title: Former Teacher Who Catfished Students Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Georgia, Middle

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A former Washington County high school teacher who catfished his students and uploaded sexually explicit content on social media was sentenced to serve 33 years in prison. Michael Allen Dendy, 33, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 400 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Nov. 7. In addition, Dendy will have to register as a child sex offender upon release from federal prison. Dendy previously pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography on July 30. There is no parole in the federal system. “We are committed to holding people like Michael Allen Dendy accountable to the fullest extent of the law for monstrously preying on adolescents, in this case tricking minors to send him explicit images and uploading them online for other predators to view,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I am thankful for our law enforcement partners who are dedicated to protecting the innocent and bringing child predators to justice.” “Educators are entrusted with the responsibility to protect and guide our youth, and the actions of this former teacher represent a severe betrayal of that trust. By creating false identities to deceive minors and exploit them in such a harmful way, Dendy caused profound damage to those he was meant to safeguard,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank who oversees investigations across Georgia and Alabama. “HSI is dedicated to ensuring justice for the victims and will tirelessly pursue those who prey upon vulnerable members of our community.” “Michael Allen Dendy will no longer be able to prey on children and he will be an old man when he is released from prison,” said Washington County Sheriff Joel Cochran. “We are resolute in our commitment to safeguarding our children and ensuring that those who prey on them are held accountable. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all law enforcement officers, prosecutors and support personnel who worked tirelessly on this case. Your dedication and hard work have made our community safer and brought us closer to justice for the victims.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) received multiple complaints regarding child pornography being posted on the social media platform Discord in Dec. 2022. Deputies were informed that several local high school students had their images posted to the platform under “WACO Confessions” without their knowledge or approval. The investigation found “WACO Confessions” was created by an individual—later determined to be Dendy—under the username “TheOneYouLeftBehind.” The IP address most frequently used to access the account was tracked to Dendy’s residence. Dendy was a teacher at Washington County High School in Sandersville, Georgia, from Aug. 2020 until his arrest by WCSO deputies on Jan. 20, 2023. Dendy admitted to obtaining nude images of individuals, particularly of underage students at Washington County High School. He confirmed that he would communicate with the students using fake Instagram accounts—posing as a young male and a young female on Instagram—and that he never met with any students in person. Dendy also admitted to creating “WACO Confessions.” Dendy said that he began his catfishing scheme in 2016, when he lived in Mississippi and continued while residing in Maryland and Georgia. Dendy said he was not able to stop despite knowing that what he was doing was wrong. Dendy taught at three schools previously: Griffin High School in Griffin, Georgia, from 2018-2020; St. Charles High School in Waldorf, Maryland, from 2017-2018; and Starkville High School in Starkville, Mississippi, from 2014-2016. Parents and guardians of children who may have encountered Dendy and have concerns related to this investigation can contact the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) tip line at 1-866-347-2423. A search warrant executed at Dendy’s residence recovered numerous electronic devices containing CSAM and chat conversations between Dendy and several identified victims. Specifically, between Jan. 1, 2023, and Jan. 31, 2023, Dendy persuaded a 16-year-old to engage in sexually explicit conduct, film the conduct and share it through social media. In a separate incident, on Dec. 11, 2022, Dendy uploaded a video to “WACO Confessions” depicting a minor, who was between the ages of 14 and 15, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by WCSO and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with assistance from the Leesburg Police Department (Virginia), the Charles County Sheriff’s Office (Maryland), and the Middle Judicial Circuit of Georgia District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Chicago Rapper Lil Durk Charged in Superseding Indictment Alleging Murder-for-Hire Plot to Kill Rival Near Beverly Center Mall in 2022

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Grammy Award-winning Chicago rapper has been charged in a superseding federal grand jury indictment alleging he conspired with others to murder a rival rapper, resulting in the shooting death of the rival’s relative that occurred at a gas station near the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles in August 2022, the Justice Department announced today. Durk Banks, 32, a.k.a. “Lil Durk,” “Blood,” and “Mustafa Abdul Malak,” of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. The indictment adds two felony charges against Banks, who previously was charged via criminal complaint in this case. The four-count superseding indictment, returned late Thursday, adds Banks as the lead defendant to a previous indictment returned October 17 and charging the following defendants in connection with the August 2022 murder: Kavon London Grant, 28, a.k.a. “Cuz” and “Vonnie,” of Atlanta; Deandre Dontrell Wilson, 33, a.k.a. “DeDe,” of Chicago; Keith Jones, 33, a.k.a. “Flacka,” of Gary, Indiana; David Brian Lindsey, 33, a.k.a. “Browneyez,” of Addison, Illinois; and Asa Houston, 36, a.k.a. “Boogie,” of Chicago. Banks was arrested on October 17 near Miami International Airport after law enforcement learned that Banks had been booked on multiple international flights. A federal magistrate judge in Miami has ordered him jailed without bond until he is transferred to Los Angeles for arraignment. All six defendants – none of whom has yet entered a plea to the charges – are expected to be arraigned in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks. According to the superseding indictment, in 2010, Banks formed an organization called Only the Family (OTF), which, among other things, produced and sold hip hop music from artists primarily from the Chicago area. OTF also acted as an association-in-fact of individuals who engaged in violence, including murder and assault, at Banks’ direction and to maintain their status in OTF. Banks feuded with a victim, identified in court documents as “T.B.” The feud stemmed from a November 6, 2020, murder in which an associate of T.B. shot and killed an OTF rapper named Dayvon Bennett, a.k.a. “King Von.” Bennett and Banks were close friends. In response to Bennett’s murder, Banks allegedly put a bounty on T.B.’s life. On August 19, 2022, several OTF members and associates used two vehicles and worked in tandem to track, stalk, and attempt to murder T.B. for hours, culminating in a shooting at a gasoline station located near the Beverly Center shopping mall. The co-conspirators used multiple guns, including a machine gun, and fired at least 18 rounds at T.B.’s vehicle, striking and killing a victim identified in court documents as “S.R.,” who was T.B.’s family member who had been traveling with T.B. Banks allegedly ordered T.B.’s murder and the hitmen used money from Banks and OTF-related finances to carry out the hit. Bank and flight records show that an OTF member and close associate of Banks coordinated and paid for five co-conspirators to travel from Chicago to California on the day before the murder. Around the time the one-way flights were purchased, Banks told the OTF associate booking the flights, “Don’t book no flights under no names involved wit [sic] me.” The same day the hitmen traveled from Chicago to California, Banks also traveled to California in a private jet with another conspirator, Kavon London Grant, 28, a.k.a. “Cuz” and “Vonnie.” Later that day, Grant allegedly purchased ski masks for the shooters to use to commit the murder and paid – using a credit card in Banks’ name – for the other co-conspirators’ hotel room. “Mr. Banks is charged with orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Not only that, the shooting occurred in the open, at a gas station at a busy intersection, endangering many others in the area. Violent gun crime of this sort is devastating to our community and we will have zero-tolerance for those who perpetrate such callous acts of violence.” “The apprehension of Mr. Banks as he attempted to leave the United States is once again proof that the FBI and our extraordinary partners at the Los Angeles Police Department have a long reach,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “No excuse can justify this violent act and let me be clear: While you’re going about your life, thinking you ‘got away with it,’ the FBI is piecing together the facts that will serve as your undoing.” “Cases like these that span multiple states and jurisdictions are complicated and can oftentimes only be resolved through the collaboration of multiple departments,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “This arrest is the culmination of the combined efforts of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and LAPD’s Operation West Bureau Homicide detectives who discovered that Durk D a.k.a. Lil Durk was involved in this heinous murder. The hundreds of hours spent on the investigation included surveillance, authoring numerous search warrants, using forensic technology, and tireless investigative travel and collaboration alongside our federal partners led to this arrest. I am appreciative of the dedication of those involved.” The other five defendants are in federal custody in Illinois after their initial court appearances in Chicago. They remain charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Jones faces an additional count of possession of a machine gun. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, all the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Daniel H. Weiner of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section, and Gregory W. Staples of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Release Of Servicemembers And Veterans Legal Resource Manual

