title: “Incognito Market” Owner Pleads Guilty For Operating One Of The Largest Illegal Narcotics Marketplaces On The Internet

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Edward Y. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RUI-SIANG LIN, a/k/a “Ruisiang Lin,” a/k/a “林睿庠,” a/k/a “Pharoah,” a/k/a “faro,” pled guilty to narcotics conspiracy, money laundering, and conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication in connection with LIN’s operation and ownership of “Incognito Market,” an online dark web narcotics marketplace that enabled its users to buy and sell illegal narcotics anonymously around the world. LIN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said: “Rui-Siang Lin led a prolific online narcotics bazaar that sold more than $100 million of narcotics around the world. While Lin profited millions of dollars from his sophisticated scheme, the community suffered. Lin and his “Incognito Market” exacerbated the opioid and fentanyl crisis and put the community in danger. Lin now faces a lengthy term in prison.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, Complaint, and statements made in public filings and in public court proceedings: Incognito Market was an online narcotics bazaar that existed on the dark web. Incognito Market formed in October 2020. Since that time, and through its closing in March 2024, Incognito Market sold more than $100 million of narcotics — including hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamines. Incognito Market was available globally to anyone with internet access and could be accessed using the Tor web browser on the “dark web” or “darknet.” LIN operated the Incognito market under the online pseudonym “Pharoah” or “faro.” As “Pharoah” — the leader of Incognito market — LIN supervised all of its operations, including its employees, vendors, and customers, and had ultimate decision-making authority over every aspect of the multimillion-dollar operation. Incognito Market was designed to foster seamless narcotics transactions across the internet and across the world and incorporated many features of legitimate e-commerce sites such as branding, advertising, and customer service. Upon visiting the site, users were met by a splash page and graphic interface, which is pictured below: After logging in with a unique username and password, users were able to search thousands of listings for narcotics of their choice. Incognito Market sold illegal narcotics and misbranded prescription medication, including heroin, cocaine, LSD, MDMA, oxycodone, methamphetamines, ketamine, and alprazolam. An example of listings on Incognito market is below: Listings included offerings of prescription medication that was advertised as being authentic but was not. For example, in November 2023, an undercover law enforcement agent received several tablets that purported to be oxycodone, which were purchased on Incognito Market. Testing on those tablets revealed that they were not authentic oxycodone at all and were, in fact, fentanyl pills. Each listing on Incognito Market was sold by a particular vendor. To become an Incognito Market vendor, each vendor was required to register with the site and pay an admission fee. In exchange for listing and selling narcotics as a vendor on Incognito Market, each vendor paid 5% of the purchase price of every narcotic sold to Incognito Market. That revenue funded Incognito Market’s operations, including paying “employee” salaries and for computer servers. LIN collected millions of dollars of profits from Incognito. To facilitate these financial transactions, Incognito Market had its own “bank,” which allowed its users to deposit cryptocurrency on the site into their own “bank accounts.” After a narcotics transaction was completed, cryptocurrency from the buyer’s “bank account” was transferred to the seller’s “bank account,” less the 5% fee that Incognito collected. The bank enabled buyers and sellers to stay anonymous from each other. The bank’s graphic interface is pictured below: On March 12, 2020, before Incognito Market launched, LIN emailed himself a rough diagram of a darknet marketplace. That diagram, which is pictured below, contains features consistent with the operation of Incognito Market. * * * RUI-SIANG LIN, 23, of Taiwan, pled guilty to one count of narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential sentence of life in prison; one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to sell adulterated and misbranded medication, which carries a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison. The statutory minimum and maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Kim praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, and the New York City Police Department. 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 U.S. using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-drive, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan B. Finkel and Nicholas Chiuchiolo are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Federal jury convicts Springfield man for crypto financing scheme to ISIS

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Springfield man on Dec. 13 on charges relating to his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), which was designated by the United States Secretary of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2019 through October of 2022, Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways, including by financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters. Chhipa would raise funds online on various social media accounts. He would receive electronic transfers of funds and travel hundreds of miles to collect funds by hand. He would then convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it was smuggled to ISIS members in Syria. His primary co-conspirator was a British-born ISIS member residing in Syria who was involved in raising funds for prison escapes, terrorist attacks, and ISIS fighters. Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendant sent over $185,000 in cryptocurrency. The jury found Chhipa guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Chhipa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count when sentenced on May 5, 2025. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge David J. Novak accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Andrea Broach and Andrew John Dixon for the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-97.


title: Stillwater Felon Charged with Illegal Possession of Explosives, Ammunition

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Stillwater man has been indicted and charged with possession of unregistered firearms and possession of explosives, firearms, and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on November 2, 2024, Wayne Robert Lund, 46, illegally possessed eight destructive devices not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. He was also found in possession of explosives and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Because Lund has prior felony convictions in Ramsey and Anoka Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms, explosives, or ammunition at any time. The indictment charges Lund with one count of possession of unregistered firearms, one count of possessing explosives as a felon, one count of possessing firearms as a felon, and one count of possession of ammunition as a felon. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court on December 11, 2024, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster. He was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings at his detention hearing today by Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oak Park Heights Police Department, the Stillwater Police Department, the Saint Paul Police Department, the Saint Croix County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Department, and with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Finds Arizona’s Department of Child Safety Discriminates Against Parents and Children with Disabilities

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Remote video URL The Justice Department today announced its findings that the State of Arizona’s Department of Child Safety (DCS) violates Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against parents, including foster parents and other caregivers, and children with disabilities. Following a comprehensive investigation, the department found DCS failed to communicate effectively with parents and children with hearing disabilities, including by not providing interpreters. DCS also failed to reasonably accommodate the needs of parents with disabilities by, for example, not providing information in a simplified form. Finally, DCS denies parents with disabilities an equal chance to participate in and benefit from DCS programs and services. “Under the ADA, parents and children with disabilities are entitled to fair and equal treatment by child welfare agencies,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Over four million parents with disabilities live in the United States, and discriminatory actions by child welfare agencies can have devastating and permanent consequences for parents and children. The Civil Rights Division is committed to ensuring that unlawful discrimination does not interfere with a parent’s opportunity to stay with or be reunited with their child and that separations are not prolonged because a child welfare agency does not give parents the effective communication and reasonable accommodations that the ADA guarantees.” “Parents and children with disabilities deserve to be treated with dignity,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “Our office will continue to work with the Civil Rights Division to guarantee that parents and children with disabilities are protected under the law, and to ensure that the Department of Child Safety more meaningfully accommodates disabilities in the pursuit of better outcomes for families.” The department provided written findings in a letter to Arizona and DCS detailing the minimum steps DCS must take to fix the identified violations. The department’s letter explains DCS violates the ADA by denying effective communication and auxiliary aids and services to parents, caregivers and children with hearing disabilities. For example, DCS did not get American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for deaf and hard of hearing parents, caregivers and children, including during important meetings and when children were removed from their homes. And DCS did not communicate with parents with vision disabilities and other disabilities that affect communication in ways those parents could understand. As a result, parents, caregivers and children with disabilities could not understand what was happening at times during their DCS cases and interactions with DCS. The letter also documents DCS’s failure to make reasonable accommodations that parents with disabilities need, even though those accommodations could help parents address DCS’ concerns. For instance, DCS had safety concerns when parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, one of whom also has a vision disability, had trouble making bottles and testing bath water temperature. But DCS did not consider whether simple accommodations could help the parents safely do those tasks, like a bottle with large-print measurements or a digital thermometer that uses colored lights or beeps to alert parents if bathwater is too hot or cold. Finally, the department found that DCS also does not give parents with disabilities the chance to equally participate in DCS programs and services. For example, DCS relies on stereotypes and unfounded assumptions about parents with disabilities. In one instance, DCS delayed reunification based only on generalized concerns about whether a mother with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could safely care for her young child because of her disabilities. But those concerns were based on stereotypes and speculation, not specific things the mother did. If you or someone you know has a complaint about disability discrimination by DCS, please call 1-888-394-3540 (for TTY, dial 711 first) or file a complaint here . You can find more information about the rights of parents with disabilities here and in joint technical assistance from the Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov . For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt .


title: El Departamento de Justicia halla que el Departamento de Seguridad del Niño de Arizona discrimina contra los padres y niños con discapacidades

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy sus hallazgos que el Departamento de Seguridad del Niño del Estado de Arizona (DCS, por sus siglas en inglés) viola al Título II de la Ley para Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés) a través de discriminar contra los padres, incluso los padres de acogida y otros cuidadores, y niños con discapacidades. Después de una investigación comprehensiva, el departamento halló que DCS no comunicó efectivamente con los padres y niños con discapacidades auditivas, incluso a través de no proporcionar interpretadores. DCS tampoco hizo acomodaciones razonables para las necesidades de los padres con discapacidades a través de, por ejemplo, no brindar información en una forma simplificada. Por fin, DCS niega a los padres con discapacidades una oportunidad igualitaria para participar en y beneficiarse de los programas y servicios de DCS. “Bajo la ADA, los padres y niños con discapacidades tienen el derecho a tratamiento justo y igualitario por las agencias del bienestar del niño,” comentó la Fiscal General Auxiliar Kristen Clarke de la Sección de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Más de cuatro millones de padres con discapacidades viven en los Estados Unidos y las acciones discriminatorias pueden tener consecuencias devastadoras y permanentes para los padres y los niños. La División de Derechos Civiles está comprometido con asegurar que la discriminación ilegal no interfiera con la oportunidad del padre ser reunificado con su hijo y que las separaciones no sean prolongadas porque la agencia del bienestar del niño no brinda a los padres la comunicación efectiva y las acomodaciones razonables que la ADA garantiza.” “Los padres y niños con discapacidades merecen ser tratados con dignidad.” comentó Gary M. Restaino, Fiscal de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito de Arizona. “Nuestra oficina seguirá trabajando con la División de Derechos Civiles para asegurar que los padres y niños con discapacidades estén protegidos bajo la ley y que el Departamento de Seguridad del Niños haga más significativamente acomodaciones a las personas con discapacidades en búsqueda de mejores resultados para las familias.” El departamento brindó sus hallazgos escritos en una carta dirigida a Arizona y DCS que detalla los pasos mínimos que DCS tiene que tomar para arreglar las violaciones identificadas. La carta del departamento explica que DCS viola a la ADA a través de negar comunicación efectiva y ayudas y servicios auxiliares a los padres, cuidadores, y niños con discapacidades auditivas. Por ejemplo, DCS no proporcionó interpretadores de Lengua de Signos Estadounidense (ASL, por sus signas en inglés) a los padres, cuidadores, y niños sordos y con discapacidad auditiva, incluso durante reuniones importantes y cuando se trasladaban a niños de sus hogares. Y DCS no comunicó con los padres con discapacidades visuales y otras discapacidades que afectan la comunicación en maneras que los padres pudieron entender. Como resultado, los padres, cuidadores, y niños con discapacidades a veces no podían entender lo que estaba pasado durante sus casos de DCS e interacciones con DCS. La carta también documenta cómo DCS no hizo acomodaciones razonables que los padres con discapacidades necesitaban, a pesar de que esas acomodaciones podrían ayudar atender a las preocupaciones de DCS. Por ejemplo, DCS se preocupaba por motivo de seguridad cuando padres con discapacidades intelectuales y del desarrollo, uno de los que tenía discapacidad visual, tenían dificultad preparando botellas y probando la temperatura de agua de la bañera. Pero DCS no consideró si las acomodaciones sencillas pudieran haberles ayudado realizar estas tareas de manera segura, como una botella con medidas en letra grande o un termómetro digital adaptivo que utiliza luces colorados o tonos para alertar a los padres si el agua de bañera está demasiado caliente o fría. Por fin, el Departamento halló que DCS no brinda a los padres con discapacidades una oportunidad igualitaria participar en los programas y servicios de DCS. Por ejemplo, DCS confía en estereotipos y suposiciones infundadas sobre los padres con discapacidades. En una instancia, DCS retrasó la reunificación basado solamente en preocupaciones generalizadas sobre si una madre con autismo y trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH, o ADHD por sus siglas en inglés) pudiera cuidar de manera segura a su niño joven por consecuencia de sus discapacidades. Pero estas preocupaciones se basaban en estereotipos y especulación, y no en acciones especificas que tomó la madre. Si usted o alguien que conoce tiene una queja sobre la discriminación de discapacidad por parte de DCS, por favor llame al 1-888-394-3540 (para TYY, marque 711 primero) o hacer una querella aquí . Usted puede conocer más sobre los derechos de padres con discapacidades aquí y a través de asistencia técnica colectiva del Departamento de Justicia y el Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos. Para conocer más sobre la ADA, por favor llame la línea gratuita del Departamento para información sobre la ADA al 1-800-514-0301 (voz) o al 1-833-610-1264 (TTY) o bien visite el sitio web de la ADA en www.ada.gov Para conocer más sobre la División de Derechos Civiles, por favor visite a www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Virginia Man Convicted for Crypto Financing Scheme to ISIS

