title: Dubai-Based Wall Street Exchange Agrees to Pay More Than $9.2 Million to Resolve Bank Fraud Investigation

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced today that Dubai-based Wall Street Exchange (WSE) entered into a non-prosecution agreement (the NPA) on January 19, 2025 with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (the Office) and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and has agreed to pay more than $9 million to resolve a bank fraud investigation into false statements that it made to a U.S. financial institution concerning the anti-money laundering compliance of WSE and its United Kingdom (U.K.)-based subsidiary, Wall Street Forex London Limited (Forex). Under the terms of the NPA, WSE agreed to pay to the United States a criminal monetary fine of $3,920,000, and forfeiture in the amount of $5,326,648. The NPA also requires WSE to continue to cooperate with and provide information to the United States for the term of the agreement. “With this agreement, WSE admits that it is responsible under U.S. law for the past acts of its former officers, directors, employees and agents which constitute a violation of law, specifically bank fraud, and has implemented a program to detect and prevent money laundering violations,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office is committed to holding foreign actors accountable for abusing our financial system and ensures that we protect the integrity of U.S. banks.” Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division, for their work on the case. “WSE’s failure to inform the US bank of an open investigation in the UK left the bank vulnerable to regulatory scrutiny. Anti-money laundering compliance is not only necessary to protect the sovereignty of our financial institutions but also that of our nation. IRS-CI worked closely with our federal partners to ensure that there is accountability in this case, and now WSE will pay the US government more than $9 million in fines and forfeiture,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. WSE and its Subsidiary, Forex WSE is a money exchange service provider headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Forex was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 1992 and was a wholly owned subsidiary of WSE. Prior to 2018, three of WSE’s most senior executives (collectively, WSE Executives) were also directly involved in directing and managing Forex. Two of the WSE Executives – Officer 1 and Officer 2— simultaneously served as executives of WSE and directors of Forex. Between 2009 and 2018, WSE had a U.S. dollar correspondent bank account in New York with Bank A, which allowed WSE to execute transactions in U.S. dollars, access the U.S. financial system, and remit funds globally. Between 2012 and 2017, Forex had a similar trading account with Bank A in London. Prior to 2016, Forex’s business included facilitating international dollar-denominated wires for money service businesses (MSBs) that could not wire funds internationally on their own. Forex was required to register with U.K. financial authorities, including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Forex was also required to comply with U.K. money laundering regulations, including having to establish internal controls to prevent its clients from laundering money through its business. Through its external compliance consultant and its own employees and directors, Forex was aware that its money services business clients were using Forex’s operations to engage in suspicious money laundering activities. For example, Forex’s external consultant alerted Forex that several of its clients were providing demonstrably false information to Forex. At least one Forex employee also raised concerns about the inadequacy of Forex’s internal controls and by extension, Forex’s potential facilitation of money laundering. These concerns were raised and elevated to one or more of the WSE Executives. In 2016, HMRC revoked the “fit and proper” status of all of Forex’s directors, including the “fit and proper” status of Officer 1 and Officer 2. In withdrawing the directors’ “fit and proper” status, HMRC concluded that Forex repeatedly engaged in non-compliant financial activities and persistently failed to comply with key aspects of the requisite money laundering regulations and that among other deficiencies, Forex and its directors failed to establish and maintain appropriate internal controls to detect money laundering activities. HMRC also canceled Forex’s registration and notified Forex that it could not continue to do business in the U.K. After HMRC’s revocation, Forex subsequently ceased its U.K. operations in 2016. Bank Fraud Despite the above-described regulatory action against Forex, Forex and WSE never disclosed to Bank A negative findings regarding Forex’s money laundering controls and compliance, the regulatory action by HMRC, and the reason that Forex ceased operations in the U.K. Instead, Forex and WSE reported in multiple communications between 2015 and 2018, including in WSE’s and Forex’s audited financial statements for 2015, that Forex’s agents were the subjects of both an internal investigation and an investigation by U.K. authorities, while omitting that Forex itself was also a subject of both investigations. For example, when Bank A was conducting its due diligence review on WSE in 2015 and 2016, and asked WSE whether WSE had identified “any issues” in “internal/external audits,” each time, WSE responded, “No.” Moreover, in 2016, when Bank A asked whether WSE had any “regulatory action regarding any AML [anti-money laundering] issues” that year, WSE also reported “No,” –even though weeks prior, HMRC had revoked the “fit and proper” status of Forex’s directors, including officers of WSE, for AML issues and had notified Forex it could no longer operate as an MSB in the U.K. WSE repeated this misrepresentation to Bank A in 2017. Between 2016 and 2018, WSE also misrepresented to Bank A that Forex was voluntarily withdrawing from the U.K. and surrendering its license, characterizing the move as a “business decision” rather than the result of the HMRC regulatory action. WSE, through its former officers and directors, failed between 2015 and 2018 to disclose information regarding Forex and made material misrepresentations to Bank A. WSE was able to maintain its banking relationships with Bank A until September 2018, when Bank A terminated its banking relationships with WSE globally. The Non-Prosecution Agreement The Justice Department reached this resolution with WSE based on a number of factors, including, among others: (i) the nature and seriousness of the offense, including that the events relevant to this matter largely related to a WSE affiliate no longer in operation and occurred under former WSE management and that WSE has had no bank accounts in the United States since 2018; (ii) WSE’s remedial measures to enhance its compliance program; and (iii) WSE’s lack of a criminal history in the United States. In addition, WSE received credit for cooperating with the department including by providing documents and information not otherwise available to the department. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section and MLARS, in coordination with the Office’s Bank Integrity Task Force, which is charged with investigating and charging corporate and individual actors who launder criminal proceeds using the U.S. banking system and enforcing anti-money laundering controls under the Bank Secrecy Act. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hiral D. Mehta, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Genny Ngai and Brian Morris of the Eastern District of New York, and Trial Attorneys Elizabeth Carr and Michael P. Grady of MLARS' Bank Integrity Unit, are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of MLARS Paralegal Specialist Nicholas Aholt. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The Defendant : Wall Street Exchange Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2025.01.19_npa_and_sof_fully_executed.pdf


title: Orange County Man Sentenced To 75 Months For Distributing Methamphetamine And Selling Illegal Pills On The Dark Web

