title: Inmate sentenced for distributing child pornography from Beaumont federal prison

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A federal inmate has been sentenced to an additional 21 years in federal prison for committing child exploitation violations while incarcerated in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Jonathan Lee Edwards, 42, of Houston, pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography and was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 15, 2024. Edwards was ordered to begin serving his sentence following the completion of his current federal sentence of 23 years. According to information presented in court, in December 2021, federal agents received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding images of possible child pornography being uploaded to an online email account. Further investigation linked the accounts to Edwards, who was currently serving a 23-year sentence in the Bureau of Prisons’ Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont for possession of child pornography. During the investigation, Edwards used a cellular phone to send five videos containing child pornography to a person he believed to be a minor. The cellular phone was seized by correctional officers. Based on the evidence, Edwards is responsible for possessing 477 images of child pornography while in federal custody. This case is 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Houston; Palm Beach, Florida; and Beaumont. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove. ###


title: Honduran Man Sentenced For Possessing False Immigration Document

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the sentencing of YEFFERSON DAVID PEREZ (“PEREZ”) , age 19, a citizen of Honduras, who pled guilty on October 8, 2024 to possession of a fraudulent immigration document, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a). United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced PEREZ to time served, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. According to court documents, a United States Border Patrol agent received information that a specific vehicle was in the area of Interstate 10 near Slidell, Louisiana whose owner was in the United States illegally. During a traffic stop of the vehicle, the agent encountered PEREZ as a passenger. During questioning, PEREZ was unable to produce identification but instead, handed the agent what appeared to be a Lawful Permanent Resident card. A forensic document examiner determined that the card was fraudulent and that PEREZ carried the fraudulent card to imply that he was authorized to be present in the United States and to obtain employment. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Border Patrol, the mobile, uniformed law enforcement arm of United States Customs and Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Laplace Woman Indicted for False Statements to Small Business Administration and Falsification of Bankruptcy Records

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LATRICIA HOPE HAYNES MOLIERE (“MOLIERE”) , age 50, a resident of LaPlace, was indicted on October 4, 2024 for False Statements to the Small Business Administration (SBA), and for Falsification of Records in a Bankruptcy Case, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1001 and 1519. According to court documents, on or about March 13, 2021, MOLIERE falsely stated that she was a sole proprietor with an average monthly payroll of $8,041 on a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application (Count One). In support of the PPP application, MOLIERE attached a fraudulent Internal Revenue Service Form 1040 Schedule C. In addition, beginning on or about May 3, 2021 and continuing until at least September 13, 2021, MOLIERE made false statements in a bankruptcy case, including, by failing to disclose her receipt of PPP funds (Count Two). If convicted of Count One, MOLIERE faces a prison term of up to five years, up to three years of supervised release and, a fine of up to $250,000. If convicted of Count Two, MOLIERE faces a prison term of up to twenty years, up to three years of supervised release and, a fine of up to $250,000. As to each count, MOLIERE also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Financial Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution. * * *


title: Youngsville Man Guilty of Possession of Materials Involving Sexual Exploitation of Minors

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that COY DAVID MILLER (“MILLER”) , age 49, of Youngsville, LA, pled guilty on October 9, 2024 to Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). MILLER faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or up to a fine of $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense. In addition, MILLER faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life as well as payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, on October 17, 2023, MILLER was searched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, at the Louis Armstrong International Airport upon his return from Cancun, Mexico. Federal agents found MILLER in possession of images and videos of pre-pubescent child pornography. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for January 15, 2024 before United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle. 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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit. * * *


title: Multiple Tangipahoa Parish Residents Indicted for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the October 9, 2024 unsealing of a thirteen-count indictment charging the following individuals: JOHN TICKLES JR. , (“ TICKLES JR.”) , age 28, of Hammond, Louisiana LONNIE YANCY III , (“YANCY III”) , age 27, of Ponchatoula, Louisiana RASHUN HUTCHINSON , (“HUTCHINSON”) , age 24, of Ponchatoula, Louisiana ROBERT HINES , (“HINES”) , age 45, Ponchatoula, Louisiana BRYCE HIGHTOWER , (“HIGHTOWER”) , age 22, of Ponchatoula, Louisiana RINGO MITCHELL JR. , (“MITCHELL JR.') , age 36 of Natalbany, Louisiana RODNEY BERRY , (“BERRY”) , age 41, of Ponchatoula, Louisiana All seven individuals were indicted in Count 1 for Conspiracy to Distribute, and Possess with Intent to Distribute, Controlled Substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. If convicted of Count 1, they face a minimum of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release following imprisonment. TICKLES JR. and HINES were indicted in Count 3, TICKLES JR. and BERRY were indicted in Count 6, TICKLES JR. and MITCHELL JR. were indicted in Count 9, and TICKLES JR. and HIGHTOWER were indicted in Count 12, for illegal Use of a Communications Facility, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(b) and 18 U.S.C. § 2. If convicted of Counts 3, 6, 9, or 12, they face up to 20 years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years supervised release following imprisonment. TICKLES JR. was indicted in Counts 2 and 11 for Distribution of Fentanyl and, on Counts 8 and 5, for Distribution of Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). If convicted of either of these four Counts, TICKLES JR. faces a minimum of 5 years and, up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. HINES and HIGHTOWER were indicted in Counts 4 and 13 for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). If convicted of Counts 4 and 13, they face a minimum of 5 years and, up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. MITCHELL JR and BERRY were indicted in Counts 7 and 10 for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). If convicted of Counts 7 and 10, they face a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment. As to each count in which one of these individuals is charged, they also face payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to the indictment, from a time unknown but continuing until at least September 10, 2024, these seven individuals conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, throughout Tangipahoa Parish. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. 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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Hammond Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office, and the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Sarver of the Narcotics Unit.