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the release of the Servicemembers and Veterans Manual. The Manual, located online at https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/servicemembers-and-veterans-working-group , is a comprehensive guide to the unique legal issues facing the servicemember and veterans community, including legal protections in the areas of housing, employment, consumer protection, disability rights, financial assistance, and mental health. The Manual also identifies organizations throughout Florida focused on helping servicemembers and veterans with these matters. The Manual is the result of a successful collaboration between federal and state military branches, federal and state agencies, legal aid organizations, and others who serve the military within the Middle District of Florida and throughout the state. In addition to members from the United States Attorney’s Office, it includes members from the following organizations: Florida’s Army National Guard; U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; U.S. Department of Labor VETS Office; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau; Florida Attorney General’s Office; Florida Department of Veterans Affairs; Florida Commission on Human Relations; Bay Area Legal Services; Community Legal Services; Jacksonville Area Legal Aid; University of Florida Levin College of Law Veterans and Servicemembers Clinic; National Veterans Legal Services Program; the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors or TAPS; and counseling services within the Middle District of Florida. “As we honor our veterans, we reflect on their sacrifice and the freedoms they’ve secured for us all. Florida, one of the most veteran-populated states, is home to countless heroes whose service inspires us. Veterans have given us more than freedom; they’ve given us the responsibility to build a just and inclusive society in their honor,” stated Cheyanne Costilla, Executive Director of the Florida Commission on Human Relations. “At the Florida Commission on Human Relations, we’re committed to ensuring that their legacy lives on through our work to foster fairness, inclusion, and respect for all, and this agency is proud to have participated in the development of this useful reference guide for servicemembers, veterans, and their families.” “Region Legal Service Office Southeast is proud to join the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida in the creation of a collaborative online manual touching on countless topics critical to the support and representation of servicemembers and veterans,” said Captain Katherine S. Pasieta, Commanding Officer at the U.S. Navy Regional Legal Service Office Southeast. “Legal Assistance Attorneys across the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps and Region Legal Service Office Southeast are committed to providing timely, expert advice to servicemembers and their families on consumer affairs, estate planning, and family law matters. The release of this new online resource will launch a user-friendly guide to navigate the often-complex legal landscape affecting our military members, veterans, and their dependents. I am grateful to our local experts and their ability to provide countless manhours of guidance and support to the Consumer Law Subcommittee and creation of Consumer Law materials for the manual. This collaborative effort underscores our shared commitment with other public agencies to support those who are now serving or have previously served our nation.” “Our goal was to create a comprehensive, accessible guide to legal rights and resources that addresses the unique challenges faced by our veterans,” said CEO & President of Bay Area Legal Services Joan Cain Boles. With Florida home to the third-largest veteran population in the nation, it was critical for us all to enhance the health, safety, and quality of life for Florida’s veterans. This guide stands as a testament to our commitment to empowering those who have served.” "The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is proud to work alongside our federal and state partners to safeguard the rights of servicemembers in the Middle District of Florida," said James S. Rice, the CFPB's Assistant Director for the Office of Servicemember Affairs. Members of the Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic at the University of Florida Levin College of Law are also actively participating in the area of financial assistance. Professor Judy Clausen, who leads the clinic, explained, “in working with the attorneys in our committee in drafting the Financial Assistance chapter of the Manual, our team members collaborated to identify and find solutions to address the financial issues that most affect service members, veterans, and military families, ensuring that the manual is most useful and easily accessible.” Organizations interested in joining the Working Group or anyone who would like outreach from Working Group participants can send an email to: USAFLM-SVWG@usdoj.gov . Video message from U.S. Attorney Handberg on the rollout of the Servicemembers and Veterans Working Group Manual. Press conference hosted by Community Legal Services.


title: Jury Convicts Militia Members of Conspiracy to Murder Border Patrol Officers, Attempted Murder of FBI Agents

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Two members of the 2nd American Militia have been convicted by a federal trial jury for their roles in a conspiracy to murder U.S. Border Patrol agents and, related to their shooting at FBI agents at the time of their arrest, of attempting to murder federal agents. Jonathan S. O’Dell, 34, of Warsaw, Mo., and Bryan C. Perry, 39, of Clarksville, Tennessee were found guilty on Thursday, Nov. 7, of conspiracy to murder officers and employees of the United States government. They planned to travel to Texas to shoot at illegal immigrants crossing the United States – Mexico border. They also planned to murder officers and employees of the U.S. Border Patrol who would attempt to stop them. O’Dell and Perry also were found guilty of a conspiracy to assault federal officers and employees and a conspiracy to injure federal officers and employees. They were found guilty of seven counts of the attempted murder of FBI special agents, seven counts of assaulting FBI special agents with a deadly weapon, three counts of assaulting FBI special agents, 14 counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of damaging federal property. Additionally, O’Dell was found guilty of one count of threatening to injure another person. On the morning of the first day of trial, O’Dell also pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a firearm while subject to a court order of protection, one count of making a false statement to a federal agent, and one count of escaping from custody. O’Dell escaped from the Phelps County Jail in Rolla, Mo., on Sept. 29, 2023, while being detained in this case. He stole a car and fled to Ray County, Mo., where he was recaptured following a high-speed flight from law enforcement on Oct. 1, 2023. Additionally, Perry was found guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possessing body armor by a violent felon, and one count of threatening to injure another person. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Perry has a prior felony conviction for aggravated robbery. Evidence introduced during the trial indicated that, throughout the summer, and fall of 2022, Perry and O’Dell recruited and attempted to recruit other individuals to join the 2 nd American Militia, a group they co-founded. They advertised a recruitment event in Warsaw prior to leaving for the United States – Mexico border. On Sept. 5, 2022, Perry, bringing at least two stolen firearms, body armor, and gas masks with him, traveled from Tennessee to Warsaw to live with O’Dell. They used O’Dell’s residence as a staging site as they prepared for their trip to the border and collected firearms, paramilitary gear, ammunition, and other supplies. Perry posted several videos on TikTok in an attempt to recruit other members into their conspiracy. O’Dell and Perry also communicated with several individuals outside the state of Missouri. On Sept. 12, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he discussed illegal immigrants coming into the United States from Mexico. Perry stated that the U.S. Border Patrol was committing treason by allowing these illegal immigrants to enter the United States, and that the penalty for treason was death. Perry posted another video on TikTok the next day in which he stated that he was “ready to go to war against this government.” On Sept. 22, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we’re out to shoot to kill” and that “our group is gonna go protect this country.” On Oct. 3, 2022, Perry posted a video on TikTok in which he stated, “we were going out huntin’,” that his group was taking their “full kits,” and that they were leaving for the United States – Mexico border on Oct. 8, 2022. O’Dell and Perry continued to conduct preparatory steps to further their conspiracy, including continuing to recruit others, attempting to acquire other gear, and practicing shooting at targets with firearms. On Oct. 7, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at O’Dell’s residence. Federal agents approached the property at about 6 a.m. in vehicles with red and blue lights activated. As the FBI approached, an agent utilized a loudspeaker in the lead armored vehicle, the “Bearcat,” to announce they were with the FBI and that they had a search warrant for the residence. Seven agents were inside or behind the Bearcat. The FBI agent began to repeat the announcement, again stating that they were with the FBI, when gunshots were fired from a front window at the lead FBI vehicle. Perry fired 11 shots from his Voodoo Innovations multi-caliber rifle with an AM-15 lower receiver. Several rounds hit the lead FBI vehicle. Agents responded by deploying flash bangs around the residence. Agents used the Bearcat to conduct a breach of the front door of the residence using an affixed ram. Agents did not return fire and, after the gunshots ceased, the FBI established a perimeter and began communicating with the persons inside the residence to come out. O’Dell and his girlfriend came out of the residence and surrendered to authorities. Perry eventually came out of the residence. Perry took down an American flag from the front porch of the residence and walked down the steps while waving the flag. After beginning to walk to the agents, Perry then turned around and moved back to the residence. Agents pursued Perry, who began to fight and swing his fists, striking the agents several times and causing injury to at least one agent before he was taken into custody. Agents then searched the residence and found six firearms, 23 magazines filled with ammunition, 1,770 rounds of various other ammunition, 11 spent casings, two sets of body armor with corresponding plate carrier vests, one handheld radio, two sniper rests, two gas masks, two ballistic helmets, multiple containers of a binary explosive mixture commonly sold as an exploding target, zip ties, and two 2nd American Militia patches. Agents also found two go-bags that contained food, provisions, and other gear. Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., deliberated for about two hours and 23 minutes before returning guilty verdicts yesterday to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, Oct. 28. Under federal statutes, O’Dell and Perry each are subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, and up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey Clark and Ashley Turner. It was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Ray County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Caldwell County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Justice Department Announces Murder-For-Hire and Related Charges Against IRGC Asset and Two Local Operatives

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Shakeri Was Tasked by Iranian Regime with Surveilling and Plotting to Assassinate President-Elect Donald J. Trump Note : View the criminal complaint here . Farhad Shakeri, 51, of Iran; Carlisle Rivera, also known as Pop, 49, of Brooklyn, New York; and Jonathon Loadholt, 36, of Staten Island, New York, were charged today in a criminal complaint in connection with their alleged involvement in a plot to murder a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin in New York. Rivera was arrested in Brooklyn, New York, and Loadholt was arrested in Staten Island, New York, yesterday. Shakeri remains at large and is believed to reside in Iran. Rivera and Loadholt made their initial appearance in the Southern District of New York yesterday and were ordered detained pending trial. “There are few actors in the world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department has charged an asset of the Iranian regime who was tasked by the regime to direct a network of criminal associates to further Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump. We have also charged and arrested two individuals who we allege were recruited as part of that network to silence and kill, on U.S. soil, an American journalist who has been a prominent critic of the regime. We will not stand for the Iranian regime’s attempts to endanger the American people and America’s national security.” “The charges announced today expose Iran's continued brazen attempts to target U.S. citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders and dissidents who criticize the regime in Tehran,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — a designated foreign terrorist organization — has been conspiring with criminals and hitmen to target and gun down Americans on U.S. soil and that simply won’t be tolerated. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI, their deadly schemes were disrupted. We're committed to using the full resources of the FBI to protect our citizens from Iran or any other adversary who targets Americans.” “Actors directed by the Government of Iran continue to target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad. This has to stop,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s charges are another message to those who continue in their efforts – we will remain unrelenting in our pursuit of bad actors, no matter where they reside, and will stop at nothing to bring to justice those who harm our safety and security. I want to thank the career prosecutors of this office and our law enforcement partners for their ongoing work in this and related investigations. They are truly the best of the best and work tirelessly to keep our country safe.” According to the complaint and other public statements and filings, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (the Government of Iran) is actively targeting nationals of the United States and its allies living in countries around the world for attacks, including assault, kidnapping, and murder, both to repress and silence dissidents critical of the Iranian regime and to take vengeance for the January 2020 death of then-Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force (IRGC-QF), Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. The IRGC is an Iranian military and counterintelligence agency under the authority of Iran’s Supreme Leader, comprised of components including an external operations force, the IRGC-QF, and has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since April 15, 2019. The IRGC has publicly stated its desire to avenge the death of Soleimani, and, among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting U.S. citizens residing in the United States and abroad. Shakeri is an IRGC asset residing in Tehran, Iran. Shakeri immigrated to the United States as a child and was deported in or about 2008 after serving 14 years in prison for a robbery conviction. In recent months, Shakeri has used a network of criminal associates he met in prison in the United States to supply the IRGC with operatives to conduct surveillance and assassinations of IRGC targets. Two members of Shakeri’s network are his co-defendants, Loadholt and Rivera. At Shakeri’s instruction, Loadholt and Rivera have spent months surveilling a U.S. citizen of Iranian origin residing in the United States (Victim-1). Victim-1 is an outspoken critic of the Iranian regime and has been the target of multiple prior plots for kidnapping and/or murder directed by the Government of Iran. In exchange for Shakeri’s promise of $100,000, Rivera and Loadholt repeatedly sought to locate Victim-1 for murder. During their efforts to locate and kill Victim-1, Shakeri, Loadholt, and Rivera shared messages about their progress and photographs relating to their scheme. For example, in or about February 2024, Rivera and Loadholt messaged about an incoming payment from Shakeri, and then traveled to Fairfield University, where Victim-1 was scheduled to appear, and took photographs on campus. In or about April, Shakeri sent Rivera a series of voice notes discussing their efforts to locate and kill Victim-1. In one voice note, Shakeri told Rivera that Victim-1 spent most of her time in particular locations of her home, and told Rivera that “you just gotta have patience … You gotta wait and have patience to catch her either going in the house or coming out, or following her out somewhere and taking care of it. Don’t think about going in. In is a suicide move.” On several occasions over the last several months, consistent with this instruction from Shakeri, Rivera and/or Loadholt have surveilled a location in Brooklyn that they had identified as associated with Victim-1. In addition, according to statements made by Shakeri in recorded interviews with law enforcement agents, the IRGC has also tasked Shakeri with carrying out other assassinations against U.S. and Israeli citizens located in the United States. In particular, Shakeri has informed law enforcement that he was tasked on Oct. 7, 2024, with providing a plan to kill President-elect Donald J. Trump. During the interview, Shakeri claimed he did not intend to propose a plan to kill Trump within the timeframe set by the IRGC. He also stated he was tasked with surveilling two Jewish American citizens residing in New York City and offered $500,000 by an IRGC official for the murder of either victim. He was also tasked with targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka. Shakeri, Rivera, and Loadholt have all been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison; and money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Shakeri has also been charged with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and sanctions against the Government of Iran, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI New York Field Office is investigating the case. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection New York Field Office and Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and Michael Lockard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Isaacson for the Southern District of New York, Trial Attorneys Dmitry Slavin of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and Christopher Rigali and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Sues Mississippi State Senate for Race Discrimination