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that KYLE WEILAND, who operated an illegal pill and narcotics manufacturing business on the dark web, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel to 63 months in prison, along with a consecutive 12-month prison term for violating the terms of his supervised release for a previous, similar offense. In September 2024, WEILAND pled guilty to distributing methamphetamine and selling misbranded drugs. U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “In 2019, Kyle Weiland was convicted for selling illegal pills online. After serving his prison term and while still on supervised release, he returned to his illegal drug business. Weiland manufactured dangerous pills, including those containing methamphetamine, that he sold on the dark web to customers throughout the United States. But, just as before, Weiland was caught. This sentence sends a clear message that selling illegal pills does not pay and will be met with serious prison sentences. We will not tolerate the illegal sale of narcotics and other addictive substances into the community, whether those sales take place on the street or the dark web.” WEILAND admitted that he manufactured, sold on the dark web, and shipped to customers throughout the U.S., various pills that contained or were marketed as methamphetamine, amphetamine, oxycodone, various benzodiazepines, or analogs of these substances. WEILAND agreed to forfeit $2,093,887.72, including $21,341.00 in cash; a 2008 Maserati GranTurismo; a 2013 Maserati GranTurismo; a 2019 McLaren 570S; and various cryptocurrencies. WEILAND was previously convicted in 2019 for selling illegal pills online and was sentenced to six months in prison followed by three years supervised release. He committed the instant offense while serving his term of supervised release. * * * In addition to the prison term, WEILAND, 36, of Tuxedo Park, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shaun E. Werbelow and Justin L. Brooke are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Dark Web Moderator Advertising Child Sexual Abuse Material Sentenced to 15 Years

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Kent, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for advertising child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Michael Posey , 50, to 180 months to be followed by seven years of supervised release. Posey pleaded guilty on August 29, 2024. In sentencing Posey, the judge noted that communities such as the one in which Posey participated “create a supply chain to satisfy the demand for this poison” and inflict “generational emotional destruction on vulnerable members of our communities” with untold lasting impact on the young victims. According to court records, in early 2024, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Portland, Maine were investigating a site on the dark web dedicated to the sexual abuse of children. During the investigation, HSI agents observed a profile, later identified as belonging to Michael Posey, 49, that held a moderator position and was responsible for approving posts submitted by others. The profile included a password that individuals could use for any files/links provided by the user. A review of the profile’s history revealed a history of postings that dated back to December 2021. Agents logged into the site, reviewed a post made by Posey regarding a collection of 70 videos of child sexual abuse, and accessed a zipped file containing numerous videos including young children. In April 2024, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Posey’s residence in Kent, Washington. During the interview, Posey confirmed he used the profile on the dark web site and provided agents with his login information. HSI investigated the case. “Mr. Posey helped to create and benefited from a marketplace predicated on vulnerable victims being abused,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee . “Peddling child pornography is not a victimless crime – child sexual abuse material captures the very real, traumatizing, and abhorrent sexual abuse of children, and those children are revictimized every single time that material is shared, by every single person who views it.” “Posey used the dark web to advertise abhorrent images capturing the sexual abuse of children who were irreparably harmed in the productions. Now he will remain in prison for a considerable period of time where he cannot be a threat to the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Today's sentence shows the gravity of Posey’s crime and HSI’s commitment to seeking justice for children traumatized by online child sexual exploitation.” To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Houston Woman Sentenced for $800,000 Covid Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Houston, Texas, woman was sentenced in federal court today for fraudulently receiving more than $800,000 in Missouri and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act unemployment benefits using the identity information of numerous other persons. Prayshana Washington, 37, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to three years and one month in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Washington to pay $808,019 in restitution to the Missouri Division of Employment Security and $28,350 in restitution to the California Employment Development Department, for a total of $836,369 in restitution. On May 23, 2024, Washington pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property. Washington admitted she facilitated the filing of false claims in her name and the names of other persons, thereby fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits paid through the state of Missouri. These benefits included benefits from the CARES Act. Washington fraudulently filed 38 successful claims for unemployment benefits, using the name and personal identifying information of individuals in the state of Missouri and elsewhere. These persons were not eligible to receive Missouri and enhanced unemployment benefits. The scheme lasted over a year and required repeated false statements by Washington to the Missouri Department of Employment Services. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations & Labor Racketeering Fraud.


title: Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Providing Firearm to Felon

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Mills, age 39, a resident of Dannemora, New York, was sentenced today to serve 21 months in prison for knowingly providing a firearm to a felon. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Mills admitted that at various times during summer 2022, he traded a New England Firearms Company Model Pardner-SP1 .410-gauge shotgun, an Armalite rifle, ammunition, an ammunition magazine and two body armor vests to Dustin J. Manor at Manor’s apartment in Plattsburgh, New York, knowing that Manor was a felon. On October 20, 2022, the Plattsburgh Police Department seized the shotgun, one (1) .44 magnum round of ammunition, shotgun rounds, and a set of RTS Tactical Level IV ceramic body armor from Manor’s Plattsburgh apartment after responding to a domestic incident there. Manor was federally prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition due to 2014 drug felony convictions for which he was sentenced to 5 years in state prison. Mills had been employed as a corrections officer at Clinton Correctional Facility but resigned his position following his arrest. Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release to begin after Mills is released from prison. Manor was sentenced in August to 57 months in prison and 3 years’ supervised release for possessing the .410-gauge shotgun and ammunition as a felon. HSI and the Plattsburgh Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer prosecuted the case.


title: Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Damian Quillinan, age 50, of Broadalbin, New York, pled guilty today to possession of child pornography while under post-release supervision for prior child pornography offenses. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement. According to the plea agreement and documents previously filed in the case, Quillinan is a registered sex offender in the State of New York, stemming from his 2017 convictions in the Northern District of New York for multiple counts of receipt and possession of child pornography. In January 2024, shortly after being released from incarceration on those offenses, Quillinan manipulated a video of a prepubescent minor he obtained over the internet to create a lewd and lascivious image of the minor’s genitalia, which he then possessed on a tablet until it was seized by law enforcement during a search of his residence in September 2024. Quillinan also admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release on his prior convictions by committing the new offense and by possessing unauthorized internet-capable devices. He is scheduled to be sentenced on the new offense and his supervised release violation by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on May 22, 2025. Quillinan faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, and up to 20 years in prison, and an additional term of up to 2 years in prison on his violation of supervised release. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life. Quillinan may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense. Quillinan must continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. HSI investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Nicholas Walter are prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Boston Man Sentenced for Federal Ammunition Charge

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Nicholas Carle, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 42 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2024, Carle pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition after being charged in April 2023. On Dec. 18, 2022, after being stopped for a traffic violation, Carle ran from law enforcement, dropping his coat. Inside the coat, a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver, loaded with six rounds of ammunition was recovered. Inside of the trunk of the vehicle, approximately 2.5 pounds of a substance that appeared to be marijuana was located. Due to prior felony convictions including a conviction for possession of a firearm without a permit, Carle is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William F. Abely and Julien M. Mundele prosecuted the case.


title: Three Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Their Roles in a Counterfeit Money Scheme