title: New Orleans Man Indicted for Federal Drug and Weapons Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRANDON ALEXANDER (“ALEXANDER”) , age 37, of New Orleans, was indicted on October 10, 2024 for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts. ALEXANDER is charged in Count 1 with Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Buprenorphine (Suboxone), in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and (b)(1)(E). He is charged in Count 2 with Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). He is charged in Count 3 with being a Felon in Possession of Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). He is charged in Count 4 with Receipt of a Firearm While Under Felony Information, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(n) and 924(a)(1)(D) Count 1 carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. Count 2 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Count 3, carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Count 4, carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. According to court records, on August 30, 2024, ALEXANDER possessed heroin and Suboxone, with the intent to distribute those drugs, and possessed a Glock Model 20, ten-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, in furtherance of that crime. ALEXANDER is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a prior felony conviction. He is also prohibited from receiving a firearm, because he is charged by felony information with aggravated assault with a firearm, in the 22nd Judicial District Court. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, RAYMOND BROWN (“BROWN”) , age 41, resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long to 37 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, in April 2023, the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) responded to report that there were people under the I-10 overpass with guns. Upon their arrival, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) saw BROWN , wearing a black sweatshirt and camouflage pants, holding a rifle in his hand. BROWN then fled from police , ran through the backyard of a Touro Street residence, and discarded the firearm, before his eventual arrest. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime/Strike Force Unit.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Weapons Violations

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – GEOURVON SEARS (“SEARS”) , age 27, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on October 10, 2024 before Chief U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Tapentadol, and Marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D), and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). According to court documents, on June 6, 2024, New Orleans Police Department officers executed a search warrant at SEARS’s residence and recovered his backpack, containing methamphetamine, tapentadol, and marijuana, that SEARS intended to sell. Officers also recovered two loaded firearms—a Romarm/Cugir Model Mini Draco semi-automatic pistol and a Norinco Model SKS rifle—that SEARS possessed, in furtherance of his possession with intent to distribute those controlled substances. As to his drug trafficking conviction, SEARS faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Conspiracy and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Today , U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evansannounced that DERRICK WASHINGTON (“WASHINGTON”) a/k/a “Eyes,” age 53, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on October 9, 2024, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute, five hundred grams or more of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, WASHINGTON, and other co-conspirators, distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana. During the investigation, law enforcement, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, seized over forty (40) kilograms of cocaine, twelve (12) kilograms of fentanyl, 4.5 kilograms of heroin, and more than $1,200,00.00 in U.S. Currency and other seized property. As to the charged count, WASHINGTON faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years up to a maximum term of forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, 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: Lengthy Sentences in Federal Prison Handed Down in Ongoing Large Scale Drug Conspiracy and Money Laundering Case

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced four individuals convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Nathan Johnson, age 39, from Denver, Colorado, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments on June 17, 2024. He was sentenced to 36 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Johnson was sentenced in September of 2024. Michele Johnson, age 48, from Steen, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments on July 29, 2024. She was sentenced to 31 years and eight months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. She was sentenced in October of 2024. Jesse Richmond, age 51, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments on June 18, 2024. He was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200. Richmond was sentenced in September of 2024. Tony Hunter, age 53, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance on May 29, 2024. He was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Hunter was sentenced in September of 2024. Nathan Johnson, Michele Johnson, Matthew Thomas, Jesse Richmond, and Tony Hunter were originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2023. A third superseding indictment was filed in May of 2024 adding defendant, Alfred Siani. From December of 2022 to July of 2023, the above-mentioned defendants alongside numerous other co-conspirators transported large loads of methamphetamine from California to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Nathan Johnson, acting as the leader of the conspiracy, would travel from his home in Denver, Colorado to meet with his source of supply in Southern California. While there, Nathan Johnson would receive approximately 150-pounds worth of methamphetamine which would go on to be further distributed in Denver, Colorado, as well as South Dakota. While in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Nathan Johnson would distribute bulk amounts of methamphetamine to his co-conspirators: Jesse Richmond, Tony Hunter, and Michele Johnson. Richmond, Hunter, and Michele Johnson would go on to further distribute the methamphetamine throughout the Sioux Falls community and into southwest Minnesota. The amount of methamphetamine involved was in excess of 300 pounds and over $450,000 in drug proceeds were laundered during the existence of this conspiracy. “The multi-decade sentences obtained thus far illustrate the seriousness of the crimes and the dogged commitment of every agency involved to focus our resources on those criminals who choose to distribute dangerous substances in our state,” said United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are grateful for the collaboration of more than a dozen federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and joint task forces, as well as out-of-state agencies, which resulted in the takedown of a network of drug dealers responsible for bringing hundreds of pounds of illegal narcotics into South Dakota. We are fortunate to have such dedicated men and women doing the difficult investigative and prosecutorial work required to keep our communities safe.” “These sentences should serve as a wake-up call to anyone transporting or distributing methamphetamine into South Dakota communities,” Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steve Bell said. “These four people are facing a combined 119 years in federal prison. Each sentence should provide the offender with ample time to reflect on the damage and destruction they’ve inflicted on so many lives.” This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (including the Rocky Mountain Field Division, Omaha Field Division, Mexico City Country Office, Los Angeles Field Division, Special Operations Division), as well as South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, FBI, South Dakota Highway Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigation team, El Paso Intelligence Center, and collaboration received from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Marshals Service, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Sioux Falls Police Department, Mitchell Police Department, Denver Police Department, Las Vegas Metro Police Department, Worthington Police Department, Brookings Police Department, Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task Forde, and the Colorado Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen prosecuted the case. All four defendants were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Brookings Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography  and Cyberstalking