body_text: A jury convicted Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, Virginia, on Dec. 13 for charges relating to his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a foreign terrorist organization. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from at least October 2019 through October 2022, Chhipa collected and sent money to female ISIS members in Syria to benefit ISIS in various ways, including by financing the escape of female ISIS members from prison camps and supporting ISIS fighters. Chhipa would raise funds online on various social media accounts. He would receive electronic transfers of funds and travel hundreds of miles to collect funds by hand. He would then convert the money to cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it was smuggled to ISIS members in Syria. His primary co-conspirator was a British-born ISIS member residing in Syria who was involved in raising funds for prison escapes, terrorist attacks, and ISIS fighters. Over the course of the conspiracy, the defendant sent out over $185,000 in of cryptocurrency. The jury found Chhipa guilty of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Chhipa faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison per count. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 5, 2025. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch, and U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony T. Aminoff and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorneys Andrew John Dixon and Andrea Broach of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Nahant Woman and Winthrop Man Sentenced for Fraud and Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Nahant woman and Winthrop man were sentenced in federal court in Boston for conspiring to commit wire fraud and tax evasion. Gary P. DeCicco, 65, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 15 months in prison, which he has already served, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Pamela M. Avedisian, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to one year of supervised release, with the first four months to be served in home confinement. DeCicco and Avedisian were ordered to pay $425,754 in restitution and to forfeit $650,000. In June 2024, DeCicco and Avedisian pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. DeCicco and Avedisian were indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2018. Between April 2012 and February 2013, DeCicco repeatedly told the IRS that he did not have the ability to pay his over $340,000 tax liability and that he had very little cash, no vehicles or real property and no ownership interest in any asset with a positive value. However, DeCicco had ownership interests in several businesses, vehicles and real properties titled in his name and the names of Avedisian and others, in order to conceal those assets from the IRS during that time period. In addition, beginning in March 2013, after the IRS accepted DeCicco’s proposed monthly payment plan (based on the false information DeCicco provided about his assets and income) and instead of making the agreed-upon monthly payments, DeCicco bought and sold numerous real properties, boats and high-end cars and concealed those assets and his income from the IRS, often with Avedisian’s assistance. In addition, Avedisian owned a property in Nahant that was subject to a mortgage in excess of $1 million. In October 2015, DeCicco and Avedisian conspired to defraud the mortgage holder by proposing the sale of the property for significantly less than the outstanding mortgage, in what is commonly referred to as a “short sale.” By their very nature, short sales are intended to be arms-length transactions in which the buyers and sellers are unrelated and act independently, allowing sellers to cede their ownership of the property in exchange for the short-selling bank’s agreement to release them from their unpaid mortgage debt. In order to get approval for the sale, DeCicco and Avedisian concealed their long-term romantic and business relationship from the loan servicing company and falsely represented that Avedisian could no longer make payments towards the mortgage on the property. In fact, just two months before the “short sale” closed, Avedisian purportedly received $3.5 million from the sale of another asset to DeCicco. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Wlodyka, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Eddie Wayne Chapman Jr., 39, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 18, 2024, Chapman possessed a backpack that was seized by law enforcement. Chapman admitted that the seized backpack contained a loaded Smith & Wesson SD9 VE 9mm pistol and two ammunition magazines. Chapman further admitted that the backpack contained approximately 65 grams of controlled substances containing fentanyl. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Chapman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 23, 2017, and for conspiracy to operate a clandestine drug laboratory in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 30, 2010. Chapman is scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-193. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, Along with Tribal and Local Law Enforcement Officials, Release Third “Don’t Click December” PSA

body_text: BOISE – During the holiday season, online criminals increasingly target Idahoans through online scams and fraud schemes. Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, along with the FBI, the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Offices, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Pocatello Police Department, released a third PSA as part of their joint “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign. The AARP is also participating in the announcement and the awareness campaign. The campaign advises members of the public to exercise skepticism and caution when receiving unsolicited online, email, pop-up, or text communications from unknown or unverified sources. If there is any doubt about a link, message, or attachment, law enforcement cautions: “ Don’t Click It .” In the third PSA, available here , Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, Bannock County Sheriff Tony Manu, and U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit warn the public about the “Pig Butchering” scam and explain some of the ways in which individuals can protect themselves. In this cryptocurrency investment fraud scam, known as “pig butchering,” victims usually receive communications asking them to deposit money into financial investments using cryptocurrency. After an initial investment, victims receive further communications with a fake account report showing financial gains in order to get them to invest more, but the investments are fake, and all the money is under the control of criminals who ultimately steal the victims’ investments. If you are contacted about an investment opportunity by someone you don’t know through social media, text, or dating sites, Don’t Click It ! If the message appears to be from an investment company you actually invest with, check the email address to verify it is from the company you’re familiar with. As part of the ongoing campaign, leading up to Christmas, one final PSA is planned to be released in an effort to alert the public to common online fraud schemes that Idaho law enforcement has seen affect Idahoans. Unfortunately, these are not the only schemes affecting the public, and new schemes arise all the time. Law enforcement hopes that the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign will raise public awareness and encourage individuals to talk to their friends and relatives about not clicking suspicious links, texts, messages, pop-ups, or attachments. “We have witnessed many Idahoans lose their hard-earned money or their entire retirement savings to online scams. And, sadly, this type of crime tends to spike during the holiday season,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “But, together, we can reduce the risks by talking with each other about how to avoid such scams, and I’m grateful to our law enforcement partners and the AARP for joining us in the Don’t Click December campaign. We also encourage Idahoans to report any scams as soon as possible so that law enforcement can investigate and we can bring these vicious online criminals to justice.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners recognize that we all must work to eliminate the stigma individuals may experience if they are victimized. There is no shame to falling victim to an online scheme, which are often designed by professional criminals, sophisticated, and tested repeatedly across the country. For this reason, the “Don’t Click December” Consumer Protection Campaign also publicizes ways to report scams and incidents of fraud to the FBI and local law enforcement. To learn more about these and other scams targeting Americans visit FBI.gov , and if you believe you have been victimized, take-action by reporting it to FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or by contacting your local law enforcement agency. ###


title: Chinese National Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Laundering $62 Million in Drug Proceeds on Behalf of Mexican Traffickers

