Motley, Minnesota, to purchase a motorcycle but could not provide the name or street address of the seller. The trooper deployed his K9 to search the vehicle, and the K9 alerted to the driver’s side door seam. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed what appeared to be a one-pound package of methamphetamine. Clemens and Cobb were subsequently arrested. Clemens and Cobb were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Clemens pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Cobb also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine before Judge Menendez on January 21, 2025. Their sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota State Patrol and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorney Syngen Kanassatega is prosecuting the case.


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced To 120 Months For Enticing A Minor

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his conviction of online enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Louis Goldenberg, 41, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an information charging him with one count of attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In August 2023, Goldenberg began interacting on a messaging application with an undercover agent, who was posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece. From August through September 2023, Goldenberg messaged the undercover, continuously expressing interest in having sexual contact with the minor. During one of the conversations, Goldenberg indicated a specific hotel in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey where he wanted to have sex with the minor. On September 18, 2023, Goldenberg traveled from Pennsylvania to the Mt. Laurel hotel, where he had a reservation for that evening. When Goldenberg arrived, he was arrested by law enforcement. In addition to the prison term, Judge O’Hearn sentenced Goldenberg to five years of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents and task force officers with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the leadership of Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and Mount Laurel Police Department. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. Defense counsel: Rocco C. Cipparone, Jr., Esq.


title: Dallas Police Officer Charged With Selling Stolen Duty Weapons

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

body_text: A police sergeant who sold stolen service weapons has been indicted on federal gun charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham. Thomas Michael Fry, 52, was indicted Wednesday with three counts of possession and sale of a stolen firearm. “Police officers have a sacred duty to uphold the rule of law. Instead, this sergeant betrayed his department – and his community – by allegedly pawning stolen firearms,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not hesitate to pursue charges against law enforcement officers who fail to live up to their oaths.” According to the indictment, at least three 9mm Sig Sauer pistols were stolen from a Dallas Police Department substation. Sgt. Fry, a Dallas Police Officer, then allegedly pawned the firearms through a pawn shop in Oklahoma. An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Sgt. Fry is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted of the federal charges, he faces up to 30 years in federal prison. Sgt. Fry has also been charged by the state with three counts of theft of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua D. Detzky and Marty Basu are prosecuting the case.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Alonzo Dewayne Harden, 31, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 17, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in Huntington in which Harden was a passenger. Harden exited the vehicle and fled on foot before he was apprehended by officers. While fleeing, Harden tossed a loaded Glock Model 22 .40-caliber pistol with an extended magazine to the ground. Officers recovered the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Harden knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for malicious assault and use or presentment of a firearm during the commission of a felony in Cabell County Circuit Court on August 26, 2021. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department, the Huntington Violent Crime Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-116. ###


title: Kucoin Pleads Guilty To Unlicensed Money Transmission Charge And Agrees To Pay Penalties Totaling Nearly $300 Million