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Brookings, South Dakota, man for Production of Child Pornography and Cyberstalking. Jaykob Elijah Varner, age 24, was indicted in October of 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Veronica L. Duffy on October 8, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment. The Indictment alleges that between August 1, 2023, and April 13, 2024, Varner knowingly induced, enticed, and coerced a minor female to create images and videos of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct, then send those images and videos to Varner. The Indictment further alleges that Varner used online applications to harass, intimidate, and keep the minor female under surveillance in order to harass and intimidate her into making such images and videos which caused her substantial emotional distress. If convicted, Varner faces a possible maximum penalty of up to 30 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, life of supervised release, and up to $200 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The charges are merely accusations and Varner is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb is prosecuting the case. Varner was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.


title: U.S. Attorney Alerts Public to Charity Scams in Wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr issued a public safety alert today advising the public to be vigilant to hurricane relief fraud in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region and quickly caused major devastation there and across states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and others. On October 9, 2024, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida. As we have seen in the wake of previous national disasters, fraudsters will target victims of the storms along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storms. Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions. The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by these storms. Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, e-mail, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, and other similar methods. Before making a donation to benefit victims of Hurricanes Helene or Milton, individuals should adhere to certain guidelines, including: Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf. Do not be pressured into making contributions as reputable charities do not use such tactics. Do not respond to any unsolicited communications (e.g., e-mails and texts), and never click links contained within those messages because they may be targeting your personal information, to include bank and credit card account information, and other identifiers such as dates of birth and social security numbers. Rather than clicking on a purported link to a charity, verify its legitimacy by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming whether the organization is a valid charity. Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities. Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals. Know that legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services, and their website will normally end in .org rather than .com. Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders. The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate, and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. More than 50 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm . Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: Hagerstown Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison  For Possessing Sexually Explicit Images Of Children

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Chad Christopher Langgle, age 30, of Hagerstown, Maryland, to 10 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for possession of child pornography. The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, and Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). According to his guilty plea, in December 2022, Langgle emailed more than 50 videos containing child pornography, possessed images of child pornography on his cell phone, and had additional videos stored in his email account. Langgle was previously convicted of sex abuse of a minor and second-degree assault on a minor in the Circuit Court for Calvert County, Maryland. Additionally, he was previously convicted of a second-degree sex offense in the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland. 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 Attorney’s 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 . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. U.S. Attorney Barron commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the United States Marshals Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood, who is prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: CEO of Nigerian Airline and Co-Defendant Indicted for Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Allen Onyema, the Chairman, CEO, and founder of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has been charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice for submitting false documents to the government in an effort to end an investigation of him that resulted in earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering. Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, was also charged for participating in the obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts. “After allegedly using his airline company as a cover to commit fraud on the United States’ banking system, Onyema, along with his co-defendant, allegedly committed additional crimes of fraud in a failed attempt to derail the government’s investigation of his conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The diligence of our federal investigative partners revealed the defendants’ alleged obstruction scheme, making it possible for the defendants to be held accountable for their aggravated conduct of attempting to impede a federal investigation.” “These cases represent the continued commitment of the Drug Enforcement Administration to identify and hold accountable those who engaged in fraud and money laundering,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Allegedly, Onyema and his accomplices fraudulently used the U.S. banking system in an effort to hide the source of their ill-gotten money,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Lisa Fontanette, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office. “Today’s superseding indictment is indicative of the dedication IRS-CI special agents and our law enforcement partners have, as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, to neutralize threats to the United States from criminal organizations.” “The charges announced today demonstrate the criticality of diligence and truth in criminal justice proceedings,” said Steven N. Schrank, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta that covers Georgia and Alabama. “HSI and our partners are committed to pursuing those who seek to exploit our nation’s financial system and any efforts to cover up illegal activity.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the superseding indictment, and other information presented in court: Onyema, a Nigerian citizen and businessman, is the CEO and Chairman of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline founded in 2013. Between 2010 and 2018, Onyema travelled frequently to Atlanta, where he opened several personal and business bank accounts. More than $44.9 million was allegedly transferred into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources. Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema. The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace and were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals. The documents purported to show that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia. However, the supporting documents were allegedly fake – Springfield Aviation Company LLC was owned by Onyema and managed on his behalf by a person with no connection to the aviation business, and Springfield Aviation never owned the aircraft. The company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud. After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts. In May 2019, upon discovering that he was under investigation in the Northern District of Georgia for bank fraud, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly directed the Springfield Aviation manager to sign a key business contract, but also specifically told her to not date the document. In October 2019, Onyema allegedly caused his attorneys to present that same contract, now falsely dated as being signed on May 5, 2016 (prior to the bank fraud that began in 2016), to the government in an effort to stop the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts. Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, 61, of Lagos, Nigeria, and Ejiroghene Eghagha, 42, of Lagos, Nigeria, were indicted on November 19, 2019, on one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, three counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit credit application fraud, and three counts of credit application fraud. Additionally, Onyema was charged with 27 counts of money laundering, and Eghagha was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. On October 8, 2024, they were both charged in a superseding indictment alleging an additional count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice. The case is criminal action number 1:19-CR-464. Members of the public are reminded that the indictments only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Commerce, and Department of Treasury are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett L. Bradford and Christopher J. Huber are prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: IMPD Sergeant Facing Federal Charges for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS—A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant, Javed Richards, 42, with five counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material. Richards had his initial appearance in federal court on October 10 th . According to the indictment, on July 14, 2024, Richards allegedly distributed at least five videos of minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct to other individuals via the Kik messenger application. Richards is further charged with possessing numerous images and videos of child sex abuse material on his iCloud account. IMPD announced it has suspended Sergeant Richards pending a recommendation of termination to the IMPD Civilian Police Merit Board. The FBI and Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is investigating this case, with cooperation from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. If convicted, Richards faces up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who is prosecuting this case. This investigation was conducted by the FBI which is part of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www. internetcrimesagainstkids.com to learn more about their efforts. 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Escape