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced three South Dakota men convicted of crimes related to a counterfeit currency operation. The sentencings took place on January 13, 2025. Sonny Chao, age 36, of Oacoma, South Dakota, was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Anthony Martinez, age 24, of Chamberlain, South Dakota, was sentenced to one month in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Gino Martinez, age 21, of Chamberlain, South Dakota, was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. All three defendants were ordered to pay $7,500 in restitution to the victims of this matter. The restitution was ordered to be paid jointly and severally. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. Chao pleaded guilty to Possession of Electronic Image for Counterfeiting Obligations or Securities and Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm on October 16, 2024. Anthony Martinez pleaded guilty to two counts of Passing Counterfeit U.S. Currency on October 17, 2024. Gino Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of Passing Counterfeit U.S. Currency on October 15, 2024. These convictions stemmed from Chao using electronic images on his computer to create counterfeit $100.00 Federal Reserve Notes that were passed at various businesses throughout central South Dakota between November 28, 2023, and March 17, 2024. Chao would soak genuine $1.00 Federal Reserve Notes in a solution that removed the ink and print the image of a $100.00 Federal Reserve Note on the blank genuine paper. Anthony and Gino Martinez assisted Chao by passing the counterfeit currency at a number of businesses. During the execution of a search warrant at Chao’s residence, law enforcement located two firearms in Chao’s bed. Chao was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, South Dakota Fusion Center, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Chamberlain Police Department, Lyman County Sheriff’s Office, Brule County Sheriff’s Office, Jerauld County Sheriff’s Office, Winner Police Department, Mitchell Police Department, and the Pierre Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case. Chao and Anthony Martinez were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Mission Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Kidnapping. The sentencing took place on January 21, 2025. Canku Martinez, age 22, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He was found guilty following a four-day jury trial in October of 2024. In the early morning hours of October 29, 2023, Martinez agreed to give the juvenile victim a ride home from a party near Rosebud, South Dakota. Rather than give her a ride home, however, Martinez drove the victim to a secluded area outside of Rosebud and made sexual advances. When the victim rejected his advances, Martinez produced a knife. Martinez then forced the victim to engage in sexual activity. Martinez subsequently dropped the victim off at her residence and told her not to tell anyone what he had done. Martinez left the local area shortly thereafter. The offenses occurred within the Rosebud Indian Reservation. “Bringing this defendant to justice is the result of tremendous cooperation between federal and tribal law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Mr. Martinez engaged in a despicable course of conduct in this case and subjected the victim to unthinkable sexual violence. The sentence he received today reflects the seriousness of his crimes.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI. Senior Litigation Counsel Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Martinez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Leader Of Caribbean Arms Trafficking Ring Charged With Conspiracy To Smuggle Firearms From The United States

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Shem Wayne Alexander (35, Port of Spain, Trinidad) with conspiracy to commit unlawful export smuggling and conspiracy to traffic firearms. If convicted, Alexander faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Alexander was arrested in Jamaica on November 15, 2024, pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest request with a view towards extradition to the United States. On December 20, 2024, Alexander was extradited to the United States. Alexander is detained pending trial. According to the indictment, Alexander was the leader of a group that unlawfully exported firearms, firearms components (including upper/lower receivers and gun parts kits), and related items from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago between 2019 and 2022. Alexander is a national of Trinidad and Tobago. The firearms, which included pistols and rifles, and related equipment were concealed within boxing/fight equipment, speakers, and other household items to avoid detection by law enforcement and customs authorities. Conspirators also acquired firearms in the Tampa area from different sellers through straw purchases, falsely representing the identities of the actual purchasers and recipients of the firearms, as well as their ultimate destination. On April 7, 2021, Alexander directed conspirators to ship a package concealing and containing various firearms and related equipment, including a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, a SAR Arms SAR-9 9mm pistol, a Taurus G3 9mm pistol, and a Ruger Security-9 9mm pistol, from Miami to Trinidad and Tobago. On April 22, 2021, authorities at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad seized those firearms and other related items that had been concealed in the shipment. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, including HSI’s Attaché Caribbean, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (Transnational Organized Crime Unit and Special Investigations Unit), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Industry and Security - Office of Export Enforcement as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious transnational criminal organizations. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided critical support in the extradition of Alexander. This case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.


title: Horizon City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Lead Role in Human Smuggling Organization

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Horizon City man was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison for charges related to his involvement in a human smuggling conspiracy. According to court documents, Isai Orona aka Panda, 35, was the organizer of a human smuggling scheme. He had been identified in WhatsApp communications, which the organization used for coordinating criminal activity. Additionally, when U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended a co-conspirator who had been transporting nine undocumented noncitizens in El Paso, the vehicle used was registered to Orona. Orona was arrested Nov. 20, 2023. He pleaded guilty July 12, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens and one count of transporting aliens. Orona admitted to smuggling over 2,500 undocumented noncitizens within approximately six months in 2023. Many car loads of undocumented noncitizens were transported to Albuquerque, New Mexico and on to other locations. He also admitted to having a network of drivers to transport the undocumented noncitizens in at least 12 vehicles, which he obtained or helped others to obtain. In addition to Orona’s imprisonment, the court entered a money judgment against him in the amount of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. USBP investigated the case with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Watts and Patricia Acosta prosecuted the case. ###


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime and Violating Supervised Release

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jermaine Demaul Cathey, 43, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced today to eight years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and violating supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April, 20, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Cathey on an outstanding warrant from Ohio after conducting a traffic stop of a vehicle Cathey was driving in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle following the arrest and found a loaded SCCY model CPX-1 9mm pistol under the vehicle’s center console. Cathey admitted to possessing the firearm. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Cathey knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery in Franklin County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on August 28, 2006, being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempting to commit a felony in Cabell County Circuit Court on January 17, 2013, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 11, 2017. Officers executed a search warrant for the vehicle after it was towed. Officers seized approximately 75 grams of fentanyl, 6 grams of methamphetamine, and 2 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” from the vehicle. At the time of this offense, Cathey was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his 2017 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Today’s sentence includes one year and three 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor 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 result 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. 3:23-cr-179 and 3:17-cr-73. ###


title: Former School Bus Driver Admits Recording Sexual Abuse of Minors

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A former school bus driver on Wednesday admitted recording his sexual abuse of two young children. Robert W. Stillwell, 67, of St. Peters, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography. Stillwell admitted filming his sexual abuse of one girl, born in 2016, and another, born in 2022. Stillwell abused the victims while they were both asleep and awake, and coerced the older girl into complying with his demands by promising toys and money as well as by threatening her. She said Stillwell would become angry and scream when she did not cooperate. He also modified his voice to resemble that of two elementary school-aged girls and recorded messages to the older victim in which the “girls” encourage her to comply with his demands. The parents of the older victim contacted the St. Peters Police Department in December 2023 after their daughter said Stillwell was drinking her urine, claiming it was medicine for him. Investigators then found recordings of his abuse of the victims. Stillwell is scheduled to be sentenced on April 22. The government will recommend a sentence of 30 years in prison. The FBI, the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force and the St. Peters Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Fort Wayne Man Convicted at Trial of Firearm Offense