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Danielle Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that PEKEN GLOBAL LIMITED (“PEKEN”), a Seychelles-based entity that, since at least September 2019, has operated KuCoin, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, pled guilty today to one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. KuCoin flouted U.S. anti-money laundering laws by failing to implement effective anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know-your-customer (“KYC”) programs designed to prevent KuCoin from being used for money laundering and terrorist financing, failing to report suspicious transactions, and failing to register with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”). In connection with today’s guilty plea, PEKEN agreed to pay monetary penalties totaling more than $297 million. PEKEN further agreed that KuCoin will exit the U.S. market for at least the next two years, and that two of KuCoin’s founders, Chun Gan, a/k/a “Michael,” and Ke Tang, a/k/a “Eric,” who were indicted along with Peken in March 2024, will no longer have any role in KuCoin’s management or operations. U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “For years, KuCoin avoided implementing required anti-money laundering policies designed to identify criminal actors and prevent illicit transactions. As a result, KuCoin was used to facilitate billions of dollars’ worth of suspicious transactions and to transmit potentially criminal proceeds, including proceeds from darknet markets and malware, ransomware, and fraud schemes. Today’s guilty plea and penalties show the cost of refusing to follow these laws and allowing unlawful activity to continue.” According to admissions and court documents, KuCoin was founded in or about September 2017. Since its founding in 2017, KuCoin has become one of the largest global cryptocurrency exchange platforms, with more than 30 million customers and billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency in daily trading volume. Between in or about September 2017 and in or about March 2024, the date of the Indictment, KuCoin served approximately 1.5 million registered users who were located in the U.S., and earned at least approximately $184.5 million in fees from those U.S. registered users. KuCoin’s exchange platform allows registered users to place orders for spot trades in cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others, and orders for derivative products, including futures contracts, tied to the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. As a result of its operation of this business, KuCoin has, at all relevant times, been a money transmitting business required to register with FinCEN and reported suspicious transactions. As a money transmitting business, KuCoin was required to comply with applicable Bank Secrecy Act provisions requiring maintenance of an adequate AML program, including conducting KYC processes. AML and KYC programs ensure that financial institutions, such as KuCoin, do not become havens for money laundering and other criminal actors. Despite these obligations and its substantial presence in the U.S. market, KuCoin failed to implement an adequate KYC program. Indeed, until at least July 2023, KuCoin did not require customers to provide any identifying information. KuCoin employees repeatedly stated on public social media sites that KYC was not mandatory on KuCoin, including in response to posts from customers who had identified themselves as being in the U.S. It was only in August 2023 that KuCoin adopted a mandatory KYC program for new customers and existing customers who wanted to continue to actively participate in KuCoin’s services. However, KuCoin did not impose this necessary KYC process on existing customers that wanted to continue to use KuCoin’s services only to withdraw or close positions, which it was required to do. KuCoin also never registered with FinCEN as a money transmitting business or filed any required suspicious activity reports. As a result of KuCoin’s failure to maintain the required AML and KYC programs, KuCoin was used to transmit billions in suspicious transactions and potentially criminal proceeds, including proceeds from darknet markets and malware, ransomware, and fraud schemes. Today the department also agreed to defer prosecution against KuCoin’s two indicted co-founders, Gan and Tang, for a period of two years. * * * In addition to the guilty plea, PEKEN, a Seychelles-based entity, also agreed to criminally forfeit $184.5 million and pay a criminal fine of approximately $112.9 million. Additionally, Gan and Tang have each agreed to forfeit approximately $2.7 million in funds received as a result of KuCoin’s operations in the U.S. Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the El Dorado Task Force in the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and assistance provided by HSI Pretoria, South Africa. This matter is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Deininger and David R. Felton are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Tyler County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Martin Thomas Anderson, age 36, of Sistersville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 151 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Anderson, also known as “Martin McNeil,” was selling methamphetamine in Marshall and Wetzel Counties. Two traffic stops recovered more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, a stolen firearm, cash, and drug paraphernalia from Anderson. Anderson has prior drug, firearms, and escape convictions. Anderson will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.


title: Raleigh County Woman and Man Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Crimes

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Heather Danielle Dunbar, 37, of Terry, pleaded guilty today to distribution of methamphetamine. Dunbar admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia. A co-defendant, David Anthony Lacy, 52, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to use of a communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense in a separate case. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 17, 2023, Dunbar sold 1 ounce of methamphetamine in exchange for $320 to a confidential informant at the residence of co-conspirator Tilford Joe Bradley Jr. in Beckley. Dunbar admitted to the transaction and further admitted to additional drug transactions. On October 23, 2023, Dunbar sold 25.94 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $320. On December 26, 2023, Dunbar sold approximately 2.3 grams of fentanyl in exchange for $325. Each time, Dunbar sold the controlled substances to a confidential informant. On June 28, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bradley’s residence, where Dunbar was staying. Officers seized 38 grams of fentanyl, 6 grams of cocaine, multiple digital scales, a money counter, a large quantity of small plastic bags, and a blender containing white residue. Dunbar admitted that she intended to help Bradley distribute the seized controlled substances in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. Dunbar further admitted to working with Bradley to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and crack in and around the Southern District of West Virginia during the months of April and May 2024. On April 9, 2024, Bradley called Dunbar and they discussed weighing $600 worth of drugs for an individual waiting to purchase them. On May 3, 2024, Dunbar and Bradley discussed selling $100 worth of cocaine to an individual. Dunbar admitted that she now knows that law enforcement intercepted her phone calls with Bradley. Lacy received cocaine base, also known as “crack,” from Bradley and redistributed it in and around the Southern District of West Virginia throughout the month of April 2024. Lacy admitted that he called Bradley using his cell phone to discuss and arrange drug transactions. On April 24, 2024, Lacy called Bradley and asked for about 3.5 grams of crack, and told Bradley that he needed to discuss buying fentanyl from Bradley to redistribute. Lacy admitted that he now knows that law enforcement officers intercepted those phone calls. Dunbar is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. Lacy is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Bradley, 47, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on January 21, 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and awaits sentencing. Dunbar, Lacy and Bradley are among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. Dunbar, Lacy and Bradley are also among 10 defendants who have pleaded guilty. The charges against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the cases. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:24-cr-90 (Dunbar) and 5:25-cr-1 (Lacy). ###