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has sentenced a Chinese national to a decade in prison for laundering $62 million in illegal drug proceeds on behalf of traffickers in Mexico. From 2016 to 2018, HAIPING PAN schemed with others to launder up to $3 million per month in drug proceeds using secretive money pickups in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and other parts of the United States, followed by a series of currency swaps between the United States and China, and China and Mexico. Pan played a significant role in the money laundering process, using his international financial expertise and relationships with members or associates of Mexican drug cartels to facilitate the clandestine flow of drug money through businesses and banks around the world. The illicit proceeds ultimately were remitted to the traffickers in Mexico. During the conspiracy, Pan and his co-conspirators completed an average of one to two pickups per week, with the amounts ranging from $150,000 to $1 million per pickup. In total, Pan knowingly participated in the laundering and attempted laundering of approximately $62 million in drug proceeds. Pan, 44, is a Chinese national who facilitated the money transfers while residing in Guadalajara, Mexico. He was arrested in Mexico and extradited to the U.S. in 2022. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman imposed the ten-year prison sentence during a hearing on Thursday in federal court in Chicago. The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Rothblatt. “The defendant was a significant part of a recent phenomenon in which a relatively small network of Chinese money brokers based in Mexico have come to dominate international money laundering markets,” the government argued in its sentencing memorandum. “Defendant’s crimes allowed his drug trafficking clients to secure the fruits of their pernicious trade faster, cheaper, and more securely than ever before.” Numerous other money launderers were convicted as part of the federal investigation, including Pan’s co-conspirators XIANBING GAN , who was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and HUANXIN LONG, who was sentenced to five and a half years.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Prison for  Drug Conspiracy Involving More Than 240 Pounds of Fentanyl and Nearly 100 Pounds of Cocaine

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

body_text: CLEVELAND – Ronald Rendon-Luna, 37, a Mexican national residing in Painesville, Ohio, has been sentenced to 151 months in prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Sara Lioi, after he pled guilty to engaging in a drug-trafficking conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and being an alien in possession of firearms. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, the Cartel, Gangs, Narcotics and Laundering Task Force of the FBI-Cleveland Division conducted a long-term drug-trafficking investigation that led to the arrest and successful prosecution of Rendon-Luna and three other co-conspirators, including two individuals with direct connections to the Sinaloa Cartel based in Culiacán, Mexico. During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered that, from about June 2022 through January 2023, the leader of the conspiracy, Nefer Ojeda-Elenes, 32, of Upland, California, conspired with Rendon-Luna to use residences in Cleveland and Painesville, and two storage units in Cleveland and Middleburg Heights, to store illegal drugs and proceeds from the sales of the illegal substances. Rendon-Luna, on behalf of Ojeda-Elenes, traveled to area hotels to meet a third co-conspirator, Cameron Harris, 29, of Dayton, who further distributed the drugs in the Dayton, Ohio area. A fourth individual, Trino Alexander Briceno-Matheus, 31, of Miami Beach, Florida, also participated in the conspiracy and is known to have met with Rendon-Luna at an area hotel to pick up approximately $149,640 in proceeds earned from illegal drug activities. This organization was responsible for distributing approximately 111 kilograms of fentanyl, and approximately 42 kilograms of cocaine during the course of the conspiracy. “These criminals used their Mexican Cartel connections to bring millions of doses of fentanyl—each one potentially fatal—into our communities and distribute those poisons across our state,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Every day, dangerous drugs like the fentanyl and cocaine that these defendants imported and peddled on our streets destroy lives. Those who seek to expand their illegal drug trade to our District should know that we will use all tools available to stop them from endangering our residents’ lives and the safety of our neighborhoods.” During a federal search warrant executed at the related residences and storage units, law enforcement officials found illegal drugs in a storage unit, and confiscated several weapons, including an AK-47 and an AR-15 from Rendon-Luna’s Painesville home. Rendon Luna’s co-conspirators were previously sentenced. Ojeda-Elenes was sentenced Sept. 17, 2024, to 228 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. Harris was sentenced Aug. 20, 2024, to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. Briceno-Matheus was sentenced July 23, 2024, to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and interstate transportation in aid of racketeering. This case was investigated by the FBI-Cleveland Division, with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services, Moreland Hills Police Department, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation & Identification, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Bedford Police Department, Internal Revenue Service, Parma Police Department, Solon Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole, Ottawa County Drug Task Force, Shaker Heights Police Department, Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, Brooklyn Police Department, North Royalton Police Department, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Painesville Police Department, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, Ohio HIDTA, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security Investigations, USMS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, and USBP, along with task force officers from numerous local law enforcement agencies, including the Cleveland Division of Police. Prosecutions are led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Bullard for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Charge Nageezi Man with Sexual Abuse

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Nageezi man has been charged with sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Patrick Wayne Platero , 46, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared before a federal judge and will remain in the third-party custody of La Pasada halfway house pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to the indictment, between on or about January 1, 2024, and on or about April 30, 2024, Platero allegedly sexually abused and engaged in abusive sexual contact with Jane Doe. If convicted, Platero faces up to life in prison followed by not less than five years and up to life on supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment (Platero).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # #


title: Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Armed Robbery of Armored Vehicle Courier at Gunpoint While on Supervised Release for Bank Robbery

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Inglewood man, who in 2022 was granted compassionate release after serving 26 years in federal prison for armed robberies of armed couriers, has been found guilty by a jury of robbing a Brinks courier at gunpoint in a bank parking lot near LAX in August 2023, the Justice Department announced today. Markham David Bond, 61, was found guilty late Thursday of one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Bond has been in federal custody since November 2023. “After being given a second chance in life, this defendant sadly chose a path of violent crime,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Through our strong partnerships with federal and local law enforcement, we will continue to use our resources to protect our community by holding accountable violent offenders who use guns.” According to evidence presented at a five-day trial, on the morning of August 18, 2023, Bond stole approximately $145,000 in cash from a Brinks armored carrier outside a Chase bank near LAX. The armored vehicle was parked in the bank parking lot as one of its employees got out of the vehicle with a blue duffle bag on a rolling cart and which contained the cash. Bond approached the driver, pointed a handgun at him, and demanded the money. Fearing for his life, the Brinks employee dropped the duffle bag. Bond then ordered the victim to get down on the ground. After the victim complied with this order, Bond grabbed the blue Brinks duffle bag then fled the area. Bond was arrested on November 22, 2023, and police seized at his residence a .40-caliber pistol containing 10 rounds of ammunition, the shirt he used during the robbery, and cash hidden inside of a mini-refrigerator. Police also found the robbery getaway car parked around the block from Bond’s residence. Inside the car, police found the empty Brinks bag and the hat Bond used during the robbery, among other evidence linking Bond to the robbery. Bond has multiple felony convictions dating from the 1980s and 1990s, including for Hobbs Act robbery, armed bank robbery, use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. As a convicted felon, Bond is not permitted to possess firearms or ammunition. In January 1995, Bond was sentenced to 562 months (46 years and 10 months) in prison after being convicted of bank robbery and firearms offenses by a federal jury in Los Angeles. But in January 2022, Bond was granted compassionate release and was released early from prison. He was on supervised release when he robbed the Brinks employee at gunpoint on August 18, 2023. United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu scheduled a July 11, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which point Bond will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments. The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery Homicide Division investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force and Daniel H. Weiner of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Transplant Surgeon Sentenced for Operation of Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business

body_text: BOSTON – A renowned Chinese kidney transplant surgeon at Wuhan Union Hospital was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business in connection with his family member’s drug trafficking operation. Zhendi Wang, 44, of Wuhan, was sentenced by District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 20 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. Three co-defendants in a related money laundering conspiracy remain at large. In October 2024, Wang pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Wang, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, opened bank accounts in Massachusetts. Between 2020 and 2023, Wang received $1.2 million in his bank accounts from a family member. That money was derived from sales from the family member’s online steroids business. Wang then repaid equivalent amounts to his family member in Chinese currency. Wang lacked the appropriate license to operate a money transmitting business. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Weinstein and Evan Panich of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: National Guard soldier appears in court on murder charge