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Mississippi State Senate for discriminating against a Black former staff attorney in its Legislative Services Office (LSO). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, alleges that the Senate paid her about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits racial discrimination in compensation and other forms of employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin or religion. “Discriminatory employment practices, like paying a Black employee less than their white colleagues for the same work, are not only unfair, they are unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Black employee at issue in this lawsuit was paid about half the salary of her white colleagues in violation of federal law. This lawsuit makes clear that race-based pay discrimination will not be tolerated in our economy. Our work to eliminate race-based pay disparities is about promoting compliance with the law and promoting equity and fairness for all workers.” The department alleges in the complaint that the Senate discriminated against Kristie Metcalfe by paying her significantly less than every other LSO attorney, all of whom were white. The complaint further alleges that Ms. Metcalfe and these other attorneys had substantially the same job responsibilities and yet she was paid less than these attorneys throughout her eight-year tenure. The LSO is a non-partisan office that provides legal services, such as drafting bills, for all members of the Senate. In the 34 years prior to Ms. Metcalfe’s hire, the LSO employed only white attorneys. The complaint alleges the pay gap between Ms. Metcalfe and her white colleagues began when she was hired and was perpetuated in several additional discriminatory pay actions. In 2011, Ms. Metcalfe was paid a starting salary significantly lower than any LSO attorney in over 30 years. Just one month after her hire, every attorney but Ms. Metcalfe was given a substantial raise, further widening the pay gap and leaving her with a salary less than half of what her white colleagues were earning. In the following years, the Senate consistently paid Ms. Metcalfe many times less than her white colleagues. Finally, near the end of Ms. Metcalfe’s tenure, the Senate hired a white attorney with no previous legislative experience and a similar number of years of legal experience as Ms. Metcalfe at a salary significantly higher than Ms. Metcalfe’s. At a meeting with Senate officials responsible for setting LSO salaries, Ms. Metcalfe complained about the pay disparity with the new hire, but the Senate denied her request for comparable pay. Through this lawsuit, the department is seeking back pay and compensatory damages for Ms. Metcalfe, in addition to injunctive and other appropriate relief. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Jackson Area Office investigated and attempted to resolve Ms. Metcalfe’s charge of discrimination before referring it to the Justice Department for litigation. More information about the EEOC is available at www.eeoc.gov . The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Employment Litigation Section is available at www.justice.gov/crt/ and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section . Trial Attorneys Louis Whitsett and Young Choi of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Graves III for the Southern District of Mississippi are handling the case.


title: Colorado Man Sentenced for Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Colorado man was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $242,210 after pleading guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, in 2015, James Matison , the former Restoration Projects Director at WildEarth Guardians, manipulated his co-defendant, Jeffrey Ham, the owner of Timberline Environmental LLC, a WildEarth Guardians contractor, into participating in the scheme by claiming his wife suffered a traumatic brain injury and they were facing financial hardship. As part of the scheme, Matison created fraudulent invoices from Timberline to WildEarth Guardians, which he approved for payment, causing the non-profit to issue checks to Timberline. Matison deposited these checks into Timberline's account, then transferred the funds to his personal account. The scheme continued until March 2019 and accumulated a total of $242,210 in fraudulent billings to WildEarth Guardians, with Matison pocketing virtually all the proceeds. When WildEarth Guardians began investigating, Matison asked Ham to create new invoices to cover up the crimes. Ham pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced on October 3, 2024, to serve a term of three years on probation. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Inspector General, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General and the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: South Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty To $1.7 Million Embezzlement Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Kristin Turney, 54, of Catawba, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court today to wire fraud for embezzling more than $1.7 million from her employer, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to court documents, from 2016 to 2023, Turney executed a scheme to defraud her employer, a Charlotte-based company, by embezzling more than $1.7 million. Turney was in charge of the company’s financial matters, including bank accounts, payroll, accounts payables and receivables, and tax filings. As part of the scheme, Turney misused her access and control over the company’s bank accounts and books and records to write company checks to herself without proper approval or authorization and then deposited the checks into bank accounts under her control. As a result, Turney caused at least 1,000 fraudulent and unauthorized deposits totaling more than $1.7 million to be made from the bank account of the victim company to Turney’s bank account. Turney then covered up the fraud by, among other things, making false accounting entries in the company’s books and records, providing false information to the company’s tax return preparer, and giving false information to the company’s owner and employees. Turney generally spent the embezzled funds to pay for personal expenses, that included hundreds of thousands of dollars in shopping trips, car payments, mortgage payments, tuition payments, and vacation expenses. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.


title: Mt. Pleasant Man Sentenced to Over 33 Years in Prison for Murder and Assault with the  Intent to Murder on the Isabella Reservation

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: Bay City, MI –A Mount Pleasant man was sentenced to over 33 years in prison for murder and other assaultive crimes, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Johnathan Ashford, 39, was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas L. Ludington to 400 months’ imprisonment, after having pleaded guilty to murder, assault with intent to murder, and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence on July 16, 2024. The evidence established that after having an argument with his significant other, Ashford retrieved a 9mm Taurus handgun and shot his significant other multiple times, killing her. Several of the bullets Ashford fired struck a 6-month-old child who his significant other was holding in her arms when he shot her. The baby suffered life threatening injuries, but survived. Both victims are Indians, and the incident occurred on the Isabella Reservation within Indian country in the Eastern District of Michigan. “The violent actions of this defendant are appalling as he took the life of a young woman and seriously injured a 6-month old child,” said United States Attorney Ison. “Our office has an unwavering commitment to holding accountable those who perpetuate violence in our tribal communities.” The case was investigated by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Isabella County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police, Saginaw City Police, Buena Vista Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roy Kranz .


title: Unprovoked Assault on a Psychiatrist at St. Elizabeths Gets Man 13 Year Prison Term

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Anthony Braxton, 44, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday to 156 months in prison, for the offense of aggravated assault of a senior citizen, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Braxton was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on September 5, 2024, of one count of aggravated assault of a senior citizen. The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Braxton on November 7, 2024, to 156 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. According to the government’s evidence, on April 23, 2020, the victim, a doctor at St. Elizabeths Hospital, had responded to a call for assistance on his ward. As the victim was walking toward a colleague and another patient, Braxton approached the victim from behind and, totally unprovoked, punched the victim in the head, knocking him to the ground where he lay unconscious for several minutes. Over the next several weeks, the victim developed a life-threatening brain bleed that ultimately required two surgeries. The victim deals with lingering symptoms from his injuries to this day. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s office. They acknowledged those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole H. Conte, Victim Assistance Specialist Deidria Ellis, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather, Lead Paralegal Specialist Tameka Garcia, Paralegal Specialist Abubakar Alawy, Supervisory IT Specialist Leif Hickling, and Special Agent Eric Pauta. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Huether, Julian Ginos, and Richard Carlton, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: South Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty to Sending Racist Threats to Kill a Catskill Man

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kristin Keeble, age 54, of Pageland, South Carolina, pled guilty today to transmitting a threat to injure another in interstate commerce. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. Keeble admitted that on October 26, 2023, she sent four threatening, profanity-laced and racially derogatory audio messages through Facebook Messenger to a man in Catskill, New York. Keeble threatened to kill the victim by hanging him, along with a woman the victim knew, and the woman’s children, from a tree. Keeble purported to be acting with members of the Ku Klux Klan. Keeble knew, from the victim’s Facebook profile photo, that the victim was Black. At sentencing before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci on March 7, 2025, Keeble will face a maximum term of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The FBI investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting.


title: Former CFO Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Embezzling $2 Million

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Friday sentenced the former CFO of a St. Louis County, Missouri company to 41 months in prison for embezzling $2 million. Richard D. Zellner was also ordered to repay the money. Between approximately January 2019 and January 2024, Zellner used his employer’s bank accounts to pay off the balance of his personal credit cards. Zellner repeatedly paid off that balance once he’d incurred thousands of dollars in charges, which typically occurred every few days or couple of weeks. Zellner spent the money on vacations, travel, personal bills and purchases of gold and precious metals. He covered up his thefts by altering company accounting records by creating fake work orders and bills. Zellner also used the company’s credit cards for personal expenses. Zellner made a total of over 1,000 unauthorized transactions during his scheme, fraudulently obtaining about $ $2,062,051. Zellner, 66, of O’Fallon, Missouri, waived grand jury indictment and pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of wire fraud. The FBI and the Maryland Heights Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.


title: Pharmacist and Brother Convicted of $15M Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurer Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted a pharmacy owner and his brother today for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Raad Kouza, a pharmacist in Wayne County, Michigan, and his brother, Ramis Kouza, of Oakland County, Michigan, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for prescription medications that they did not dispense at pharmacies they owned or operated in Michigan. The defendants collectively caused over $15 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Raad Kouza and Ramis Kouza were convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Raad Kouza was also convicted of one count of health care fraud. Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy count, and Raad Kouza faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the health care fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be set at a later date. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Claire Sobczak Pacelli, Jeffrey A. Crapko, and Andres Q. Almendarez of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: United States Attorney Announces Participation In Newly Formed Veterans Court

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey today announced the United States Attorney’s Office’s participation in the Northern District of California’s newly formed Veterans Court (VC). VC is a program for justice-involved veterans that provides a viable and appropriate alternative to incarceration for eligible veteran-defendants. “We are deeply indebted to the military veterans within the Northern District of California for their service and sacrifice. We recognize, however, that some veterans struggle and come into contact with the federal criminal justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey. “Where appropriate and consistent with our mission to keep the community safe, Veterans Court offers an alternative to incarceration.” For veterans who meet the eligibility requirements and are determined to be suitable candidates, VC offers dedicated programming as an alternative to incarceration. VC integrates court supervision and an extensive network of treatment services and community support. The program offers a four-phased structured approach: (1) engagement and assessment; (2) stability and accountability; (3) wellness and community connection; and (4) program transition. In order to participate in VC, a veteran-defendant must meet the minimum eligibility requirements: At least 12 months of service in the U.S. armed forces (Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Navy, Navy Reserve, Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserve, Space Force), unless discharged early due to a service-connected disability or a reservist/guardsman who served the full period for which he or she was called to active duty. Not charged with a sex offense or crimes against minors. Not involved in removal proceedings or with an immigration detainer. Participants must plead guilty in order to participate. Upon determination of suitability for the program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will schedule a meeting with the defendant and his or her counsel and may offer either a Track I plea agreement (to low to moderate risk defendants) or a Track II plea agreement (to any risk level of defendants). The participant will then begin a tailored, phased program lasting between 12-24 months. For Track I participants who successfully complete all program requirements, the government will move to dismiss the charges. For Track II participants who successfully complete all program requirements, the government will recommend a noncustodial sentence. Participants who do not successfully complete the program will proceed to sentencing in accordance with standard procedures and timelines. Admission to VC and determination of Track I or Track II eligibility lie solely with the United States Attorney’s Office. For more information about alternative sentencing programs in the Northern District of California, please see https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/about/court-programs/cap-frequently-asked-questions/ . Veterans Justice Court Application Veterans Court Quick Overview Guide


title: Ohio Man Convicted of Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted an Ohio man of possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography. Derran Reebel, 52, of Toledo, was found guilty of committing crimes that violate federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. According to court documents, Reebel knowingly received and distributed CSAM for nearly eight years, from about Jan. 1, 2014 through Aug. 17, 2022. During a search warrant execution conducted at his residence, investigators found numerous books, magazines, periodicals, films, and video tapes that contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in his possession. Law enforcement officials also discovered that Reebel used social media for a number of years to chat with minors and send them sexually explicit messages and photos of himself. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Reebel faces a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in prison. This case was investigated by the FBI-Toledo. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org , or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: Passaic County Man Sentenced to 82 Months in Prison for Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Ammunition Charges

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 82 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possessing ammunition by a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Kadeem Coleman, 31, of Paterson, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée M. Bumb to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and was sentenced to 70 months in prison on those counts. At the time Coleman committed these offenses, he was on federal supervised release; for violating the terms of his supervised release, Judge Bumb sentenced Coleman to an additional 12 months in prison to run consecutively. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence on Nov. 7, 2024, in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On October 15, 2021, law enforcement arrested Coleman and searched his residence pursuant a search warrant. Law enforcement recovered fentanyl and cocaine, which was subsequently confirmed through laboratory testing, and over 120 rounds of ammunition. Coleman had previously been federally convicted in the District of New Jersey for unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Coleman to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado, Newark Field Division; the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Acting Sheriff Gary Giardina; and the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Isa Abbassi with the investigation leading to the sentencing. This case is part of the Paterson Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in 2020 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Paterson’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Paterson. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Paterson Department of Public Safety, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Bergen County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, and N.J. Department of Corrections. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi‑agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.


title: Carter County Resident Sentenced For 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 announces that Danny Ray Gordon, III, age 33, of Lone Grove, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On May 29, 2024, Gordon pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. According to investigators, on December 16, 2023, law enforcement conducting a routine traffic stop discovered Gordon in possession of a .32ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol and several rounds of ammunition. At the time of the stop, Gordon had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and was prohibited from possessing firearms. 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 Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing. Gordon will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: Multistate Gun Trafficker and Crips Gang Member Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – Jakil Deandre Bond, 28, of Williamston, was sentenced to 141 months in prison for engaging in illegal firearm trafficking and drug distribution. Bond, a validated gang member, organized the purchase of firearms through co-defendants and straw purchasers Malik Jaree Bazemore and Ti’quiran Rodgers, who is also a validated gang member. “We are targeting the violent gangs and reckless gunrunners fueling violence in our cities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. “This gun trafficker formed an iron pipeline of firepower from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., where shootings fueled further gang violence. Gun traffickers and straw purchasers are on notice – you are on the pathway to federal prison.” “Firearms trafficking and straw purchasing is a critical issue that puts too many firearms in the hands of prohibited individuals,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Our priority is fighting violent gun crime, and when we can find and stop the individuals responsible for illegal firearms purchases, we can better protect our communities and communities across the country.” “The Greenville Police Department works seamlessly with local, state, and federal partners to ensure that all crimes are fully investigated and prosecuted whether they occur solely in the city limits of Greenville or in instances such as this case where it extends far beyond our jurisdiction,” stated Greenville Police Chief Ted Sauls. According to court records and evidence presented in court, from 2019 to November 2021, Bond, Bazemore, Rodgers, and Barron Nathaniel Shaw conspired to traffic over 50 firearms from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., and other East Coast areas. Bazemore and Rodgers, both residents of North Carolina, purchased firearms from federally licensed dealers in North Carolina and then transferred the firearms to Bond, Shaw, and others. Bazemore and Rodgers falsely stated that they were purchasing the firearms for personal use on multiple firearm transaction records. An investigation was launched by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in September 2019 after the D.C. Metro Police (MPD) recovered several firearms at crime scenes and shootings that were traced back to purchases made in North Carolina. Multiple firearms were found at crime scenes in Washington D.C., Maryland, and in North Carolina, as well as in the possession of validated gang members. The investigation revealed that Bond, a validated member of the Rollin 40’s set of the Crips street gang, organized the purchase of firearms from Bazemore and Rodgers. He then introduced them to Shaw and other contacts in D.C. to expand their straw purchasing operation. Bond and Shaw reimbursed Bazemore and Rodgers for the purchase price of the firearms while compensating them for conducting the transactions. On January 24, 2023, ATF agents went to Bond’s apartment in Greenville, to serve him with a federal arrest warrant in connection with the gun trafficking conspiracy. As they knocked on the front door, Bond was observed exiting the rear of the residence and placing items on the back porch. Agents searched the apartment and recovered 731 grams of cocaine, 33 grams of cocaine base, 64 grams of fentanyl, three firearms, assorted ammunition, and other drug paraphernalia items. Barron Shaw was sentenced to 48 months on September 8, 2023, for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license. Malik Bazemore was sentenced to 24 months on September 18, 2024, for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and knowingly making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Ti’quiran Rodgers was sentenced to 24 months on October 11, 2024, for engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and knowingly making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Michael F. Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The ATF, the Greenville Police Department, the Windsor Police Department, the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, and the MPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leonard Champaign prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:22-CR-00088-FL.


title: Repeated Sexual Abuse of a 14-Year-Old Girl Gets Man 12 Year Prison Term

body_text: WASHINGTON – Francisco Flores-Lopez, 34, of Alexandria, VA, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing a 14-year-old D.C. resident, resulting in her pregnancy, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Flores-Lopez pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024, to first degree child sexual abuse, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Judge Marisa Demeo sentenced Flores-Lopez to 144 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Flores-Lopez will also be required to register as a sex offender. According to the government’s evidence, the victim met Flores-Lopez over social media and met up for the first time in June 2022, the same month the victim would turn 14 years old. The defendant, who was 32 years old in June 2022, picked up the victim in his truck and brought her to Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., where he engaged in penetrative vaginal sex with the victim in his truck. Between June 2022 and March 2023, Flores-Lopez engaged in various sexual acts with this 14-year-old girl at various locations in Rock Creek Park. The victim became pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl while she was still 14. Even after giving birth, Flores-Lopez would come over to the victim’s house and continued to engage in sex with the victim. DNA testing conducted in this case corroborated that Flores-Lopez was the father of the baby born to the victim as a result of the sexual abuse. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief. Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the efforts of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Kelley and Sarah Folse, who prosecuted the case.


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges After Robbing Two Montgomery Convenience Stores

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Ala. – On November 8, 2024, Jalen Lamarcus Gunn, a 21-year-old man from Montgomery, Alabama, pleaded guilty to federal robbery and firearm charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. According to his plea agreement and other court records, on April 27, 2024, Gunn entered a convenience store on Wares Ferry Road in Montgomery and leapt over the counter. Gunn then pointed a firearm at the clerk and demanded money from the register be placed in a plastic bag. Gunn then fled the store with approximately $3,000. Just two days later, on April 29 th , Gunn robbed a convenience store on Perry Hill Road in a similar fashion, again pointing a handgun at the clerk and demanding money. This time, Gunn made away with $2,500 and multiple packs of cigarettes. During his plea hearing, Gunn pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. At that hearing, Gunn faces a sentence of seven years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, with Assistant United States Attorney Christopher P. Moore prosecuting.


title: Venezuelan Man Charged with Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm After Driving Motorcycle Across Border in Derby Line, Vermont

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Julio Cesar Romero-Paredes, 46, of Venezuela, has been charged by criminal complaint with unlawfully possessing a firearm as an individual illegally present in the United States, and illegal reentry into the United States after having previously departed while under an order of removal. Romero-Paredes’s initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle has not been scheduled at this time. According to court records, on November 7, 2024, at approximately 12:50 a.m., the driver of a distinctive motorcycle illegally entered the United States by driving around barriers placed near the Haskell Library in Derby Line, Vermont. Customs and Border Protection Officers stationed at nearby ports of entry assisted in locating the motorcycle, which entered onto Interstate 91 and was headed southbound. CBP Officers located the vehicle near Exit 28 on Interstate 91, and performed a traffic stop. The motorcycle, which bore a Georgia registration, was being operated by Romero-Paredes. Romero-Paredes was taken into custody by CBP Officers. An inventory search of Romero-Paredes’s motorcycle, including the bags affixed to the motorcycle, revealed a fully loaded Walther Model P22 .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol (with one round in the chamber), five additional magazines containing approximately 50 rounds of .22 caliber ammo, two Glock magazines with approximately 30 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, and a suspected suppressor that threaded onto the barrel of the Walther pistol. Agents also located in the bags affixed to the motorcycle several handcuff keys, multiple knives, a collapsible steel baton, zip ties, and cell phones. Immigration records revealed that Romero-Paredes had initially entered the United States in 2005 with a visitor’s visa. Romero-Paredes was ordered removed from the United States by an immigration judge on or about March 18, 2022, in Dallas, Texas. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Romero-Paredes is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Romero-Paredes faces up to 15 years of imprisonment if convicted of the firearm charge, and up to 2 years of imprisonment if convicted of the immigration charge. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the efforts of Customs and Border Protection to quickly apprehend Romero-Paredes, and the investigatory assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Cate. Romero-Paredes has not yet been appointed or retained counsel. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Lake County Man Indicted For Receiving Child Sex Abuse Material

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Bryce Fleetwood (26, Clermont) with two counts of receipt of child sex abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Fleetwood faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count, including a 5-year minimum term of imprisonment. Fleetwood is currently in custody pending the resolution of this case. According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, on May 11 and November 15, 2022, Fleetwood, using an online social media messaging application, received CSAM depicting young children. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Second Indictment Returned Charging Orlando Middle School Employee With Distribution And Possession Of Child Sex Abuse Material

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Mitchell Regan (36, Leesburg) with two counts of distribution of child sex abuse material (CSAM) and one count of possession of CSAM. If convicted, Regan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count, including a 5-year minimum sentence on both distribution offenses. Regan is detained in federal custody pending the resolution of this case. According to the superseding indictment and court records, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Regan’s residence on October 17, 2024. During a search of Regan’s cellphone, an HSI computer forensic agent located an image of CSAM in his photo gallery. Regan advised law enforcement that he was employed at a middle school and the Boys and Girls Club and that that he teaches chess club and music lessons. A subsequent review of Regan’s social media applications by law enforcement revealed Regan had distributed two videos of CSAM on June 24, 2024. A superseding indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by HSI and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Texas Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearm Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeffrey Wayne Thompson, age 48, of Fort Worth, Texas, entered a guilty plea to an Indictment charging him with one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The Indictment alleged that February 21, 2023, Thompson knowingly possessed a firearm and six rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The charges arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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. Thompson was allowed to remain on bond pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.


title: Telefónica Venezolana to Pay Over $85M to Resolve Foreign Bribery Investigation

body_text: Telefónica Venezolana C.A. (Telefónica Venezolana), a Venezuela-based subsidiary of Telefónica S.A. (Telefónica), a publicly traded global telecommunications operator based in Spain, will pay over $85.2 million to resolve an investigation by the Justice Department into a scheme to bribe government officials in Venezuela to receive preferential access to U.S. dollars in a currency auction. Telefónica Venezolana entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed today in the Southern District of New York charging the company with conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). “Telefónica Venezolana bribed Venezuelan government officials to participate in a government auction through which it exchanged Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars. The company concealed the illicit payments by purchasing equipment at inflated prices from two suppliers who paid the bribes on the company’s behalf,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Telefónica Venezolana chose to support a corrupt regime to circumvent the difficulties of conducting legal business in Venezuela. This resolution is yet another example of the Justice Department’s commitment to fight corruption and hold companies accountable for their criminal conduct.” “Telefónica Venezolana, a subsidiary and agent of a U.S. issuer, agreed to line the pockets of corrupt Venezuelan officials to gain access to U.S. currency and maintain its position in the Venezuelan telecommunications market,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Intermediaries then funneled the bribe payments through U.S. correspondent bank accounts. This office will not tolerate the use and abuse of the U.S. financial system to enrich corrupt foreign officials and those who maintain their market position by appeasing them.” “This case is an example of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s and our law enforcement partners’ relentless effort to fight corruption and protect United States interests,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS-CI Washington Field Office. “We are committed to pursuing investigations into corporate fraud in an effort to protect consumers from bearing the costs associated with criminal activity.” “Telefónica Venezolana engaged in a complex and criminal financial fraud scheme, in which they bribed Venezuelan government officials to obtain access to U.S. dollars,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Thanks to the cooperative efforts of HSI, IRS-CI, and the Justice Department, the perpetrators of this conspiracy will be forced to pay for their illicit actions. HSI will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners, at home and overseas, to investigate and bring to justice any corporations engaging in such financial crimes.” According to court documents and admissions, in 2014, Telefónica Venezolana participated in a government-sponsored currency auction in Venezuela that allowed it to exchange its Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars. To ensure its success in the auction, Telefónica Venezolana recruited two suppliers to make approximately $28.9 million in corrupt payments to an intermediary, knowing that some of those funds would be paid as a “commission” to Venezuelan government officials. To conceal the bribe payments, Telefónica Venezolana covered the cost of the bribes by purchasing equipment from the two suppliers at inflated prices. As a result of its corrupt payments, Telefónica Venezolana was permitted to exchange and subsequently received over $110 million through the currency auction, which it used to purchase equipment from the two suppliers it recruited to join the scheme. These funds represented over 65% of the funds that the Venezuelan government awarded in the 2014 currency auction. As part of the DPA, Telefónica Venezolana and its corporate parent, Telefónica, have agreed, among other things, to continue cooperating with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in any ongoing or future criminal investigation arising during the term of the DPA. In addition, Telefónica Venezolana and Telefónica have agreed to enhance their compliance program where necessary and appropriate, and to report to the government regarding remediation and implementation of their enhanced compliance program. The Justice Department reached this resolution with Telefónica Venezolana based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. Telefónica Venezolana received credit for its cooperation with the department’s investigation, which included: (i) making regular factual presentations to the department based on the information learned in the course of Telefónica Venezolana’s internal investigation; (ii) voluntarily making employees based outside the United States available for interviews in the United States; (iii) producing a significant number of documents to the department, while navigating foreign data privacy and related laws; and (iv) collecting, analyzing, and organizing voluminous evidence and information for the department, accompanied by translations of documents. However, in the initial phases of the department’s investigation, Telefónica Venezolana failed to timely identify, collect, produce, and disclose certain records and important information, which affected investigative efforts by the department and reduced the impact of Telefónica Venezolana’s cooperation. Telefónica Venezolana also engaged in timely remedial measures, including: (i) disciplining certain employees involved in the relevant misconduct or who were otherwise made aware of the misconduct, including terminating employees; (ii) strengthening its anti-corruption compliance program by building and empowering an independent compliance function, appointing a Chief Compliance Officer with direct access to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors, and investing in additional compliance resources throughout its global operations; (iii) overhauling its review and approval process for transactions with non-standard pricing, including by ensuring that the compliance function reviews all such transactions globally; (iv) reviewing, enhancing, and testing its broader internal controls for pricing and other transactions with the assistance of a forensic accounting firm; (v) strengthening processes for vetting, engaging, and monitoring third parties, including implementing additional controls concerning payments to third parties through a proprietary software tool; and (vi) establishing risk assessment and audit processes to regularly review and update the compliance program and otherwise mitigate business risks. In light of these considerations, as well as Telefónica Venezolana’s and Telefónica’s prior history, which includes a resolution involving a subsidiary of Telefónica, Telefónica Brasil S.A., in an action brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2019 for alleged violations of the accounting provisions of the FCPA, the criminal penalty of $85,260,000 calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines reflects a 20% reduction off the fifth percentile above the low end of the otherwise applicable guidelines fine range. IRS-CI and HSI are investigating the case as part of the IRS Global Illicit Financial Team in Washington, D.C. Senior Litigation Counsel Nicola Mrazek and Trial Attorney Abdus Samad Pardesi of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jilan Kamal for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and authorities in Panama, Switzerland, and Luxembourg provided assistance in this matter. The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa . View the deferred prosecution agreement here . View the information here .


title: Tulsa County Resident Sentenced To Four Years For Possession Of Child Sexual Exploitation Material

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Vince Harjo, age 36, of Glenpool, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment and lifetime supervised release for possessing sexually explicit material of a minor. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department. On September 11, 2023, Harjo pleaded guilty to an Information of one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Child. According to investigators, on February 4, 2023, law enforcement officers responding to a call in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, discovered Harjo in possession of images on his cell phone which depicted the sexual exploitation of a child. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement. You can file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s website at www.cybertipline.com , call 1-800-843-5678, contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or call 877-4-HSI TIP. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Harjo will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.


title: Wausau Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Possessing Methamphetamine Intended For Distribution

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jonathan Rodriguez, 39, Wausau, Wisconsin, was sentenced November 6, 2024, by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 8 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to this charge on August 9, 2024. Law enforcement received a tip that Rodriguez had in his possession, a significant amount of methamphetamine. Officers located Rodriguez in downtown Wausau and ultimately searched him. He had 319 grams of methamphetamine, some of which was pre-packaged for distribution. Rodriguez also admitted that he had sold about a pound of methamphetamine hours before his arrest. At sentencing, Judge Conley commented on Rodriguez’s criminal history and how he spent about half his life incarcerated without making changes. In deciding upon a sentence, Judge Conley balanced Rodriguez’s criminal record with his difficult upbringing. The charge against Rodriguez was the result of an investigation conducted by the Wausau Police Department and the Marathon County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Glinzak prosecuted this case.


title: New Orleans Woman Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act Violations and Money Laundering

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today , U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evansannounced that BRANDIE ROWE (ROWE) , age 36, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on November 6, 2024, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to a two-count superseding indictment. Count One charged ROWE with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(C). Count Two charged ROWE with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(2)(A) and 1956(h). According to court documents, ROWE and other co-conspirators distributed of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana. Additionally, ROWE and the co-conspirators traveled between New Orleans, and other states, in order to transport U.S. Currency and narcotics on behalf of a Drug Trafficking Organization. As to Count One, ROWE faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. As to Count Two, ROWE faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000.00, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office and was assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Doctor Convicted of Accepting Kickbacks for Blood, Urine Samples

body_text: An internal medicine doctor was convicted last week of accepting more than $200,000 in kickbacks for sending patient samples to particular labs, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Dr. Hector Ubaldo, 60, was indicted in September. After a two-day trial, it took a federal jury just 14 minutes to find him guilty of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks and solicitation and receipt of illegal kickbacks. According to evidence presented at trial, Dr. Ubaldo accepted cash from so-called “marketers” in return for sending patients’ blood and urine samples to particular labs, including R.K. Clinical, which then billed insurance companies and Medicare for running diagnostic tests. Dr. Ubaldo also entered into sham medical advisory agreements with the labs and marketers, whereby he was supposed to provided advisory services in exchange for a monthly fee. The labs and marketers had no need for these advisory services and Dr. Ubaldo provided no such services. Instead, the medical advisory service agreements served as a fraudulent vehicle to funnel kickback payments to Dr. Ubaldo in exchange for his sending samples to specific labs. On multiple occasions, one of the marketers met with Dr. Ubaldo at his office and handed over thousands of dollars in cash. Surreptitiously recorded video of the meetings was introduced into evidence in court. “To tell you the truth, I need the cash,” Dr. Ubaldo told the marketer at one of the meetings. Dr. Ubaldo later stated, “The minimum I’m willing to [expletive] take on a monthly basis is about $10 grand.” Over the course of the scheme, Dr. Ubaldo accepted more than $253,000 in bribes. The lab was able to bill insurers roughly $3.4 million as result of their illegal relationship with Dr. Ubaldo. Dr. Ubaldo now faces up to 15 years in federal prison: five years on the conspiracy count and 10 years on the solicitation and receipt count. Following his conviction, Dr. Ubaldo was taken into custody as he awaits sentencing. The marketer in question pleaded guilty before trial to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks and now faces up to five years in federal prison. R.K Clinical owner Kelly Nelson, who also pleaded guilty before trial, was sentenced in May to 30 months in federal prison. In total, the Northern District of Texas has prosecuted more than fifteen doctors, marketers, and lab owners connected to this larger scheme over the last several years. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and Nancy Larson tried the case. U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman presided Dr. Ubaldo’s trial.


title: DOJ Files Statement of Interest Regarding Unnecessary Segregation of Youth with Mental Health Disabilities in L.A. County and California Foster Care System

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The Justice Department today filed a statement of interest in a federal lawsuit alleging the foster care system operated by Los Angeles County and the State of California fails to provide youth with mental health disabilities with sufficient access to housing, behavioral health, and other services and, instead, places them in institutions for care. In Ocean S., et al., v. Los Angeles County, et al., (C.D. Calif., 23cv06921) the plaintiffs, who are transition-age foster youth, contend that the defendants’ administration of the foster care system unnecessarily segregates youth with mental health disabilities in violation of federal law. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. , 527 U.S. 581 (1999) require state and local governments to eliminate unnecessary segregation of persons with disabilities and to administer services to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs. The Department of Justice files statements of interest in ongoing court cases to inform the court and the public of its views on certain matters of law. “Youth with disabilities who do not receive the critical services that they need to thrive in the community often end up in a vicious cycle of institutionalization,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Under the law, people with disabilities deserve to live and receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs, such as in their homes and communities. My office is committed to upholding civil rights for all, including people with disabilities.” In the Ocean S. lawsuit, the Justice Department’s statement of interest pertains to the “integration mandate” and explains that the ADA bars public entities from placing an individual with a disability at serious risk of needless institutionalization. The statement of interest also clarifies that the plaintiffs can state a serious risk claim without alleging that they seek specific community-based services that exist in an institution. It also states that the plaintiffs do not need to include an appropriateness determination from a treatment professional in their complaint, and that a public entity’s oversight and administration of its service system may be sufficient to allege causation. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Xu of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section and attorneys from the Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division worked on the statement of interest. Individuals in the seven counties of the Central District of California may file a complaint asserting civil rights violations with the Civil Rights Section, Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office by completing and submitting this form ( English ) ( Spanish ) by email to USACAC.CV-CivilRights@usdoj.gov .