title: NEW JERSEY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL SHABAAB

body_text: Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that KARREM NASR, a/k/a “Ghareeb Al-Muhajir,” pled guilty to attempting to provide material support to al Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization before U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres. U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “Karrem Nasr devoted himself to waging violent jihad against America and its allies. Inspired by the evil terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, 2023, Nasr, a U.S. citizen, traveled from Egypt to Kenya in an effort to join al Shabaab so that he could execute his jihadist mission of creating death and destruction. Now, instead of perpetrating a deadly attack in the name of a foreign terrorist group, Nasr resides in federal prison. I thank the career prosecutors of my office and our law enforcement partners for their extraordinary work in disrupting this plan and bringing a terrorist to justice.” According to the allegations in the court filings and statements made in Court: NASR is a 24-year-old U.S. citizen who moved from New Jersey to Egypt in or about July 2023. Starting in at least in or about November 2023, NASR repeatedly expressed his desire and plans to join al Shabaab, a designated foreign terrorist organization that has attacked Americans and American allies around the world, and wage jihad, including in communications with an FBI confidential source (the “CS”), who was posing as a facilitator for terrorist organizations. [1] In communications exchanged with the CS and postings that NASR made online, NASR stated that he had been thinking about engaging in jihad for a long time, and he was particularly motivated to become a jihadi by the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack in Israel. For example, in communications with the CS, NASR stated that the number one enemy was “evil America,” which he called the “head of the snake.” In social media posts, NASR warned that “Jihad” was “coming soon to a US location near you,” posting airplane, bomb, and fire emojis: In further communications with the CS, NASR expressed his intent to join al Shabaab to receive military training and engage in jihad, that he was prepared to kill and be killed, and that he specifically aspired to be a martyr for the jihadist cause. For example, NASR stated “I would like to become a martyr in the sake of Allah. . . . I think in coming years, inshallah we are going to see here big events in Egypt and the other Arab countries. Inshallah if this happens; I will come back to Egypt, inshallah to help the Muslims in Egypt in their struggle to establish here in Egypt.” Beyond his online postings and communications with the CS, NASR took specific and targeted steps in his effort to join and receive military training from al Shabaab. Among other things, NASR made flight and lodging reservations for travel to Kenya, where he planned to meet members of al Shabaab for further travel to Somalia to join and train with the terrorist group. In addition, the day before his flight, NASR told the CS that he planned to delete data from his cellphone and computer to ensure that if he were detained, law enforcement would not be able to recover evidence of his jihadist activities from those devices. On December 14, 2023, as planned, NASR flew from Egypt to Kenya, where he then planned to transit into Somalia to join and train with al Shabaab. Later that day, NASR was taken into custody by Kenyan authorities. On December 28, 2023, NASR arrived in the U.S. * * * NASR, 24, of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, pled guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. NASR is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Torres on June 30, 2025. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”)’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department. Ms. Sassoon also thanked the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, Kenya, the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Kimberly J. Ravener, and Stephen Ritchin are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the Counterterrorism Section. [1] Communications referenced herein are described in substance and in part.


title: Philadelphia Woman Sentenced to over Three Years in Prison for Stabbing on the Choctaw Indian Reservation

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Philadelphia woman was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for stabbing a man in the Pearl River community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Reservation. According to court documents, Telinah Kowi Tek Farve, 24, stabbed a man at a tribal home in the Pearl River Community in March of 2023. Farve was indicted by a federal grand jury in April of 2023, and pled guilty in April of 2024. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a nationwide initiative that was launched in 2001 and works to reduce violent crime and gun violence. It’s a collaboration between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement, prosecutors, and community leaders. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhood, please visit www.psn.gov.


title: US Attorney's Office

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern


title: Final Two Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Charleston Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Kirt Ray King, 48, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and Anthony Michael Mowery, 48, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. King and Mowery admitted to their roles in a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about January 2024 to in or about May 2024, King and Mowery conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine in Charleston and within the Southern District of West Virginia. King and Mowery are scheduled to be sentenced on April 21, 2025. King faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $10,000,000 fine. Mowery faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a $5,000,000 fine. King and Mowery are among four defendants indicted in the case. Co-defendant Michael Dale Cain, 49, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty on November 6, 2024, and co-defendant John Wayne Harkless, 46, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2024, each to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Cain and Harkless await sentencing. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-95. ###


title: St. Lucie County company and woman sentenced for conspiring to harbor aliens by means of employment

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On Jan. 24, Martinez Builders Supply, d/b/a East Coast Trust (ECT) and Kelly Yanira Del Valle, 43, of Fort Pierce, Florida, were sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiring to harbor aliens by means of employment in August and October 2024. Del Valle also pleaded guilty for filing false tax returns and aiding the filing of false tax returns. ECT was sentenced to two years of probation, to include the implementation of a corporate compliance program, ordered to forfeit $450,000 to the United States and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine. Del Valle was sentenced to 13 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, ordered to forfeit $100,000 to the United States and to pay $100,146 in restitution to the IRS. From June 2018 through August 2021, Del Valle, who was employed by ECT at the time, along with several of ECT’s officers and employees, conspired to harbor migrants by means of employment. In June 2018, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) law enforcement agents conducted an audit of ECT. The audit revealed that dozens of ECT’s employees were migrants, who were not authorized to work in the United States. To conceal, harbor, and shield the undocumented migrants from HSI, Del Valle and several of ECT’s officers and employees, transferred the undocumented migrants from ECT’s payroll to the payroll of two shell companies. The undocumented migrants continued to work at ECT while purportedly being employed and paid by the shell companies. ECT paid Del Valle a fee for each undocumented migrant that she transferred from ECT’s to the shell companies’ payroll. Between June 2018 and July 2021, ECT, through its agents and employees, transferred money to bank accounts operated by Del Valle in the name of the shell companies for the express purpose of paying the undocumented migrants who worked at ECT. On Aug. 6, 2021, HSI law enforcement agents discovered 28 undocumented migrants working at ECT’s headquarters in St. Lucie County. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. The HSI Fort Pierce Field Office and IRS CI Miami Filed Office investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), U.S. Border Patrol Miami Sector, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and Fort Pierce Police Department (FPPD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted 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 numbers 24-cr-14019 and 24-cr-14035. ###