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: AUGUSTA, GA: An Army National Guard soldier has been charged with murder after a weekend shooting in a Fort Eisenhower residence. Natravien Landry , 25, of Abbeville, Louisiana, is charged via complaint with one count of murder, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Landry was in court Monday for an initial appearance hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian K. Epps. A detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. As described in court documents and testimony, Landry is an Army National Guard soldier assigned to the 1148 th Transportation Company at Fort Eisenhower. He is alleged to have visited the residence in post housing at Fort Eisenhower early Saturday morning, Dec. 14, of a woman with whom Landry shares a child. Landry is accused of assaulting and shooting a man who was with the woman in her residence, and then leaving Fort Eisenhower. Landry was arrested about three hours later south of Atlanta on Interstate 85 during a traffic stop by the Meriwether County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, and deputies recovered a 9 mm pistol during the stop. The U.S. Marshals Service took Landry into custody and transported him to the Lincoln County Jail, where he awaits further court proceedings. Criminal complaints contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is being investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry W. Syms Jr., Patricia G. Rhodes and Kelsey L. Scanlon, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Capt. Jacqueline M. Stryker.


title: Rancho Cucamonga Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Operating ‘Birth Tourism’ Scheme for Affluent Chinese Clients

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Bernardino County man was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for operating a “birth tourism” scheme that charged Chinese clients tens of thousands of dollars to help them give birth in the United States to obtain birthright U.S. citizenship for their children. Michael Wei Yueh Liu (刘维岳), 59, of Rancho Cucamonga, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner. At the conclusion of a four-day trial, a jury on September 13 found Liu and Jing Dong, (董晶), 47, of Rancho Cucamonga, guilty of one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of international money laundering. Dong is expected to be sentenced in the coming weeks. From at least January 2012 to March 2015, Liu and Dong ran a maternity house in Rancho Cucamonga. Liu and Dong rented apartments in Southern California to provide short-term housing and provided other services to pregnant women from China who traveled to the United States to give birth so their children would acquire U.S. citizenship. Typically, within one or two months after giving birth, the women returned to China. Among the services Liu and Dong provided were assistance on how to obtain visas to enter the United States, customs entry guidance, housing, and transportation in the United States, as well as assistance applying for U.S. legal documents for the children of their customers. Liu and Dong advised their customers on how to hide their pregnancies from the immigration authorities. Liu and Dong also knew – or deliberately avoided learning – that their customers lied on their visa applications submitted to immigration authorities to enter the U.S. Generally, their customers’ visa applications falsely stated that the purpose of the trip to the United States was for tourism, when it was to give birth, and the length of the stay was days or weeks, when it was in fact months. The visas also misstated the location where the customers intended to stay, which was defendants’ maternity hotel. Liu and Dong or their agents also advised their customers to fly to ports of entry with perceived less customs scrutiny, such as Hawaii, before flying to Los Angeles, to wear loose fitting clothing, to favor certain lines at customs that they perceived to be less strict, and on how to answer the customs officials’ questions. Liu and Dong received money from overseas and used that money to promote their scheme. Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI investigated this matter. The Irvine Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory W. Staples and Kevin Y. Fu of the Orange County Office prosecuted this case.


title: Previously Convicted Man Pleads Guilty to 2022 Murder of Woman in Broad Daylight

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Johnwann Elliott, 31, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to charges of second-degree murder while armed and attempted assault with a dangerous weapon for the 2022 murder of Nikia Young, 37, in Southeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval, calls for an agreed upon 21-year prison sentence, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Maribeth Raffinan of the D.C. Superior Court scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2025. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:59 a.m., on March 15, 2022, the defendant exited a Metro bus at Minnesota Avenue and White Place Southeast and walked southwest toward the intersection of Minnesota Avenue and 23 rd Street Southeast. At the same time, Nikia Young and another individual were walking northeast on Minnesota Avenue toward the same intersection. As Ms. Young and the other person crossed 23 rd Street, the defendant walked up to them in the crosswalk and, in broad daylight, used a 380-caliber handgun to shoot Ms. Young from a close distance. The defendant fired seven times and struck Ms. Young five times—once in her face, three times in the chest, and once in the right hip. The defendant then fled the scene on foot, running and catching the same Metro bus that he had exited approximately two minutes earlier. The defendant was arrested on May 19, 2022, inside of a hotel in Northeast Washington, D.C. and has been in custody ever since. At the time the defendant committed these offenses, he was on release pending trial in D.C. Superior Court for the unauthorized use of a vehicle and was on supervised release after serving a prison sentence for a robbery conviction in the same court. This case was investigated by the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Lindhorst investigated and indicted the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles R. Jones.


title: Pasadena Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Conspiring with Attorney to Bilk More Than $3 Million from California’s Workers’ Compensation Fund