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Deshawn Henderson, age 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 18 months in federal prison following his conviction for escape. The Court further sentenced Henderson to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in 2022, Henderson was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of firearms by a convicted felon. In February 2024, prior to completing his sentence, Henderson was assigned to City of Faith Residential Reentry Center, a community corrections facility located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to serve the remainder of his federal sentence. On the evening of April 1, 2024, employees at City of Faith directed Henderson to submit to a urinalysis and a breath analysis. While he was being escorted to a security trailer at the facility to be tested, he became irate and began to damage the interior of the security trailer. Shortly thereafter, the defendant exited the facility without permission and did not return. Henderson’s whereabouts remained unknown for about 14 days, when he surrendered to the U.S. Marshals Service on the evening of April 15, 2024. This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen R. Vick, Jr.


title: Readout of the Justice Department’s Interagency Convening on Advancing Equity in AI

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division on Wednesday convened principals of federal agency civil rights offices and senior government officials to foster AI and civil rights coordination. This was the fourth such convening by the Civil Rights Division, coming up on the one-year anniversary of President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (EO 14110), which tasks the Civil Rights Division with coordinating federal agencies to use our authorities to prevent and address unlawful discrimination and other harms that may result from the use of AI in programs and benefits, while preserving the potential social, medical and other advances AI may spur. The convening highlighted a recent Justice Department symposium on AI focusing on combating technology-enabled crime — including crime facilitated by AI. The Civil Rights Division’s Chief Technologist presented remarks at the symposium, and the event included discussion of the department’s role in negotiating the first international agreement providing a shared baseline for using AI in a way that is consistent with respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. To strengthen the division’s efforts to ensure equity in AI, the Civil Rights Division recently retained a Chief Technologist, Dr. Laura Edelson. She is helping to systematically expand the division’s AI enforcement capacity and to increase the efficiency of its operations by harnessing technological modernization. At the convening, agency technologists and researchers, including Dr. Edelson, discussed the role of auditing in preventing, investigating, monitoring, and remedying algorithmic bias. Auditing is used to verify that algorithms generate accurate results, as opposed to reflecting historical bias against protected classes. Agencies discussed their efforts to safeguard civil rights through robust enforcement, policy initiatives, rulemaking and ongoing education and outreach. These accomplishments include: A Federal Trade Commission report finding that large social media and video streaming companies engaged in vast surveillance of their users, including kids and teens, with insufficient privacy controls; An Equal Employment Opportunity Commission report highlighting barriers to equal opportunity in the high tech workforce and sector and calling for concerted efforts to address discriminatory barriers; A Department of Labor (DOL) sponsored resource to help employers consider disability inclusion and accessibility in AI hiring technologies; and A Department of Education guide that reminds developers who design for education with AI that they share responsibility with educators for advancing equity and protecting students’ civil rights. The interagency convening's attendees included representatives from the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor, Transportation and Treasury, as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Federal Trade Commission and Social Security Administration. Director Naomi Barry-Perez of the DOL’s Civil Rights Center and Department of Transportation Civil Rights Director Irene Marion were in attendance to provide updates for their agencies. All participants pledged to continue collaboration to protect the American public against any harm that might result from the increased use and reliance on AI, algorithms and other advanced technologies. The agencies also agreed to partner on external stakeholder engagement around their collective efforts to advance equity and civil rights in AI. For more information, see the Civil Rights Division’s webpage , which centralizes content related to the division’s work on AI and civil rights. This resource provides information about how advanced technologies can result in unlawful discrimination and what the division can do to assist victims of discrimination. The webpage also includes key resources on AI and civil rights from enforcement agencies throughout the federal government.


title: Previously Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Loaded Firearm With Obliterated Serial Number

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Haverhill man has pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition. Rashad Diggs, a/k/a “Summers,” 37, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Jan. 14, 2025. In December 2022 in Revere, Diggs possessed a semiautomatic pistol with an obliterated serial number loaded with over 40 rounds of ammunition. Due to prior felony convictions, including for unlawful firearms possession, Diggs is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. The charge of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Malden Police Chief Glenn Cronin made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Greenwood Felon on Federal Supervised Release Sentenced for Weapons Violation Arising from State Domestic Violence Charges

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Thaddeus Deon Devlin, Jr., 29, of Greenwood was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Evidence presented to the court showed that on March 11, 2023, a victim called 911 stating that her children’s father had a gun, threatened her with it, and had taken her 5-year-old son. Greenwood Police Department officers responded to the location where the victim indicated Devlin would likely take her child and saw Devlin pull up. When Devlin and the child exited the car, Devlin was holding a liquor bottle and stated that he had been drinking. Officers searched the car and located a loaded .40 caliber pistol. At the time of the offense, Devlin’s criminal history included multiple incidences of domestic violence, assault and battery, and a prior felon in possession of a firearm charge. Devlin was on federal supervised release at the time. United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., sentenced Devlin to imprisonment for a term of 84 months on the indictment and a consecutive 16 months on the supervised release violation, all to be followed by a one-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Greenwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Felon Sentenced for Possession of Firearms and Fentanyl

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Joseph McKinley Phillips, 34, of Tulsa, for Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Judge Russell ordered Phillips to 188 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. According to court documents, in Dec. 2023, Tulsa Police officers approached Phillips, and he took off running. After officers caught and detained Phillips, they found he had two loaded handguns and more than 40 grams of fentanyl. Data shows that only two milligrams of fentanyl can be a lethal dose. Seven out of ten contraband pills seized and tested by the DEA contained fentanyl. Phillips will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McConney and Kenneth Elmore prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Fresno Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Series of Vehicle Pipe-Bombings

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Scott Eric Anderson, 46, of Fresno, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for conspiracy to destroy property, malicious destruction by means of an explosive device and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between November 2022 and February 2023, Anderson committed a series of pipe-bombings on unoccupied vehicles and property in Fresno. The bombings damaged vehicles belonging to two auto-related businesses on Clinton Avenue in Fresno. On Feb. 19, 2023, a bomb heavily damaged a vehicle used by a home health care business on Fallbrook Avenue in Fresno. Anderson sometimes recorded his crimes by video. Law enforcement also recovered a pistol in Anderson’s bedroom. Anderson was previously convicted of carrying a loaded and concealed weapon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Tierney prosecuted the case.