title: Lancaster County Brothers Plead Guilty to Vape Shop Armed Robbery

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —Marterrious Tyresse Hannah, 22, and Jaimon Tywan Hannah, 22, both of Lancaster County, have pleaded guilty to their involvement in an armed robbery of a local vape shop. Marterrious pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an armed robbery, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during an armed robbery. Jaimon pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of the vape shop. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 31, 2023, Marterrious Hannah and Jaimon Hannah, twin brothers, arranged to visit a vape shop to purchase a handgun from the store clerk, an individual they knew. At the time of sale, Jaimon brandished a handgun and proceeded to rob the clerk. While the Hannah brothers were inside the store, two other men entered through the open front door and assisted with robbery. The robbers stole a safe that contained money, cash from the store clerk, and vape products from the store. At least two defendants were armed as seen on surveillance video. The defendants also stole the firearm they had come to purchase from the store clerk. The firearm was later recovered in North Carolina during the commission of a violent crime. Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and face a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and five years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Waterbury Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that GAWAYNE FISHER, also known as “Fruit” and “Tank,” 49, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 217 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for heading a large-scale drug trafficking ring while on federal supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2009, Fisher was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 10 years of imprisonment and eight years of supervised release for cocaine trafficking offenses. He was released from prison in February 2015. In 2022, the DEA New Haven Task Force, the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, the Waterbury Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies determined that Fisher was trafficking narcotics while on federal supervised release. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Fisher and others were selling large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as counterfeit oxycodone and alprazolam (Xanax) pills. Fisher and three of his associates were arrested on April 13, 2023. On that date, a search of a West Main Street apartment in Waterbury that Fisher used as a stash location revealed approximately 16 kilograms of cocaine, three kilograms of fentanyl, 125,000 individual glassine bags containing fentanyl, and $7,574 in cash. A search of Fisher’s residence on Beverly Avenue in Waterbury, and his vehicle, revealed approximately $175,110 in cash. In addition, a search of a residence on Yale Street in Waterbury that Fisher’s co-conspirator used as a stash location revealed drug-processing equipment, approximately three kilograms of loose fentanyl, and approximately 75,000 individual bags containing fentanyl. Fisher has been detained since his arrest. On January 11, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and five kilograms or more of cocaine, and one count of money laundering. Judge Bolden sentenced Fisher to 180 months of imprisonment for the narcotics trafficking and money laundering offenses, and a consecutive 37 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release. This investigation was conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service, Connecticut State Police, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the New Haven, Naugatuck, Ansonia, West Haven, Meriden, East Haven, Branford, Shelton, and Bristol Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Two Lancaster Men Sentenced On Money Laundering Offenses

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Lopez, age 41, and Michael Torres, age 43, both of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, were sentenced on January 23, 2025, by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson on money laundering charges. Lopez received a sentence of one year and one day in prison and Torres was sentenced to six months in prison. Both defendants were ordered to serve one year on supervised release following completion of their prison terms. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Lopez owned C&D Motorsports, a car dealership located in Lancaster, where Torres was employed as a salesperson. Agents with the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) began investigating C&D Motorsports and Lopez in 2019 after receiving reports that C&D Motorsports catered to known drug traffickers who were known to have purchased vehicles from the dealership, and that the dealership had not been filing currency transaction reports for cash sales in excess of $10,000, as required by federal law. IRS-CI conducted an undercover operation during which agents purported to be a drug trafficker and his girlfriend. The undercover agents met with Torres and Lopez at C&D Motorsports on October 16, 2019, and discussed purchasing a vehicle using cash from drug trafficking and ensuring that the vehicle would be put in the girlfriend’s name and that the drug trafficker’s name would be omitted from paperwork filed in connection with the sale. On December 11, 2019, the undercover agents returned to C&D Motorsports to meet with both Torres and Lopez to complete a cash purchase of a vehicle, which Lopez and Torres caused to be titled in a third party’s name. A federal grand jury returned an indictment in February 2022, charging Lopez and Torres with conspiring to commit money laundering involving proceeds represented to have been from drug trafficking. Following a four-day trial in February 2024, a jury found both Lopez and Torres guilty of conspiring together to accept more than $33,000 in cash proceeds that were represented to be from the sale of cocaine, and to conceal the nature, source, ownership, and control of those proceeds by having the vehicle titled in a third party’s name. “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals attempt to conceal the true source of their money,” stated Amy MacNeely, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Haugsby and Joseph Terz prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Greenfield Man Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment for Paying Healthcare Kickbacks