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A physician who worked for an Inland Empire medical company has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud California’s workers’ compensation fund of millions of dollars by continuing to work on workers’ compensation matters after being suspended due to a prior health care fraud conviction, the Justice Department announced today. Dr. Kevin Tien Do, 59, of Pasadena, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of subscribing to a false tax return. He is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. In his plea agreement, Do admitted that, from October 2018 to February 2023, he conspired to defraud the state of California of millions of dollars of health care funds by defrauding California’s Subsequent Injuries Benefits Trust Fund (SIBTF). The California SIBTF is a special fund administered by California’s workers’ compensation program to provide additional compensation to injured workers who already had a disability or impairment at the time of a subsequent injury. Beginning in 2016, Do began to work for Liberty Medical Group Inc., a Rancho Cucamonga-based medical company, for which he would draft SIBTF-related medical reports that Liberty would then bill to the California SIBTF program. In October 2018, California suspended Do from participating in California’s workers’ compensation program, which included the SIBTF, because he had previously been convicted of federal health care fraud in 2003. Despite his suspension, Do continued to work for Liberty on SIBTF-related workers’ compensation matters. Do continued to perform similar actions for Liberty that he had been doing before his October 2018 suspension, including compiling and editing reports related to the SIBTF program. To conceal that Do was unlawfully continuing to participate in the workers’ compensation SIBTF program after his suspension, Liberty’s owner came up with a plan. That plan was that Do would continue to author the SIBTF-related reports, which Liberty would then continue to mail to the California SIBTF for payment. Rather than listing Do’s name on the billing forms and the attached medical reports mailed to the California SIBTF, like they had had done before Do’s suspension, Liberty instead fraudulently listed other doctors’ names on the billing forms and attached medical reports, even though Do had drafted and compiled the reports. Do admitted that Liberty was paid more than $3 million by California SIBTF for such reports that Liberty mailed to the California SIBTF for payment after Do’s October 2018 suspension. Do’s plea agreement also details that Liberty’s owner edited Do’s medical reports, even though that co-conspirator was not a doctor or other licensed medical professional. Under California law, shareholders/owners of a medical corporation must be licensed in the practice of medicine or other related medical fields, such as a psychologist, registered nurse, or licensed physician assistant. In his plea agreement, Do admitted that real owner of Liberty and Do’s co-conspirator was another person who was not a doctor or other medical professional, but rather, was a California attorney then employed as a prosecutor for the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, and who later became an Orange County Superior Court judge during the conspiracy. That true owner who was Do’s co-conspirator not only was a signatory on Liberty’s bank account, but also issued and signed Liberty’s checks to Do and others. The plea agreement specifies that much of the more than $3 million that the SIBTF paid Liberty during the years following Do’s suspension then flowed to another company controlled by Liberty’s owner and his wife, which totaled to more than $1.5 million. Do also admitted that he failed to accurately report to the IRS all the money he had been paid by Liberty. Do admitted that on his 2021 tax return, he failed to report approximately $66,227 of the income that Liberty paid him. Once Do enters his guilty plea, he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for the mail fraud count and up to three years in federal prison for the tax fraud count. The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the California Department of Insurance are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Charles E. Pell of the Orange County Office and Ryan J. Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Dominican Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Jose De La Rosa Rosario, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2025. In October 2024, De La Rosa was indicted by a federal grand jury. De La Rosa is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States in 2006 through Puerto Rico using false identification. He was convicted of federal conspiracy and cocaine distribution charges in 2011. Following completion of his federal sentence, in July 2018, De La Rosa was removed from the United States and deported to the Dominican Republic pursuant to a court order. Thereafter, at an unknown time and place, he illegally reentered the United States without permission. In September 2024, De La Rosa was arrested on new state drug charges and later detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A copy of his fingerprint from his removal document was compared to his fingerprint when he entered federal custody in September 2024 and they were identical to each other. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 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. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Cameron S. Hurd, age 34, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on December 13, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for distribution and receipt of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Hurd to 84 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Hurd will be placed on a 5-year term of supervised release. Hurd was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,000.00 to four identified victims of his crimes. This investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) began with a “cyber tip” received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding suspicious internet activity. NCMEC’s resulting report to the NSP indicated that 16 files containing child pornography were uploaded from Hurd’s internet protocol (IP) address to Kik, a free instant messaging mobile app, on or about November 19, 2021, during a chat with another user. On August 25, 2022, NSP served a warrant to search for child pornography at Hurd’s residence in Douglas County, Nebraska. Investigators seized Hurd’s cellphone for forensic examination. Forensic examination of the Hurd’s phone revealed approximately 30 videos of child pornography associated with the Kik Messenger application on the device, including at least one video depicting a toddler being sexually assaulted by an adult male. 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.


title: Michigan Man Admits to Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Michael Robinson-Brown, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, admitted today to the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Robinson-Brown was one of the leaders of a drug trafficking organization operating in Monongalia County. Robinson-Brown would supply the methamphetamine to others to sell. Robinson-Brown faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Honduran National Guilty of Illegal Re-Entry, Faces Enhanced Sentence for Prior Felony Conviction

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane Evans announced today that ALVARO LUIS ALCERRO-BANEGAS (“ ALCERRO-BANEGAS ”), age 38, pled guilty on December 10, 2024 to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) and Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(b)(1). According to court documents, ALCERRO-BANEGAS , reentered the United States after being previously deported on September 2, 2022. ALCERRO-BANEGAS , a Honduran national, came to the attention of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after his arrest by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office on March 2, 2024. On January 18, 2017, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, ALCERRO-BANEGAS was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, after previously being found guilty of illegal re-entry after deportation. ALCERRO-BANEGAS faces up to two years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. However, because of his prior felony conviction, ALCERRO-BANEGAS also faces a sentencing enhancement of up to 10 years imprisonment. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Raytown Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to using a minor victim to produce child pornography. Cecil L. Pulluaim, 54, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to two counts of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. By pleading guilty today, Pulluaim admitted that he used a minor victim to produce videos of child pornography on two occasions in April 2023. Pulluaim also admitted that he was in possession of additional child pornography on June 16, 2023. Pulluaim admitted that he used his cell phone to produce the child pornography. On June 16, 2023, Raytown police officers searched Pulluaim’s residence and seized his iPhone. A forensic analysis of the phone found five sexually explicit videos of the child victim, taken on two different days. In addition to these five videos of child pornography, which Pulluaim specifically pleaded guilty to producing, investigators found a dozen additional videos and photos of child pornography that Pulluaim admitted he also produced of the child victim. Under federal statutes, Pulluaim is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 70 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the Raytown, Mo., Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Santa Paula Doctor Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Hospice Fraud that Bilked Medicare Out of $3.2 Million

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Ventura County physician who worked for two Pasadena hospices was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for defrauding Medicare out of more than $3 million through claims for medically unnecessary hospice services. Dr. Victor Contreras, 69, of Santa Paula, was sentenced today by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr., who also ordered him to pay $3,289,889 in restitution. Contreras pleaded guilty on July 24 to one count of health care fraud. From July 2016 to February 2019, Contreras and co-defendant Juanita Antenor, 62, formerly of Pasadena, schemed to defraud Medicare by submitting nearly $4 million in false and fraudulent claims for hospice services submitted by two hospice companies: Arcadia Hospice Provider Inc., and Saint Mariam Hospice Inc. Antenor controlled both companies. Medicare only covers hospice services for patients who are terminally ill, meaning that they have a life expectancy of six months or less if their illness ran its normal course. Contreras falsely stated on claims forms that patients had terminal illnesses to make them eligible for hospice services covered by Medicare, typically adopting diagnoses provided to him by hospice employees whether or not they were true. Contreras did so even though he was not the patients’ primary care physician and had not spoken to those primary care physicians about the patients’ conditions. Medicare paid on the claims supported by Contreras’ false evaluations and certifications and recertifications of patients. In total, approximately $3,917,946 in fraudulently claims were submitted to Medicare, of which a total of approximately $3,289,889 was paid. According to Medical Board of California records, Contreras is a licensed physician in California, but has been on probation with the Board since 2015 and is subject to limitations on his practice. Antenor remains at large. Co-defendant Callie Black, 66, of Lancaster, who allegedly recruited patients for the hospice companies in exchange for illegal kickbacks, has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to go to trial on March 4, 2025. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the California Department of Justice investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen A. Williams of the Major Frauds Section and Aylin Kuzucan of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.