title: Recidivist Fraudster and Identity Thief Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Birmingham woman was sentenced to 39 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, Valnica Strong Garner, 41, stole checks from a 94-year-old woman’s mailbox in Baldwin County. On November 17, 2023, Garner forged the stolen checks, which bore the elderly victim’s personal and bank account information, and used the forged checks to buy more than $1,000 in merchandise at Walmart stores in Bay Minette and Daphne. On December 8, 2023, Garner again used the victim’s forged checks to buy more than $400 in merchandise at a Walmart in Chelsea. On January 21, 2024, deputies in Alabaster arrested Garner in possession of stolen social security cards belonging to eight different people and stolen checks. At the time Garner committed the offenses in this case, she was on federal supervised release. Garner has five prior federal convictions, all in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama: (1) theft of mail (2003); (2) theft of mail and check forgery (2004); (3) theft of mail (2010); (4) aggravated identity theft (2016); and (5) bank fraud (2020). In addition to the 39-month prison term, Senior United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered Garner to serve a five-year term of supervised release upon her release from prison, during which time she will be subject to drug testing and treatment, will receive mental health evaluation and treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Granade ordered Garner to pay $1,034.65 in victim restitution and $200 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: New York Man Sentenced to 54 Months’ Imprisonment for Investment Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on October 10, 2024, Charles Lawrence (age 50) of Northpoint, New York, was sentenced to 54 months’ incarceration for committing an investment fraud scheme that resulted in a loss of over $4,000,000 to investors across the country and abroad. Court records established the following: Lawrence was an investment advisor who held Series 7, 55, and 63 securities licenses from 1996 to 2006. By 2020, Lawrence became associated with various entities using the name “Landes,” including Landes Trust, Landes & Compagnie Trust Prive, and Landes Prive LLC. Lawrence used these entities to solicit money from unsuspecting victims by selling them an opportunity to join a “trading program” that he claimed would net them significant returns. As part of the scheme, Lawrence lured individuals into soliciting investments on his behalf by promising, and paying, “finder’s fees.” He used these unsuspecting “finders” to make himself, and the trading program, appear legitimate. Once a finder located a potential investor, Lawrence sent written communications and contracts that promised that the victims’ initial investment would be segregated in a separate account and would not be at any risk. Lawrence also promised that profits of 50% or more were possible and likely. After the victims agreed to invest with Lawrence, Lawrence directed them to wire money into a bank account that he controlled. Lawrence also provided his victims a web portal to a Landes bank account on which they could see their initial investment, and provided frequent false updates about how their investment was performing. The web portal, Lawrence’s promises, and his updates were all fraudulent. Lawrence never invested any of the nearly $5,000,000 he received from his victims. Instead, Lawrence spent the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle that included lavish vacations, trips on private jets, spending hundreds of thousands at luxury retailers, and purchasing a 10.8-carat diamond Cartier ring. In announcing his sentence, United States District Judge Lynn Adelman focused on the sophisticated nature of the scheme, noting that Lawrence’s victims took false comfort in the website where they could see their funds. Judge Adelman noted that Lawrence’s “lies were brazen,” that this was “a scam from the very beginning,” and that Lawrence was motivated solely by greed. In addition to the 54-month period of incarceration, Lawrence was ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $4,030,263.51, and to forfeit the 10-carat Cartier ring and a Range Rover he purchased using $91,000 of his victims’ money. “This scheme had a devastating impact on the victims taken in by Lawrence’s false promises and the elaborate measures he took to convince them that their investments were safe and lucrative,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “I commend the excellent work of all involved in bringing Mr. Lawrence to justice for his actions.” “The defendant in this case was held accountable for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars through an investment scam and using those stolen funds to enrich himself, at the expense of unsuspecting victims. The defendant’s lulling activity included the creation of a website purporting to be that of a bank,” Special Agent in Charge Vince Zehme of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG) said. “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice those who participate in fraudulent schemes and threaten to undermine the integrity of our Nation’s banking system.” The case was referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office by the Securities and Exchange Commission. It was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julie F. Stewart and Farris Martini. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Myrtle Beach Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

body_text: FLORENCE, S.C. — Joshua Levon West, 39, of Myrtle Beach was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence presented to the court showed that on March 9, 2023, following a traffic stop, officers with the Myrtle Beach Police Department discovered West in possession of a loaded, stolen firearm. West is prohibited from possessing a firearm based on his prior convictions for armed robbery, strong arm robbery, attempted strong arm robbery, and possession of a weapon during commission of a violent crime. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced West to 30 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case. ###


title: California Home Health Agency and Owner Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loan

component: Civil Division

body_text: Allstar Health Providers Inc., a California home health agency, and its owner, Maria Chua, have agreed to pay $399,990 to the United States to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act when they knowingly received and retained more than one Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan prior to Dec. 31, 2020, in violation of PPP rules. The PPP, an emergency loan program established by Congress in March 2020 under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act and administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), was intended to support small businesses struggling to pay employees and other business expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. A borrower applying for a PPP loan was required to make multiple certifications relating to its eligibility and compliance with program rules. Among other things, PPP loan applicants in 2020 were required to certify that they would not receive more than one PPP loan prior to Dec. 31, 2020. The United States alleged that Chua submitted two PPP loan applications on behalf of Allstar Health Providers in May 2020, and in both applications, she certified that the company would not receive more than one loan prior to Dec. 31, 2020. Despite these certifications, the United States alleged that Allstar Health Providers received two PPP loans in 2020, and thereafter knowingly and improperly retained the second, duplicate loan. According to the United States, Allstar Health Providers failed to repay the duplicate loan, which resulted in a loss to the SBA when it purchased the loan guaranty on the duplicate loan. “PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to pursuing those who knowingly violated the requirements of the PPP or other COVID-19 assistance programs and obtained relief funds to which they were not entitled.” “When an individual violates the False Claims Act by fraudulently receiving and retaining PPP loans, taxpayers lose,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “Those who violate the law by fraudulently receiving and retaining PPP loans will be held accountable.” “This is another excellent example of the success of the combined investigative efforts of the Small Business Administration and the Department of Justice in aggressively pursuing instances of misconduct and recovering funds from those who choose to commit fraudulent acts against SBA’s COVID-relief programs,” said General Counsel Therese Meers of SBA. The settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by J. Bryan Quesenberry. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Quesenberry v. 2 Evil Geniuses et al ., No. 20-cv-8495 (C.D. Cal.). Mr. Quesenberry will receive a total of approximately $60,000 in connection with this settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and Office of the Inspector General. Trial Attorney Jared S. Wiesner of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Kortum for the Central District of California handled the matter. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international actors committing civil and criminal fraud and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Child Pornography Charge

body_text: MOBILE, AL – William Bradley Noletto, age 44, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison after entering a guilty plea to Possession of Child Pornography. Noletto entered his guilty plea on May 15, 2024. According to court documents, in October 2021 and May 2022 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) received a tip from an internet service provider that files containing child pornography had been uploaded by a user with an email address associated with Noletto. In February 2023, members of the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office (“MCSO”) executed a search warrant at Noletto’s residence. A number of devices were seized and examined. There were approximately 2500 images and 300 videos of child pornography found. Noletto was initially charged with state crimes and was released on bond. On August 4, 2023, an MCSO deputy was conducting an online investigation to identify people who were sharing child pornography online. The deputy was able to download two files of suspected child pornography from a local internet user and was then able to identify that user as Noletto. In September 2023 members of the MCSO executed a second search warrant at Noletto’s address. Multiple electronic devices were seized. An exam of the cell phone belonging to Noletto revealed approximately 50 images of child pornography. At his plea, Noletto admitted that he possessed over 600 images/videos of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children. Noletto received an enhanced sentence because he had previously been convicted in Mobile County Circuit Court of Attempted Sexual Abuse of a Child Less than 12. At sentencing, Judge DuBose imposed a 120-month sentence of incarceration, with credit for time served, and a twenty-year term of supervised release upon Noletto’s discharge from prison. During his term of supervised release, Noletto will be subject to sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment as well has mental health treatment. Noletto will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors. Noletto was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments. Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources


title: Justice Department Sues South Bend, Indiana, for Discriminating Against Black and Female Police Officer Applicants

body_text: The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the City of South Bend, Indiana, alleging that the hiring process for entry-level police officers at the South Bend Police Department (SBPD) violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Specifically, the department alleges that South Bend uses a written examination that discriminates against Black applicants and a physical fitness test that discriminates against female applicants. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin and religion. Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination but also employment practices that result in a disparate impact on a protected group, unless such practices are job related and consistent with business necessity. “Equal employment opportunity is critical to ensuring that law enforcement agencies do not unfairly exclude otherwise eligible job applicants based on discriminatory practices,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Discriminatory barriers that deny qualified Black and female applicants the opportunity to be police officers violate civil rights and undermine public safety efforts. The Justice Department is committed to equal access to employment opportunities in the policing sector so that all qualified applicants have a fair chance to protect and serve their communities.” The lawsuit stems from a pattern and practice investigation launched by Civil Rights Division in 2021 into SBPD’s hiring practices. The investigation found that SBPD’s written examination and physical fitness test do not meaningfully distinguish between applicants who can and cannot perform the position of entry-level police officer. These tests also had the effect of disqualifying Black and female applicants from the hiring process at significantly disproportionate rates. The department thus concluded that these tests violate Title VII’s bar on discrimination in employment. Filed in the Northern District of Indiana, the lawsuit alleges that, since at least 2016, South Bend has used a written examination that has disproportionately excluded Black applicants and a physical fitness test that has disproportionately excluded female applicants from consideration for police officer positions. The complaint asserts that South Bend’s uses of these tests are neither job related nor consistent with business necessity, and thus, violate Title VII. The Justice Department is seeking a court order to ensure that South Bend uses only lawful tests in its entry-level police officer hiring process. The department also seeks relief for Black and female applicants disqualified by the challenged tests, including back pay and, for those who can successfully complete the new lawful selection process, job offers with retroactive seniority. The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. The division recently proposed consent decrees to resolve lawsuits challenging similarly discriminatory hiring processes at the Maryland Department of State Police and the Durham Fire Department . The division has issued a fact sheet on combating hiring discrimination by police and fire departments to help applicants for public safety jobs understand their Title VII rights to be free from discriminatory hiring processes. More information about the Civil Rights Division can be found at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Elmore County Man Sentenced to 165 Months in Prison Following Federal Drug Conviction

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, AL – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Millbrook, Alabama man for possession of cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute the illegal drugs. On October 10, 2024, a federal judge sentenced 44-year-old Derrick Andrea White to 165 months in prison. In addition, the judge ordered that White serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on March 18, 2023, an Alabama state trooper attempted to stop a vehicle in the city of Wetumpka after observing a vehicle violation. The driver, later identified as White, refused to stop. A pursuit ensued and the trooper observed White throwing objects out of his car window. The vehicle pursuit ended once White reached a dead end and exited the car. White then fled on foot but was apprehended after a short chase. Investigators recovered the items discarded by White during the pursuit. The items were eventually determined to be packages of cocaine and marijuana. During his plea hearing on July 9, 2024, White admitted to possessing the illegal drugs because he intended to distribute them. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated this case, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and other agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin L. Jones and Eric M. Counts prosecuted the case.


title: Spokane Man Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances

body_text: COEUR D'ALENE – Joshua Alan Berg, 47, of Spokane, was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. U.S. District Court Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered that upon completion of his prison sentence, Berg be required to complete four years of supervised release. According to court records, on February 8, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to an overdose incident in St. Regis, Montana. During that investigation Berg was identified as a person with knowledge about the incident and other agencies in the surrounding area were notified to be on the lookout for him. Officers in Shoshone County, Idaho, identified Berg shortly thereafter and attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving. Berg led officers on a high-speed pursuit, crashed his vehicle into a snowbank and fled on foot. Officers continued their pursuit and eventually arrested Berg near the abandoned vehicle. Berg possessed approximately a pound and a half of methamphetamine and a half pound of fentanyl pills when arrested, and discarded a firearm he had been carrying while officers were pursuing him. The firearm was located and retrieved by officers. U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement agencies in Mineral County, Montana, and the North Idaho Narcotics Enforcement (NINE) Taskforce, which led to the charges. The NINE Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional group of law enforcement officers working together to target drug trafficking in North Idaho. The task force is comprised of agents and officers from the Idaho State Police, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Border Patrol, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the National Guard Counter Drug Program. ###


title: Last Defendant Convicted of Robbing Lake Charles Jewelry Store Receives 20 Year Federal Prison Sentence

body_text: LAKE CHARLES, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Trevione James Terry , 26, of Houston, the last remaining defendant convicted in jewelry store robbery case in Lake Charles, has been sentenced. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced Terry to 241 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Terry admitted to his involvement in the robbery of Nederland Jewelers in Lake Charles on June 8, 2020, as well as Korman Fine Jewelry in Austin, Texas on May 7, 2020. Terry pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information on July 8, 2024, charging him with interference with commerce by robbery, and using, carrying and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. According to information introduced in court, on May 7, 2020, Terry, along with five other co-conspirators, were involved in an armed robbery of Korman Fine Jewelry in Austin, Texas. On that date, Terry waited near the store in a white Porsche while the five others arrived at the jewelry store and exited the vehicle. The robbers burst into the store wearing masks. One of the robbers brandished a loaded firearm while shouting and ordering the employees and customers to get on the floor. Within a few seconds of bursting into the store, the robbers encountered a security guard. The armed robber pointed his gun at the security guard and shot him. Another customer was struck in the back of the head by the same robber, and he pointed his gun at other employees ordering them to the ground. Meanwhile, two other robbers smashed a Rolex watch display case and grabbed several Rolex watches. The robbers ran out of the store and were later apprehended. Law enforcement investigators were able to tie Terry to the Korman robbery through phone records and cellular telephone data obtained after the robbery proving that Terry was responsible for setting up the Korman robbery. On June 8, 2020, Terry and six other coconspirators traveled from Houston to Lake Charles with the intention to commit a robbery of Nederland Jewelers. On that date, co-defendant Phaezon Stewart entered the store armed with a black Springfield XD handgun and ordered the employees to get on the ground. Terry and others entered the store wearing masks and armed with hammers. While Stewart pointed the firearm at the employee victims, the others broke the glass display cases and removed over 34 Rolex watches with an estimated value of over $350,000. Stewart, Terry, and the other coconspirators then exited the store and fled the scene in a white Porsche. The white Porsche then traveled to the L’Auberge Casino and stopped and met with a Chevrolet Impala being driven by Carey Nimmons, with Johnson Moore as a passenger. Terry exited the Porsche with a backpack containing the stolen Rolex watches and got into the Impala with Nimmons and Moore and began traveling towards a residence in Lake Charles. Law enforcement agents were able to track the suspects to a specific area on Pryce Street in Lake Charles and began to search the area. Officers located Terry and co-defendant Joshua Evans hiding in a shed with the backpack in their possession which contained 32 of the 34 stolen Rolex watches. Nimmons was found in a nearby carport and Moore was found behind a residence less than 200 feet from where the other defendants were located, and all were subsequently arrested. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lake Charles Police Department, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and Austin Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen. The case in the Western District of Texas was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Devlin. # # #


title: Man Who Received and Downloaded Child Pornography Sentenced to More than Eight Years in Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who received child pornography over the internet was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison. Christopher Goins, age 47, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 13, 2024, guilty plea to one count of receiving child pornography. In a plea agreement, Goins admitted that between December 2019 and December 2021, he knowingly received and downloaded photos and videos of child pornography, including depictions of minors under 12 years of age. During a search of Goins’ home in December 2021, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized 33 storage devices containing over 600 images of child pornography. In January 2024, following his arrest on federal child pornography charges, Goins said that additional child pornography would be found on his phone. During a search of Goins’ home, FBI agents found child pornography on Goins’ laptop and additional storage devices which Goins had obtained after his home was searched in December 2021. Goins was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Goins was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $3,000 in restitution to a child victim depicted in videos and photos he possessed. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Goins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-06. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Annual Awards Ceremony Recognizes Outstanding Contributions From Western Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Officers and Prosecutors

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Law Enforcement Agency Directors (LEAD) of Western Pennsylvania recognized more than three dozen area law enforcement officers and prosecutors during its 26th Annual LEAD Awards Ceremony, announced United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan. Comprising the Western Pennsylvania heads of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, LEAD bestows awards annually as a way of recognizing outstanding performance from law enforcement agents and officers, as well as prosecutors. Notable among the LEAD Awards presented were: • The Lifetime Service Award was presented to (Retired) Supervisory Special Agent Louis “Lou” Weiers for his outstanding service with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Weiers began his career with the ATF in January 1991 as a Special Agent with the Pittsburgh field office’s Arson/Explosives group, also serving as a member of the National Response Team from 1998 until 2005. Weiers was promoted to Resident Agent in Charge of the Pittsburgh Firearms Trafficking and Violent Crime group in March 2005, and was among the longest tenured supervisory investigators within the ATF upon his September 2024 retirement. Among the many investigations on which he worked during his career, Weiers served as the first-line supervisor at the 2018 Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, where his group led the ATF response and firearms investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); represented ATF at the September 11, 2001, Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania; and was involved in the 2014 48-day manhunt for Eric Frein, who killed a Pennsylvania State Trooper and critically injured another during an attack at a State Police barracks. Weiers also served in several acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge details within the Philadelphia Field Division throughout the decades. • The Courage Under Hostile Fire Award was presented to Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Officer Craig Claflin, who, as the first officer on the scene of a domestic dispute call at a Kincaid Street residence in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood in July 2024, was immediately fired upon by the assailant. Officer Claflin quickly neutralized, disarmed, and detained the assailant, saving lives and preventing injuries to neighboring civilians and fellow law enforcement officers. • An individual LEAD award was presented to Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. AUSA Jordan’s work has consistently involved the handling of both complex, long-term investigations and prosecutions of violent individuals and drug traffickers. During the past year, her cases included multiple long-term drug trafficking investigations conducted by FBI’s Greater Pittsburgh Safe Streets Task Force—one of which was a Title-III wiretap investigation—as well as a long-term Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization, the latter of which included the execution of multiple search warrants in late-June 2024 that ultimately resulted in the seizure of nearly 120 kilograms of cocaine, over $1.2 million in cash, and eight firearms, in addition to the charging of numerous individuals. In September 2024, shortly after the takedown of her FBI Title-III investigation, AUSA Jordan secured a guilty verdict in the jury trial of local large-scale drug trafficker Leon Ford Sr., whom Jordan and her team of investigators had indicted and successfully convicted of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. • Several individuals from the ATF, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, received a team award for outstanding performance for their seven-month investigation and prosecution of a complex illegal firearms manufacturing and distribution network out of Altoona, Pennsylvania. The criminal conspiracy involved the manufacture and sale of untraceable ghost guns, AR-15 style rifles, and “hit kits” containing a Polymer 80 privately made firearm with no serial number, a threaded barrel to attach an included silencer, subsonic ammunition, and latex gloves. • Members of the Mt. Lebanon Police Department, Allegheny County Police Department, Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI received a team award for their investigation of a series of crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. • Corporals and troopers from Pennsylvania State Police Troops B and D Forensic Services Units were honored with a team award for their processing of a particularly complex Pittsburgh crime scene. • Two U.S. Postal Inspection Service officials received individual LEAD awards for their roles in helping to uncover and disrupt criminal operations in separate investigations involving, in one case, a California-to-Western Pennsylvania drug trafficking network, and, in the other, a games of chance theft ring. Officers and agents from organizations including the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and Pennsylvania State Police also received individual awards for their performance in a variety of incidents and investigations involving firearms, narcotics, sexual exploitation of minors, tax evasion, and public safety. LEAD is composed of the following law enforcement agencies: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Pennsylvania; Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration; U.S. Department of Defense - Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Probation & Pretrial Services; United States Secret Service; U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Air Marshal Service; U.S. Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Veterans Administration - Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Federal Protective Service; U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations; Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General; Pennsylvania State Police; Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole; Western Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association; Allegheny County Police Department; Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office; Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office; Allegheny County Chiefs of Police Association; Allegheny County Housing Authority Police Department; Port Authority of Allegheny County Police Department; Washington County District Attorney’s Office; Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office; Pittsburgh Bureau of Police; Mt. Lebanon Police Department; Carnegie Mellon University Police Department, and University of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety.


title: Sparta Man Pleads Guilty To Killing A Bald Eagle

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Robert Garner Gambill, 91, of Sparta, N.C., appeared in federal court in Charlotte today and pleaded guilty to killing a bald eagle, in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Douglas Ault, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement (USFWS), Southeast Region, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed plea documents and today’s court proceedings, on June 5, 2024, Gambill, without being permitted to do so, set his firearm on a fencepost, and aimed, shot, and killed a bald eagle that was perched in a tree near the Farmers Fish Camp Road Bridge in Sparta. Gambill killed the federally protected bird with a Ruger M77 Mark 2 22-250 rifle with an attached Nikon Monarch MR31 4x16-42 scope. As Gambill admitted in court today, after killing the bald eagle, Gambill left the scene in his vehicle, abandoning the eagle carcass on the bank of the New River. The carcass was recovered with the assistance of two individuals who witnessed the incident and was subsequently taken into the custody of the USFWS. A necropsy performed by a USFWS forensic laboratory identified injuries suffered by the bald eagle that were consistent with a gunshot wound from a high-powered rifle. In 1940 Congress enacted the Eagle Protection Act, predecessor to today’s Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act (BGEPA), to protect the bald eagle from extinction. The BGEPA makes it a crime against the United States to hunt, take, capture, kill, possess, and to otherwise deal with the bald or golden eagle, or any part, nest or egg thereof, except as authorized by a valid permit issued by the U.S. Secretary of Interior. Gambill pleaded guilty to unlawful taking of a bald eagle, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss derived from the offense. Gambill also agreed to pay a fine in the amount of $9,500. Gambill was released on bond. A sentencing date has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the investigation of the case and thanked the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office for their substantial assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Armstrong of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. For immediate assistance with fishing or hunting violations, please contact the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission or local law enforcement. If you have information about any other wildlife crime, please follow the link https://www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips , or call 1-844-397-8477. Please do not leave reports requesting assistance for injured wildlife/birds. Learn more about what to do with injured or orphaned wildlife here .


title: Rochester man pleads guilty to secretly recording minor victim in shower

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Gregory M. Brooks, 53, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2021, Brooks secretly placed a video camera in a bathroom where he knew that a Minor Victim showered. He positioned the camera to capture naked videos of the Minor Victim entering and exiting the shower. Between February 2021, and August 31, 2023, Brooks received and stored the videos of child pornography captured by the video camera on his cellular telephone. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood. Sentencing is scheduled for February 6, 2025, before Judge Geraci. # # # #