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

body_text: FORT WAYNE – Neon L. Frazier, 50 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm following a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled by separate order. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey R. Speith and Dawn Ransom. This case was also 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: Pryor Man Sentenced to Life After Jury Convicts Him of Aggravated and Abusive Child Sexual Abuse

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Previously convicted by a jury in July, Adam Joseph King, was sentenced today for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country. U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced King, 36, to life imprisonment on both counts. “King took advantage of a child entrusted in his care and continues to show no remorse for his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The only way to stop someone like King and protect the community is by giving him a lengthy prison sentence.” “The victim in the case was just eight years old when King began abusing her. Despite the trauma she endured, she found the courage to tell her story in court, and as a result this dangerous predator will now live behind bars where he can never harm another child,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “Her resilience is a powerful reminder of why we do this work – to protect the most vulnerable members of our community and hold violent offenders accountable for their crimes.” Evidence presented to the jury showed that King repeatedly sexually abused his girlfriend's child from age eight through eleven years old. King exploited the child that was in his care and warned the victim not to tell. The child victim testified about the sexual abuse she received and eventually reported the abuse to a school counselor. Experts further testified that the evidence collected from King’s bedroom matched the DNA of the child victim. The investigation showed that King and his girlfriend, the victim's mother, denied any wrongdoing by King. Once the investigation began, the minor victim and sibling were removed from the home and placed in the custody of their grandparents, where they have remained. The minor victim is a tribal citizen. King will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI, the Catoosa Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria Luster and Matthew Cyran prosecuted the case. If you want to make a report of child sexual exploitation, you can use the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Seven Charged in Nation’s Largest COVID-19 Tax Credit Scheme

component: Tax Division

body_text: An indictment was unsealed today in Central Islip, New York, charging seven individuals with operating a multi-state conspiracy in which they attempted to defraud the United States of more than $600 million by filing more than 8,000 false tax returns claiming COVID-19-related employment tax credits. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized a tax credit that incentivized businesses to keep employees on their payroll, also known as the “Employee Retention Credit” or ERC. Congress also authorized a credit that reimbursed businesses for the wages paid to employees who were on sick or family leave and could not work because of COVID-19. This “paid sick and family leave credit,” or SFLC, was equal to the wages the business paid the employees during their leave. According to the indictment, from November 2021 to June 2023, defendants Keith Williams, Jamari Lewis, Morais Dicks, Janine Davis, Tiffany Williams, James Hames Jr. and Ewendra Mathurin, all current or former New York residents, repeatedly exploited these programs that were intended to help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme was allegedly headquartered at Credit Reset, a purported credit repair business Keith Williams owned and operated. Acting as tax preparers, the defendants allegedly filed more than 8,000 false employment tax returns with the IRS claiming COVID-related tax credits on behalf of themselves and their clients. Each of these returns were allegedly fraudulent in that they claimed SFLC in excess of the amount of wages reported on the tax return, listed the same wages as both qualified sick leave wages and qualified family leave wages or claimed the SFLC and ERC for the same wages, none of which was permitted by law. The defendants allegedly profited from the scheme by receiving tax refund checks from the U.S. Treasury and by charging clients a fee or a percentage of the tax refund the client received. The defendants also allegedly recruited others into the scheme who were compensated by receiving a percentage of fraudulently obtained U.S. Treasury checks. In total, the defendants sought more than $600 million of which the IRS paid approximately $45 million to the defendants and their clients. Additionally, the defendants allegedly concealed their preparation of the false tax returns by not listing themselves as the paid preparer on the tax returns and by using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to obscure their IP addresses while filing the false returns. If a client did not have a business, members of the conspiracy allegedly would sometimes sell shell companies to them in order to file false tax returns. After noticing discrepancies in the filed returns, the IRS and Social Security Administration (SSA) allegedly requested additional information regarding the tax returns the defendants prepared. In response, members of the conspiracy allegedly would often transmit false information to the IRS and SSA. Some of the defendants also allegedly submitted false Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. In total, the defendants were charged with 45 counts relating to the scheme including conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Keith Williams, Lewis, Mathurin, Davis, Tiffany Williams and Dicks were also charged with wire fraud in relation to fraudulent PPP applications they submitted. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy to defraud the United States charge, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge arising out of the ERC scheme, a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each wire fraud charge arising out of the PPP fraud and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each charge of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false return charge. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence of each defendant after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York, Acting Inspector in Charge Brendan Donahue of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)’s New York Division and Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis Jr. of IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) New York made the announcement. IRS-CI and USPIS are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Richard Kelley of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Toporovsky and James Simmons for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case. Former Tax Division Trial Attorney Samuel Bean assisted with the investigation. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Keith Williams et al Indictment.pdf


title: Money Launderer Tied To Nigerian Sextortion Scheme Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge today announced that Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, AL, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering , after he laundered money for Nigerian sex extortionists. Sentencing before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker, is scheduled for April 24, 2025. The indictment alleges this group used online payment systems to collect sextortion proceeds and send them to Nigerian sextortionists. According to the indictment, the sextortionists had boys and young men create nude images. After the sextortionists received those images, they allegedly had the victims send funds to the U.S.-based money launderers through online payment systems like Apple Pay, Cash App, and Zelle. The money launderers would keep about 20 percent of the money, convert the rest to bitcoin, and send the bitcoin back to Nigeria. The indictment alleges that Robinson laundered the funds of Jordan DeMay. In November 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan charged three Nigerian nationals in a sextortion scheme that resulted in the death of Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old high school student from Marquette, Michigan, and targeted more than 100 other victims. Two of the three defendants in that case were extradited to the United States in August 2023 and pled guilty in April 2024 and were later sentenced . "Dinsimore Robinson's guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a sextortion scheme underscores the alarming lengths to which criminals will go, preying on the most vulnerable members of our society," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan . "Robinson's criminal activities were thwarted through the tireless investigative efforts of the FBI in Michigan, Atlanta, and Birmingham, in partnership with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan. This case serves as a powerful reminder that no matter where criminals are located, the FBI is relentless in its pursuit of justice." Safety Tips and Resources for Victims, Teens, and Parents The FBI provides the following tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes: Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you. Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers. Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims. Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and that person asks you to start talking on a different platform. Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next. Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. Being a victim of sextortion is not your fault. You can get through this challenge, even if it seems scary and overwhelming. There are people who want to help. If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov . This FBI PSA and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children PSA share survivor stories and resources for individuals to get help. More FBI sextortion resources are available here . This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Mekaru represented the government at the hearing. The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and the remaining defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. ###


title: Florida Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sex Trafficking Nearly a Dozen Women and Girls

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, of Lake Placid, Florida, was sentenced today to life in prison for trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. Previously, a jury in the Southern District of Florida found him guilty of 10 counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor. The court has set a restitution hearing date of April 17. “Protecting victims of human trafficking and child exploitation is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida. “We are committed to aggressively combating these exploitative crimes that victimize the most vulnerable people in our society. Human beings are not commodities to be bought and sold, but rather demand our united protection. Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and child exploitation to bring these offenders to justice.” “This substantial sentence is indicative of the egregious sexual exploitation committed by Shannima Yuantrell Session on numerous juveniles and women in Highlands County, Florida,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “It is a testament to the cooperation and commitment of several law enforcement agencies including the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. We will continue working with these and other partners to dismantle human trafficking networks that operate in the shadows and brutalize their victims.” The evidence presented at the nine-day trial in September 2024 demonstrated that Session compelled victims to commit commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013 as well as between February 2016 and February 2019. Session made promises of legitimate work and housing assistance to women and girls struggling with unstable living accommodations, substance abuse and neglect or who otherwise led unstable lives. Session’s promises were often false and empty, designed to provide him with the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. Session then exploited the victims’ vulnerabilities to compel their commercial sex acts. At times, Session used food and housing to control and coerce the victims. For example, he would not permit one of his victims to eat if the victim did not follow his instructions. Often, Session required his victims to engage in sexual activity with him after they had spent a night having compelled sexual intercourse with up to 18 men. Further, the evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Session resorted to extreme physical violence to compel and intimidate certain victims. He violently punched some of the victims in the back of their heads in order not to leave marks on their bodies. Once, Session dragged a victim to a shower and beat her in the back of her head with a metal object until she fell limp to the floor. Session also choked another victim to the point that she lost consciousness, beat another victim with a bat and brutalized yet another so badly that her nose ring fell out due to the force of the assault. In addition, Session took multiple victims to a nearby lake, where he held two of their heads underwater and threatened to drown them if they did not do as he ordered. The evidence also showed that Session used a firearm to intimidate and control his victims. He consistently kept a firearm in his possession and frequently displayed it to victims or referred to it when talking with them. Once, Session pointed a firearm at a victim while he was driving and threatened to “kill” her after she asked him how he would feel if someone treated his daughter the way he treated her. Finally, the evidence indicated that Session manipulated and took advantage of some victims’ substance abuse problems to compel their commercial sex services. For example, Session provided victims with cocaine and methamphetamine to give them sufficient energy to engage in commercial sex acts and force them to lose weight. The FBI Miami Field Office, Ft. Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Highlands County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: Seven Individuals Charged in Largest Employee Retention Credit Scheme Case in the United States

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal court in Central Islip, an indictment was unsealed charging Keith Williams, Janine Davis, Morais Dicks, James Hames, Jr., Jamari Lewis, Ewendra Mathurin, and Tiffany Williams with conspiracy to defraud the United States, wire fraud, and aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns. Six defendants were arrested this morning in New York and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. Jamari Lewis is not in custody and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Karen E. Kelly, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI ), Brendan Donahue, Acting Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS) and William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the arrests and charges. “As alleged, the defendants shamefully took advantage of a global health emergency to line their pockets with millions of dollars that were intended for struggling families and small businesses just trying to stay afloat and lavished themselves with luxury goods while shamefully boasting about their criminal activity,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who stole taxpayer dollars intended to assist Americans coping with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.” “Criminals have found ways to exploit every iteration of aid offered through the COVID-19 pandemic relief funds. The ERC was created to help businesses keep themselves and their employees afloat. Yet, the defendants allegedly stole $44 million from the relief pool and chose to spend their illicit gains on jewelry, designer clothing, and luxury cars. IRS-CI worked this case with our law enforcement partners to make sure that the egregious acts of those arrested today do not go unpunished. It’s time they face justice,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. “This program was created to aide struggling small businesses during the pandemic, instead these individuals exploited it to fraudulently take money from taxpayers for their financial gain. USPIS will continue to aggressively investigate individuals who defraud the government,” stated USPIS Acting Inspector in Charge Donahue. “The outstanding work done by USPIS New York Division, HSI, IRS, DOJ Tax and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York ensures individuals are brought to justice for their crimes.” “As alleged in the indictment, an astonishing amount of taxpayer funds were illegally siphoned by a criminal organization from a needs-based government fund. As a result of the close coordination on this investigation, those defendants ultimately found guilty for perpetrating this fraudulent scheme will pay for their greed,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker. “HSI continues to work side-by-side with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice is brought to fraudsters who shamelessly steal from our nation’s economic assistance programs.” Congress created the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and the Sick and Family Leave Credit (SFLC) to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERC was introduced in 2020 to incentivize businesses to continue paying employees by providing, at first, for a 50% credit on up to $10,000 in wages paid to each employee for the calendar year for businesses closed by government order or who had a 50% drop in gross receipts due to the pandemic. By 2021, the percentage credit increased to 70% per employee per quarter. The SFLC provided a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to businesses that paid wages to employees on sick leave and a two-thirds credit on wages paid to employees on family leave due to COVID-19. Through the PPP, Congress authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and other expenses. According to court documents, between November 2021 and June 2023, the defendants filed over 8,000 quarterly payroll tax returns claiming over $600 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds. On behalf of themselves and their clients, the defendants submitted filings seeking payment under the ERC and the SFLC. Several of the defendants also filed fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications. The scheme primarily operated out of Williams’s purported credit repair business, which was called “Credit Reset.” To claim the ERC and SFLC funds, the defendants and their co-conspirators submitted tax returns to the IRS on behalf of shell businesses that, in the vast majority of cases, had no legitimate operations or employees. In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators successfully secured over $44 million in government funds through this scheme, which they then spent on goods including jewelry, electronics, designer clothing, and luxury automobiles. The defendants flaunted their criminal activity openly. For example, Lewis, an aspiring rapper who uses the stage-name, “Mr. Chaketah,” posted on social media a recording of song he wrote that was entitled, “I’m Really Sophisticated (IRS)” and the album cover for his song featured the logo of the Internal Revenue Service. In a recorded call with a co-conspirator, Williams compared the fraud scheme to “taking candy from a baby.” When investigators executed a search warrant at Williams’s home, they seized millions of dollars’ worth of luxury goods that appear to have been purchased using proceeds of the fraud scheme, including designer items from Rolex, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Balenciaga, and Versace, as well as high-end vehicles, including a Land Rover, a Polaris Slingshot, and a Tesla Model Y. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The defendants each face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of wire fraud, up to five years in prison for conspiracy and up to three years in prison on aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division and the Department of Justice’s Tax Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam R. Toporovsky and James R. Simmons of the Eastern District of New York, along with Trial Attorney Richard J. Kelley are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson. Trial Attorney Samuel B. Bean, formerly of the Tax Division, also assisted on the investigation. The Defendants : KEITH WILLIAMS Age: 46 West Hempstead, New York JANINE DAVIS (also known as “Holiday”) Age: 41 Wheatley Heights, New York MORAIS DICKS Age: 55 Dix Hills, New York JAMES HAMES, JR. (also known as “Poppa”) Age: 65 Campbell Hall, New York JAMARI LEWIS (also known as “Mr. Chaketah”) Age: 26 Queens, New York EWENDRA MATHURIN (also known as “Rayda”) Age: 32 Queens Village, New York TIFFANY WILLIAMS (also known as “Joy”) Age: 41 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-20 (GRB) erc_indictment.pdf


title: Bradford County Man Sentenced to 150 Months In Prison For Transporting A Minor To Engage In Illicit Sexual Conduct