title: Falmouth Man Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Falmouth man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to tax evasion. According to court records, Jeffrey Riddle , 58, filed federal income tax returns for 2006 through 2014, reporting that he owed substantial federal tax. Despite reporting that he owed taxes, Riddle did not pay. The IRS began trying to collect Riddle’s back taxes in 2010, filing notices of federal tax liens on property and levies on his bank account. In 2015, while still owing substantial back taxes, Riddle created a new business, Silica Marketing LLC, and entered into a lucrative consulting agreement with a large tire retailer. Riddle put the ownership of the company under his then-wife’s name despite the company’s sole revenue coming from his consulting work and using the proceeds to pay personal expenses. When meeting with the IRS revenue officer assigned to collect his back taxes, Riddle stated that he earned $6,000 a month in wages from Silica and provided the IRS with a falsified letter showing he would be paid a $3,000 bi-monthly salary. He failed to disclose that he had signed a consulting agreement as Silica’s president and CEO and that Silica was receiving substantial income from that contract. Riddle also failed to disclose that money paid to Silica was being used to pay his personal expenses. Among the expenses paid for with Silica funds was the down payment on a home on Great Diamond Island in 2016, purchased in Silica’s name. In 2017, Riddle created a new company to replace Silica, continuing to consult with the same tire retailer. In 2020, Riddle sold part of the company for $400,000, and $250,000 was placed in escrow for the purpose of satisfying Riddle’s tax debt. None of the funds were paid to the IRS. On the day the partial sale of his company closed, Riddle purchased a Corvette, titling it in his company’s name. Riddle faces up to five years imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000 to be followed by up to three years of supervised release. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. ###


title: Justice Department Announces Significant Progress in Policing Reforms by the Baltimore Police Department and the City of Baltimore

body_text: The Justice Department and City of Baltimore filed a joint motion on Friday seeking court approval to declare the city and the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) in full and effective compliance with key consent decree requirements related to First Amendment-protected activities, community oversight and coordination with Baltimore City school police. The joint motion is based on BPD’s consistent progress towards achieving the goals of the consent decree. The independent monitor’s reports on these topics found BPD in full and effective compliance with all three sections. If the court grants the motion, BPD must maintain compliance with the provisions for one year before the court can terminate these sections of the consent decree. “The First Amendment’s protections are fundamental to a free society, and the Baltimore Police Department has successfully implemented reforms proven to protect people’s rights during protests and demonstrations,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The 2020 racial justice demonstrations and protests posed serious challenges to law enforcement nationwide. Because of the hard work done under the consent decree to prepare officers for encounters with the community during demonstrations, the Baltimore Police Department has been able to successfully navigate these moments, while supporting the right to protest and keeping the peace. The Justice Department remains committed to collaboratively working with the Baltimore Police Department and the community to ensure constitutional and fair policing — the people of Baltimore deserve nothing less.” The Justice Department opened a comprehensive investigation of BPD practices in 2015 after considering requests from city officials and community members in the wake of the death of Freddie Gray. The city agreed to, and the court approved, a consent decree in 2017 to resolve the violations identified by the investigation and their root causes. Since approval of the consent decree, BPD has revised policies and training to ensure officers respect First Amendment protected activity, including the right to peacefully record police officers performing their duties in public. According to the monitor’s reports, key accomplishments include: No evidence that BPD obstructs individuals’ ability to observe or record police activity. Almost no incidents in which BPD officers violated the First Amendment between Jan. 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022, though BPD officers have had thousands of interactions with the public during that period. BPD demonstrated compliance with the consent decree’s requirements related to protest activity during the 2020 racial justice protests, protests related to a speech by the Vice President of the United States in 2020 and a separate protest in November 2023. The consent decree also required the city to work with community leaders to better understand challenges to civilian oversight in Baltimore and how to improve accountability when working with the Baltimore City school police. The monitor’s reports show that BPD has achieved those objectives, including implementing certain recommendations from the Community Oversight Task Force and improving transparency and coordination regarding its interactions with the Baltimore City school police. In addition to these reforms, BPD continues to make significant progress in other key areas of the consent decree. For example: Stops, Searches and Arrests BPD implemented new policies and training on how to make lawful arrests and the independent monitor has determined that BPD makes significantly fewer arrests without probable cause. Notably, cases in which people who are arrested by BPD are released without being charged by prosecutors, which can indicate an unlawful arrest, decreased 91% between 2020 and 2022 — from an average of 43 per month to four per month. Transportation of People in Custody BPD successfully implemented reforms to ensure the safe transportation of people in custody and officer assistance and support. If the court grants the parties’ joint motion and finds these additional sections of the decree are in full and effective compliance, nearly 30% of the substantive sections of the consent decree will be in full and effective compliance. If BPD maintains compliance with these sections for one year, the requirements could be successfully terminated. Responding to and Interacting with People with Behavior Health Issues BPD officers now use force less frequently and are improving compliance with constitutional requirements and BPD policy. BPD and the city also have worked to divert behavioral health calls that do not require a law enforcement response. When BPD does respond to behavioral health calls, BPD has improved its response and more often resolves incidents without use of force or arrest. Since January 2021, the Justice Department has opened 12 investigations into law enforcement agencies pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601 and has been actively monitoring over a dozen agreements with law enforcement agencies that were secured prior to that period. Since 2021, the department has successfully concluded agreements and portions of consent decrees with the Yonkers, New York Police Department ; the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Police Department ; the Suffolk County, New York, Police Department ; the Portland, Oregon, Police Bureau ; and the Seattle Police Department . The department has issued findings reports concerning several agencies including: Louisville, Kentucky, Metro Police Department ; the Minneapolis, Minnesota, Police Department ; the Phoenix, Arizona, Police Department ; the Lexington, Mississippi, Police Department ; the Trenton, New Jersey, Police Department ; the Memphis, Tennessee, Police Department ; the Worcester, Massachusetts, Police Department , and the Mt. Vernon, New York, Police Department. In Louisville , the department entered into a court enforceable agreement with Louisville Metro Government to resolve its findings. Investigations are ongoing regarding the Louisiana State Police ; the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Division ; the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Police Department ; and the Rankin County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Department .


title: Lowell Man Charged with Sex Trafficking and Transporting Victim Through Four States

