title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Two More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr., 29, of San Bernadino, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and Keith Royal Goode-Harper, 32, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. Each admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2023, Gonzalez delivered approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cocaine to an individual in Bluefield, West Virginia, in exchange for a box that he believed contained $400,000. Gonzalez admitted that a co-conspirator in California provided the controlled substances in boxes and a bag that Gonzalez transported in his 2009 Freightliner semi-truck with attached trailer. Gonzalez further admitted he knew the boxes and bag contained a controlled substance but believed it was only cocaine. Gonzalez communicated by cell phone with the co-conspirator, who directed him to a parking lot in Bluefield. There, Gonzalez gave the bag to another individual and loaded the boxes into the individual’s vehicle. Gonzalez admitted that the individual gave him a box that he believed contained the cash, and that he intended to deliver the money to the co-conspirator upon his return to California. Gonzalez was driving away from the transaction in his semi-truck when law enforcement pulled him over. Gonzalez notified his co-conspirator by phone during the traffic stop. Officers seized his cell phone and a loaded 9mm pistol that Gonzalez also had in the truck’s cab. Gonzalez admitted that he previously delivered boxes containing a controlled substance in approximately January 2023 from California to the individual in Bluefield at the direction of the co-conspirator. Gonzalez admitted he received cash for that transaction that he took back to California and gave to the co-conspirator. On January 25, 2023, Goode-Harper obtained 7 ounces of methamphetamine from a co-defendant at the co-defendant’s residence in Charleston. Goode-Harper admitted that he arranged the purchase with the co-defendant in advance over a series of cell phone calls. Goode-Harper further admitted that he had asked to purchase 10 ounces of methamphetamine for a customer, but that the co-defendant told him that he only had 7 ounces of methamphetamine available. Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Goode-Harper is scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of four years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Gonzalez and Goode-Harper are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash. Twenty-one of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:23-cr-32 (Gonzalez) and 2:23-cr-135 (Goode-Harper). ###


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Offense

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced on Tuesday, September 12, 2023 that KEILEN HAWKINS , age 25, pled guilty to a one-count indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). HAWKINS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. S entencing in this case is set for December 20, 2023. On February 12, 2023, members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force investigated complaints made in the NOPD 5 th District about ongoing illegal narcotics distribution in the area. As officers conducted surveillance, they observed what was believed to be a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction. While officers continued their investigation, HAWKINS arrived on the scene. Officers detained HAWKINS for safety purposes while they conducted their investigation. Eventually, HAWKINS advised that he was in possession of a firearm. Officers recovered a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, bearing serial number BVCS826, from HAWKINS ’s waistband. Officers learned that HAWKINS had prior felony convictions punishable by a term of imprisonment in excess of one year, which made his firearm possession illegal under federal law. Namely, HAWKINS had been convicted most recently on August 18, 2022, in the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans, Case Number 552-193 “J,” for being a felon in possession of a firearm and illegal possession of a stolen firearm, in violation of LA-R.S. 14:95.1 and LA-R.S. 14:69.1. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: KC Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Firearm, Meth Trafficking

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and for possessing methamphetamine to distribute. Kendall A. Childress, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. On April 20, 2023, Childress pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Kansas City police officers stopped Childress, who was driving a 2012 Kia Soul, on an outstanding felony arrest warrant on Sept. 20, 2022. When officers searched Childress during his arrest they found a Walther PK380 semi-automatic firearm tucked into the left side of his waistband and a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic firearm in the right side of his waistband. The Smith & Wesson firearm had been reported stolen. Officers also searched the Kia and found a plastic bag that contained 64.59 grams of methamphetamine in the center console, as well as another plastic bag that contained 4.34 grams of fentanyl. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Childress has four prior felony convictions for the criminal use of a financial card, two prior felony convictions for burglary, and prior felony convictions for receiving stolen property, stealing, resisting arrest by fleeing, trafficking drugs, battery against a correctional officer, possession of narcotics, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a weapon. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Offenses

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), announced that Marquez Martinez pled guilty to dealing in firearms without a license and two counts of unlawful possession and transfer of a machine gun. Martinez, 25, of Albuquerque, will remain at the La Pasada Halfway House under numerous conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. According to court documents, in January of 2023, Martinez came to the attention of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) when a West Mesa High School student was found on campus with two firearms in their possession, one being a Glock which had been modified with a machine gun conversion device commonly referred to as a “switch.” The Glock was traced back to its original purchaser, Martinez. Over the next five months, undercover detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department conducted 4 controlled purchases of both firearms and machine gun conversion devices from Martinez through Instagram and tied two more guns seized during traffic stops back to him. During that time, the ATF also tracked Martinez’s firearm purchases, counting a total of approximately 35 purchased in 5 months. Based on this evidence, the ATF executed a search warrant on Martinez’s residence where they located approximately 15 firearms, a large amount of ammunition, and numerous ammunition magazines. When questioned by agents, Martinez admitted to purchasing hundreds of firearms since turning 21, including at least 50 purchases in the past 6 months. At sentencing, Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Patrick E. Cordova is prosecuting the case. # # # 23-217


title: Lexington Businessman Sentenced to 10-months for  Distributing Misbranded 3M N95 masks

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, KY - Adam Sloan, 44, the Chief Commercial Officer of Old World Timber, a Lexington-based company specializing in antique wood reclamation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell on Tuesday to 10 months in prison for selling misbranded N95 respirator masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the fall of 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sloan, along with Nathan Brown, the CEO of Old World Timber, directed the company to begin importing and selling medical-grade 3M™ N95 respirators (masks). Old World Timber purchased more than 100,000 alleged 3M N95 masks from a company in China, and resold them to customers throughout the United States. In his plea agreement, Sloan acknowledged that by March 2021, information from multiple sources, including 3M’s COVID-19 Fraud and Counterfeit Product Response Team, alerted him to the high probability that the masks he imported from China were counterfeit. Sloan deliberately ignored these concerns and directed his company to continue selling the masks, misleading customers as to their authenticity. Between March 3, 2021 and April 9, 2021, Brown caused Old World Timber to sell 57,460 misbranded masks for a total of $129,353. Upon Sloan’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year. Sloan was also ordered to pay $129,353 in restitution. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; George A. Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office; and James C. Harris, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Baltimore Field Division, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Moynahan. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. — END —


title: Macon Resident Pleads Guilty to $3.5+ Million Tax Filing Scheme

component: USAO - Georgia, Middle

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Middle Georgia woman admitted she falsified tax documents and received more than $331,758 in refunds, including creating a fake business claiming hundreds of non-existent employees, in an attempt to commit a tax fraud scheme totaling more than $3.5 million. Lonnise Janelle Andrews, 43, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing a false return, one count of false claim for a tax credit and one count of false claim for a refund before U.S. District Marc T. Treadwell on Sept. 11. Andrews faces a maximum sentence of thirteen years in prison and a maximum of $600,000 in fines. In addition, Andrews agreed to pay $331,758 restitution to the IRS. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2024. Andrews is not eligible for parole. “Those engaged in tax refund schemes and fraud are breaking federal law and will be held accountable for these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will seek justice on behalf of taxpayers.” “Lonnise Andrews took responsibility today for fraudulently obtaining tax refunds and Employee Retention Credits when she pled guilty to these crimes,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal special agents will continue investigating, on behalf of honest taxpayers, those who engage in breaking tax laws.” According to court documents, Andrews falsified IRS tax forms for herself, her father and a fake business, including reporting incomes, losses and withholdings she knew not to be true. On her own Form 1040 filed for tax year 2019, Andrews used a tax preparation website to generate fake Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-R; as a result, the IRS issued her a $165,245 refund check she was not entitled to, and she cashed. In addition to the false Forms 1040 filed for herself and her father, Andrews filed false Forms 941 and Forms 7200, the latter developed by IRS in response to employment tax legislation, including the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Andrews filed for an entity named Andrews Harris Corbin (AHC), listing her father and a fictitious person named “Greg Corbin” as the organizers of AHC. AHC never filed an income tax return, had not been reported as a Schedule C business on anyone’s tax return and has never filed any documents with the Social Security Administration pertaining to its employees. Andrews signed and filed the false forms in 2020 and attempted to—and at one point successfully did—obtain refunds and credits. She reported AHC had 957 employees and requested a credit via a Form 7200 in the amount of $3,086,325. On April 11, 2020, she filed a quarterly Form 941 reporting AHC paid $1,435,500 in wages, tips and other compensation, and requested a refund in the amount of $25,978.83. AHC had no employees, had not paid any payroll taxes to be eligible for a refund and was not entitled to these credits and refunds. The IRS processed the Form 941 request for refund and sent a check in the amount of $25,978.83 to AHC at a UPS mailbox in Macon that Andrews had her father set up. Surveillance video confirmed her father picked the check up on Dec. 8, 2020. The check was not deposited and was later found in her bedroom during a search. As part of her plea agreement, Andrews has agreed to pay restitution for the entirety of tax refunds listed in the indictment, totaling $331,758. The case was investigated by the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Howard and Amy Helmick are prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Missouri Man Accused of Recording Sex with Minor

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Brookfield, in Linn County, Missouri, has been accused in an indictment in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of recording himself having sexual contact with a minor. Russell Alan Pirkey, 52, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a charge of sexual exploitation of a child and a charge of accessing with intent to view child pornography. The indictment accuses Pirkey of coercing a minor into engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of video recording it between April 1 and April 8 of 2023. It also says Pirkey accessed child pornography between Jan. 1, 2023 and April 8, 2023. A motion seeking to have Pirkey held in jail until trial says he used his cell phone to record himself having sexual contact with a 10-year-old girl. Pirkey was being held in jail on pending charges in Linn County Circuit Court. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The sexual exploitation of children charge carries a potential penalty of 15 to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The access with intent to view charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and the same fine. The FBI, the Brookfield Police Department and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 14 Years for Meth Conspiracy, Illegally Reentering the United States

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally reentering the United States. Miguel Esquivel-Alvarez, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 14 years in federal prison without parole. On Jan. 24, 2023, Esquivel-Alvarez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of illegally reentering the United States after having been deported. Esquivel-Alvarez admitted that on July 31, 2020, he and others sold approximately 921.6 grams of pure methamphetamine at a gas station in the 1600 block of 14 th Street in Kansas City, Mo., for $14,000. He and others also sold approximately 453.7 grams of methamphetamine at a parking lot in Independence, Mo., as well as a Ruger AR-556 rifle, for a total of $7,100. Additionally, Esquivel-Alvarez and others transported approximately six kilograms of methamphetamine from a residence in Kansas City, Kansas, on Oct. 1, 2020. He was arrested following a car stop along Interstate-70 in Independence. Esquivel-Alvarez had been deported and removed from the United States on Oct. 16, 2013, and was in the country illegally. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Embezzling Funds from Employer and Filing False Tax Return

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Texas man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for embezzling funds from his employer and filing a false tax return. According to court documents, beginning in April 2010 through October 2017, Steven Marquez of Hutto, embezzled more than $700,000 from his employer, an Austin-based property management company, while serving as head of its bank reconciliation team. To conceal the embezzlement, Marquez altered his employer’s corporate bank statement by deleting his transfers and making it appear as if the statements reconciled with company records. Marquez filed a false tax return for 2017 that did not report as income the embezzled funds he took that year. Marquez was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $188,493 in restitution to the United States and an additional $704,262 in restitution related to his embezzlement. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.


title: Repeat Felon Charged with Armed Robbery of Two Businesses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A previously convicted felon was charged today in connection with the armed robberies of two Boston and Brockton businesses in March. Fernando Bost, 32, of Boston, was charged with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Sept. 18, 2023 at 12 p.m. According to the charging documents, on March 29, 2023 at approximately 11:05 p.m., a man allegedly entered RJ Smoke and Convenience Store in Dorchester, held the victim cashier at gunpoint and took cash before fleeing the store. While investigating the robbery, law enforcement learned that a 7-Eleven in Brockton was robbed approximately 40 minutes earlier that same day. Surveillance footage depicts the robber wearing the same unique clothing worn in the RJ Smoke and Convenience store robbery. A subsequent investigation identified a Kia Sorento captured in the vicinity of both businesses prior to the robberies and leaving after each robbery took place. Records allegedly determined that the vehicle had been rented out to Bost’s girlfriend at the time of the robberies. Law enforcement allegedly learned that Bost’s EBT card had been used at a gas station and a Target the same day of the robberies. Surveillance footage obtained from those locations allegedly show Bost wearing clothing identical to that worn by the robber. Bost was arrested by state law enforcement during a traffic stop near Springfield. During the stop, a loaded Glock 43x with a high-capacity magazine was allegedly located in Bost’s front sweatshirt pocket. Bost is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to two previous armed robbery convictions from 2012 and 2017. Additionally, at the time of the alleged conduct, Bost had several pending charges for armed and unarmed robbery as well as three outstanding warrants issued out of three different courts for armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering daytime for felony, receiving stolen property and shoplifting. The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police Department; the Hamden County District Attorney’s Office; and the Boston and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Sharon Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine and Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – Alphonse Johnson pled guilty to trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Johnson, age 41, formerly of Sharon, Pennsylvania, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Johnson pled guilty to (1) conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin, and quantities of cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine, between June 2020 and June 2021; and (2) possessing with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine on April 20, 2021. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on January 3, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 60 years in prison and a fine of up to $6,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction in this case. This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Guatemalan Resident Indicted on a Charge of Violating Federal Immigration Laws

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – A resident of Guatemala, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal immigration laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. The one-count Indictment named Oscar Oloroso-Carranza, 27, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about June 24, 2023, Oloroso-Carranza knowingly illegally reentered the United States as a previously removed alien. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of not more than $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: California, PA Resident Indicted on a Charge of Theft by a Credit Union Employee

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA – On August 22, 2023, a resident of California, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of theft by a credit union employee. Metz made an initial appearance in Federal Court today and was released on $10,000 unsecured bond United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced. The one-count Indictment named Heidi Metz, 40, of California, Pennsylvania as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment presented to the court, from June 2021 through September 2022, Metz stole more than $40,000 from Cal-Ed Federal Credit Union. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not more than 30 years in prison, a fine of not more than $1,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than five years; or any or all of the above. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Mexican Citizen Sentenced to 27 Months for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jesus Dalather Corona, 33, a citizen of Mexico found in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 27 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. Corona pleaded guilty to this charge on June 5, 2023. On December 19, 2022, a staff member at an employment facility in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin was helping an employee find his jacket and grabbed a jacket from a shelf above a common area coat rack and felt a handgun. A temporary employee, later identified as Corona, immediately walked over to the staff member and said, “That’s my stuff. Don’t touch it.” Corona took the coat, folded it up, placed it back on the shelf, and walked away. The staff member notified a security guard because the employment facility prohibited people from bringing firearms into the building. The security guard searched the jacket and found a loaded Taurus 9 mm pistol inside one of the jacket’s pockets. The security guard called the Fort Atkinson Police Department. Law enforcement officers responded and took custody of the firearm, as well as 14 rounds of 9 mm ball ammunition. In addition, officers watched surveillance video that showed Corona wore the jacket when he entered the building, put the coat on the shelf, and confront the staff member when she grabbed Corona’s jacket. Officers then asked to speak with Corona, who ultimately admitted that he had a felony conviction and purchased the firearm from a friend. Following the defendant’s admission, officers arrested Corona for illegally possessing the firearm. In sentencing Corona, Judge Conley noted that Corona posed a danger to the community when he reentered the United States after being previously deported and armed himself with a firearm. The charge against Corona was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fort Atkinson Police Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case.


title: New York Man Admits Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, Resisting Arrest

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Bronx, New York, man today admitted possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and resisting his arrest with a deadly or dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Miguel Nuñez, 50, of Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of possessing 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute and one count of resisting and impeding officers with a deadly or dangerous weapon. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On March 24, 2021, Nuñez and Jesus Higuera-Parra, 28, of Ontario, California, drove from New York City to Elizabeth, New Jersey, for the purposes of distributing fentanyl. When they arrived to meet the drug purchaser, they were approached by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Nunez, the driver of the vehicle, put his car in reverse and attempted to elude the law enforcement personnel, which resulted in a collision with a DEA car. The narcotics offense to which Nunez pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and a fine of $5 million. The resisting and impeding offense to which Nunez pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2023. Higuera-Parra previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and is awaiting sentencing. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ray Mateo of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit and Benjamin Levin of the National Security Unit. nunez.information.pdf


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possessing Narcotics and Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Baltimore man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, in December 2022, Rodney Burgess, 29, unlawfully purchased a firearm, extended magazine, and 9mm ammunition from a Federal Firearms Licensee in Woodbridge through a straw purchaser. On March 2, 2023, investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) arrested Burgess pursuant to a federal warrant. During a search incident to his arrest, investigators recovered from Burgess’s person at least 40 grams of cocaine base, a Schedule II substance; pills containing Fentanyl; and $1,453 in cash. Investigators also recovered a loaded 9mm handgun with extended magazine, a scale, two cell phones, and empty drug packaging material in his hotel room. Burgess was ordered to forfeit the firearm and all accompanying magazines and ammunition that were seized at the time of his arrest. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Toni M. Crosby, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Baltimore Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Baltimore City Police Department provided significant assistance in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen McCarthy and Brittney Dimond, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes, Jr. 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. 1:23-cr-93.


title: Putnam County Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Glock Switch

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Stephen Simmons, 41, of Nitro, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of an unregistered machinegun. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 3, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Simmons’ 32nd Street residence in Nitro. Officers seized two Glock switches, two drop-in auto sears, six firearm silencers, and more than 40 firearms including a Ruger, model 10/22, .22-caliber rifle that was reported stolen in Boone County. Glock switches, drop-in auto sears, and firearm silencers are all machineguns as defined by federal law. Glock switches are devices designed solely to convert semiautomatic Glock pistols into fully automatic machineguns. Drop-in auto sears are devices designed solely to convert semiautomatic AR-type firearms into fully automatic machineguns, Firearm silencers are designed to silence, muffle or diminish the report of a portable firearm. Simmons admitted that he possessed a Glock switch and further admitted that he did not register the Glock switch in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law. The Court also found that Simmons was an unlawful user of controlled substances, and as a result was prohibited from possessing firearms on January 3, 2023. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Troy D. Adams and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-21. ###


title: Honduran Man Pleads Guilty  to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

component: USAO - Mississippi, Southern

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Honduran man pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans According to court documents, Tommy Pineda-Guevara was found in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop on September 1, 2022. Pineda-Guevara is a Citizen and National of Honduras. As such, it is contrary to federal law for Pineda-Guevara to possess any firearm. Pineda-Guevara is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Mississippi State Highway Patrol, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart is prosecuting the case. This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Former Portland Marathon President Sentenced in Federal Court

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—The former president and event director of the Portland Marathon pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court today for evading taxes due on the funds he stole from the charitable organization that had backed the race since the early 1980s. Lester V. Smith, Jr., 83, of Tomball, Texas, was sentenced to three years’ federal probation to include eight months of home confinement. Smith was also ordered to pay $411,279 in restitution to the IRS. Prior to being sentenced, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to evade and defeat income taxes. According to court documents, for nearly 35 years, Smith served as the president and event director of Portland Marathon Inc. (PMI), the charitable organization formerly responsible for planning and operating the Portland Marathon. In these roles, Smith managed the organization’s day-to-day operations and finances, and had sole authority to approve expenses paid from PMI’s business bank account. Beginning in January 2012 and continuing through 2017, Smith made or directed others to make unauthorized transfers of funds from PMI’s bank account to his own personal checking account, paid various personal credit cards with PMI funds, and wrote unauthorized checks from PMI payable to himself. On one occasion, Smith used a PMI check to purchase a $60,000 Infiniti sport utility vehicle. Smith also used stolen funds to pay for home remodeling projects, shopping sprees at department stores, home décor, furniture, and other luxury goods and services. Smith and another individual also incorporated a for-profit company called Next Events Productions, LLC to consult with PMI about setting up running events. Between 2012 and 2017, PMI made more than $302,000 in payments to Next Events. Investigators later discovered bank records from Next Events showing that once PMI funds were deposited, a substantial portion was transferred to Smith’s personal bank account. While defrauding PMI, Smith also substantially underreported more than $1.2 million in taxable income to the IRS. Despite retaining an accountant to prepare his and his wife’s personal income tax returns for 2012 through 2017, Smith failed to disclose to the accountant payments received from PMI, the purchase of the Infiniti SUV with PMI funds, or funds received from PMI via Next Events. On February 17, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging Smith with wire fraud and attempting to evade and defeat income taxes. This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Claire M. Fay, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Prior Felon Sentenced for Possessing Firearms, Ammunition

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced on Aug. 30, 2023, to over four years in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon and for violating his supervised release. According to court documents, Miguel Myers, aka “Roxwell James Guiting,” 37, was pulled over for a traffic stop by local law enforcement officers in January 2021. Officers discovered Myers was wearing body armor and in possession of a “sawed-down rifle” and revolver, both loaded. He was also sitting on ammunition and had a backpack and duffle bag with multiple types of ammunition inside. Myers was a three-time convicted felon at the time of the traffic stop. He was also on supervised release for a prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The defendant pleaded guilty to one charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm in July 2022. He also admitted to violating his supervised release. Myers’ was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release for possessing the firearm as a convicted felon, and an additional six months in federal prison for the violations of his supervised release. U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan T. McPherson made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division, with assistance from the Anchorage Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Beausang and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kayla Doyle prosecuted the case. ###


title: Repeat Sacramento Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jason Michael Carlsen, 50, of Sacramento, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Carlsen possessed child pornography in July 2022. At the time he possessed these images, Carlsen was on federal supervised release for a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas M. Fogg 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 those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Antonio Long Andrews, 29, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to 19 years and seven months in prison and 20 years of supervised release for sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to evidence presented at a 2022 jury trial, between August 2017 and December 2018, Long used force and coercion to convince a female to engage in commercial sexual acts for his financial benefit. As part of Long’s pimping operation, he put the victim in motel rooms around the state of California and had them engage in prostitution acts on the street in order to make money from their prostitution activity. Long ran his pimping operation in Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, and Orange County. According to evidence presented at trial, on September 28, 2018, as part of his sex trafficking operation, Long repeatedly punched the victim inside his car in the parking lot of a motel. During the attack, the victim tried to exit the car, but an associate of Long kept her inside the car while Long continued to beat her. An eyewitness saw the attack, and the motel’s security camera recorded the victim being dragged under Long’s car. Although the victim was injured and had two black eyes, a week later, Long had continued to engage her in commercial sex acts for his benefit. During recorded calls from the Sacramento County Jail, Long maintained control over the victim, conveying that she was expected to earn money for him by selling her body to strangers. After Long’s release from the Sacramento County Jail, Long continued his exploitation of the victim from late November 2018 until his arrest on December 5, 2018. At the sentencing hearing, the judge noted that Long saw the victim as property and took advantage of her so he could make money. This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Police Department, California Department of Justice’s Special Operations Unit, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The California Highway Patrol, Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Hitt, Christina McCall and Nirav Desai prosecuted the case.


title: Former Alabama Department of Corrections Lieutenant Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights and Obstruction Offenses for Assaulting a Restrained Inmate and Lying to Cover It Up

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) lieutenant pleaded guilty today to using excessive force on an inmate and lying afterwards in an official report to cover up his abuse. According to the plea agreement, former William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility Lieutenant and Shift Commander Mohammad Shahid Jenkins, who had more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, used excessive force on inmate V.R. Specifically, on Feb. 16, 2022, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate V.R. of his right to be free from excessive force by kicking him, hitting him, spraying him with chemical spray, striking him with a can of chemical spray and striking him with a shoe, while V.R. was restrained inside of a holding cell and not posing a threat. Jenkins admitted that, over the course of approximately five minutes and outside the presence of other officers and inmates, Jenkins repeatedly re-entered the holding cell that V.R. was in and re-assaulted him numerous times. Jenkins used a dangerous weapon — chemical spray and the can of chemical spray — on V.R. and his attacks on V.R. caused V.R. to suffer bodily injury. Following his assault on V.R., Jenkins authored a false incident report. In it, he gave a false account of where, in Donaldson, he transported V.R. to and he omitted entirely his use of force on V.R. from his report. As part of the factual basis, Jenkins further admitted that he lied to investigators by denying using any force on V.R. Further, as part of the factual basis, Jenkins admitted to using force on another inmate on a different occasion at Donaldson. Specifically, on Nov. 29, 2021, Jenkins willfully deprived inmate D.H. of his right to be free from excessive force by repeatedly spraying D.H. with chemical spray while D.H. was handcuffed behind his back and compliant, by hitting D.H. in the head with the can of chemical spray and by delivering an open-hand strike to D.H.’s head while D.H. was suffering from the effects of chemical spray. “Senior law enforcement officers set the tone for junior officers whom they supervise,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant abused his position of power to carry out a violent assault on a restrained inmate, in an isolated location of the prison. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who violate the civil rights of any American, including those who are incarcerated in our jails and prisons.” “There is zero tolerance for corrections officers who commit these egregious crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute and bring to justice those who abuse their authority and prey on vulnerable people who they are sworn to protect and keep safe.” “The civil rights of all must be protected, including those who are in the trusted custody of law enforcement officials,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the FBI Birmingham Field Office. “To willfully deprive any individual without due process or subject the same to cruel and unusual punishment can’t be tolerated or perceived to be so commonplace it’s considered normal inside of our institutions. The FBI will remain committed to holding those who swore an oath to protect and serve, but instead willfully abused their privileges and abandon their responsibilities as law enforcement officers, accountable.” Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 19. Jenkins faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the excessive force charge related to his assault of V.R. and 20 years in prison on the obstruction charge. He also faces up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case with the assistance of ADOC’s Law Enforcement Services Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Martin for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Anna Gotfryd of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Suspected Leader of Significant Human Smuggling Organization  Extradited to San Diego

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 12, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Luis Antonio Mendez-Brahan of Tijuana appeared in federal court today following his extradition from Mexico to face charges stemming from his alleged role as the leader of a prolific human-smuggling organization with three of his children. Mendez-Brahan was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2019 on one count of conspiring to bring unlawful aliens into the United States, transport unlawful aliens within the United States, and conduct financial transactions with the proceeds of specified unlawful activities. Mendez Brahan was also charged with five counts of bringing aliens into the United States for financial gain. Three of Mendez-Brahan’s children - Christopher Mendez, Wendy Monserrath Mendez, and Nancy Jacqueline Suarez - already admitted their involvement with their father in the human smuggling conspiracy and were sentenced in 2021. According to the indictment, Mendez-Brahan was the leader of a smuggling organization for almost a decade and was responsible for smuggling hundreds of undocumented migrants into the United States. The Mendez-Brahan organization allegedly operated in an area east of the Tecate Port of Entry and used an ever-changing cadre of spotters, guides, and drivers to facilitate the smuggling organization’s criminal activities. The indictment alleges that Mendez-Brahan charged between $6,000 and $8,000 for each migrant he arranged to be smuggled into the United States. According to the indictment, Mendez-Brahan used money service businesses such as Western Union and Money Gram to move money from the U.S. to Mexico. Border Patrol investigators tracked financial transactions conducted by Mendez-Brahan’s children in the United States to money service businesses located in Tijuana and ultimately, to Mendez-Brahan himself. This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the United States Border Patrol – San Diego Sector, with support from Joint Task Force Alpha (“JTFA”), to dismantle active transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling along the U.S.–Mexico border in the Southern District of California. JTFA was created to investigate and prosecute precisely these types of international networks alleged to be responsible for dangerous and prolific human smuggling activities that exploit and victimize migrants. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Victor P. White and David Fawcett. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Mexican Attorney General’s Office to secure the arrest and extradition of Mendez-Brahan. DEFENDANT Case Number 19cr1570-JLS Luis Antonio Mendez-Brahan Age: 55 Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico Christopher Mendez Age: 28 Wasco, California Wendy Monserrath Mendez Age: 24 Wasco, California Nancy Jacqueline Suarez Age: 31 Madera, California SUMMARY OF CHARGES Count 1 (all defendants): Conspiracy to Bring in Certain Aliens for Financial Gain, to Transport Certain Aliens, and to Conduct Financial Transactions with Proceeds of Specified Unlawful Activity; and Aiding and Abetting – Title 18, U.S.C., §§ 371 and 2. Maximum penalty: Five years in prison Counts 2–6 (Luis Antonio Mendez-Brahan): Bringing in Certain Aliens for Financial Gain; and Aiding and Abetting – Title 8, U.S.C., § 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) and Title 18, U.S.C., § 2.Minimum Penalty: Three years in prison (per count) and Five years if convicted of three counts Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison AGENCY United States Border Patrol San Diego Sector/El Cajon Station Intelligence Team United States Border Patrol BORTAC – Special Operations Division Customs and Border Protection – Mexico Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which was established by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to enhance U.S. enforcement efforts against the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The Task Force focuses on disrupting and dismantling smuggling and trafficking networks that abuse, exploit, or endanger migrants, pose national security threats, and are involved in organized crime. JTFA consists of federal prosecutors and attorneys from U.S. Attorney’s Offices along the Southwest Border (District of Arizona, Southern District of California, Southern District of Texas, and Western District of Texas), from the Criminal Division and the Civil Rights Division, along with law enforcement agents and analysts from DHS’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol. The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration are also part of the Task Force.


title: Bitcoin ATM Company Forfeited Over $1 Million for Conspiring to Violate the Bank Secrecy Act

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Folsom company Amani Investments LLC, which operated Coinucopia kiosks that exchanged U.S. currency for Bitcoin, forfeited $1 million in currency, a Mercedes-Benz, Bitcoin, and other items for its criminal efforts to avoid reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. In February 2023, Amani Investments LLC, doing business as Coinucopia, pleaded guilty to conspiring to avoid filing Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) that are required under federal law. The federal Bank Secrecy Act was enacted by Congress to combat the laundering of criminal proceeds, and it requires money services businesses to report each transaction involving more than $10,000 in currency. Willful violation of the requirement to file these reports, commonly called CTRs, is a federal criminal offense. According to court documents, on multiple occasions Amani Investments exchanged over $10,000 in U.S. currency for Bitcoin without filing a CTR, as required by the Bank Secrecy Act. Many transactions were conducted during face-to-face exchanges of more than $10,000 in cash for Bitcoin with a Managing Officer of Amani Investments, all without the filing of a CTR. In total, approximately $1 million was involved in the crime. Today the court finalized Amani Investments’ forfeiture order, which included a Mercedes-Benz E63, Bitcoin, gold coins, and $1 million in United States currency. “Federal currency transaction reporting requirements are intended to protect our financial system from the influx of criminal proceeds,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold accountable those who seek to evade these requirements.” “Today’s sentence holds Amani Investments, dba Coinucopia, a registered Money Service Business, accountable for violating the Bank Secrecy Act,” said Tatum King, Special Agent in Charge, HSI San Francisco / NorCal. “We know that money is the lifeblood of criminals as evidenced by the $1 million forfeiture, which is why it is a primary focus for HSI across all of our investigative programs. We appreciate the work of HSI personnel with FBI, USPIS, DEA, IRS-CI, USAO Eastern District, and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office who worked this multi-year case collaboratively and resulted in the substantial forfeiture of ill-gotten gains.” This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as part of the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, consisting of agents from HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force is a joint, federal task force focused on targeting all forms of dark web and cryptocurrency criminal activity in the Eastern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert C. Abendroth and Veronica M.A. Alegría prosecuted the case.


title: Hammond Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: HAMMOND- Johnny Wilbourn, 42 years old, of Hammond, Indiana was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James T. Moody after pleading guilty to one count of distribution of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Wilbourn was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Wilbourn sold cocaine on three separate occasions throughout August and September 2020. During a search of Wilbourn’s home, law enforcement found fentanyl, a cutting agent, and a digital scale. Wilbourn’s criminal history included prior felony convictions for murder, manufacturing cocaine, and retail theft. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Hammond Police Department and the DEA’s North Central Laboratory in Chicago. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Toth.


title: Former Naval Engineer Charged with Unlawful Disclosure

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Nicole K. Schuster, 32, of Revere, Massachusetts was charged by Information with disclosing contractor bid, proposal, and source information. Schuster was a mechanical engineer and “project lead” employed by the United States Department of the Navy (“the Navy”) at the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (the “NFPC”). According to the Information, in or about early 2019, Schuster began working as the project lead on a solicitation for a procurement contract for a submarine propeller-making machine known as a VTC. During the contracting and bidding process, Schuster favored one company, identified in the information as “Company 1,” over other competing companies. Schuster urged her superiors to make the contract for this VTC a “sole source” contract for Company 1. That is, she requested that the contracting process should be established in a manner that would ensure that Company 1 would be awarded the procurement contract. The NFPC and Defense Logistics Agency agreed to favor Company 1 in this process but did not agree to prevent other companies from pursuing the contract. Rather, they established a process that allowed other contractors to submit information and compete for the contract. The information further alleges that on or about September 14, 2019, Schuster sent a WhatsApp message to a representative of Company 1 expressing her “loyalty” to Company 1 and attaching to the message Company 2’s confidential and proprietary contractor bid, proposal, and source selection information for its VTC. The documents that Schuster provided to this representative of Company 1 were marked “SOURCE SELECTION INFORMATION,” “OFFICIAL USE ONLY,” and “[Company 2] Proprietary information.” The documents included cost and pricing data and proprietary information about manufacturing processes and techniques. This disclosure gave Company 1 a competitive advantage over Company 2 and other companies seeking to obtain the VTC contract. On or about April 28, 2020, the procurement contract for the VTC was awarded to Company 1 for a total price of $15,254,608. The case was investigated by the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Economic Crimes Field Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Adair County Resident Pleads Guilty To Kidnapping And Federal Firearm Charge

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Justin Kyle Muskrat, age 37, of Bunch, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to kidnapping and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Indictment filed on April 13, 2023, charged Muskrat with one count of Kidnapping in Indian Country and one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. According to investigators, Muskrat kidnapped an individual from a Muskogee County residence on March 15, 2023. Armed with a machete, Muskrat forced the victim into a car trunk and transported him to an Adair County residence. There, Muskrat bound, assaulted, and threatened the victim. Upon arrest, law enforcement officers found Muskrat, a felon, illegally in possession of a Ruger, Model LCP, .380ACP caliber, semi-automatic pistol and several rounds of ammunition. The crimes occurred in Adair County, Oklahoma, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Muskrat will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshall pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys T. Cameron McEwen and Josh Satter represented the United States.


title: Ada Resident Pleads Guilty To Assault With A Dangerous Weapon And Robbery

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Alexander Elias Clark, age 22, of Ada, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of robbery. The indictment, filed on August 9, 2023, charged Clark with one count of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country, one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, and one count of Robbery in Indian Country. According to investigators, on June 14, 2023, Clark attacked an individual at an Ada residence, stabbing the victim repeatedly before fleeing. Clark later entered a nearby convenience store, threatened to kill the cashier, and stole a 30-pack of beer. The crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police, the United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ada Police Department, and the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Clark was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney James Seaman represented the United States.


title: Carter County Resident Pleads Guilty To Failing To Register As A Sex Offender

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Morris Hulen Mapp, age 70, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. According to U.S. Marshals, Mapp, a convicted sex offender, failed to alert authorities to his presence in the Eastern District of Oklahoma as required by law. Mapp, who received felony convictions in the State of Texas in 1992 for Indecency with a Child, knowingly failed to register in the State of Oklahoma despite traveling from Texas and residing in the state from May 2022 until his arrest on May 19, 2023. The charges arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshal Service and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Mapp will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Special Assistant United States Attorney Genevieve A. Ozark represented the United States.


title: Three Memphis Men Plead Guilty in Series of Carjackings, Kidnappings

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – All three men responsible for a series of violent carjackings and kidnappings that occurred over last year’s holiday season have pled guilty to the charges against them. Adrian Pegues , 19, Malik Malone , 18, and Alan Key , 20, all of Memphis, have each pled guilty in federal court to a series of violent events that occurred in December 2022 in Memphis and Germantown. Pegues and Key also pled guilty to an additional carjacking that occurred in Memphis in July 2022. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the changes of plea today. According to U.S. Attorney Ritz and information presented in court, on December 20, 2022, Pegues and Malone carjacked and kidnapped two individuals separately, and forced them at gunpoint to withdraw money from ATMs. The facts of those incidents are as follows: The two men kidnapped and carjacked the first victim from her driveway in East Memphis. They forced her to drive her vehicle to an ATM at First Citizens National Bank in Arlington, TN and withdraw money from her bank account. After they forced her to drive around looking for another ATM, they eventually returned to the same ATM and again forced her to withdraw money. Pegues and Malone then ordered the first victim to follow another vehicle into an apartment complex in Cordova, TN, where they kidnapped and carjacked a second victim, again at gunpoint. Pegues and Malone split up and attempted to force the victims to withdraw more money from ATMs. Eventually, both Pegues and Malone ordered the victims to drop them off in Memphis and they fled. On December 30, 2022, Pegues, Malone, and Alan Key attempted to kidnap a person at the Saddle Creek shopping center in Germantown with the intent to commit another robbery. The trio parked next to the victim’s vehicle and waited as she exited a store and approached her vehicle. As the victim opened her door, Pegues and Malone bumped the victim with their car door, ordered her to get in the vehicle, and tried to get into her vehicle. The victim struggled with Pegues and Malone. An armed private citizen saw what was occurring and intervened. When confronted, the men got back into their vehicle and escaped. Additionally, investigators determined that Pegues and Key committed another carjacking in Memphis on July 25, 2022. During this carjacking, Pegues was armed with a firearm. Both Pegues and Key also pled guilty to this carjacking and the use of a firearm in this incident as well. On May 25, 2023, Malik Malone appeared before Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman and pled guilty to all charges. On September 5, 2023, Adrian Pegues appeared before Magistrate Judge Charmiane G. Claxton and pled guilty to 11 of the 12 charges against him. On September 6, 2023, Alan Key also appeared before Magistrate Judge Charmiane G. Claxton; he pled guilty to all charges against him. Malone is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief Judge Lipman on October 20, 2023. Pegues and Key will be sentenced by Chief Judge Lipman on December 18, 2023. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, the Germantown Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Wagner is handling the prosecution of this matter for the government. # # #


title: Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 180 Months for Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute It

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Jeremy Mitchell, 34, was sentenced on September 8, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless to 180 months in prison for possessing a substance containing fentanyl with intent to distribute it. He was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release. Mitchell was indicted in May 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2023. He has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since his arrest in April 2021. Mitchell has numerous drug-related prior convictions, as well as a prior conviction for aggravated battery with a firearm. The statutory penalties for possessing a substance containing fentanyl with intent to distribute are up to life imprisonment, up to an $8,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Springfield Police Department, Illinois State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Mitchell is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Chinese National Admits to Trafficking Counterfeit Gift Cards to Belleville

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A woman originally from China admitted involvement in counterfeit gift card scheme directed at Target shoppers across the Midwest, after she pled guilty to the federal crime in a U.S. District courtroom in East St. Louis on Thursday. Hongying Wang, 53, originally of Hunan Province, China, admitted guilt to using and trafficking in a counterfeit access device. For the charge, Wang faces a statutory maximum of ten years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. “Protecting consumers from fraud is a familiar battle, but individuals deliberately placing fake gift cards onto sales racks with the intention of stealing the funds from patrons is a new low, and I applaud the law enforcement officials who are investigating this case,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Fraud is often mistaken for a victimless crime but when individuals like Wang commit these types of crimes, they are most certainly victimizing consumers and businesses,” said Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Chicago Area of Operations Sean Fitzgerald. “HSI works daily to protect our community from these individuals by partnering with our local and federal partners to not only keep these counterfeit products out of the hands of unsuspecting consumers, but to also hold accountable those who attempt to profit from scamming the public.” "The Illinois State Police is committed to stopping trafficking, whether it is trafficking in guns, drugs, or in this case - counterfeit goods," said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. According to court documents, the scheme involved individuals placing altered gift cards on the sales racks at Target while retaining the access numbers. Once a gift card was loaded with money by an unsuspecting patron, the fraudsters would have the codes needed to steal the funds. In January 2023, a Target security officer observed Wang and a co-defendant placing gift cards onto the racks in the Belleville store for customers to purchase. Upon further review, the gift cards were altered with the codes scratched off and covered by stickers to appear untouched. In addition to Belleville, the following Target locations across the Midwest were knowingly affected by the scheme: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Norman, Oklahoma; Edmond, Oklahoma; Liberty, Missouri; Independence, Missouri; St. Peters, Missouri; Town and Country, Missouri; and Brentwood, Missouri. If you believe you are a victim, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by emailing: USAILS.VW_ILS@usdoj.gov. Please provide your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. Wang admitted to possessing 6,100 fake gift cards with intent to place on the shelves. Guangwei Gao, also of China, was named and charged in the indictment with one count of using and trafficking in a counterfeit access device. An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury. Wang’s sentencing is set for 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 22, 2024, at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Illinois State Police (ISP) are leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter T. Reed is prosecuting the case.


title: Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 60 Months and One Day for Manufacturing Methamphetamine and Possessing a Firearm

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Matthew Morlee, 46, was sentenced on September 5, 2023, by Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough to 60 months and one day in prison for manufacturing methamphetamine and for possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug crime. Morlee was indicted in September 2018 and pleaded guilty in May 2023. After his initial release on bond, Morlee’s bond was subsequently revoked, and he was detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service. The statutory penalties for manufacturing a substance containing methamphetamine are up to 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. The penalties for possessing a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug crime are up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. This case was indicted as part of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force which included members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; Illinois State Police; Springfield Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Chatham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Morlee is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco Statement on the 22nd Anniversary of the Terrorist Attacks of Sept. 11, 2001

component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco on the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001: “Twenty two years ago, we lost almost 3,000 of our fellow Americans in what remains the deadliest terrorist attack in our nation’s history. In the years since, the men and women of the Justice Department have worked tirelessly to prevent terrorist attacks before they happen and hold accountable those who engage in violent extremism. The threats our country faces continue to evolve but our commitment to protecting the American people will never waver.”


title: Le Roy, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 30 Months for Theft of Medical Products and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Le Roy, Illinois, man, Issac Jackson, 29, was sentenced on September 7, 2023, to 30 months in federal prison for theft of medical products and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. According to court documents, while employed as a pharmacy technician, Jackson stole hydrocodone, alprazolam, and promethazine with codeine before selling it illegally. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless found that Jackson was responsible for diverting over 28,000 hydrocodone pills from the medical chain of supply to the illicit drug market. Jackson was indicted in October 2021 and pleaded guilty in November 2022. The statutory penalties for theft of medical products are up to 15 years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The statutory penalties for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute are up to 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Unit, which focuses on cases involving pharmaceutical controlled substances diverted from the legal chain of commerce to the illegal drug market, investigated this case in conjunction with the Illinois State Police, Southcentral Drug Task Force, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the Carlinville Police Department, and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Pharmacy Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.


title: Illinois Family Members Plead Guilty to Kidnapping, Forced Labor and Conspiracy for Coercing Two Minors and a Third Victim in Years-Long Forced Labor Scheme

body_text: WASHINGTON – Lorenza Domingo-Castaneda, 34, a Guatemalan national, pleaded guilty on September 8, 2023, in the Central District of Illinois to three counts of forced labor and two counts of conspiracy to commit forced labor. On August 18, codefendant Catarina Domingo-Juan, 37, also pleaded guilty to three counts of forced labor and two counts of conspiracy to commit forced labor. A third codefendant, Domingo Francisco-Juan, 43, previously pleaded guilty on August 30 to forced labor, conspricy to commit forced labor, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. According to court documents, the defendants, who are siblings, conspired to bring two minor victims from Guatemala to the United States to work in their homes between December 2015 and March 2021. The defendants compelled the victims to provide domestic services within the homes and to work outside the homes at local hotels and factories. The defendants used false promises of a better life and an education to gain the permission of the victims’ mothers for their minor daughters to travel to the United States to live with the defendants. Domingo-Castaneda and Domingo-Juan also compelled a third victim to work in their homes and outside their homes at local businesses. The defendants isolated the victims in their homes, restricted their communications with their family in Guatemala and subjected them to physical, verbal and psychological abuse, among other coercive means. “Human trafficking—particularly compelling the labor and services of unaccompanied minors—cannot be tolerated. Traffickers deftly use the promise of America to lure adults and children into the United States from thousands of miles away, only to then turn around and reveal their promises were false as part of a coercive scheme to compel their labor,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department remains steadfast in identifying and prosecuting human traffickers who exploit vulnerable victims for their own financial benefit.” “Human trafficking is a scourge that affects not only far-flung locales but our local communities as well,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris for the Central District of Illinois. “Traffickers prey on vulnerable victims – including children – bringing them to the United States and entangling them in forced labor schemes. The Central District of Illinois is committed to prosecuting these crimes and further asks community members who are aware of any signs of such exploitation to pass that information on to law enforcement.” “Labor traffickers only care about one thing — money,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. “Those subjected to domestic servitude are robbed of their dignity and freedom. Thankfully, these victims were rescued thanks to the efforts of law enforcement. Apprehending labor and human traffickers who take advantage of our most vulnerable and rescuing those exploited will always be a top priority for HSI.” In accordance with the plea agreements, the defendants face penalties of 20 years up to life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any penalty after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI with the assistance of the Champaign Police Department, Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service and Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Freres for the Central District of Illinois and Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting 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, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office Launches Somber PSA on Impacts of Gun Violence

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – On Sunday, September 10, Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron launched a cutting edge 60 second public service announcement encouraging viewers to take action to end gun violence. The video aired across Maryland just before kickoff of the Baltimore Ravens home opener, and will continue to broadcast across cable and digital platforms. "Gun violence impacts more than one person or one family. Friends, parents, employers, neighbors – all are forced to confront the devastating realities of gun violence," said Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. "We are bringing together law enforcement, community organizations, and private citizens in pursuit of a common goal: protecting the places we call home.” As a result of collaborative efforts between law enforcement and community-based organizations, violent crime is down throughout Maryland. But, more must be done. Project Safe Neighborhoods balances prevention, intervention, strategic law enforcement, and community engagement to end gun violence and keep communities safe. “The Baltimore Police Department along with our many law enforcement partners are committed to ending gun violence and breaking the cycle of trauma it brings to our communities,” said Acting Police Commissioner Richard J. Worley. “Our residents and neighborhoods deserve better and our agency remains steadfast in implementing Community Policing strategies and working collaboratively with our communities to create a safer Baltimore for all.” The U.S. Attorney's Office works closely with community-based organizations throughout Maryland, including Roca, a nonprofit working to intervene with the young men most likely to shoot or be shot and develop partnerships and programs that have proven effective in curbing violence at the core of communities. "We have seen that we can lessen urban violence by relentlessly finding and engaging the young people living at the center of it," said Kurtis Palermo, Executive Vice President of Roca Maryland. "Young men can change—and our communities can heal—if we help them address the trauma that is at the root of violence and provide the skills and support they need to learn to think and act differently." No one should live in fear in their own home or neighborhood. This video encourages communities to get involved in ending gun violence. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Madison Man’s “Ticket Switching” Scam Leads to Guilty Plea to Wire Fraud, Attempted Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Madison man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to wire fraud and attempted wire fraud. According to court records, from June 2021 to April 2023, Aaron Hoster , 51, removed UPC labels from low-cost items and applied them to higher-priced items which he then purchased. Hoster defrauded multiple Home Depot and Lowe’s Home Improvement stores in Maine, cheating the retailers out of more than $51,000. In one instance, Hoster purchased a $439 cordless finish nailer kit, paying just $19.98 by scanning a price code for trimmer line. In another example, he scanned a code for an $11.36 chrome-plated plastic tailpiece despite purchasing a powered drain cleaner valued at $429. Hoster faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated these cases. ###


title: Jessamine County Man Sentenced to 262 Months for Armed Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Nicholasville, Ky., man, Stephen Lancaster, 31, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison on Monday, by Chief U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, for possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to his guilty plea agreement, on April 14, 2022, deputies with the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Lancaster was a passenger. Lancaster admitted to law enforcement that he had a large amount of narcotics and a firearm in the vehicle. During the search of the vehicle, deputies located 23 grams of fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, 332 grams of fentanyl, 54 grams of pure methamphetamine, and 236 grams of multicolored pills containing methamphetamine. Deputies also found a loaded AR-style pistol under the passenger seat, and a drum magazine. Lancaster admitted that he possessed the drugs with the intent to distribute them, and he possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Under federal law, Lancaster must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; J. Todd Scott, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Louisville Field Office; and Kevin Grimes, Jessamine County Sheriff, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by DEA and the Jessamine County Sheriff’s Office. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker. -END-


title: Justice Department’s National Security Division Announces Key Corporate Enforcement Appointments

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: The Justice Department’s National Security Division announced today that it has made key appointments to lead the Division’s corporate enforcement program. Ian C. Richardson has been named the first Chief Counsel for Corporate Enforcement, and Christian J. Nauvel has been named as Deputy Chief Counsel for Corporate Enforcement. Both attorneys will coordinate and oversee the Division’s investigation and prosecution of corporate crime relating to the national security of the United States. “In an era of renewed nation-state competition, corporations are on the front lines of the fight to defend our national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We have watched with concern as investigations of corporate misconduct increasingly reveal violations of laws that protect the United States. Enforcing the laws that deny our adversaries the benefits of America’s innovation economy and protect technologies that will define the future is core to the National Security Division’s mission.” Previously, Richardson served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. As a prosecutor, he led key corporate enforcement and national security prosecutions. In U.S. v. Lafarge SA , Richardson obtained the Department’s first corporate conviction for providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations. In U.S. v. Ticketmaster LLC , he resolved a corporate computer intrusion investigation in which the company admitted obtaining unauthorized access to a competitor’s computers. Recently, in Operation Medusa, Richardson obtained the court order that authorized an FBI-led computer network operation to remotely neutralize malware used by Russia for long-term cyber-espionage. Prior to joining the National Security Division, Nauvel served as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division. Previously, he was a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and with the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET). Nauvel served as a lead prosecutor in U.S. v. Huawei , which charged the defendants with racketeering, sanctions violations and theft of trade secrets. He has investigated and prosecuted financial institutions, including in U.S. v. Bank Julius Baer , as part of the FIFA corruption scheme. He has also conducted sensitive cryptocurrency cases within the NCET. In announcing the establishment of these positions in March, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco also announced that the National Security Division would add more than 25 prosecutors to investigate and prosecute sanctions evasion, export control violations and similar economic crimes.