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that, on January 24, 2025, Mohammed Kazim Ali was sentenced to 15 months’ incarceration for paying healthcare kickbacks in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Ali was also ordered to pay over $2.2 million in restitution to Medicaid and Medicare as well as a $75,000 fine. Ali and his co-defendant, Justin Hanson, owned a Milwaukee-area clinical laboratory called Noah Associates. According to court records, beginning in 2017, Ali and Hanson engaged in a three-year-long scheme to pay kickbacks to the owner of a Milwaukee substance use treatment clinic in exchange for referrals of Medicaid and Medicare patients for urine drug testing performed by Noah Associates. Ali and Hanson paid over $400,000 in kickbacks to procure the tests. The tests, however, were not ordered by any physician and were not medically necessary for the treatment of patients. After one physician learned that his credentials were being used without his authorization to order the tests, the physician told Ali to stop. Ali nonetheless continued to have Noah Associates accept and bill the government for tests falsely ordered under that physician’s credentials for months. As a result of the scheme, Medicaid and Medicare paid Noah Associates over $2.2 million for the unnecessary tests. Ali personally received over $800,000 from Noah Associates during the scheme. At sentencing, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of Ali’s crime, including Ali’s manipulation and breach of trust of the Medicaid and Medicare programs to receive millions of dollars that were not truly earned. Judge Stadtmueller further noted that Ali knew that his conduct was criminal yet still engaged in a long-running, creative fraud scheme—a decision that Judge Stadtmueller criticized as “beyond belief.” In addition to his sentence, Ali will also be excluded from participation in the Medicaid and Medicare programs and has shut down Noah Associates. His co-defendant, Hanson, has also pleaded guilty for paying healthcare kickbacks and will be sentenced on March 21, 2025. “Paying kickbacks for patient referrals is illegal because, as this case demonstrates, kickbacks result in Medicaid and Medicare paying for unnecessary services,” said United States Attorney Haanstad. “Rather than bill the government for tests that patients actually needed, Ali abused the Medicaid and Medicare programs for ill-gotten gains. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prevent frauds against Medicaid and Medicare.” “This sentence demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating individuals like Mr. Ali who erode the public’s trust in our healthcare systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those responsible for healthcare fraud are exposed and brought to justice. The safety and well-being of Wisconsin residents remains our highest priority.” “Individuals and medical providers who accept kickbacks in exchange for the referral of patients covered under a Federal health care program place personal profit ahead of patient care, which can ultimately lead to the delivery of costly, medically unnecessary services,” said Mario M. Pinto, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Region. “Our agency is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to bring those who violate laws intended to protect patients, and our Federal health care programs, to justice.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Carter and Julie Stewart handled the prosecution. # # # For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime and Violating Supervised Release

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tyson Davis Sr., 45, of Huntington, was sentenced today to seven years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and violating supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 14, 2023, Davis sold approximately 2.93 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant while in a parked vehicle in Huntington. Davis admitted to the transaction. Investigators conducted three additional controlled buys with Davis using the confidential informant, on June 8, August 3 and October 24, 2023. Davis sold a total of 24.057 grams of substances containing fentanyl to the confidential informant during the four transactions. Laboratory analysis of the drugs determined that the substances sold by Davis on June 8 and June 14, 2023, were at least 58 percent pure fentanyl, and the substance sold by Davis on August 3, 2023, was at least 46 percent pure fentanyl. According to investigators, the fentanyl they seize typically ranges from 0.5 percent to 7 percent pure fentanyl. Davis has a long criminal history that includes multiple convictions for drug and firearms-related offenses. At the time of this offense, Davis was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his May 17, 2021 conviction for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Today’s sentence includes two years and six months in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted 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. 3:24-cr-23. ###