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell, Mass. man was arrested on Friday and charged with sex trafficking a victim in Massachusetts, Nevada, Rhode Island and New York. Melando Streety, a/k/a “Prez,” 41, was charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and five counts of transporting a person to engage in prostitution. Streety was arrested in Michigan and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Detroit. According to the indictment, beginning in September 2023, and continuing to December 2023, Streety caused a victim to engage in commercial sex through the use of various means, including force, threats of force, fraud and coercion. During that period, he also transported the victim from Nevada to Massachusetts, and then to Rhode Island and New York, all to cause to the victim to engage in prostitution. The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Each count of transporting a person to engage in prostitution provides a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Members of the public who have information regarding this case should call 888-221-6023, option 5. United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cambridge Police Department and the Lowell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian A. Fogerty of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Marshall County Man Admits to Child Pornography Charge

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Ryan Bobby Schnettler, 34, of Benwood, West Virginia, admitted today to possessing child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, Schnettler was under supervision because of a prior sex offense conviction. At a home visit, officers found undocumented phones and seized them. Schnettler admitted to going into chat rooms where he pretended to be a 17-year-old male to talk to minors. After Schnettler’s phones were seized, law enforcement obtained a search warrant and searched the phones, locating hundreds of images of child sexual abuse material. The phone also had screenshots of chats with minor females. Schnettler faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Conklin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Probation Office investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.


title: Revision Military to Pay $426,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Revision Military Ltd. (Revision) will pay $426,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by selling eyewear products that it falsely represented were wholly sourced in the United States. Revision is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Vermont. Revision manufactures protective eyewear systems, which the United States has purchased for use by military personnel through the Defense Logistics Agency’s Special Operational Equipment Tailored Logistics Support (SOE TLS) Program. The SOE TLS Program requires that textile components in products be sourced from the United States in accordance with the Berry Amendment. The government’s investigation revealed that between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020, Revision used a non-domestic source of carrying pouches, cases, and/or straps for certain eyewear systems sold through the SOE TLS Program. Revision has acknowledged these impermissible sales and that employees with oversight of product sourcing, operations and/or sales during this period were aware of the use of non-compliant components in products sold through the SOE TLS Program. The government alleges that Revision’s knowing sale of non-compliant eyewear systems violated the False Claims Act, a civil fraud statute. “In selling products that it knew to be non-compliant, Revision violated the trust placed in government contractors in furtherance of its own bottom line,” said United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest. “Our office has now resolved three investigations in the past two years into procurement fraud in Department of Defense contracts, and we will continue to work to preserve the integrity of government programs.” Investigative support in this matter was provided by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the United States Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. “Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division is committed to protecting the interests of our soldiers and to pursuing those involved in procurement fraud aggressively,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Keith K. Kelly, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Fraud Field Office. “CID Special Agents work diligently to prevent and investigate criminal activity and civil violations that affect Army people, resources, capabilities, and communities worldwide.” “Protecting the integrity of the DoD procurement process and supply chain is a top priority for the DoD Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “The DCIS will continue to work with its law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to hold DoD contractors accountable to contract requirements and ensure that compliant products are provided to the U.S. military.” To resolve the claims against it, Revision has agreed to pay to the United States a total of $426,000. This amount reflects Revision’s acceptance of responsibility, cooperation with the government investigation, and compliance measures implemented by Revision’s new owners after 2019. Civil Chief Lauren Almquist Lively handled this matter for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont. The settlement agreement between the United States and Revision is available at this link: Revision Military Ltd. Settlement Agreement.pdf


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Weapons Violation

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Anthony Cobbs, 26, of Charleston, was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence presented to the court showed that on Sept.21, 2022, Charleston Police Department officers initiated a traffic stop on a sedan for an expired temporary tag. A female was driving and Anthony Cobbs, the defendant, was the front passenger. During the stop, an officer observed Cobbs attempt to conceal a black handgun from his waistband. After Cobbs was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody, officers recovered the firearm and ammunition under the front passenger seat where Cobbs was seated. United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Cobbs to 78 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Holmes is prosecuting the case. ###


title: New Jersey Man Admits to Wire Fraud Involving West Virginia Property

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Chukwuemeka Okorocha, age 34, of Jersey City, New Jersey, has admitted to wire fraud. According to court documents and statements made in court, Okorocha, also known as “Mecca,” was involved in a scheme concerning a real estate transaction in Hampshire County. As part of the scheme, Okorocha coordinated with a third party to impersonate a realtor to send an email to the closing agent with a payoff statement directing payment to an account controlled by Okorocha. Based on this fraudulent email, the closing agent transferred $332,904.37 to the account. Before the fraud was detected, Okorocha and another person spent $29,440.58 of the funds. As a part of the plea agreement, Okorocha agreed to pay $29,440.58 in restitution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Orleans Parish Woman Sentenced for Embezzling Money from Her Employer

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SHAVONDA CHAMBERS , age 44, of New Orleans, was sentenced on December 10, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan, for embezzling money from her employer. According to court documents, SHAVONDA CHAMBERS was employed as a bookkeeper for a local business and was apprehended submitting false electronic payroll authorizations to an out-of-state payroll processing company. As a result of her false submissions, SHAVONDA CHAMBERS was able to steal and fraudulently divert more than $2.5 million dollars from her employer to financial accounts she controlled. SHAVONDA CHAMBERS was sentenced to thirty-six (36) months of imprisonment, followed by three (3) years of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay over 2.5 million dollars in restitution, and a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Rensselaer Man Arrested and Charged with Sexual Exploitation of a Child

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mark Tremblay, age 34, of Rensselaer, New York, was arrested today and charged with the sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement. According to a criminal complaint, on or about November 13, 2024, Tremblay used a child, born in 2023, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of creating child pornography. Tremblay then distributed the produced images to another person with whom he was corresponding over the Internet. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Tremblay made an initial appearance today before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel and was ordered detained. He faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life. Tremblay may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and forfeit the device used in the offense. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Tremblay would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. HSI is investigating this case with assistance from the New York State Police (NYSP) and the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Allen J. Vickey is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and is designed to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD HILL, also known as “Man Man,” 39, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 170 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for drug distribution and firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 29, 2022, Waterbury Police officers patrolling in response to recent shots-fired incidents attempted to stop a car Hill was driving on Englewood Avenue. Hill accelerated but was blocked by another police vehicle. He reversed his car, struck a police vehicle behind him that stopped his exit, and was subsequently forcibly removed from his car. A search of the car revealed a loaded handgun with an obliterated serial number; additional rounds of ammunition; more than 500 grams of crack cocaine; more than 1,600 baggies of fentanyl mixed with other substances, including cocaine and xylazine; six cellphones; and $2,489 in cash. Analysis of the firearm using the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) connected it to a shooting in New Haven on January 21, 2022, and a shots-fired incident in Wolcott on October 29, 2022. Hill’s criminal history includes convictions for weapon possession, narcotics distribution, escape, and other offenses. Hill has been detained since his arrest on November 29, 2022. On May 14, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This investigation was conducted by the Waterbury Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .