title: Nineteen Gang Members and Associates Charged in Federal Sweeps Targeting Boston Gangs

body_text: BOSTON – Earlier today, charges were unsealed against 10 members and associates of the H Block Gang (Appendix A) for drug conspiracy. Separately, nine members and associates of the Mission Hill Gang (Appendix B) were charged with engaging in financial fraud. The charges are the result of separate, multi-year investigations into gang violence in Boston and follow the February 2024 takedown of over 40 members and associates of the Heath Street Gang for alleged racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms and financial frauds. According to the charging documents, the H Block Street Gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in recent years as H Block. Current members of H Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including a 2015 incident when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation. The current investigation of H Block began in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. According to court documents, since the start of the investigation in 2021, law enforcement attributed at least a dozen incidents involving firearms and gunfire to the tensions involving H Block gang associates. Six H Block members and associates were arrested today and charged with drug dealing in Boston and the surrounding communities. Four additional H Block members and associates are already in state custody. Additional drugs and four firearms were seized during today’s arrests. In addition, three members and associates of H Block are charged with a conspiracy to smuggle illegal drugs into a Massachusetts prison. According to court documents, the Massachusetts Department of Correction has seen a significant increase in the smuggling of synthetic cannabinoids, a/k/a “K2,” and other dangerous substances into the prison system. A common method of introducing the drugs is by exploiting the Department of Correction’s inmate mail policies, which prohibit delivery to inmates of original copies of any materials contained in incoming mail except for legal mail, original copies of which are inspected and delivered via the U.S. postal system. Sheets of paper are saturated or sprayed with liquid narcotics, dried, printed with fake legal correspondence, and then mailed to inmates in an envelope marked as legal mail, in the hopes that the drug-laced paper will be delivered undetected. It is alleged that 14 sheets of paper containing PCP (Phenylcyclidine) and illegal K2 were seized over the course of the investigation. It is estimated that a single sheet of such drug-laced paper would be worth as much as $80,000 inside the prison. Separately, charges were filed today against Mission Hill street gang members and associates for their involvement in a mail theft and financial fraud scheme known as “card cracking.” According to court documents, card cracking involves the theft and laundering of money through bank accounts in various names that are controlled by the primary offenders. Card cracking schemes are fueled by checks that are stolen from postal collection boxes, and chemically washed and rewritten to various recruited bank account holders. These washed checks are then deposited into checking accounts for cash withdrawal or laundering through money transfers and other means, such as the purchase of postal money orders. Six Mission Hill members and associates were arrested today and charged with financial crimes, along with three additional Mission Hill members and associates who are already in custody. The Mission Hill Street Gang operates in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, centered on the “Mission Main” and “Annunciation Road” housing developments in Boston. Today’s announcement follows the February 2024 takedown of over 40 members and associates of the Heath Street Gang, which is involved in a violent rivalry with both H Block and Mission Hill. According to charging documents, Heath Street Gang, which was formed in the 1980s and has over 150 members, operated primarily out of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain (previously known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development). Since February, five members and associates of Heath Street Gang have pleaded guilty to crimes including drug trafficking; firearms charges; and financial frauds, including COVID-related fraud. “Keeping communities safe involves combatting a number of different types of threats. The fight to keep our streets safe from dangerous gangs and drugs is an ever-constant struggle and, as this case shows, extends to our state’s prison facilities. Today’s arrests are an important step forward in making our streets and prisons safer,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “These arrests send a message that the federal government is actively engaged with our state and local partners and stands ready to hold accountable those who violate federal laws.” “I am proud of our Boston Police officers and all of our law enforcement partners for this great work. These are individuals who do not value life, they have terrorized and wreaked havoc in our City. These investigations were intricately designed and carried out and there is no doubt that all of those in law enforcement who were involved, have put themselves in danger to get to this point, Partnering and pulling together our resources is powerful, it makes our residents safer, and we are seeing the result of that collaboration today,” said Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. “Dismantling violent gangs is a top priority of the DEA. Operations like these have a direct, positive effect on the neighborhoods in which these gangs sell drugs and cause violence,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division. “Today’s arrests should serve as a warning that we will not tolerate drug trafficking, gang related violence, and those who cause it. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative local, state and federal law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” “ATF remains resolute in our mission to apprehend trigger pullers and firearms traffickers,” said James M. Ferguson Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division “By leveraging crime gun intelligence, we empower law enforcement to break the cycle of violence by concentrating on the individuals and criminal organizations fueling gun-related crime in our communities. Today's arrests exemplify ATF's unwavering commitment to collaborating with our local, state, and federal partners to combat the violent gang and drug activities that jeopardize public safety. Our collective efforts are crucial in holding violent offenders accountable, mitigating threats to the public, and driving down violent crime.” The charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (cocaine) provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, not less than three years of supervised release, up to life, and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (cocaine, cocaine base, fentanyl, PCP, and controlled substance analogues, i.e. K2) provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, not less than three years of supervised release, up to life, and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of theft of government property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of conspiracy to steal or possess stolen mail provides for a sentence of up to five 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 U.S. Attorney Levy; BPD Commissioner Cox; DEA Acting SAC Belleau; ATF SAC Ferguson; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Special Agent in Charge Andrew Murphy of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Depart of Labor, Office of Inspector General made the announcement. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph, Watertown and Wellesley Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak, III, John T. Dawley and Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit and Jeremy Franker of the Department of Justice’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the cases. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### APPENDIX A Trea Lankford, a/k/a “Heff,” a/k/a “Hefna Don,” a/k/a “Montana,” a/k/a “Tre Cain,” 33, of Boston; Dennis Wilson, a/k/a “Deuce,” a/k/a “Deep Jhonenson,” 36 of Boston; Avery Lewis, a/k/a “Wave,” 32 of Dorchester; Mark Linnehan,25, of West Roxbury; Eric Celestino,30, of Boston; Timothy Hearns, a/k/a “King Kill,” a/k/a “Tool Man,” a/k/a “Tooly,” 34; Dominique Carpenter-Grady, a/k/a “8-Zipp” a/k/a “Eighty,” 35; Robert Heckstall, a/k/a “Ribbs,” a/k/a “Buck,” a/k/a “Buck Corleone,” 41, of Roxbury; Jason Bly, 44, of Quincy; and Jerry Gray, 28, of Dorchester. APPENDIX B Imanol Rios-Franco, 24, of Brookline; Jairo Cabral-Santos, 22, of Boston; Brandon Baez, 22, of Framingham; Jiovanny Matos, 25, of Boston; Josman Romero Delgado, 22, of Boston; Jonathan Martinez, 25, of Roslindale; Anthony Worthen, 28, of Roslindale; Tyrone Brimage, 28, of Boston; and Glenroy Miller, 28, of Boston.