title: Central Georgian Pleads Guilty to Illegally Building Machineguns

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A technical college student who described himself as a “machinist” and was building machineguns and silencers using a 3D printer out of his Lizella, Georgia, bedroom pleaded guilty to manufacturing a machinegun. Jaden Michael-William Pope, 20, of Lizella, pleaded guilty to one count of manufacture of an unregistered machinegun before U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell on Jan. 27. Pope faces a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 13. There is no parole in the federal system. “3-D printed machineguns and silencers pose a significant threat to the safety of our communities by increasing the access of illegally manufactured rapid-fire weapons to potentially dangerous individuals,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker. “I applaud our local and federal law enforcement partners for shutting down this clandestine machinegun manufacturing operation.” "The collaboration between ATF and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office showcases our unwavering commitment to confronting the illegal production of firearms, especially those created through advanced methods like 3D printing,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “These weapons are designed to evade detection and accountability, posing an undeniable threat to public safety. Together, we are ensuring such dangers are swiftly and decisively addressed." According to the stipulation of fact and other statements referenced in court, the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office was investigating Pope in Sept. 2023, for stealing firearms out of vehicles at night. He was arrested and admitted to stealing from cars. Investigators found photos on Pope’s cell phone of personally manufactured firearms and firearm silencers as well as screenshots from a website called Yeggi, which offers 3D-printed templates of AR-15 full auto sears. A confidential source (CS) notified law enforcement that Pope was a machinist who was manufacturing firearms, including silencers, in his bedroom and that he had watched Pope shoot a firearm with a manufactured silencer that significantly diminished the sound. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) was contacted to further the investigation. Agents found photos Pope posted on Facebook of personally manufactured firearms, including a Glock handgun with a “switch,” which is a device that allows the semi-automatic firearm to fire full-automatic with a single trigger pull. On his Facebook profile, Pope described himself as a “machinist” and a student at a local technical college. Agents executed a search warrant at Pope’s home on Dec. 12, 2023, and found four 3D printers, three computers, two machineguns, nine silencers and a short-barreled rifle. Agents also found a stolen .45 caliber pistol. Along with the 3D printers and weapons seized, agents found additional evidence that Pope manufactured the machineguns, silencers and the short-barreled rifle. Agents found diagrams and instructions for building the firearms, notes related to their production, scrap parts, and failed 3D prints and residue. Agents analyzed the computers used with the 3D printers and found “g-codes” which is the computer programming code used to 3D print the machineguns, silencers and the short-barreled rifle. While searching the electronic devices, agents found methamphetamine hidden within a USB device. 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results. The case was investigated by ATF and the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office. Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Camden Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing More Than $51,000 Through PPP, EIDL Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine : A Camden man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland today to wire fraud. According to court records, in 2020 and 2021, Yani Stancioff, 29, exploited the COVID19 pandemic by submitting fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds. Stancioff submitted three fraudulent applications and obtained $51,666. On his EIDL application, he claimed to be the sole proprietor of a non-existent agricultural business. On his PPP applications, Stancioff falsely claimed to be the sole proprietor of a marketing business with gross income of approximately $107,000. As part of the false PPP applications, Stancioff filed falsified IRS documents. Stancioff faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act: The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who suffered economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act made Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funding available to business owners negatively affected by the COVID19 pandemic. EIDL proceeds were funded by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and disbursed by the U.S. Treasury. EIDLs could only be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that could have been paid had the COVID19 disaster not occurred. Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the SBA that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA. ###


title: Career Felon Caught with Fentanyl, Firearm Sentenced to 17 Years

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: An Augusta man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Ryan Partridge , 35, to 204 months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release. According to court records, in July 2023, Partridge was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by officers from the Augusta Police Department. During a search of the vehicle, investigators recovered a backpack with approximately 125 grams of fentanyl and a 9mm pistol inside, and Partridge admitted to investigators that the backpack and its contents belonged to him. At the time of the stop, Partridge, a career criminal with 12 prior convictions including two drug felonies, was on probation for a 2019 conviction for aggravated trafficking of fentanyl. He also had a pending arrest warrant for failing to report a change of address. The FBI and U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the Augusta Police Department. ###


title: Former Professional Basketball Player Sentenced for Pandemic Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Monday sentenced a former professional basketball player to five years of probation, 200 hours of community service and $308,354 in restitution for pandemic loan fraud. Lorenzo Gordon, now 41, fraudulently applied for two loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and three from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program in 2020. Both programs were intended to help businesses and their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gordon fraudulently applied for loans in the name of three companies: Logo Fitness LLC, Elite 50 Basketball Training LLC and Elite Health and Fitness Company LLC. Gordon received $107,074 in PPP loans and $165,700 in EIDL loans and advances. The restitution total includes fees and interest. Gordon “took advantage of these programs for his personal gain despite suffering no such economic injury,” harming “those who truly needed those funds,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke wrote in a sentencing memo. Gordon pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money. The Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.


title: San Antonio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Dozens of Machinegun Conversion Devices

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced today to 71 months in prison for one count of possession of a machinegun. According to court documents, Aden Ethan Cantu aka Glock Mayne, 21, unlawfully possessed multiple machinegun conversion devices, also known as switches. In total, Cantu was held accountable for the unlawful possession of 94 switches and other machinegun conversion devices, which he had been trafficking throughout the San Antonio community. Cantu was arrested Dec. 15, 2023 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty to the charge Sept. 25, 2024. “The possession of a machinegun conversion device is illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, “These devices are very often paired with stolen firearms and used in other criminal endeavors, and this sentence reinforces the message that trafficking these devices will not be tolerated in our community.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fedock prosecuted the case. ###


title: Owners of Florida labor-staffing companies sentenced for tax and immigration fraud and money laundering

body_text: Defendants prosecuted as part of Operation RoomKey MIAMI – Two Ukrainian nationals who were extradited from the Kingdom of Thailand to the United States in September 2024 were sentenced today on charges related to labor-staffing companies they operated in Florida. Oleg Oliynyk and Oleksandr Yurchyk were each sentenced to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Oliynyk, Yurchyk and others owned and operated a series of labor-staffing companies in South Florida — including Paradise Choice LLC, Paradise Choice Cleaning LLC, Tropical City Services LLC and Tropical City Group LLC — from at least April 2008 and August 2021. Through these staffing companies, Oliynyk, Yurchyk and co-defendants Oleksandr Morgunov, Mykhaylo Chugay and Volodymyr Ogorodnychuk facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in the hospitality industry who were not authorized to work in the United States and helped evade the assessment and collection of more than $25 million of federal income and employment taxes. In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez ordered Oliynyk and Yurchyk to each serve three years of supervised release, pay $10,863,233.05 in restitution to the United States and to forfeit $11 million. Oliynyk and Yurchyk are the latest defendants sentenced as part of Operation RoomKey, a joint criminal investigation initiative led by the Tax Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation. Co-defendant Chugay, was convicted at trial in June 2022, and was sentenced in August 2022 to more than 24 years in prison. Co-defendants Morgunov and Ogorodnychuk each pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 96 months in prison and 48 months in prison, respectively. In March 2022, Mikus Berzins, former City of Key West Police Officer Igor Kasyanenko, Roman Riabov and Andrejs Kozlovs each pleaded guilty to their crimes in the operation of the labor staffing company, Phoenix ADB Services Inc. (Phoenix ADB), which, according to court records, facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization. In May 2022, the court sentenced Igor Kasyanenko and Riabov to 22 months and 18 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the tax and immigration conspiracy. The court also sentenced Berzins and Kozlovs to 28 months and 12 months in prison, respectively, for knowingly hiring ten or more aliens who were not authorized to work in the United States. Later, in September 2023, Nataliya Vasylivna Kasyanenko, a former housekeeping manager at a large Key West hotel, was sentenced for participating in the tax and immigration conspiracy related to the operation of Phoenix ADB. Batyr Myatiev, the owner and operator of two labor staffing companies, AmeriHos LLC and Golden Sands Management LLC, pleaded guilty in March 2023 and was sentenced in June 2023 to 32 months in prison. According to court records, Myatiev’s labor staffing companies caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million and facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization. In July 2023, Eka Samadashvili and Davit Pavliashvili, were sentenced for their respective roles in the operation of several labor staffing companies, including PSEB Services JD Inc., Paradise Hospitality Solutions LLC, Paradise Hospitality Group LLC, Paradise Hospitality Inc. and HBSM Corp. According to court records, these labor staffing companies caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $8.4 million and facilitated the employment of non-resident aliens in hotels, bars and restaurants in Key West and elsewhere who were not authorized to work in the United States. Finally, in March 2024, Petr Sutka was sentenced to four years in prison for his role in operating a series of labor staffing companies — including PSEB Specialty Service Inc., Perfect Service Excellent Benefits Services Inc., Starline Hospitality Inc., Norbert Janitorial Service Inc., E.S.F. Services Inc. and Expert Services F.S. Inc. — which, according to court records, caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $3.5 million and facilitated the employment of aliens without work authorization. In April 2024, Sutka’s co-defendants, Zdenek Strnad and Vasil Khatiashvili, were each sentenced to more than three years, respectively, for their roles in the tax and immigration conspiracy. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Chris Clark of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty, and Trial Attorneys Jessica A. Kraft, Matthew C. Hicks, and Wilson Rae Stamm of the Tax Division 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 21-cr-10009. ###


title: Boston Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracies

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to drug conspiracy charges. Avery Lewis, a/k/a “Wave,” 32, of Dorchester pleaded guilty on Jan. 21, 2025 to two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2025. Lewis was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H-Block beginning in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. Over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation. According to the charging documents, the H-Block street gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H-Block. Current members of H-Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation. Lewis was a long-time H-Block gang member and daily street-level dealer with a regular roster of customers. Over the course of the investigation, Lewis sold cocaine to an undercover officer on several occasions and coordinated other drug trafficking criminal activities with H-Block gang members. Lewis’ criminal history includes a 2017 cocaine conviction for possessing 86 bags of cocaine inside his apartment as well as a 2013 conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Lewis is the first defendant to plead guilty in the case. The charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Post Office Employee Pleads Guilty to Mail Theft

body_text: BOSTON – A former United States Postal Service (USPS) employee pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to theft of mail and theft of government funds. Michael Murray, 37, of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail matter by an employee and one count of theft of government money. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Feb. 3, 2026. Murray was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024. From around September 2022 through July 2023, Murray worked as a USPS postal clerk at the Beach Street Post Office in Revere and the Melrose Post Office. From around April 2023 through July 2023, Murray used his official position to steal the contents of hundreds of pieces of mail entrusted to him, including gift cards, cash and checks totaling approximately $3,422. During the same time period, Murray stole and fraudulently negotiated USPS money orders by generating them for postal customers for his own use totaling approximately $5,131. The charge of theft of mail by employee provides a sentence of up to five years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of theft of government funds valuing over $1,000 provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Chao, Chief of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit, is prosecuting the case.


title: Two Memphis Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of Machineguns

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Jermaine Brown, 19 , and Alvin McGee, 23 , both of Memphis, have each been sentenced to federal prison for possession of a machinegun. Acting United States Attorney Reagan Fondren, announced the sentences today. According to the information presented in court, on July 10, 2023, Memphis Police Department officers observed Brown and McGee driving in a stolen Hyundai Sonata through the Kensington Manor apartment complex and attempted to stop the vehicle. When the vehicle reached a dead end, the driver, Jermaine Brown, and front passenger, Alvin McGee, both jumped out of the moving vehicle, which crashed into a dumpster. Brown had a Glock .40 caliber pistol with an attached Machinegun Conversion Device (commonly referred to as a “switch”) that was loaded with 17 rounds. Brown threw the machinegun after a short foot pursuit. McGee had a Radical Firearms AR-15 style .223 caliber rifle with approximately 60 rounds and a “drop-in auto sear,” which turns the rifle into a machinegun, and he also fled from the police. Officers apprehended McGee quickly. Brown and McGee were indicted in December 2023 for possession of machineguns. On July 12, 2024, Brown pled guilty before Senior United States District Judge Jon Phipps McCalla and was sentenced on November 8, 2024 to 27 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On October 18, 2024, McGee pled guilty before Judge McCalla and was sentenced on January 24, 2025 to 41 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Fondren thanked the law enforcement partners who assisted in this case. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Chief Engineer of Vessel Guilty of Obstruction and Violating Ship Pollution Prevention Laws Sentenced to 3 Months Imprisonment

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that FEI WANG “ WANG, ” age 38, pled guilty on January 24, 2025 to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and for obstructing proceedings, and was sentenced during the same proceeding to 3 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release and payment of a $200 mandatory special assessment fee. WANG , a Chinese national, was the Chief Engineer of the M/V ASL Singapore , a Chinese-owned bulk carrier registered in Liberia and engaged in trade in the United States. The ASL Singapore arrived in New Orleans on February 26, 2024. The U.S. Coast Guard conducted an inspection, which included review of the vessel’s Oil Record Books. In his plea, WANG acknowledged presenting these books to the Coast Guard knowing they contained fraudulent entries and omitted information about discharging oily bilge water directly overboard before arriving in the United States. The falsified logs were intended to conceal the fact that since at least October 2023, when WANG boarded the vessel, the crew had dumped oily bilge water overboard directly from the bilge holding tank and was not complying with international treaties regulating oil pollution from ships. According to court documents and statements, the crew used a portable pump and flexible hose—a so-called “magic pipe”—to dispose of oily bilge water in violation of MARPOL (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships), and without the use of the appropriate pollution prevention equipment and monitoring. This was done prior to WANG boarding the vessel and continued while he was Chief Engineer, in charge of all engine room operations. The vessel’s Oily Water Separator was never properly used during WANG ’s time as Chief Engineer. “Today's sentencing highlights the commitment of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) to hold individuals accountable for violations of MARPOL, particularly in cases involving the discharge of oily waste,” stated Damon J. Youmans, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Gulf Field Office. “CGIS will continue to collaborate with our partners from the Department of Justice's Environmental Crimes Division, the U.S. Attorney's Office, and the United States Coast Guard, Sector New Orleans to enforce environmental laws and investigate these offenses.” The Coast Guard Investigative Service and the EPA Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit, and G. Dall Kammer, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, are prosecuting the case.


title: Fort Pierce man sentenced to 20 years for production of child sexual abuse material

body_text: MIAMI – On Jan. 23, U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg sentenced Blaine Korbin Hulten, to 20 years imprisonment, followed by 25 years of supervised release for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court records, Hulten, 24, of Fort Pierce, Fla., admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old minor and a 16-year-old minor, and to recording the sex act with the 16-year-old victim. Corroborating his confession, his social media records contained conversations with both minor victims, as well as evidence that Hulten was aware both victims were under the age of 18. Social media records also showed that Hulten distributed the recording of his 16-year-old victim using the social media platform. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, and John Budensiek, Martin County Sheriff, made the announcement. HSI Fort Pierce and Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hudock prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 22-cr-14027. ###