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Mark Douglas Miller, age 45, of Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 150 months of imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for transporting a minor to engage in sexual conduct. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, from January 2020 to March 2020, Miller knowingly and willfully transported a minor across state lines with a motivating purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct. The case was investigated by the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin 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. # # #


title: Man who Aided and Abetted False Statements in the Purchase of Multiple Firearms Sentenced to Over Twenty Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who used his girlfriend to purchase guns for others and himself was sentenced today to 260 months in federal prison. Levi Allen Doolin, age 22, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 26, 2024 guilty plea to three counts of aiding and abetting false statements during the purchase of a firearm. In September 2023, Doolin aided and abetted his then girlfriend, Jasmin Fox, who was previously sentenced in federal court, when she attempted to and did successfully purchase multiple firearms on behalf of others. The evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that Doolin used one of the firearms purchased by Fox in two different shots fired incidents in Cedar Rapids as well as in a robbery. The evidence at the hearing also showed that Doolin had previously possessed firearms as a drug user while on high-risk supervision. In imposing its sentence, and in reflecting on Doolin’s serious criminal history, the sentencing judge noted that Doolin was “out of control.” Doolin was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Doolin was sentenced to 120 months on two counts and 20 months on the third count, with the sentences to run consecutively for a total of 260 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Doolin is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. 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. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR- 00026. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Man who Defrauded Investors in Sports Betting Fund Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Wednesday sentenced a man who stole $650,000 from investors in a sports betting fund to 48 months in prison and ordered him to repay the money. Elijah A. Goshert, 48, defrauded investors in the “Magellan Sports Fund” from at least Feb. 1, 2017, through Nov. 15, 2023. Goshert falsely claimed that he was using a “sophisticated computer algorithm” that substantially reduced betting risks. Goshert sent false performance updates claiming substantial investment profits while spending most of the victims’ investments on unauthorized expenses. Goshert stole about $654,861 from at least 12 victims. In a letter to the court, one of Goshert’s victims said he lost $60,000 and spent another $20,000 in legal fees over years trying to get his money back. Another, who invested $50,000, wrote that he’d suffered severe emotional and psychological damage due to chronic anxiety and stress and the betrayal of trust by someone he considered a close friend. Goshert repeatedly lied to the victim about why he couldn’t access his money, even falsely claiming that he’d sold the betting fund to a private equity firm. In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman said Goshert’s crime was “a yearslong sophisticated scheme” not a “one-off lapse in judgment.” “Scamming people who trust you is especially loathsome,” said Special Agent in Charge Ashley Johnson of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Unfortunately, the way Elijah Goshert targeted his victims is not unique. When white-collar criminals exploit the trust that already exists within their social circles, it’s known as affinity fraud.” Goshert pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of wire fraud. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.


title: Six foreign nationals sentenced for attempting to traffic cocaine into the United States

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Four Mexican nationals and two Ecuadoran nationals have been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, on Feb. 24, 2024, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a helicopter from the Coast Guard Cutter Munro detected a go-fast vessel (GFV) with no identifying markings of nationality approximately 450 nautical miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, in international waters. The Munro was patrolling in the vicinity and diverted to intercept. A long-range interceptor small boat was launched and navigated to the last known position of the GFV. The helicopter observed the GFV jettison a fuel barrel and used warning shots to halt the boat. The LRI arrived and a boarding team took control of the GFV. The team encountered six individuals aboard the GFV, identified as Rudi Euriel Santos Bernal, Juan Manuel Gastelum Valenzuela, Ronny Rosado Alvarez, Juan Ramon Vega Cardenas, Manuel Rodrigo Otero Rivera, and Kennedy Samuel Rivera Flores. None of the individuals made a claim of nationality for the vessel. Permission was granted to treat the vessel as “without nationality,” and a full law enforcement boarding was conducted. The boarding team safely located and then transferred to the cutter all contraband, which included 38 bales of cocaine for an estimated at-sea weight of 1,790 kilograms. Gastelum Valenzuela pled guilty on Aug. 19, 2024, and was sentenced on Dec. 18, 2024, to two years in prison. Rosado Alvarez and Rivera Flores pled guilty on August 20, 2024, and was sentenced on Dec. 18, 2024, to two years in prison. On Dec. 19, 2024, Rivera Flores was sentenced to two years in prison. On Dec. 18, 2024, Rosado Alvares was sentenced to two years in prison. Otero Rivera and Vega Cardenas pled guilty on July 29, 2024. Otero Rivera was sentenced on Dec. 11, 2024, to two years in prison. Vega Cardenas was sentenced on Jan. 21 to two years and three months in prison. Santos Bernal pled guilty on Sept. 18, 2024, and was sentenced on Jan. 21 to two years in prison. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric M. Hurt and Kevin M. Comstock prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-15.


title: Parkersburg Man Pleads Guilty to Immigration Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – John Robert Coe, 66, of Parkersburg and a retired Wood County Board of Education employee, pleaded guilty today to continuing to employ a known illegal alien. According to court documents and statements made in court, from early 2011 until May 12, 2021, a foreign national from Madagascar worked without monetary compensation at the business that Coe co-owned with Frederick Sayre Anderson. Coe admitted that, at some point in 2011, he learned the foreign national’s presence in the United States was unlawful. Coe further admitted that the foreign national continued to work at the business until May 12, 2021, despite her illegal immigration status. The foreign national was also housed at the business, sleeping in an office converted into a bedroom. The business has no shower or bathing facilities. Coe permitted the foreign national to bathe at his residence, though at times the foreign national was unable to shower at Coe’s residence. The business is a laboratory that provides water quality testing kits to state and local governments across the country. Coe admitted that the foreign national performed work for the business including shipping supplies to customers, receiving customer service calls, and handling the company’s accounts receivable. Coe further admitted that he also had the foreign national perform side jobs for him during this time period. These side jobs included cleaning his residence and editing history book manuscripts that he was preparing for publication. Coe compensated the foreign national in cash for these side jobs. On May 7, 2021, Coe learned from Anderson that federal immigration agents were at the business and searching for the foreign national. Coe admitted that Anderson suggested later that day that they move the foreign national into Coe’s residence. Coe further admitted that he did not want the foreign national moving into his residence. They discussed moving the foreign national into a motel before agreeing that the foreign national should remain at the business. On May 12, 2021, the foreign national permanently left the business with the assistance of federal authorities. Coe is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $3,000 fine. Coe has agreed to pay $54,740 in restitution. Anderson, 64, of Parkersburg, pleaded guilty on January 4, 2024, to concealing, harboring, and shielding an alien from detection and awaits sentencing. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Virginia State Police, and the Parkersburg Police Department. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage 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. 2:24-cr-178. ###


title: New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Gun While on Supervised Release

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHAQUIL GARY, 31, of New Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a firearm while on federal supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, in January 2016, Gary was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 96 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for committing an armed robbery of an ATF informant in August 2014. After pleading guilty to the offense and while awaiting sentencing, Gary attempted to send a copy of a non-public case report to friends and family members with instructions to post it on Facebook and tell others that an individual identified in the report was cooperating with law enforcement officers. In April 2022, a white SUV was identified as being involved in shooting incidents in New Haven and Hamden. On April 19, 2022, investigators saw Gary exit the SUV after parking it on Shelton Avenue. Gary ran from pursuing officers and discarded a firearm during the chase. Gary was apprehended on Hazel Street, and officers recovered a loaded Glock model 17, 9mm pistol, that he had thrown. The handgun had been reported stolen in Waterbury in 2018. Subsequent analysis of the gun using the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) connected it to multiple gang-related shooting incidents in early 2019 while Gary was incarcerated in federal custody, including a shooting near Eastern Street in New Haven on January 23, 2019, where a suspected member of the Exit 8 gang of New Haven was found suffering from a gunshot wound; a shots fired incident near Eastern Street in New Haven on January 28, 2019, where a witness observed a male firing a handgun from a car and into the front window of an apartment; and the shooting of two individuals near Shelton Avenue in New Haven on February 5, 2019. Gary’s criminal history also includes state felony convictions for the sale and possession of narcotics. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. On September 4, 2024, Gary pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, and the Hamden Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Dearington. 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: New Britain Man Admits Recording His Sexual Abuse of a Child

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, announced that ORLANDO GUZMAN, 73, of New Britain, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to child exploitation offenses stemming from his sexual abuse of a minor and his using an app to share and receive child sexual abuse material. According to court documents and statements made in court, HSI has been investigating a network of individuals who have been using private groups on an internet chat application to share images and videos of child sexual abuse. The investigation revealed that an account associated with Guzman was an active member of two of these groups. The investigation further revealed that, between February and August 2022, Guzman sexually abused a minor female and used mobile devices to record and store images and videos of the abuse. On September 2, 2022, investigators conduct a court-authorized search of Guzman’s mobile devices. Analysis of the devices revealed more than 4,000 video files and more than 7,000 image files of child pornography, including images and videos depicting Guzman’s abuse of the minor victim. Guzman has been detained since his arrest on September 7, 2022. Guzman pleaded guilty to production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled. This matter has been investigated by HSI with the assistance of the New Britain Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Colorado Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes

body_text: A Colorado businesswoman pleaded guilty today to not paying employment taxes. According to documents and statements made in court, Shandel Arkadie, of Agate, Colorado, operated a home health care business, Alternative Choice Home Care Nursing LLC. Arkadie was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and income taxes from Alternative Choice’s employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. She was also responsible for paying over Alternative Choice’s portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes. Between January 2015 and December 2020, the company withheld over $1,000,000 from its employees’ wages but did not pay the funds over to the IRS or file the requisite quarterly tax returns. In addition, the company owed approximately $500,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes, which Arkadie did not pay. In total, Arkadie caused a tax loss to the IRS of about $1,500,000. Arkadie is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Julia Rugg and Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Long Island Man Charged With Sexual Exploitation of Children

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Jacob Israel Walden was arraigned this afternoon at the federal courthouse in Central Islip on a six-count indictment charging him with sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography and access with intent to view child pornography. Walden was arrested on a complaint on July 31, 2024. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown who ordered the defendant detained pending trial. John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Spiros Karabinas, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey (HSI), announced the indictment. “As alleged, the defendant enticed minors to produce sexually explicit photographs and videos of themselves and send them to him via the internet in exchange for payment,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Protecting children from predators who sexually exploit them will always be a priority of my Office.” “We are determined to dismantle the insidious network of online child sexual exploitation and abuse – no child’s innocence should be for sale,” stated HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Karabinas. “Every day HSI Newark and our partners work tirelessly to protect children from exploitation by predators who produce, distribute and possess child sexual abuse material. The public can help us in that fight by notifying HSI immediately if they suspect someone is exploiting or abusing a child by calling our HSI tip line, 1-877-4-HSI-TIP.” As set forth in court filings, law enforcement first identified Walden, a healthcare executive and Long Island resident, as a repeat purchaser of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a large-scale production and distribution ring that advertised, sold and distributed CSAM to adult male buyers. Subsequent investigation determined that Walden also used social media and encrypted messaging services to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors. During these conversations, Walden enticed the minors to produce child pornography of themselves for payment. In his chat conversations with these victims, Walden insisted that he be addressed as “daddy,” provided directions for what content the minors were to produce (e.g., “take off your top”) and paid the minors via electronic payment after he received the requested content. Walden was also a prolific purchaser of CSAM from online producers and distributors of child pornography. Law enforcement agents recovered numerous images and videos of child pornography from the defendant’s iPhone. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Walden faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Criminal Section of the Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonid Sandlar is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant: JACOB ISRAEL WALDEN Age: 38 Valley Stream, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 24-CR-521 (GRB) jacob_walden_indictment.pdf


title: Ivory Coast Man Charged with Participating in a Sextortion Scheme that Caused the Death of a North Dakota Teenager

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that a federal grand jury has returned an Indictment charging Aly Cherif, a/k/a Australien Choco, a/k/a Australien Ch’co, a/k/a Michael Jhonson, a/k/a Ali Aly, age 23, from the Ivory Coast, with 1) Cyberstalking Resulting in Death; 2) Wire Fraud; 3) Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; 4) Extortion; and 5) Distribution of Child Pornography, which resulted in the death of a North Dakota teenager. The Indictment unsealed today alleges that Cherif, and other individuals located in the Ivory Coast, participated in a well-organized sextortion group that targeted victims throughout the world. “Sextortion” is a term used to describe a scheme to defraud where individuals use the threat of releasing photographs or videos which depict people’s private, intimate, or sexual acts to fraudulently coerce those people to send money based upon falsehoods, blackmail, and threats, in exchange for the sextortioners’ promise to not release these photographs or videos. Specifically, sextortioners perpetrating sextortion schemes utilize false claims to induce victims to send photographs or videos of themselves—or to engage in video chats where the sextortioners record victims—nude or engaged in private, intimate, or sexual acts, and then the sextortioners threaten to release these photographs or videos to friends, family, work colleagues, or threaten to post these photographs or videos on the internet, unless the victim pays money to the sextortioners. Additionally, as alleged in the Indictment, Cherif and others in the sextortion group targeted a North Dakota teenager by obtaining publicly available photographs of an attractive woman from the internet and then fraudulently used these photographs to create or modify a Facebook account to falsely pose as a woman named “Emily Thompson.” Thereafter, the sextortion group contacted the minor victim through Facebook chat and falsely stated that they were “Emily Thompson,” and that “Emily Thompson” was twenty (20) years old and lived in Montana, when in fact, Cherif and the sextortion group were operating this Facebook account, not a woman named “Emily Thompson.” Next, the sextortion group obtained a video recording and photographs of the minor victim engaging in a private, intimate, or sexual act, and used extortion tactics to attempt to force the minor victim to pay money so that “Emily Thompson” would not release videos and photographs of the minor victim engaging in these acts. When the minor victim informed “Emily Thompson,” that the minor victim did not have any money, the sextortion group distributed images of the minor victim’s genitalia on Facebook. Shortly thereafter, the minor victim committed suicide. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our partners in law enforcement are committed to obtaining a measure of justice for this family,” Schneider said. “The indictment alleges greed, deception, and child exploitation that led to a heartrending tragedy. As we pursue justice in this case, we want to deter similar conduct and remind kids and families that help is available if they become victims of sextortion.” "This case is a stark reminder of the dangers children face online, where predators use deception and technology to exploit the most vulnerable among us," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr." The FBI and our partners will continue working tirelessly to protect children and bring those who seek to harm them to justice." An indictment is an accusation and notice of charges. The defendant is presumed innocent under the law unless and until proven guilty. To report a sextortion scam, contact your local FBI field office at 1-800-CALL-FBI. To learn more about identifying and preventing sextortion scams, please visit the FBI’s website: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-frauds-and-scams/sextortion Further, please visit the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Resource for Sextortion Victims: https://www.ojp.gov/library/publications/resources-sextortion-victims This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek. ######


title: Boston Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Escape from Residential Re-Entry Center

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for leaving a residential re-entry center where he was serving the remainder of his federal sentence for drug distribution. He was also sentenced for violations of supervised release on a prior federal conviction. Derek Rego, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Rego was also sentenced to a term of eight months in prison to run concurrent with the escape sentence after being found in violation of the multiple terms of his supervised release on a prior federal drug trafficking conviction. In September 2024, Rego pleaded guilty to one count of escape after being indicted in in September 2020. In September 2012, Rego was sentenced in federal court in Boston to 120 months in prison for distribution of cocaine. On Jan. 8, 2020, Rego was transferred from a correctional institution to a residential re-entry center (“RRC”) in Boston to serve the remainder of his sentence until his release date on June 5, 2020. Prior to his transfer, in October 2019, Rego signed the furlough application which notified him, in part, that while on furlough status, he remains in the custody of the Attorney General. While residing at the RRC, Rego was permitted to work and was employed. On March 25, 2020, after informing the RRC that two co-workers tested positive for COVID-19, Rego was instructed to quarantine for 14 days at an approved “pass site” location and told that he would receive random phone calls and pass site visits to ensure his compliance. Rego was informed that after his 14-day quarantine ended on April 9, 2020, he was required to return to the RRC. Initially, Rego was compliant. However, on April 3, 2020, RRC staff attempted an in-person spot check at Rego’s temporary pass site and placed several calls to the temporary pass site landline and to Rego’s personal cell phone with negative results. Rego never returned to the RRC and his whereabouts were unknown for almost one month. On May 4, 2020 Rego was arrested in Boston on unrelated state domestic violence charges that were later dismissed. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Brian Kyes, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus, David G. Tobin and Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Florida man sentenced to life in prison for sex trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, of Lake Placid, Florida, was sentenced today to life in prison for trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. Previously, a jury in the Southern District of Florida found him guilty of 10 counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and three counts of sex trafficking of a minor. The court has set a restitution hearing date of April 17. “Protecting victims of human trafficking and child exploitation is a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael S. Davis for the Southern District of Florida. “We are committed to aggressively combating these exploitative crimes that victimize the most vulnerable people in our society. Human beings are not commodities to be bought and sold, but rather demand our united protection. Our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and child exploitation to bring these offenders to justice.” “This substantial sentence is indicative of the egregious sexual exploitation committed by Shannima Yuantrell Session on numerous juveniles and women in Highlands County, Florida,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “It is a testament to the cooperation and commitment of several law enforcement agencies including the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. We will continue working with these and other partners to dismantle human trafficking networks that operate in the shadows and brutalize their victims.” The evidence presented at the nine-day trial in September 2024 demonstrated that Session compelled victims to commit commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013 as well as between February 2016 and February 2019. Session made promises of legitimate work and housing assistance to women and girls struggling with unstable living accommodations, substance abuse and neglect or who otherwise led unstable lives. Session’s promises were often false and empty, designed to provide him with the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. Session then exploited the victims’ vulnerabilities to compel their commercial sex acts. At times, Session used food and housing to control and coerce the victims. For example, he would not permit one of his victims to eat if the victim did not follow his instructions. Often, Session required his victims to engage in sexual activity with him after they had spent a night having compelled sexual intercourse with up to 18 men. Further, the evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Session resorted to extreme physical violence to compel and intimidate certain victims. He violently punched some of the victims in the back of their heads in order not to leave marks on their bodies. Once, Session dragged a victim to a shower and beat her in the back of her head with a metal object until she fell limp to the floor. Session also choked another victim to the point that she lost consciousness, beat another victim with a bat and brutalized yet another so badly that her nose ring fell out due to the force of the assault. In addition, Session took multiple victims to a nearby lake, where he held two of their heads underwater and threatened to drown them if they did not do as he ordered. The evidence also showed that Session used a firearm to intimidate and control his victims. He consistently kept a firearm in his possession and frequently displayed it to victims or referred to it when talking with them. Once, Session pointed a firearm at a victim while he was driving and threatened to “kill” her after she asked him how he would feel if someone treated his daughter the way he treated her. Finally, the evidence indicated that Session manipulated and took advantage of some victims’ substance abuse problems to compel their commercial sex services. For example, Session provided victims with cocaine and methamphetamine to give them sufficient energy to engage in commercial sex acts and force them to lose weight. The FBI Miami Field Office, Ft. Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Highlands County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . 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-14074. ###