title: South Salt Lake Residents Sentenced for Odometer Fraud

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – The final defendant who pleaded guilty to an odometer fraud scheme was sentenced today to time served, one year of supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay restitution. Austin K. Weilacher, 22, of South Salt Lake, Utah, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge David B. Barlow. His codefendant, Porter R. Hamblin, 20, of South Salt Lake, received a similar sentence on August 16, 2024, after the duo admitted in June 2024 to engaging in a fraudulent scheme to sell vehicles with broken or false odometers. According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Weilacher and Hamblin defrauded numerous victims in Utah who purchased vehicles on KSL.com between May 2023 and July 2023. Weilacher and Hamblin admitted they purchased older model vehicles, cleaned them up, and would either break, disable or cover the odometers, generate fake Carfax reports, and then sell the vehicles to unsuspecting Utah customers. The defendants would then inflate the price of the vehicles and use the money to purchase more vehicles to sell to more victims or purchase high end vehicles for themselves. For example, with money made from their scheme, Weilacher and Hamblin purchased a McLaren sports car, which was subsequently destroyed, and Hamblin was set to receive $150,000 in insurance proceeds for the crash of his vehicle. Once victims realized they had been swindled, they would try to contact the defendants, who were unreachable. “Mr. Weilacher and Mr. Hamblin created financial hardships for victims trying to purchase reliable vehicles,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute people who harm our citizens through fraud.” “Fraud of this type puts our communities' safety at risk and negatively impacts legitimate commerce," said HSI Las Vegas Special Agent in Charge Chris Miller. "This case should warn others tempted to engage in fraudulent activity that HSI will aggressively pursue you and ensure you are held accountable." “We urge the public to exercise caution. If a deal seems too good to be true, it likely is,” said Chief Jason Mazuran, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake. “Always verify the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and run your own vehicle report before purchasing a vehicle to avoid falling victim to similar schemes. We are pleased that the victims will receive restitution and grateful for the efforts of all involved in bringing this case to a resolution.” The case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake (UPD). Assistant United States Attorney Stewart M. Young of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Level III Sex Offender Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for  Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A level III sex offender who has four prior state convictions on child pornography charges has now been sentenced to ten years in federal prison for additional federal child pornography offenses, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. In July 2023, less than one month after being released from state prison after completing a four-year term of incarceration, Patrick M. O’Donnell, 63, was found to be in possession of two cellphones, in violation of the conditions of the terms of his state probation, which forensic review determined to have been used to access child pornography. O’Donnell pleaded guilty in federal court on April 8, 2024, to a charge of possession of child pornography. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court William E. Smith to 10 years of incarceration to be followed by lifetime federal supervised release. The case in federal court was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Cranston Police, and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole. 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 ###


title: Owner of San Diego-based Shammas Funding Inc. Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining $5 Million in Pandemic-Related Loans

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 29, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Andre Shammas, owner of Shammas Funding Inc., pleaded guilty in federal court today to fraud charges, admitting that he submitted bogus applications for more than $5 million in pandemic-related loans intended to help struggling businesses during the pandemic. Shammas admitted using his accounting and tax preparation business, Shammas Funding, to illegally apply for more than 40 loans from the Paycheck Protection Program known as PPP. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering economic harm as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act established the PPP, under which banks would make forgivable loans to small businesses, so that those businesses could keep their doors open and employees on their payroll. If a business used the money for payroll and other eligible business expenses, the loans would be forgiven, and the federal government’s Small Business Administration would pay back the bank. According to court documents, Shammas solicited and recruited clients of Shammas’s tax preparation business and people to apply for fraudulent PPP loans. Shammas then prepared fraudulent tax and other documentation to support fraudulent PPP loan applications. Co-conspirators then prepared and filed the PPP applications using the fraudulent documentation provided by Shammas. Some examples include: One of the bogus applications submitted by Shammas and his co-conspirators was for a PPP loan on behalf of Nasser Salman and the entity LGDG (charged in federal Case No. 23-CR-0821-LL). This fraudulent PPP application generated $85,000 in PPP proceeds. An application for a PPP loan was submitted on behalf of Rafael Santiago and the entity Blacktie Co-Investors, Inc. (charged in federal Case No. 23-CR-01915-LAB). This fraudulent PPP application generated $117,233 in PPP proceeds. Another fraudulent application was submitted for a PPP loan on behalf of Wendell Pialet and the entity Hope Nuggets, LLC (charged in federal Case No. 23-CR-02156-LL). This fraudulent PPP application generated $100,000 in PPP proceeds. To induce the Small Business Administration and banks to approve the fraudulent PPP loans, Shammas and his co-conspirators included false and fraudulent statements in the loan applications, including false representations regarding the number of employees, the average monthly payroll, and the gross receipts earned by these purported businesses. “The Paycheck Protection Program served as a lifeline to many businesses desperately trying to stay afloat during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “These charges will hold Shammas accountable for abusing this critical program.” “As an accountant and tax preparer, Mr. Shammas is a gatekeeper who has a responsibility to do what is right for both his clients and the system. Mr. Shammas blatantly ignored that responsibility, and instead recruited clients to join his criminal conspiracy,” said FDIC OIG Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner. We are proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect our nation’s financial system and bring to justice individuals, like Mr. Shammas, who defraud our system to line their own pockets, while stealing benefits designated for those most in need during the pandemic.” “Conspiring to defraud programs aimed at assisting small businesses that struggled to survive the pandemic is both unacceptable and reprehensible,” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Special Agent in Charge Weston King. “Our office is committed to ensuring that SBA funds reach those who truly need them and are not diverted by fraudulent schemes. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in bringing those who exploit these programs to justice.” Shammas is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Thomas Whelan. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Conover. DEFENDANT Case Number - 24-CR-1765-W Andre Shammas Age: 43 San Diego, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349 Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General Homeland Security Investigations Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Madison Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that John A. Maser, 35, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 4 months in federal prison for attempting to possess fentanyl intended for distribution. Maser pleaded guilty to this charge on April 11, 2024. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release. The government’s investigation revealed a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for bringing over 4 kilograms of fentanyl pills into Madison from Arizona. Law enforcement began investigating the organization in January 2022, following the seizure of two mail packages that each contained one kilogram of fentanyl pills. The packages had been mailed by an individual in Arizona to addresses in Madison. One of the packages was addressed to Maser’s residence. That package contained 1,075 grams of fentanyl pills (9,949 pills in total). On January 24, 2022, officers conducted a controlled delivery of the package at his residence. Maser was observed picking up the package. Officers then executed a search warrant at his residence. Maser told officers that he had agreed to accept the package for Deshawn Davis, who was his drug dealer. At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted that Maser was responsible for the package addressed to his residence, which contained a significant quantity of fentanyl. Judge Peterson also said that the overall drug trafficking organization that Maser was involved with posed a serious danger to the community, and even minor participants like Maser needed to be held accountable. In arriving at a sentence, Judge Peterson weighed the seriousness of Maser’s actions with other factors including his lack of criminal record, his lesser role in the conspiracy, and his recovery efforts confronting his serious drug addiction. Five other defendants involved in this fentanyl trafficking operation were charged in a separate indictment and have already been sentenced. Dejon C. Glover was sentenced on May 16, 2024, to 4 ½ years in federal prison for attempting to possess fentanyl intended for distribution. Lloyd M. McKire-Bennett was sentenced on May 17, 2024, to more than 13 ½ years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon. Deshawn P. Davis was sentenced on May 22, 2024, to 5 ½ years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. Yoshi R. Walker was sentenced on July 24, 2024, to 6 years in federal prison for attempting to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Christopher S. Wilson was sentenced on July 29, 2024, to 5 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Two others were charged in connection with this trafficking organization: Jessica E. Leyvas and Dantrell T. Stevenson. Leyvas has pleaded guilty, and her sentencing hearing is yet to be scheduled. Stevenson’s case is scheduled for trial, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charge against Maser was the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.


title: Wisconsin Man Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Program Fraud

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Curtis A. Alleyne, 40, Almond, Wisconsin was sentenced on August 23, 2024 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to a year and a day in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering associated with a COVID-19 pandemic relief program. Alleyne pleaded guilty to this charge on May 9, 2024. On April 15, 2020, Alleyne submitted an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) application to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for his business “Curtis A. Alleyne, Inc.” Alleyne claimed the business earned gross revenue of over $500,000. He also attached forged tax documents to corroborate information in his EIDL application. Actual tax forms from the Internal Revenue Service revealed that Alleyne never filed the forged tax records that he submitted to the SBA. SBA approved Alleyne’s EIDL application and deposited $149,900 into his bank account. Investigators analyzed Alleyne’s financial records and determined that Alleyne spent the illegally obtained EIDL funds on a Cadillac CT6 and other unapproved personal expenses. In sentencing Alleyne, Judge Conley stressed the need to send a message of general deterrence to potential white-collar criminals, especially those who target government programs during a time of crisis. As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce – Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma prosecuted this case. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program, and EIDL program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.


title: Prior sex offender arrested on new child pornography charges

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Andrew Yannello, 28, of Tonawanda, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 40 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that on April 14, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent three cybertips to the New York State Police involving suspected child pornography that were reported by Facebook. Subsequent investigation traced the suspected child pornography to an IP address belonging to Yannello. On August 23, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Yannello’s residence. In 2014, Yannello was arrested and convicted on state charges of Sexual Abuse in the 1st Degree, Unlawful Imprisonment 1st Degree, Forcible Touching, and Criminal Obstruction of Breathing/Blood Circulation. In November 2017, Yannello violated probation, was sentenced to jail, and released in March 2019. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: 21 Suspected El Paso Gang Affiliates Arrested for Alleged Drug Trafficking, Firearm Offenses

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

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – 21 individuals suspected of being affiliated with the Chuco Tango street gang were arrested Thursday in and around El Paso on criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and/or the unlawful possession of firearms. The following defendants were indicted in federal court for various charges that include conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Clarissa Inez Santana Daniel Baeza aka “Racoon” Hector Chamorro Angel Renee Corral aka “Happy” Antonio “Omar” Gamboa Robert Gurrola aka “Bobby Barker” aka “Bobby Baker” Ricardo Moreno Andrew Solorio aka “Tokes” Adam Vazquez Brandon Garcia Jacqueline Perez Aileen Gonzalez Byanka Sambrano Thomas Payan Steven Kuehn Cassandra Page Silva Tanya Campechano Alejandro Morrill Zoilo Romero Alexander Rangel Zulema Marin A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Four fugitives remain at-large following Thursday’s operation: Carlos Flores, Jessica Rodarte, Jonathan Blanco and Adriel Belmont. Tips can be submitted to the DEA by calling (915) 832-6000 or visiting their website https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip or to the FBI at (915) 832-5000. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, Acting Special Agent in Charge Britton Boyd for FBI El Paso Division, and Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division made the announcement. The FBI and DEA are investigating the case with valuable support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the El Paso Police Department, the El Paso Sheriff’s Office, the Socorro Police Department, the Horizon Police Department, the El Paso Constables, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Tigua Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Johnston is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Culver City Restauranteur Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $4 Million in COVID-19 Business-Relief Loans

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A Culver City man and restauranteur who owns a hospitality company that has developed restaurants and hotels in California, Tennessee, and Kentucky pleaded guilty today to fraudulently obtaining more than $4 million COVID-19 economic-relief loans. Philip Frederick Camino, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. During the spring of 2020, Congress created two federal programs to provide financial assistance to Americans suffering economic harm because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to his plea agreement, Camino owns several companies based in Hollywood, Westwood, Studio City, and Beverly Hills as well as in Arizona. From April 2020 to April 2021, Camino submitted and caused to be submitted false and fraudulent applications to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and banks for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). In these applications, Camino made false statements, including inflating the number of employees to whom were paid wages, providing fictitious federal tax forms that were never filed with the IRS, and falsely certifying that the loan proceeds would be used for permissible business purposes. Relying on Camino’s false information, the SBA and lenders approved and funded these loans, the proceeds of which were transferred to a bank account under Camino’s control. Camino used most of the fraudulently obtained money for expenses prohibited under the PPP and EIDL programs, including paying more than $100,000 in kickbacks to his accomplice. For example, in June 2020, Camino emailed a bank containing false documentation to support a $144,270 fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of a company controlled by a co-conspirator. In total, Camino submitted more than 20 fraudulent loan applications from which he obtained more than $4 million. United States District Judge Fred W. Slaughter scheduled a March 6, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Camino will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.


title: Pharmacy Burglary Conspirators Arraigned Today in Federal Court

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—On July 30, 2024, in Houston, Texas, the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated the arrests of twenty-four co-conspirators following a superseding indictment in the Eastern District of Arkansas. The arrests follow the initial indictment and arrest of eighteen people from the Houston, Texas, area in November 2023. Defendants arrested in July appeared on the superseding indictment in the Eastern District of Arkansas today before United States Magistrate Joseph J. Volpe. The superseding indictment charges conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Schedule II through V controlled substances, as well as pharmacy burglary, conspiracy to commit pharmacy burglary, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Keith Brown, 34, of Houston, Texas, and 41 others were named in this superseding indictment. From February 2022 to November 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration Little Rock District Office (DEA LRDO) identified more than twenty pharmacy burglaries and thefts of pharmaceutical narcotics in Arkansas. In each of the burglaries, the suspects used similar methods of entry and tools, as well as matching clothing and unique footwear. The stolen pharmaceuticals including, oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and promethazine with codeine cough syrup, were transported to Houston, Texas, where they were sold illicitly. Intelligence developed by the DEA LRDO and the Houston Police Department Northeast Division Crime Suppression Team identified the drug trafficking organization as being comprised of documented local gang members from the 5th Ward area in Houston, Texas. Following the initial indictment, DEA identified 24 additional co-conspirators who participated in numerous burglaries in 31 states. The scope of the burglary ring encompasses the theft of hundreds of thousands of pharmaceutical drugs with a street value of more than $12 million dollars. Investigators also seized eleven firearms, approximately $79,000 in U.S. currency, and custom jewelry retailing at approximately $510,000. The current case is similar in kind and scope to a 2016 case indicted in the Eastern District of Arkansas in which twenty-four members of a local Houston 5th Ward gang, ‘The Trill Fam,’ were prosecuted for multi-state pharmacy burglaries and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. One current defendant, Thristian Duplechin, was prosecuted in the 2016 indictment, served a federal sentence, and returned to the same criminal activity. “These defendants were part of a criminal organization whose objective was to break into pharmacies nationwide to steal narcotics that they peddled on the streets,” said Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “This case exemplifies the hard work put in by federal, state, and local agencies working together to infiltrate and dismantle violent gangs whose main mission is for profit and the destruction of communities. Our office is committed to prosecuting multi-state criminal organizations that effect not only the Eastern District of Arkansas, but citizens across the United States.” “This criminal organization prioritized money and greed over the safety and well-being of the American people. Their goal was to sell stolen pharmaceuticals in our neighborhoods for easy money,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer, DEA New Orleans Division. “Through the DEA’s investigative efforts across the country, that spanned nearly three years, we were able to link this drug trafficking organization to more than 200 pharmacy burglaries across 31 states and ultimately make our communities safer.” The defendants, all from the greater Houston, Texas area, were arrested in July. All defendants charged in Count 1 only. Count and Penalties Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance: 21 U.S.C. 841(a)(1), (b)(1)(C) & 846 Not more than 20 years imprisonment. Not less than 3 years supervised release. Not more than $1,000,000 fine. $100 Special Assessment Defendant Age Defendant Age Paul Roosevelt Banks, III 30 Joseph Takeem Jones 34 Carl Anthony Brooks, Jr. 33 Torrey Jones 46 Christopher John Closure 39 Cameron Isiah Joshua 22 Chazz Eugene Davis 39 Dontae Eugene Lewis 43 Louis Dickerson, Jr. 42 Shaun Kardover Lewis, Jr. 25 Isaiah Dale Duncan 22 Kimia Tranese Ratcliff 26 Thristian Davonte Duplechin 31 Ario Decleo Stephens 25 Jaevion Armond Hackett 21 Keyia Rochelle Thomas 34 Markeesha Kenya Hampton 28 James Glen Turk 32 James Dionte Hood 32 Kerry Lewis Walker 37 Jasmine Shanee Howard 23 Alvin Bernard Whidby, II 43 Redrick Dewayne Jackson 33 Jonathan Marijahlee Williams 37 Investigators with the DEA LRDO worked in conjunction with the following law enforcement partners: DEA New Orleans Division (Little Rock District Office, Fayetteville Resident Office, Shreveport Resident Office, Mobile Resident Office), DEA Special Operations Division, DEA Houston Division (Houston TDS Group, Galveston Resident Office), DEA Omaha Division, DEA Rocky Mountain Division (Salt Lake City District Office, Cheyenne Resident Office), DEA Atlanta Division (Columbia District Office), DEA Miami Division (Pensacola District Office), FBI Little Rock Field Office, FBI Cast Team, U.S. Marshals Service, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department Northeast Division Crime Suppression Team, Houston Police Department CID, Arkansas State Police, and other Arkansas local law enforcement partners. 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 . The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anne Gardner and Amanda Fields. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Port Charlotte Man Sentenced To Federal Prison For Wire Fraud Related To NASA’s Space Launch System

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Steven Lukens (54, Port Charlotte) to 21 months in federal prison for wire fraud. The court also ordered Lukens to forfeit $271,024.35, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Lukens was also ordered to pay $689,280.03 in restitution. Lukens entered a guilty plea on February 20, 2024. According to court documents, Lukens was the Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Atlantic International Supply, LLC (Gulf Atlantic). Gulf Atlantic entered into a sub-contract with Company-1 to procure materials needed for NASA’s space launch system at the Kennedy Space Center. The products provided were intended for use on supporting platforms for the Artemis mission and Orion, the spacecraft designed to return humans to the moon and eventually Mars. Some of the parts Lukens provided were intended to be utilized in hypergolic systems. Hypergolic fluids are toxic liquids that react violently and spontaneously when they come into contact with each other and are frequently used by NASA for propulsion and hydraulic power systems. The general hazards associated with hypergolic fluids, which are extremely reactive and poisonous fluids, are fire, explosion, and toxic human exposure. NASA has implemented rigorous quality assurance standards to avoid such hazards. However, Lukens submitted products that did not meet the quality standards and specifications required under the contract. Lukens then fraudulently led Company-1 to believe that the products met the required standards by submitting forged quality control documentation. In total, Lukens submitted at least 190 fraudulent quality control documents to Company-1. These included fraudulent Certificates of Compliance, fraudulent Pressure Testing Certificates, and fraudulent test reports. Lukens’s materially false, fraudulent, and misleading representations caused Company-1 to pay Gulf Atlantic at least $271,024. for the parts it submitted. “Ensuring the integrity of NASA's component procurements and quality control is a top priority for the NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG),” stated Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Robert Steinau of NASA-OIG. “This case highlights the OIG’s dedication to collaborating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute companies that defraud NASA.” This case was investigated by the NASA Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons.


title: Tampa Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Distributing Cocaine And Possessing Firearms

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Lennard Rashard Monroe (32, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Monroe’s co-conspirator, Justin Latrun Farrior, was previously sentenced to 4 years and two months in federal prison. According to court documents and statements made in open court, the Tampa Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration used a confidential source to purchase cocaine from Monroe and Farrior at a “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs from) in the Sulphur Springs neighborhood of Tampa. When executing a search warrant at the trap house, agents found Monroe asleep in a bedroom with his two-year-old son. During a search of that bedroom, agents located a kilogram brick of cocaine, three firearms, and more than $18,000 in cash. This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Sullivan and Suzanne C. Nebesky.


title: Pasco County Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Vega, Jr. (28, Zephyrhills) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Vega faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the court records, in 2016, Vega was convicted of the felony offense of aggravated battery with great bodily harm. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. On July 29, 2023, Vega was stopped for a traffic violation in Lake County. Vega told the officer that he had a firearm in his pocket. The officer took the firearm, which was loaded. The officer later discovered another loaded firearm in a bag on the passenger seat of the vehicle. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Groveland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CHARVAN MORRIS (“MORRIS”) , age 27, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on August 29, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to two counts of distributing fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). According to court documents, on February 16, 2024, MORRIS sold 3.26 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives at the London Lodge Motel on Airline Highway. During the transaction, MORRIS was in the driver’s seat of a vehicle while the front seat passenger sat armed with a visible AR-style pistol. On February 20, 2024, MORRIS sold 5.53 grams of fentanyl to the same confidential informant at the London Lodge. MORRIS faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 as to each count. 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, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Owner of chain of coffee stands plead guilty to multi-million-dollar tax avoidance scheme

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – The owner of a string of coffee stands pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to making and subscribing a false tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Assad Baragzai, 47, of Auburn, Washington, admits that between 2016 and 2020 he failed to report as much as $6 million in income on his tax returns. Baragzai faces up to three years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on November 18, 2024. According to the plea agreement, Baragzai significantly under-reported his income when he provided information to his tax accountant. The government believes that the tax loss over the five years that Baragzai underreported his income is more than $1.7 million. The tax loss in 2017 alone is more than $687,000. Baragzai disputes the government figures and believes the tax loss is $1.3 million. Judge Chun will determine the tax loss at the sentencing hearing. Baragzai is the second defendant to enter a guilty plea in this investigation. In March 2024, Baragzai’s brother-in-law, 45-year-old Rajesh Mathew, also of Auburn, pleaded guilty to making and subscribing a false tax return. In his plea agreement Mathew, who also owns a string of coffee stands, admits that he too underreported a substantial amount of income over a period of several years. Mathew is scheduled for sentencing on October 9, 2024. Both Baragzai and Mathew have agreed to make restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Both may also face additional civil penalties, fines, and interest for the tax loss. Filing or subscribing a false tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Dion.


title: North Platte Man Sentenced for Meth Distribution and Gun Possession

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Brad Jay Leeper, age 47, of North Platte, Nebraska, was sentenced August 29, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for distribution of 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Leeper to a total of 84 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Leeper’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Beginning in 2021, the FBI and CODE Drug Task Force opened an investigation into drug trafficking in the North Platte, Nebraska area. In June of 2022, they were able to conduct a controlled buy, set up over Facebook, involving Leeper. The buy was audio recorded and surveilled by law enforcement. Leeper was present as the passenger in the vehicle involved in the controlled buy, personally handed the meth over, and was recorded advising the total weight as 28.38 grams. Subsequent testing by the state crime lab confirmed the substance was 100% pure meth and weighed 28 grams. Leeper was federally indicted and on January 23, 2024, law enforcement went to Leeper’s trailer home to serve the arrest warrant. Leeper was taken into custody near the front door and gave officers permission to enter his trailer to ensure no one else was present for officer safety. When officers entered the trailer, they observed, in plain view, a 9mm handgun. When asked, Leeper then consented to a complete search of his trailer which located 53 rounds of ammunition, as well as a loaded syringe with suspected meth/fentanyl, a smoking bong, a mirror with meth residue, baggies with meth residue, and additional unused syringes. At the time of his arrest, Leeper had three prior felony convictions out of Nebraska state courts. He was also on state probation. This case was investigated by the CODE Task Force which is made up of law enforcement agencies throughout a 22-county area in west-central/southwest Nebraska and includes the North Platte Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Red Willow County Sheriff’s Office, Frontier County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)


title: California Man Sentenced for Walmart Thefts

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jabaree Mabrey, 27, of California, was sentenced August 29, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for fraudulent use of an unauthorized access device. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Mabrey to 64 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Mabrey’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Mabrey was also ordered to pay $690,484 in restitution. In April of 2023, Mabrey was identified and arrested after a co-defendant, Marlon Tigner had been arrested in Nebraska on state charges. Tigner was previously sentenced to 71 months in prison by Judge Gerrard for the same charges. In the course of the investigation, it was learned that Walmart’s cash registers utilize a master key, apparently universal to all Walmart registers, regardless of location. This key is accessible only to managers and front-end supervisors. At some point, Tigner and Mabrey had come into possession of a master key and has been using that key to steal from Walmart. Documentation gathered during the investigation showed a loss of $690,484 from stores spanning from Washington state to Massachusetts and from Texas to Wisconsin attributable to Tigner and Mabrey over the last few years. The case was prosecuted in Nebraska after Tigner was contacted on a traffic stop in Lancaster County, identified as a suspect in the nationwide thefts, and master keys were recovered from his person. Further investigation led to the identification of Mabrey as Tigner’s accomplice. Law enforcement was also able confirm that the two used the keys to steal from several Omaha Walmart stores. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department and numerous other law enforcement partners across the nation.


title: Macy Man Sentenced for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Victor Miller, age 32, of Macy, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 29, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Miller to 41 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Miller’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. In May 2023, Miller approached a group of people playing horseshoes in a residential area of Macy, Nebraska. Miller ran up to one of the players, a male victim known to Miller, and began slashing at the victim with a blade. The victim shouted to others present that Miller had a knife, and Miller’s blade cut the victim’s hand and wrist. The victim and others present began throwing horseshoes at Miller to stop his attack, and Miller fled the scene. After a call for emergency medical services, the victim was transported for care and required several sutures to close the lacerations caused by Miller. This case was prosecuted in federal court because the assault was a felony and occurred on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation in Nebraska. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: California Woman Sentenced to Over 7 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Yuri Mulato, age 42, of California, was sentenced on August 29, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for one count of possession with intent to distribute. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Mulato to a total of 87 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Mulato’s release from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On January 23, 2024, a state trooper stopped a vehicle driving along Interstate 80 in Nebraska. There were two occupants in the vehicle. The driver, and owner of the vehicle, was identified as Mulato. The trooper asked for permission to search the vehicle, which Mulato agreed to. The trunk area of the vehicle contained a potato chip box that was duct taped closed and a spare tire that was too large for the vehicle. The box and tire contained bricks of meth, cocaine, heroin, and pills containing fentanyl. The State Crime Lab confirmed that there was 22 kilograms of meth, including at least 2 kilograms of meth actual, just over 1 kilogram of heroin, just over 1 kilogram of pills that tested positive for fentanyl, and 475 grams of cocaine. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Michael A. Nolte, age 38, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced August 29, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for receipt of child pornography. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Nolte to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Nolte’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On July 25, 2022, KIK reported a CyberTip to NCMEC indicating that KIK user “stvhp44” had uploaded one file on or about July 19, 2022, which would be considered child pornography. The IP addresses associated with the CyberTip came back to a Nebraska residence belonging to Michael Nolte. On December 15, 2022, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force served a residential search warrant at Nolte’s residence in Lincoln where Nolte resided with his family. During the contact with law enforcement, Nolte admitted to previously using the KIK messenger application on his phone but deleted the application. During a forensic examination of a laptop belonging to Michael Nolte, law enforcement observed at least 553 photographs and at least 5 videos depicting child pornography. These photographs depicted toddlers and other children under the age of twelve, including files depicting sadism. These files also included depictions of fellatio, and digital, penile, vaginal and anal penetration. There were also at least 500 photographs depicting child erotica. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 63 Months for Transportation of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Jason C. Nottingham, age 39, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced on August 29, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for transportation of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Nottingham to 63 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Nottingham will be required to complete a 5-year term of supervised release. Internet child pornography investigators began investigating a CyberTipline report from Yahoo! stating that a user had uploaded 37 files of child pornography between January 16, 2023, and January 19, 2023. Of the 37 files, 34 were videos and 3 were photos. One file was described as a 4-minute-and-9-second video, during which an adult male sexually assaulted a naked female, approximately 3 to 5 years old. The CyberTipline report indicated that at least one of the video files was attached to an email sent from Nottingham’s Yahoo! email account to his Gmail account on or about January 18, 2023. On May 25, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at defendant’s residence in Omaha. Investigators contacted Nottingham and advised him that the warrant was related to child pornography. Prior to the end of his interview with investigators, Nottingham acknowledged his use of the Yahoo! email account reported by in the CyberTipline report. The warrant authorized investigators to seize Nottingham’s electronic devices. Investigators also executed search warrants to Google for the Gmail account and to Yahoo! for the Yahoo! email account. Within the return from Google, the agent observed several hundred images and videos of artificial intelligence (“AI”) -created child sexual abuse material. Investigators forensically examined the defendant’s electronic devices. On his computer tower hard drive, they found 26 images of child pornography. On an external hard drive, investigators located several images of partially clothed young females, approximately 13-15 years. One of the females had “I’m 14 years old” written on her chest. Based upon the forensic examination, investigators believe that the images were obtained through chats on Facebook. Investigators also located “several hundred” images and videos of AI-created child sexual abuse material on the external hard drive. 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. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Dodge Woman Sentenced for Bank Fraud

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Kristin M. Uhing, age 54, of Dodge, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 29, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for bank fraud. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Uhing to 15 months’ imprisonment and ordered that she pay $172,806 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. After Uhing’s release from prison, she will begin a 4-year term of supervised release. Starting in about 2015, Uhing gained unauthorized online access to bank accounts and certificates of deposit owned by her mother- and father-in-law, an elderly couple who lived nearby. From then until 2021, Uhing used that unauthorized access to transfer funds from the victims’ accounts to her own account. Uhing kept the victims from learning about the unauthorized transfers by altering bank statements and by changing the account settings to paperless. Uhing also used the victims’ credit cards without authorization. In total, Uhing stole over $200,000 from the victims, which included all their retirement savings. By the time of sentencing, Uhing had paid back about $27,612. This case was investigated by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Convicted Felon Charged with Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted a convicted felon for illegally possessing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Darrie Dewayne Ziegler, 31, of Birmingham, with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, on August 15, 2024, Ziegler illegally possessed a Shadow Systems 9mm pistol. ATF investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department and the Irondale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples is prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Union Official Charged with Bombing Alabama Gas Pipeline

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A West Virginia man has been charged with bombing a methane gas pipeline owned and operated by Warrior Met Coal, Inc., in Brookwood, Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson. A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Jerry Gale Kerns, 52, with destruction of property used in interstate commerce by means of fire or explosive. According to the indictment, on March 23, 2022, Kerns bombed a section of a methane gas pipeline near the intersection of Hanna Creek Road and Sandlin Mountain Road in Brookwood, Alabama. At the time, Kerns was the Region II Director of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) union. The UMWA represented striking, unionized coal miners employed by Warrior Met Coal, which operated a mine in Brookwood. If convicted, Kerns faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of twenty years in prison. FBI and ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan “Jack” Harrington and Lloyd C. Peeples, III are prosecuting the case. An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: California Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Using a Debit Card Stolen from the U.S. Mail

body_text: United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Jason C. Nottingham, age 42, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced on August 29, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for use of an unauthorized access device. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Weaver to 10 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Weaver will be required to complete a 3-year term of supervised release. On September 19, 2023, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) began investigating an attempted burglary at the Henderson, Nebraska, post office at 1049 N. Main Street. Employees reported that the damage suggested someone unsuccessfully attempted gain entry to the locked retail lobby door using a crowbar or a similar tool. On September 25, 2023, the Henderson Postmaster received a call from a deputy who reported finding mail in a ditch. The mail included mail from rural mailboxes in Henderson, Nebraska. On September 28, 2023, the USPIS began investigating an attempted burglary at the Fairmont, Nebraska, post office located at 455 6 th Avenue. Investigators observed that approximately thirteen post office boxes had been pried open. Similar pry-bar markings were observed on the locked retail lobby door, but the door had not been opened. The post office reported similar box break-ins the weekend prior. Fairmont Police reviewed surveillance camera footage and observed a silver SUV stop at the post office for approximately twenty minutes. On September 29, 2023, a victim reported to the Fairmont Police Department that multiple fraudulent charges were posted to his account. The police identified the suspect as Joseph Weaver and identified the suspect vehicle as a silver Toyota SUV bearing California license plates. On October 16, 2023, the USPIS began investigating a reported attempted burglary at the Trumbull, Nebraska, post office located at 125 Main Street. Employees reported break-ins of approximately nine post office boxes and the appearance of an attempt to access the main lobby door. On October 18, 2023, the Geneva, Nebraska, post office reported break-ins of three post office boxes, two of which were unused. On the same date, several local law enforcement agencies coordinated the execution of a search warrant at 304 West Ash in Sutton, Nebraska, where Weaver resided. Officers located numerous items of stolen mail, including mail addressed to victims with post office boxes in Geneva, Henderson, and Trumbull. Officers contacted Weaver at the residence and arrested him for possession of methamphetamine and obstruction. On October 19, 2023, a postal inspector interviewed the Weaver at the Clay County Jail. Weaver initially stated that he received the mail from a guy in a Walmart parking lot but later admitted he lied. Weaver admitted to breaking into post office boxes in Fairmont, Geneva, and Trumbull. Weaver admitted to looking for checks and other financial instruments. Weaver was also in possession of a counterfeit arrow key (a master key to postal locks). Weaver admitted to making purchases with the Fairmont victim’s stolen debit card. The aggregate value of the items obtained by the Weaver using the victim’s stolen debit card was close to $3,000.00. Weaver stated he also took a stolen check to a bank in Lincoln, Nebraska, but left when the clerk indicated he was going to verify the check. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.


title: Worcester Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison Following a Money Laundering Conspiracy Conviction

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A man and woman from Worcester, Massachusetts were sentenced to federal prison in connection with their roles in a money laundering conspiracy, United States Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Nafis Quaye, 47, and Sunna Sepetu, 38, both of Worcester, Massachusetts were convicted of conspiracy to money launder in March 2024 by a federal jury in Concord following an eight-day trial. Quaye was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliot. Quaye was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,287,220. Sepetu was sentenced last month by Judge Elliot to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment, 2 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $921,020 in restitution. “These sentences reflect the serious emotional and financial harm these defendants caused the victim,” said United States Attorney Jane E. Young. “The defendants knowingly accepted millions of dollars in wire fraud proceeds from a victim in the United States and sent those proceeds overseas to the fraud perpetrator. Prosecuting people in the United States who facilitate the execution of international frauds committed on the internet is essential to disrupting the networks that pray on vulnerable members of our society.” “Quaye and Sepetu conspired to move money stolen from a victim of fraud who believed they were sending funds to a romantic partner. Unfortunately, that romantic partner was later revealed to be a fictional character created by scammers overseas. The victim sent money to accounts controlled by Quaye and Sepetu, sending them over $3 million dollars before the conspiracy was stopped,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “We are dedicated to holding thieves like these defendants and their collaborators to account and are sending a clear message that facilitating the laundering of ill-gotten gains will result in federal prison time.” The evidence at trial showed that between 2013 and 2019, the defendants received approximately $3.2 million in proceeds from a romance scam victim located in Texas. These proceeds were sent to bank accounts established by the defendants for various shell companies. The defendants then sent those fraud proceeds to the perpetrator of the fraud operating in Africa, while keeping a portion of the proceeds for themselves. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations within the United States Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Rombeau is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Spanish Tutoring and Child Care Company Enters Into Settlement Agreement After Rejecting Child With Epilepsy

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: Spanish Schoolhouse, a company that offers Spanish language programs for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary-age children on nineteen campuses in the greater Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston areas, will implement an anti-discrimination policy, accept students with epilepsy, and train its employees to administer anti-seizure medication as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. In March of 2021, a couple attempted to enroll their two-year-old child in Spanish Schoolhouse’s daycare program. They informed the program that the student had epilepsy. Spanish Schoolhouse accepted and enrolled the child and requested a “seizure action plan” drafted by the child’s physician. The plan submitted by the couple outlined treatment protocols should a seizure occur, including removing the student from the classroom upon onset of a seizure and administering a rectal medication for seizures lasting more than three minutes. Citing the seizure action plan, the school reversed its acceptance decision. A director told the parents that the staff were uncomfortable with monitoring the student for potential administration of the medication and lacked the manpower to be able to remove the child from the classroom in the event of a seizure. The parents said it would be acceptable to treat the child inside the schoolroom, rather than removing the child. The school still refused to accept the child. The Justice Department later concluded that the school’s decision violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires businesses that serve the public to make “reasonable modifications” to policies, practices, and procedures to accommodate those with disabilities. Spanish Schoolhouse entered into a settlement agreement with the United States Attorney’s Office on Aug. 29. The agreement requires the company to allow the child to enroll at any of its facilities and to pay the parents $5,000 to compensate them for the harm caused. It also requires the company to implement an Emergency Anti-Seizure Medication Administration Policy, to train necessary staff annually on seizure disorders and the administration of anti-seizure medication as well as CPR, and to advise all parents of students with seizure disorders of the policy. Under the terms of the agreement, Spanish Schoolhouse must forward any complaints related to reasonable modifications to the Department of Justice within 30 days of receipt.


title: United States Files Complaint Against Logger and Logging Company for  Timber Trespass on Monongahela National Forest

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – The United States Attorney’s Office has filed a civil lawsuit against a Randolph County logger and logging company for trespassing and cutting down approximately 10 acres of timber on the Monongahela National Forest near Slaty Fork. According to the complaint, John R. Fox and Fox Logging, LLC, of Valley Bend, West Virginia, submitted paperwork to timber 319 acres of private property that borders the Monongahela National Forest in Pocahontas County. Fox allegedly began logging in 2015 and continued until at least 2019. During that time, the logging operation is alleged to have encroached on nearly 10 acres of the Forest, resulting in timbering of more than 45,500 cubic feet of mature hardwood and pine saw timber valued at nearly $28,000. Fox was also accused of damaging and taking timber from an adjacent private property. Under West Virginia state law, the government is seeking $80,189.04 in monetary damages from Fox and Fox Logging, LLC, as well as compensatory and punitive damages. Trial is scheduled to begin on October 20, 2025, at the United States Courthouse in Elkins, WV. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maximillian Nogay filed the complaint on behalf of the government. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service investigated.


title: Harvey Man Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Program

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Richard Hebert, Jr., age 57, of Harvey, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to making a false statement to a bank in connection with his filing of numerous false and fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in 2020. According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Hebert owned and operated several businesses including Brookland Realty, LLC, Interstate Construction and Demolition Group, Inc., K-Bear Investments, LLC. Hebert Real Estate Holdings, LLC, Interstate Construction Group, Inc., Albritton Home Construction Group, Inc., and R&M Builders and Real Estate, LLC. Between April of 2020 and July of 2020, Hebert submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of seven different companies to five different banks attempting to get more than $3.4 million in PPP loan funds. On these applications, he falsely inflated each business’s average monthly payroll and its number of employees in order to get the banks to pay out larger PPP loans. In support of these fraudulent applications, Hebert provided false tax forms and other documentation. As a result of his fraudulent submissions to the banks, more than $2.2 million in pandemic funds were paid out. This matter is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, and the United States Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill, who also serves as the Deputy Chief of the Economic Crime Unit and Assistant United States Attorney M. Patricia Jones, who also serves as the Appellate Chief. Anyone with information about allegations of pandemic fraud can 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 .


title: New York Bank Manager Sentenced To 114 Months For Scheme To Hire A Hitman To Murder Her Own Brother-In-Law

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that RESHMA MASSARONE, a former New York bank manager, was sentenced yesterday to 114 months in prison for plotting to hire a hitman to murder her own brother-in-law. MASSARONE previously pled guilty to murder-for-hire before U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel, who imposed the sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The defendant devised a chilling plan to have a member of her own family murdered for the low price of ten thousand dollars. Her plan was unthinkably heartless. For this depraved crime, Reshma Massarone will spend 114 months in federal prison.” According to the Complaint and the Indictment filed against the defendant, other documents filed in federal court, and statements made in public court proceedings: Between July 20, 2023, and August 16, 2023, the defendant plotted with an individual (“Individual-1”) to hire a hitman to murder her own brother-in-law (the “Victim”), in exchange for $10,000. But Individual-1 was a member of a foreign police force, and he became an undercover law enforcement agent to develop evidence against MASSARONE that she was plotting to hire a hitman to have the Victim murdered. MASSARONE exchanged with Individual-1 dozens of messages on social media and participated in numerous phone calls with Individual-1, imploring Individual-1 to murder the Victim or hire someone who would. For example, in Facebook Messenger communications, when Individual-1 told MASSARONE that the plan to murder her brother-in-law was set for the next day, MASSARONE responded that if Individual-1 “take[s] care of business,” then Individual-1 would get paid. MASSARONE also told Individual-1 that she had other “jobs” for him, and swore on her kids’ lives that Individual-1 would get paid if he “[got] rid” of the Victim for her. After that, MASSARONE told the Individual-1, “No more text.” As part of MASSARONE’s plan, she wired $2,500 to Individual-1 to give to the hitman as a down payment for the Victim’s murder. Video surveillance at a Western Union captured MASSARONE counting 25 $100 bills, for a total amount of $2,500. After MASSARONE wired the money to Individual-1, MASSARONE continued to plan the Victim’s murder. When Individual-1 told MASSARONE that the hitman’s plan was to shoot the Victim and that there was “no turning back,” MASSARONE replied, “Right. No turning back.” The Victim was never murdered. As time passed and the Victim remained alive, MASSARONE grew impatient with Individual-1. MASSARONE urged Individual-1 to murder the Victim, suggesting that “rat poison can do a great job.” MASSARONE told Individual-1, “You is all talk and no action,” and “Come on do the thing and I will take care of you.” MASSARONE threatened to find someone else to murder the Victim, stating, “Either way, if I find somebody to do the job you’re going to get blame, so cut the bullshit and let’s get it done.” * * * In addition to the prison sentence, MASSARONE, 40, of Pine Bush, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and Internal Revenue Service. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hoffman is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Two Foreign Nationals Charged in Swatting Conspiracy Targeting Lawmakers, Private Victims, Houses of Worship, and Businesses

body_text: WASHINGTON – Two foreign nationals are charged by indictment, unsealed today, with being part of a years-long conspiracy to perpetrate “swatting” attacks and bomb threats against U.S. victims that included senior government officials. Thomasz Szabo, 26, of Romania, and Nemanja Radovanovic, 21, of Serbia, are each charged with one count of conspiracy, 29 counts of threats and false information regarding explosives, and four counts of transmitting threats in interstate and foreign commerce. The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool of the Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr., of the Minneapolis Field Office. According to the indictment, Szabo, Radovanovic, and others, were part of a conspiracy that began no later than December of 2020 and continued through January of 2024. The conspirators obtained personal identifying information, including home addresses, for their intended victims, and then carried out “swatting” attacks by falsely reporting emergencies for the purpose of provoking a police response at the victim’s home. Szabo was allegedly the organizer and moderator of chat groups where the conspirators communicated with one another. They used monikers to communicate including, for Szabo, “Jonah,” “Jonah Goldberg,” “Plank,” “Rambler,” “War Lord,” “Shovel,” “Cypher,” “Kollectivist,” “Mortenberg Shekelstorms,” and “NotThuggin2”; and for Radovanovic, “XBD31,” “XDR,” “Angus,” “Thuggin,” “Thug Hunter,” “NotThuggin,” “DCL,” and “AOD.” The indictment alleges that, in furtherance of the conspiracy, the defendants committed swatting attempts against 40 private victims and 61 official victims, including members of Congress, cabinet-level executive branch officials, senior official of federal law enforcement agencies, and state officials. The indictment also alleges that the defendants committed bomb threats against four victim businesses, four victim religious institutions, and one victim university. “Swatting is not a victimless prank—it endangers real people, wastes precious police resources, and inflicts significant emotional trauma,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “We will use every tool at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable, no matter where they might be.” “I am proud of the extraordinary investigative work done by Secret Service agents at the Washington Field Office in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge McCool. “The perpetrators of these crimes left a trail of victims across the United States, abusing critical law enforcement resources to terrorize elected officials, public figures, and private citizens. We will never waver in our commitment to bring individuals like this to justice.” “Today’s charges demonstrate how seriously the FBI takes the crime of swatting, which can prevent law enforcement resources from getting to people who actually need them, as well as put lives in danger,” said Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who commit this dangerous crime, no matter where they reside.” This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service Washington Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division, the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Minneapolis Field Office, and the U.S. Capitol Police. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Secret Service’s Bucharest Resident Office, Miami Field Office, Syracuse Resident Office, Springfield Resident Office, the FBI’s Legat Office in Bucharest and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, the District of South Dakota, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Southern District of Illinois, and the Northern District of New York. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Conor Mulroe. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Bronx District Leader And Board Of Elections Employee Charged With Bribery, Extortion, Fraud, And Identity Theft Offenses

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Jocelyn E. Strauber, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging NICOLE TORRES, an elected district leader in the Bronx and an employee of the New York City Board of Elections (the “NYC-BOE”), with illegally demanding payments from Bronx residents to herself and a local organization (the “Bronx Organization”) in exchange for selecting those individuals as poll workers. TORRES is also charged with falsifying documents to make it appear that certain individuals had worked as poll workers on particular dates, when, in truth and fact, they had not. TORRES and other members of the scheme then allegedly split the fraudulently obtained paychecks issued to the no‑show poll workers. TORRES was arrested yesterday morning and presented yesterday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Nicole Torres, an elected official and City employee, brazenly abused her power and lined her own pockets for over five years by demanding that poll workers pay her bribes in order to work as a poll worker and by falsifying records to make it look like certain individuals worked as poll workers during an election even though they never did. This Office is committed to holding elected officials and public employees accountable if they abuse their positions of trust and break the law.” Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said: “For at least five years, District Leader Nicole Torres allegedly abused her position within the Board of Elections by charging Bronx residents a fee to work as poll workers and misrepresenting poll workers’ presence on assigned shifts to fraudulently collect their salaries. Elected officials have a duty to act within the community’s best interests, not steal thousands of dollars from this city’s government and its citizens. The FBI will never tolerate corrupt individuals who selfishly manipulate their authority at the cost of those they are expected to serve.” DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “As charged, this City Board of Elections employee and elected district leader abused her authority for personal profit. She allegedly demanded payments from prospective poll workers whom she was responsible for selecting, and pocketed salaries that were paid to no-show poll workers based on documents that she falsified, according to the indictment. When a City employee uses their trusted position to illegally enrich themselves, as alleged here, they undermine public trust and confidence in government and unfairly tarnish the reputations of those who do their jobs with integrity each and every day. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI for their partnership on this important investigation.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment: [1] Since in or about 2019, TORRES has been a district leader for New York’s 81st Assembly District in the Bronx, New York. In addition, since at least in or about 2016, TORRES has been an employee of the NYC-BOE. While working at the NYC-BOE, TORRES has, at times, been responsible for ensuring that poll workers are paid for their work during early voting and election day. TORRES abused her power as a district leader and a NYC‑BOE employee to engage in two illegal schemes. First, from at least in or about 2019, up to and including in or about August 2024, TORRES agreed to require and required Bronx residents to pay a sum of money, usually $150, either to her or to the Bronx Organization in exchange for TORRES selecting those individuals as poll workers for upcoming elections. Both the Bronx Organization and TORRES profited from the scheme. TORRES personally obtained at least approximately $28,000 in illegal payments. TORRES received the payments, often in the amount of $150, through mobile payment applications, money orders, and checks. In certain instances, TORRES received money orders or checks that were written out to the Bronx Organization, and TORRES altered the payee line on those money orders or checks to say “Nicole Torres” so that she could deposit that money into her personal bank account. Second, from at least in or around 2018, up to and including in or about August 2024, TORRES agreed to falsify the Forms Booklet—which is a NYC‑BOE record in which poll workers record their attendance at a particular poll site—to make it appear that certain individuals (the “No‑Show Poll Workers”) worked as poll workers during early voting and election day when, in truth and fact and as TORRES well knew, those individuals did not work on those dates. TORRES often worked with coordinators who oversaw the Forms Booklets at specific poll sites. These coordinators signed in No-Show Poll Workers in the Forms Booklets, frequently at TORRES’s direction. TORRES and her co‑conspirators then received the salaries for the No‑Show Poll Workers—sometimes through the mail—and split the fraudulently obtained salaries among themselves. While working at the NYC‑BOE, at relevant times, TORRES was responsible for ensuring that poll workers, including the No-Show Poll Workers, were paid. In furtherance of the scheme, TORRES communicated with her co-conspirators in person, on phone calls, and through text messages. Through these communications, TORRES and her co-conspirators, among other things, shared the personal identifying information of the No-Show Poll Workers, discussed which co-conspirator should falsely sign the No-Show Poll Workers’ names in the Forms Booklets, and discussed how to split the fraudulently obtained salaries of the No-Show Poll Workers. Based on her participation in the scheme, TORRES personally obtained at least approximately $36,000 in fraud proceeds, and her co-conspirators personally obtained money as well. From in or about March 2021 through in or about April 2021, TORRES and a co‑conspirator (“CC-1”) used, transferred, and possessed the name of a No‑Show Poll Worker when they listed that No‑Show Poll Worker as having worked as a poll worker in March 2021 even though that No‑Show Poll Worker did not work in that month. Torres and CC-1 then split the purported salary that the NYC‑BOE issued to that No‑Show Poll Worker. * * * TORRES, 43, of Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, one count of extortion under color of official right, one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, one count of honest services wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. The first six counts each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and the seventh count carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of FBI and DOI. The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin M. Burkett and Rebecca T. Dell are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Indictment, and the description of the Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Montgomery Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine Being Shipped Through the Mail

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – On August 27, 2024, a federal judge ordered that 33-year-old Charles Green Hall, from Montgomery, Alabama, receive a sentence of 360 months in prison for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute the illegal drug, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson. Following his prison sentence, Hall will be on supervised release for five years. There is no parole in the federal system. According to Hall’s plea agreement and other court records, in March of 2021, federal agents began an investigation related to suspected drug and gang activity in Montgomery. The investigation revealed evidence indicating illegal narcotics were being mailed to Alabama from California. Agents worked with postal inspectors to identify and track two packages intended for Hall that were suspected to contain illegal drugs. When inspectors seized the packages, they found approximately two kilograms of suspected methamphetamine inside each one. Laboratory analysis of the contents confirmed that the packages together contained just over four kilograms of methamphetamine with a 98 percent purity level. During his plea hearing in May of this year, Hall admitted that he conspired with others to distribute and possess the methamphetamine. A federal grand jury also indicted former postal employee Amber Lashawne Sellers, 30, a resident of Montgomery, for her alleged role in the conspiracy. Sellers’ trial is scheduled for September 23, 2024. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.


title: Cambridge Springs Resident Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Possession of Material Depicting Sexual Exploitation of Minors

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on August 23, 2024, to two years in prison on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Conrad Troy Shearer, 50. According to information presented to the Court, from in and around June 2017 to March 2019, Shearer possessed visual images depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Assistant United States Attorney Molly W. Anglin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Shearer. 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 (CEOS), 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 .