title: NYPD Officer And Yonkers Man Arrested For Distributing Fentanyl And Heroin

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the filing of a Complaint in Manhattan federal court charging GRACE ROSA BAEZ and CESAR MARTINEZ with conspiracy to distribute narcotics and distribution of narcotics. The defendants were arrested yesterday and were presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Grace Rosa Baez took an oath to protect and serve the people of New York City. As alleged, she flagrantly violated that oath by pushing poison, including fentanyl and heroin, which are driving the nation’s deadly opioid crisis and have been responsible for thousands of tragic deaths in this city and around the nation. My Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those peddling these deadly poisons – no matter who they are.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Baez and Martinez allegedly took part in a conspiracy to distribute dangerous narcotics on the streets of our city. This is a direct violation of the oath Baez took to protect and serve. The FBI along with our partners in law enforcement will continue to investigate and hold responsible anyone who endangers our community through narcotics sales.” NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban said: “These charges are extremely troubling because there is no place for corruption within the NYPD. If found guilty of these allegations, this officer will have tarnished the shield that she wore, as well as her sacred oath to New Yorkers. She and her co-defendant will certainly be held to the highest account provided by the law.” As alleged in the Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] From at least on or about October 9, 2023, through on or about October 19, 2023, BAEZ and MARTINEZ had numerous conversations with a confidential source (the “CS”) working with law enforcement regarding wholesale narcotics trafficking. In particular, during those discussions, BAEZ and MARTINEZ offered to sell the CS kilogram quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. For example, on or about October 11, 2023, BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that BAEZ could sell the CS two kilograms of fentanyl for $30,000 per kilogram, could sell the CS an additional 400 grams of heroin with pricing to be negotiated later, and further agreed to provide the CS with a sample of the fentanyl. BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that the fentanyl was top quality and directed that the CS meet her on or about October 16, 2023, to obtain a sample of the drugs available for sale. On or about October 16, 2023, BAEZ and the CS met in Yonkers, New York, near BAEZ and MARTINEZ’s shared apartment. During the meeting, BAEZ handed the CS a plastic candy container and indicated that the fentanyl sample was inside. As depicted below, the bottle contained a small, clear bag filled with a white powdery substance, which was later tested and confirmed to contain fentanyl. On or about October 17, 2023, BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that BAEZ had a sample of heroin ready for the CS and asked the CS to meet her in Yonkers. During their meeting, BAEZ handed the CS a clear plastic bag filled with a white powdery substance, which was later tested and confirmed to contain heroin. BAEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that she had additional heroin available for sale and that she would provide the CS’s phone number to her boyfriend, MARTINEZ. Later that day, on or about October 17, 2023, MARTINEZ called the CS and negotiated the sale of approximately one kilogram of heroin and 800 grams of fentanyl. MARTINEZ further stated, in substance and in part, that he would have cocaine for sale in the following weeks. Later in the evening on or about October 17, 2023, MARTINEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that on or about October 19, 2023, MARTINEZ and BAEZ could sell the CS one kilogram of heroin for approximately $25,000 and an additional 800 grams of fentanyl with pricing to be negotiated later. MARTINEZ directed the CS to test the purity of the fentanyl and then pay BAEZ and MARTINEZ based on the quality of the fentanyl. On or about October 18, 2023, BAEZ and MARTINEZ continued to discuss narcotics transactions with the CS, including negotiations over pricing. BAEZ and MARTINEZ told the CS, in substance and in part, that they would also sell the CS approximately 400 grams of a lesser-quality heroin and an additional sample of fentanyl. On or about October 19, 2023, the CS and BAEZ met in Yonkers to complete the narcotics transaction. BAEZ handed the CS packages containing suspected narcotics, including what appeared to be one kilogram of suspected heroin, which was labeled “#1”; 400 grams of suspected heroin, which was labeled “400”; 640 grams of suspected fentanyl, which was labeled “640 MANZANA”; and an additional, separate sample of suspected fentanyl, as depicted below: After BAEZ was arrested, members of law enforcement approached BAEZ and MARTINEZ’s shared apartment and observed a package of suspected narcotics being thrown from inside the apartment to outside the apartment. Inside the apartment, law enforcement discovered a kilogram press machine, as well as additional suspected narcotics that MARTINEZ had apparently attempted to throw outside. Up to the date of her arrest, BAEZ had been employed as a police officer with the NYPD. BAEZ began her employment with the NYPD in or about 2012. In or about 2020, following accusations of misconduct, the NYPD began to investigate BAEZ, who was ultimately placed on modified duty. As of October 2023, during her participation in selling kilogram quantities of narcotics, BAEZ was assigned to modified desk duty at a particular NYPD facility. BAEZ engaged in some of the above-described offense conduct while on duty. For example, BAEZ was on duty: (i) on or about October 11, 2023, when BAEZ communicated with the CS regarding where to meet to discuss the drug sales; (ii) on or about October 13, 2023, when BAEZ negotiated the price and quality of the fentanyl and arranged to deliver a sample of fentanyl to the CS; and (iii) on or about October 18, 2023, when BAEZ negotiated the final delivery with the CS. * * * BAEZ, 37, of the Bronx, New York, and MARTINEZ, 43, of Yonkers, New York, are charged in Count One with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin and in Counts Two, Three, and Four with narcotics distribution. Counts One and Four carry a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. Counts Two and Three carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and NYPD. This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda C. Weingarten is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.


title: Red Water Man Arrested for Murder

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Jackson, MS – On October 19, 2023, a Red Water man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging murder in the second degree. According to court documents, Montero Ray Willis, 21, was charged in the criminal complaint which alleged he shot to death another person in the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation. A criminal complaint is an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Trails Task Force which is comprised of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Choctaw Police Department, and various state and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns will prosecute the case.


title: Imperial Valley Doctor Sentenced for Years-Long Use of Unapproved Cosmetic Drugs

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – October 20, 2023 SAN DIEGO – Tien Tan Vo, a doctor practicing in Imperial Valley, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for crimes related to his years-long use of foreign unapproved and misbranded cosmetic drugs. According to his plea and court records, Vo injected as many as 178 patients with unapproved drugs that had been smuggled into the United States from Mexico. Magistrate Judge Allison H. Goddard sentenced Vo to three years of probation and ordered him to pay a $201,534 fine and forfeit the $100,767 in proceeds he made from his use of unlawful cosmetic drugs. A restitution hearing is set for December 7, 2023, to finalize an order for restitution to potential victims. In August, Vo pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts: receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce and being an accessory after the fact to Flor Cham, who smuggled the unapproved drugs into the United States from Mexico. Cham is charged in case number 23-cr-01926-JLS . In his plea agreement, Vo admitted that none of the injectable botulinum toxin or lip fillers used by his clinics between November 2016 and October 2020 were approved for use in the United States. This specifically included a botulinum toxin product called “ Xeomeen ” and an injectable lip filler called Probcel—both products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. According to court papers, Vo used these unapproved drugs on approximately 178 patients over about four years. Many were never told that they received unapproved drugs as part of their treatment. “The public faith in the FDA approval process relies on medical providers adhering to those rules,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “By side-stepping the safety and approval protocols of the FDA, Dr. Vo compromised care and put profits before patients. But thanks to the hard work of the agencies and our federal restitution process, those ill-gained profits will be recovered in this case.” “Today’s sentencing serves as our promise to use every tool to investigate and hold accountable those who deliberately smuggle and administer products that pose a significant public health threat,” said Chad Plantz, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI, together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work together to prosecute those individuals who deceive and threaten our communities.” “The FDA’s requirements help ensure that patients receive safe and effective medical treatments. Evading the FDA process and distributing unapproved drugs to U.S. consumers will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Los Angeles Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who traffic in unapproved drugs.” A restitution hearing is set for December 7, 2023, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Allison H. Goddard. Potential victims related to this case may provide or request information by emailing USACAS.Cosmetic.Case@usdoj.gov . Individuals may submit written statements including information about potential losses or requests for refunds that may be included as part of the restitution ordered on December 7, 2023. DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr1700-AHG Tien Tan Vo Age: 47 El Centro, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Accessory After the Fact to Entry of Goods by Means of False Statement – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 542 and 3 Maximum penalty: one year in prison, fine of $100,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss Receipt in Interstate Commerce of Misbranded Drugs and Delivery for Pay or Otherwise – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 331(c) and 333(a)(1) Maximum penalty: one year in prison, fine of $1,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations Federal Bureau of Investigation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General


title: Three Topeka residents charged in money lending business robbery

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: TOPEKA, KAN. – Three Kansans have been charged through criminal complaint in Topeka in connection with a robbery that occurred on October 16, 2023, at money lending business, LendNation. LendNation, located on Southwest 10th Avenue in Topeka, is a company that provides various loan options to customers. According to the criminal complaint, Aaron Elizabeth Fish, 32, of Topeka, store manager of LendNation; Mejia J. Pattillo, 47, of Topeka; and Katelyn Nichole North, 32, of Topeka are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly conspiring together to rob LendNation. Pattillo is also charged with one count of Hobbs Act Robbery for allegedly robbing LendNation on October 16, 2023. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Topeka Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hunting is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl Linked to Overdose Death

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Richland, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Ron Montgomery, age 43, of Richland has been sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Senior United States District Court Judge Edward F. Shea imposed a sentence of 51 months in federal custody followed by five years of supervised release. According to information disclosed during court proceedings, investigators were led to Montgomery, following the death of a man in July of 2018 from a fentanyl overdose. Montgomery, along with Christopher West, who was sentenced in March, were identified as being responsible for selling the pills to the man that died. During the next several months, investigators conducted surveillance on Montgomery and witnessed hundreds of quick visits to his residences, indicative of ongoing drug distribution. A search warrant was ultimately executed at Montgomery’s residence where fentanyl laced pills, firearms and other evidence of distribution were located. Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington stated, “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat facing our great nation. The sentence imposed sends a stern warning to those who may seek to distribute this poison in our community that they will face significant consequences. The Eastern District of Washington is safer and stronger today as a result of the incredible partnership of our law enforcement agencies, who came together to investigate and successfully prosecute this important and tragic case.” "Mr. Montgomery distributed dangerous drugs into his own community for years." said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Seattle field office. "While we have taken one drug dealer off the streets, the FBI and our partners will continue working to provide safer neighborhoods for the citizens we've sworn to protect." This case was investigated by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Southeast Washington Safe Streets Task Force which includes additional officers and detectives from the Kennewick Police Department, Pasco Police Department, Richland Police Department, Border Patrol and Department of Corrections. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter. 4:20-CR-06003-SMJ


title: Vallejo Man Convicted of Methamphetamine Trafficking and Illegal Firearms Possession

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After a six-day trial, a federal jury found Henry Benson, 42, of Vallejo, guilty on Thursday of conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine-laced pills, four counts of distributing or possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine-laced pills, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from January 2015 until his arrest in February 2019, Benson made and sold thousands of methamphetamine-laced pills. He made the pills using pill presses, which are machines that compress powders into pills of various shapes and sizes. Benson made pills to look like traditional Ecstasy pills—colorful, candy-like pills in the shape of cartoon characters, well-known company logos, and other popular designs. On two occasions in July 2018, Benson’s co-conspirator, Rafael Ruiz, sold thousands of methamphetamine-laced pills to an undercover agent in furtherance of the conspiracy. On Feb. 7, 2019, agents searched Benson’s living quarters, which were in the back rooms of a licensed elder-care facility in Vallejo, and found a pill press, methamphetamine-laced pills, bags of powders and other items for pressing pills, and a 12-gauge shotgun. The next day, agents searched Benson’s storage unit in Vacaville and found five more pill presses. This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Vallejo Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Spencer and Ross Pearson, and Cameron Desmond are prosecuting the case. On April 25, 2022, Ruiz was sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, conspiracy to commit robbery, and assault on a federal officer. Co-defendant Roselle Cipriano, 39, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and manufacture methamphetamine-laced pills. U.S. District Judge Dale. A Drozd is scheduled to sentence Benson and Cipriano on Jan. 9, 2024. Benson and Cipriano face 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine for the methamphetamine trafficking counts. Benson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, up to life in prison, and a fine up to $250,000 for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: New Kensington Resident Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns For Clients

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of New Kensington pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of preparing false tax returns for clients, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Harvey Smith, Jr., 58, of New Kensington, PA pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Smith operated a tax return preparation business through which he prepared false tax returns for his clients. Smith falsely reported that his clients incurred educational expenses and business expenses they did not in fact incur, in an attempt to obtain larger tax refunds for his clients. Smith then frequently took his fees, which reached as high as $1,000 per return, from the inflated refunds. In total, Smith’s conduct resulted in a loss to the government of approximately $138,426. Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for 11 a.m. on February 5, 2024. The law provides for a total sentence of 3 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court released Smith on his personal recognizance. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen R. Kaufman and William B. Guappone are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Harvey Smith.


title: Minnesota Man Who Defrauded Elderly Victim Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who defrauded an elderly victim by abusing his power of attorney entered a plea of guilty on October 18, 2023, in federal court in Sioux City. Hamilton Girard, age 65, of Stillwater, Minnesota, was charged with 1 Count of Wire Fraud. In the plea agreement, Girard admitted that in February, 2020, he was designated as an agent, and given power of attorney and for an elderly person diagnosed with early onset dementia. Girard, acting with power of attorney, misappropriated approximately $149,000 of the victim’s funds. Girard signed and issued unauthorized checks from the victim’s personal checking account to purchase items such as home improvement and home construction-related goods and services for his own benefit. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Girard remains free on bond previously set. Girard faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3-years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being investigated by FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3015. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: New defendant pleads guilty in conspiracy involving $44 million in drug proceeds laundered to Mexico through local cell phone store fronts

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A ninth federal defendant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to money laundering and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. The defendant orchestrated teams of drug dealers in central Ohio and laundered the proceeds to Mexico. In the fall of 2020 and spring 2021, eight original, federal defendants were sentenced to prison for the same conspiracy, in which they laundered $44 million in drug proceeds to Mexico through local cell phone store fronts. The stores sold few, if any, cell phones, and they conducted little, if any, legitimate business otherwise. The defendants received sentences ranging from five to 18 years in prison. In his guilty plea today, Cruz Alberto Perez-Nunez, 36, admitted to being a drug trafficker and regular “customer” of the cell phone store fronts who laundered his drug proceeds from Columbus to Nayarit, Mexico. Perez-Nunez oversaw the narcotics-distribution operation of multiple teams of drug dealers in the Southern District of Ohio. In 2018, he oversaw the supply chain of heroin and directed and controlled drug-trafficking and money-laundering activities of individuals in and around Columbus. Perez-Nunez also set up living arrangements for the teams of drug traffickers. Perez-Nunez and others coordinated with the owners of Los Rosales on Shady Lane Road, Los Rosales 2 on East Main Street and Express Cellular on Eastland Square Drive to send bulk money transfers to lists of names in Mexico. Thousands of illicit wire transfers were completed per year. Drug dealers from multiple narcotics-trafficking cells would drop large amounts of narcotics money at the stores, after which the store owners would falsify money sender names, addresses and phone numbers on the wire transfers to Mexico to conceal the nature of the proceeds. In total, the joint state–federal efforts led to the prosecution of nine defendants federally and 35 defendants by the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation and prosecution of these defendants removed approximately 34 kilograms of heroin, 516 grams of cocaine, 76 grams of fentanyl and 250 pounds of marijuana from Central Ohio streets. Additionally, investigators seized $458,500 in U.S. currency and a home valued at nearly $248,000 as part of the investigation and prosecution of these cases. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Bryant Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Cincinnati Field Office; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Detroit Division; Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant and officials with the Ohio HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Commission announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall and Jessica W. Knight are representing the United States in this case. Daniel J. Stanley, formerly with the office of Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack, also represented the United States in this case as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and gangs that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. # # #


title: Grand Jury - October 2023

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 4 unsealed Indictments charging 4 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. * Paul J. Gray , age 48, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender beginning on or about July 20, 2023, and continuing to on or about September 14, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. * Raul Enrique Imperial Ochoa , age 24, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine (mixture) on or about September 27, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. * Jason M. Viera Penalbert , age 37, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Viera Penalbert with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl beginning on or about May 16, 2023 and continuing to on or about May 18, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life , and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Viera Penalbert with possession with intent to distribute cocaine on or about May 18, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is a 20 year’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than three years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. * Spenser Ware , age 35, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition on or about October 11, 2023. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is a 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a $100 special assessment.


title: ST. THOMAS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CONSPIRACY CHARGE

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

body_text: ST. THOMAS, USVI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced that Kelly Bruney, 36, of St. Thomas pleaded guilty on October 11, 2023 before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. According to court documents, in January 2022, Bruney and a co-conspirator arranged to sell 200 kilograms of cocaine to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover agents. As part of the deal, on February 3, 2022, Bruney and his co-conspirator were to deliver 86 kilograms of cocaine to the undercover agents. That same day, federal agents raided a residence in Frenchtown and recovered 87 kilograms of cocaine and a Glock pistol. Bruney’s co-conspirator was found hiding inside a closet in the residence and Bruney was arrested a short time later driving a truck in the area of the residence. This case was investigated by the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, Air Marine Operations, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Police Departments. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Payne.


title: Muskogee Resident Sentenced For Federal Drug Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven Eugene Estes, age 34, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The charges arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On October 27, 2022, Estes pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Estes admitted that he possessed five grams or more of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute to others within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by appointment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Estes will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility where he will serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Pahl represented the United States.


title: Three Indicted, Accused of St. Louis Murder-For-Hire

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Three men were indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday and accused of involvement in the shooting death of a woman in St. Louis in July. Andrew C. Hubbard, 37, of Maryland Heights, Justin R. Lee, 37, of Northwoods, and Eric Washington, 45, of Jennings, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of murder-for-hire in connection with the death of Andreaia Worthem. The indictment says the men received money and other items of value in exchange for their agreement to kill Worthem. St. Louis police officers found Worthem, 53, early on the morning of July 7, 2023 in an alley in the 4400 block of Kennerly Avenue. Each of the charges is punishable by a life sentence in prison or the death penalty. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. This case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Walker and Matthew Martin are prosecuting the case.


title: Over $1M Worth of Dinosaur Bones Allegedly Stolen from Utah, Shipped to China for Profit

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: UPDATE Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release against Vint Wade, Donna Wade, Steven Willing and Jordan Willing in this case was dismissed on August 22, 2024 SALT LAKE CITY – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned a 13-count indictment charging four people for allegedly purchasing and selling over $1M in paleontological resources. The dollar amount represents 150,000 pounds of paleontological resources, including dinosaur bones, illegally removed from federal and state lands in southeastern Utah. According to court documents, Vint Wade, 65, and Donna Wade, 67, of Moab, Utah; Steven Willing, 67, of Los Angeles, California; and Jordan Willing, 40 of Ashland, Oregon, committed several felony offenses against the United States by violating the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA). Between March 2018 and continuing until at least March 2023, the defendants allegedly purchased, transported and exported dinosaur bones from federal land. The defendants further illegally conspired by knowingly concealing and retaining stolen property of the United States. As charged, in a typical execution of the conspiracy, the Wades purchased paleontological resources removed from federal land by paying cash and checks to known and unknown unindicted individuals. Those individuals removed the dinosaur bones for the Wades’ personal use. The Wades stockpiled paleontological resources to sell at gem and mineral shows to national vendors and to sell some of the illegally obtained paleontological resources to Steven and Jordan Willing. Using their company, JMW Sales, the Willings’ exported the dinosaur bones to China by mislabeling the dinosaur bones and deflating their value to avoid detection by federal agents. In addition to the selling over $1,000,000 in paleontological resources, the defendants caused over $3,000,000 in damages that includes the commercial value of the resource, the scientific value of the resource, and the cost of restoration and repair. According to the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act (PRPA), paleontological resources mean any fossilized remains, traces, or imprints of organisms, preserved in or on the earth’s crust, that have paleontological interest and provide information about the history of life on earth. BLM “By removing and processing these dinosaur bones to make consumer products for profit, tens of thousands of pounds of dinosaur bones have lost virtually all scientific value, leaving future generations unable to experience the science and wonder of these bones on Federal land,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “The United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners are dedicated to protecting paleontological resources throughout the State of Utah. We will hold accountable anyone who seeks to engage in similar criminal conduct.” All defendants are charged with conspiracy against the United States; Paleontological Resources Preservation Act violation; theft of property of the United States and other charges as alleged in the indictment. The defendants are scheduled for their initial court appearance on the indictment, Oct. 19, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. “Southeastern Utah is well-known destination for visitors to experience paleontology on the landscape. The public deserves the opportunity to benefit from and appreciate prehistoric resources on the lands,” said BLM Utah State Director Gregory Sheehan. “We are grateful to our team, including technical experts and law enforcement rangers, and the many partner-agencies who have committed time and energy to bring closure in this case.” BLM “The Bureau of Land Management should be greatly commended in dismantling the illegal trade of paleontology artifacts here in our community, said Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins. The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Monticello Field Office, the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office with assistance from Grand County Sheriff and San Juan County Sheriff Offices are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Hackford-Peer and Melina Shiraldi for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case as an environmental crime. For more information on environmental crimes click here . For more information about casual collecting of paleontological resources allowed under PRPA click here . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office For The Middle District Of Florida Observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL - October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors. “Domestic violence is harmful to individuals, families, and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “We want our community to know that we are here to support victims and survivors in the Middle District of Florida – not just in October, but every month. We will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to address the systemic problem that is domestic violence.” Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, including women of Color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence.


title: Eight Indicted in Central Texas on Federal Drug and Gun Charges

body_text: WACO, Texas – A group of eight Texas men were indicted in Waco on criminal charges related to their alleged drug and gun activity. Federal grand jury indictments charge Jeremiah Pittman, 21; Shamall McDonald, 21; Juan Christian Rodriguez-Luhan, 20; Raeshawn Demond Roberts, 21; Jacob Deshaun Raglin, 24; Javion Lavelle Cooper, 19; Tyson Charae Hawthorne, 21; and Dantawn Richardson, 20, with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Raglin was arrested in Arlington Tuesday, while the remaining defendants were arrested in Waco. Richardson was already in Waco Police custody on unrelated charges. During the arrests, law enforcement officers recovered four firearms, 13 ounces of methamphetamine and more than four pounds of marijuana. If convicted, each of the eight defendants faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the marijuana charge and a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison consecutive to any other prison term for the firearm charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Members of the Texas Anti-Gang Taskforce, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Waco Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), McLennan County Sherriff’s Department and McLennan County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Blanton 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. The Texas Anti-Gang Taskforce is a group of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors focused on reducing gang violence and dismantling gangs in the Central Texas area. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Justice Department Reaches Significant Milestone in Combating Redlining Initiative After Securing Over $107 Million in Relief for Communities of Color Nationwide

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that its Combating Redlining Initiative has secured over $107 million in relief for communities of color nationwide that have experienced lending discrimination by banks or other mortgage lending businesses. As a part of the $107 million, the Department also announced a $9 million agreement with Ameris Bank to resolve allegations that Ameris engaged in a pattern or practice of redlining predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville, Florida. Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in or seeking to live in, communities of color because of the race, color, or national origin of the residents in those communities. “As today’s case makes clear, redlining is not just a relic of the past,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, two years ago this month, the Justice Department launched our Combating Redlining Initiative, and once today’s settlement is approved, that Initiative will have secured more than $100 million for communities across the country that have been harmed by discriminatory lending practices. This work is just the beginning – the Justice Department currently has over two dozen active investigations into redlining, spanning neighborhoods across the country.” In October 2021, Attorney General Garland announced the Combating Redlining Initiative, the Department’s most aggressive coordinated enforcement effort to address redlining. The Department has partnered with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, federal financial regulatory agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and state Attorneys General offices to enforce federal fair lending laws that prohibit redlining, including the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Since 2021, the Department has secured 10 settlement agreements with banks and mortgage lending institutions to provide credit opportunities to communities of color in Houston , Memphis , Philadelphia , Camden, Wilmington , Newark , Los Angeles , Columbus , Tulsa , Rhode Island , and now Jacksonville. These agreements have provided millions of dollars to redlined communities and have helped to make homeownership a reality for families of color who have been unfairly denied access to credit. Ameris Bank Settlement The resolution with Ameris Bank was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, along with the Department’s complaint, and is subject to court approval. The Department’s complaint alleges that, from 2016 through 2021, Ameris Bank avoided providing mortgage services to majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville and discouraged people seeking credit in those communities from obtaining home loans. Ameris’ home mortgage lending was focused disproportionately on white areas of Jacksonville while other lenders generated applications in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods at three times the rate of Ameris. Although Ameris operates 18 branches in Jacksonville, Ameris has never operated a branch in a majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhood in the city. The neighborhoods that the Department alleges Ameris redlined in Jacksonville are some of the same neighborhoods that were first redlined by Home Ownership Loan Corporation maps in the 1930s. “Combating modern day redlining is one of the most important strategies for ensuring equal economic opportunity today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “By taking on the discriminatory lending practices of banks and mortgage companies, we are helping to ensure that more Black, Hispanic, and other communities of color are able to buy a home, generate wealth, and fulfill the American Dream. This settlement marks a new pinnacle in our efforts to bring an end to redlining and provides tangible relief to communities that have been starved of access to credit for far too long.” “For far too long, redlining has negatively impacted communities of color across our country,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Today’s agreement with Ameris Bank represents the first redlining case brought by the Department of Justice in the state of Florida and signals a step forward for Black and Hispanic communities in Jacksonville that were previously denied access to economic resources for generations. This settlement means that Ameris Bank will provide financial remedies to Jacksonville’s underserved communities, and it demonstrates our commitment to guaranteeing equal access to housing and credit resources for all Americans.” Under the proposed consent order, which is subject to court approval, Ameris Bank will invest $9 million to increase credit opportunities for communities of color in Jacksonville. Specifically, Ameris will: Invest $7.5 million in a loan subsidy fund that will be made available to residents of majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods and those seeking credit in those communities. Invest $900,000 for advertising and outreach targeted toward the residents of these neighborhoods. Invest $600,000 to develop community partnerships to provide services that increase access to residential mortgage credit. Open a new branch in a majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhood in Jacksonville. Ensure that at least three mortgage loan officers are dedicated to serving majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Retain a consultant to assess the bank’s compliance management system as it pertains to redlining risk. Employ a full-time Director of Community Lending who will oversee the continued development of lending in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville. Ameris is working cooperatively with the Department to address the credit needs of residents in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville. Beyond the agreement, Ameris has committed to expanding its lending services across its markets to underserved communities. Additional information about the Department’s fair lending enforcement can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/fair-lending-program-0 . Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s housing discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online . View the complaint here. View the consent order here. View Exhibit A here. View Exhibit B here. View Exhibit C here. View Exhibit D here. View Exhibit E here.


title: El Departamento de Justicia alcanza un hito importante en su Iniciativa para Combatir la Exclusión Financiera después de conseguir más de $107 millones en ayuda para comunidades de color por todo el país

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que su Iniciativa para Combatir la Exclusión Financiera ha obtenido más de $107 millones de ayuda para comunidades de color por todo el país que han sido discriminadas por parte de bancos u otras empresas de préstamos hipotecarios. Como parte de los $107 millones, el Departamento también anunció un acuerdo de $9 millones con Ameris Bank para resolver las alegaciones de que Ameris incurrió en un patrón o una práctica de exclusión financiera en barrios predominantemente negros e hispanos en Jacksonville, Florida. La exclusión financiera es una práctica ilícita en la que los prestamistas evitan la provisión de servicios crediticios a individuos que viven en comunidades de color por motivos de la raza, el color de piel o el origen nacional de los residentes de esas comunidades. “Como deja claro el caso de hoy, la exclusión financiera no es solo una reliquia del pasado”, comentó el Fiscal General Merrick B. Garland. “Por eso, este mes celebramos el segundo aniversario del lanzamiento por parte del Departamento de Justicia de la Iniciativa para Combatir la Exclusión Financiera y, una vez que se apruebe el acuerdo de hoy, esa Iniciativa habrá obtenido más de $100 millones para comunidades por todo el país que han sido perjudicadas por prácticas de préstamos discriminatorias. Este trabajo es solo el principio: el Departamento de Justicia actualmente tiene más de veinte investigaciones activas sobre la exclusión financiera que abarcan barrios por todo el país”. En octubre del 2021, el Fiscal General Garland anunció la Iniciativa para Combatir la Exclusión Financiera, el esfuerzo de ejecución coordinado más agresivo del Departamento para abordar la exclusión financiera. El Departamento ha colaborado con Fiscalías Federales, agencias reguladoras financieras federales, incluida la Oficina para la Protección Financiera del Consumidor, y fiscales generales estatales para hacer cumplir las leyes federales de préstamos justos que prohíben la exclusión financiera, incluyendo la ley de Vivienda Justa y la ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Crediticios. Desde el año 2021, el Departamento ha logrado 10 acuerdos conciliatorios con bancos e instituciones de préstamos hipotecarios para proporcionar oportunidades crediticios a comunidades de color en Houston , Memphis , Philadelphia , Camden, Wilmington , Newark , Los Angeles , Columbus , Tulsa , Rhode Island y ahora Jacksonville. Estos acuerdos han proporcionado millones de dólares a comunidades que han sido víctimas de la exclusión financiera y han ayudado a hacer que el sueño de ser propietario de una casa sea una realidad para las familias de color a las que se les ha denegado, de forma injusta, el acceso al crédito. Acuerdo con Ameris Bank La resolución con Ameris Bank se presentó hoy en el Tribunal Federal de Distrito para el Distrito Centro de Florida, junto con la queja del Departamento, y queda sujeta a la aprobación del tribunal. La queja del Departamento alega que, del 2016 hasta el 2021, Ameris Bank evitó la provisión de servicios hipotecarios en barrios de mayoría negra e hispana en Jacksonville y desalentaba a las personas que buscaban crédito en esas comunidades de obtener préstamos hipotecarios. Los préstamos hipotecarios de Ameris se centraron, de manera desproporcionada, en áreas blancas de Jacksonville, mientras que otros prestamistas generaron solicitudes en barrios de mayoría negra e hispana a un ritmo tres veces superior a Ameris. Aunque Ameris opera 18 sucursales en Jacksonville, Ameris nunca ha operado una sucursal en un barrio de mayoría negra e hispana en la ciudad. Los barrios en los que el Departamento alega que Ameris practicó la exclusión financiera en Jacksonville son algunos de los mismos barrios que fueron víctimas de la exclusión financiera por primera vez en los mapas de la Home Ownership Loan Corporation [Corporación de Préstamos para Propietarios] en los años 1930. “La lucha contra la exclusión financiera contemporánea es una de las estrategias más importantes para garantizar la igualdad de oportunidades económicas hoy en día”, comentó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Al enfrentarse a las prácticas discriminatorias de préstamos de bancos y compañías hipotecarias, estamos ayudando a asegurar que más comunidades negras, hispanas y otras comunidades de color puedan comprar una casa, generar riqueza y alcanzar el sueño americano. Este acuerdo marca una nueva cumbre en nuestros esfuerzos por poner fin a la exclusión financiera y proporciona un alivio tangible a las comunidades que han estado privadas de acceso al crédito durante demasiado tiempo”. “Durante demasiado tiempo, la exclusión financiera ha tenido un impacto negativo en las comunidades de color por todo nuestro país”, dijo el Fiscal Federal Roger B. Handberg para el Distrito Centro de Florida. “El acuerdo de hoy con Ameris Bank representa el primer caso de exclusión financiera presentado por el Departamento de Justicia en el estado de Florida y señala un paso adelante para las comunidades negras e hispanas en Jacksonville a las que, durante generaciones, se les había denegado el acceso a recursos económicos. Este acuerdo significa que Ameris Bank proporcionará recursos financieros a las comunidades desatendidas de Jacksonville y demuestra nuestro compromiso de garantizar un acceso igualitario a la vivienda y los recursos crediticios para todos los estadounidenses”. En virtud de la orden de consentimiento propuesta, que queda sujeta a la aprobación del tribunal, Ameris Bank invertirá $9 millones para aumentar las oportunidades crediticias para las comunidades de color en Jacksonville. En concreto, Ameris: Invertirá $7.5 millones en un fondo de subsidios para préstamos que se pondrá a disposición de los residentes de barrios de mayoría negra e hispana y de aquellos que buscan crédito en esas comunidades. Invertirá $900,000 en publicidad y proyección dirigidas a los residentes de estos barrios. Invertirá $600,000 para desarrollar asociaciones comunitarias para proporcionar servicios que aumenten el acceso al crédito hipotecario residencial. Abrirá una nueva sucursal en un barrio de mayoría negra e hispana en Jacksonville. Asegurará que al menos tres agentes de crédito hipotecario estén dedicados a servir a barrios de mayoría negra e hispana. Contratará a un asesor para que evalúe el sistema de gestión de cumplimiento del banco en lo que se refiere al riesgo de la exclusión financiera. Empleará a un Director de Préstamos Comunitarios a tiempo completo que supervisará el desarrollo continuo de préstamos en barrios de mayoría negra e hispana en Jacksonville. Ameris está trabajando en cooperación con el Departamento para abordar las necesidades crediticias de los residentes de barrios de mayoría negra e hispana en Jacksonville. Más allá del acuerdo, Ameris se ha comprometido a expandir sus servicios crediticios en todos sus mercados a comunidades desatendidas. Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la aplicación de las leyes de préstamos justos del Departamento en www.justice.gov/crt/fair-lending-program-0 . Para informarnos de incidentes de discriminación en el ámbito crediticio, llame a la línea informativa del Departamento de Justicia para discriminación en la vivienda al 1‑833‑591‑0291 o entregue un informe en línea . Vea la queja aquí. Vea la orden de consentimiento aquí.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont Observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors. DVAM renews our commitment to addressing and preventing domestic violence. This dedication is of paramount significance, given the alarming prevalence of domestic and intimate partner violence as violent crimes. For example, nearly 20% of all violent crime is categorized as domestic violence, as revealed by the 2021 National Crime Victimization Survey data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. By fostering awareness and proactive interventions against domestic, dating, and intimate partner violence, we pave the way for more secure, violence-free communities. Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes; however, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence. Supporting survivors and preventing these forms of violence is our shared responsibility throughout the year. DVAM offers us a platform, in collaboration with community allies, to unequivocally proclaim our solidarity with survivors, reassuring them of our support and our intolerance for violence, be it within our homes, localities, workplaces, or wider communities. “Domestic violence affects us all personally in some way,” said U.S. Attorney Kerest, “And we who serve as federal prosecutors for the District of Vermont have a duty to use all the tools at our disposal—and leverage our partnerships with local law enforcement and prosecutors—to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice. One of the tools that we created and are particularly proud of is our Vermont Crime Victim Services Directory. We encourage victims and survivors and anyone who works in support of survivors to use this resource. For more information, please see a PDF version of our 2023 Vermont Victim Services Resource Guide and the mobile downloadable version at https://vtvictimresources.com/ .”


body_text: The Justice Department announced today that its Combating Redlining Initiative has secured over $107 million in relief for communities of color nationwide that have experienced lending discrimination by banks or other mortgage lending businesses. As a part of the $107 million, the Department also announced a $9 million agreement with Ameris Bank to resolve allegations that Ameris engaged in a pattern or practice of redlining predominately Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville, Florida. Redlining is an illegal practice in which lenders avoid providing credit services to individuals living in or seeking to live in, communities of color because of the race, color, or national origin of the residents in those communities. “As today’s case makes clear, redlining is not just a relic of the past,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why, two years ago this month, the Justice Department launched our Combating Redlining Initiative, and once today’s settlement is approved, that Initiative will have secured more than $100 million for communities across the country that have been harmed by discriminatory lending practices. This work is just the beginning – the Justice Department currently has over two dozen active investigations into redlining, spanning neighborhoods across the country.” In October 2021, Attorney General Garland announced the Combating Redlining Initiative, the Department’s most aggressive coordinated enforcement effort to address redlining. The Department has partnered with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, federal financial regulatory agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and state Attorneys General offices to enforce federal fair lending laws that prohibit redlining, including the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Since 2021, the Department has secured 10 settlement agreements with banks and mortgage lending institutions to provide credit opportunities to communities of color in Houston , Memphis , Philadelphia , Camden, Wilmington , Newark , Los Angeles , Columbus , Tulsa , Rhode Island , and now Jacksonville. These agreements have provided millions of dollars to redlined communities and have helped to make homeownership a reality for families of color who have been unfairly denied access to credit. Ameris Bank Settlement The resolution with Ameris Bank was filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, along with the Department’s complaint, and is subject to court approval. The Department’s complaint alleges that, from 2016 through 2021, Ameris Bank avoided providing mortgage services to majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville and discouraged people seeking credit in those communities from obtaining home loans. Ameris’ home mortgage lending was focused disproportionately on white areas of Jacksonville while other lenders generated applications in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods at three times the rate of Ameris. Although Ameris operates 18 branches in Jacksonville, Ameris has never operated a branch in a majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhood in the city. The neighborhoods that the Department alleges Ameris redlined in Jacksonville are some of the same neighborhoods that were first redlined by Home Ownership Loan Corporation maps in the 1930s. “Combating modern day redlining is one of the most important strategies for ensuring equal economic opportunity today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “By taking on the discriminatory lending practices of banks and mortgage companies, we are helping to ensure that more Black, Hispanic, and other communities of color are able to buy a home, generate wealth, and fulfill the American Dream. This settlement marks a new pinnacle in our efforts to bring an end to redlining and provides tangible relief to communities that have been starved of access to credit for far too long.” “For far too long, redlining has negatively impacted communities of color across our country,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Today’s agreement with Ameris Bank represents the first redlining case brought by the Department of Justice in the state of Florida and signals a step forward for Black and Hispanic communities in Jacksonville that were previously denied access to economic resources for generations. This settlement means that Ameris Bank will provide financial remedies to Jacksonville’s underserved communities, and it demonstrates our commitment to guaranteeing equal access to housing and credit resources for all Americans.” Under the proposed consent order, which is subject to court approval, Ameris Bank will invest $9 million to increase credit opportunities for communities of color in Jacksonville. Specifically, Ameris will: Invest $7.5 million in a loan subsidy fund that will be made available to residents of majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods and those seeking credit in those communities. Invest $900,000 for advertising and outreach targeted toward the residents of these neighborhoods. Invest $600,000 to develop community partnerships to provide services that increase access to residential mortgage credit. Open a new branch in a majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhood in Jacksonville. Ensure that at least three mortgage loan officers are dedicated to serving majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods. Retain a consultant to assess the bank’s compliance management system as it pertains to redlining risk. Employ a full-time Director of Community Lending who will oversee the continued development of lending in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville. Ameris is working cooperatively with the Department to address the credit needs of residents in majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Jacksonville. Beyond the agreement, Ameris has committed to expanding its lending services across its markets to underserved communities. Additional information about the Department’s fair lending enforcement can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/fair-lending-program-0 . Individuals may report lending discrimination by calling the Justice Department’s housing discrimination tip line at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online . View the complaint here. View the consent order here.


title: U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld marked Domestic Violence Awareness Month today by highlighting the important work of two organizations helping to combat the problem in the region. Ihlenfeld was joined by Jo Elliott, Executive Director of Community Alternatives to Violence, and Katie Spriggs, Executive Director of the Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center, to discuss their response to domestic violence. Although his office has accelerated its efforts to address the issue through additional prosecutions, Ihlenfeld explained that enforcement is only part of the solution. “We will continue to be aggressive in our prosecution of domestic violence offenders while at the same time collaborating with agencies that support victims and rehabilitate offenders,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. Community Alternatives to Violence (CAV), a licensed Batterer's Intervention and Prevention Program, serves approximately 400 people in the Eastern Panhandle each year, offering classes for men and women to help build respectful relationships and prevent domestic violence. “CAV is honored to be a part of this coordinated community response to domestic violence in our region. The role we play, intervention and prevention, provides those who use violence with an opportunity to learn how to be nonviolent and respectful in their families, and in all their relationships,” said Elliott. “We challenge these individuals to examine their belief systems and uncover how those beliefs have led to patterns of behaviors that create harmful dynamics in their homes. We then help them create their own plan of accountability; this is their road map for moving intentionally and with integrity towards a life of respect and empathy.” The Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center (EPEC) in Martinsburg plays an equally critical role, offering services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. "The Eastern Panhandle Empowerment Center provides direct services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. I have been in the movement to end interpersonal violence movement for over a decade, and the only response that I have ever seen functionally work to address these issues is a collaborative approach and that is exactly what we are working to build in Martinsburg with this new initiative. Survivors get more efficient, client centered, and more culturally responsive services when the team that is providing those services trusts each other and works well together. We are excited to continue working with this team and making our community safer," said Spriggs. Both CAV and EPEC are part of the recently formed Berkeley County Domestic Violence Reduction Initiative. Other participating agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; the Martinsburg Police Department; and the West Virginia State Police. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or go to thehotline.org.


title: United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – October marks the observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz joins the U.S. Department of Justice in commemorating DVAM, paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who tirelessly work in support of survivors. Domestic violence, dating violence, and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes. Rates are disproportionately higher for historically underserved populations, including LGBTQI+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence. “Domestic violence affects us all personally in some way,” said U.S. Attorney Ritz. “We who serve as federal prosecutors for the Western District of Tennessee have a duty to use all the tools at our disposal — and to leverage our partnerships with local law enforcement and prosecutors — to ensure victims have a viable path to safety and justice.” Purple Thursday, observed on October 19, 2023, is a National Day of Action during DVAM. It is an opportunity to raise awareness about domestic violence and to show commitment to promoting safe communities. Please join us on October 19 by wearing purple and starting a conversation about domestic violence.


title: Two Businessmen Charged for $1M Kickback Scheme Involving Nuclear Weapons Components

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An indictment was unsealed today in Kansas City, Kansas, charging two businessmen for an alleged scheme to fraudulently steer and award subcontracts by a major engineering firm for work on nuclear weapons manufacturing projects for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC). According to court documents, from at least 2011 through approximately January 2021, Michael Clinesmith, 67, of Kansas, allegedly solicited and received kickbacks and bribes from Richard Mueller, 63, of Missouri, in exchange for steering subcontracts from Clinesmith’s employer to Mueller’s company (Subcontractor 1). Clinesmith, a long-tenured employee of a major engineering firm (Company 1) working at the KCNSC, was responsible for designing and procuring gages that were specially designed and manufactured to measure the components of nuclear weapon products. Clinesmith allegedly used his position and authority at Company 1 to steer gage subcontracts to Subcontractor 1 in exchange for Mueller paying him over $1 million for surreptitiously performing some or all of the work. Clinesmith is alleged to have told Mueller how much to bid on gage subcontracts that Company 1 awarded. Then, Clinesmith told his employer, Company 1, that those bids were fair and reasonable without disclosing that, in exchange for the subcontracts, Mueller would secretly funnel to Clinesmith the money awarded to Subcontractor 1. The indictment also alleges that Mueller lied to federal agents regarding the number of impacted subcontracts and his involvement in the scheme. Clinesmith and Mueller are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud and four counts of wire fraud and honest services wire fraud. Mueller is also charged with one count of making false statements to federal agents. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy, wire fraud, and honest services wire fraud charges. Mueller also faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the false statements charge. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas, and Special Agent in Charge Justin Kessel of the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General (DOE-OIG), Western Field Office made the announcement. The DOE-OIG Western Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Andrew Jaco of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case. If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov . To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Missouri Man Sentenced to Serve 10 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: Defendant Publicly Assaulted Girlfriend and Shot at Bystanders During Getaway OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this week, JACOB WAYNE HORWITZ , 45, of Missouri, was sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction, announced U. S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. Public record reflects that Horwitz was arrested on June 29, 2021, after he had assaulted his girlfriend outside of a metro convenience store and fired multiple gunshots at bystanders as he fled on a motorcycle. Shortly thereafter, Oklahoma City Police Department officers arrested Horwitz still in possession of the firearm. On October 19, 2021, a federal grand jury indicted Horwitz. He pled guilty on January 21, 2022. Public records further reflect that Horwitz has a lengthy criminal history. His felony convictions include: burglary in the second degree in Camden County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 98004168F; two counts of kidnapping and four counts of second-degree assault in Greene County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 399CF5394; possession of a controlled substance in Greene County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 1631-CR07265; failure to register as a sex offender in Greene County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 1631-CR09905; and resisting stop by fleeing—creating a substantial risk of serious injury/death to any person and operating a vehicle on a highway without a valid license (third and subsequent) in Douglas County (Missouri) Circuit Court Docket No. 17DG-CR00308. On October 16, 2023, U.S. District Judge Charles B. Goodwin sentenced Horwitz to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the circumstances of Horwitz’s arrest and his apparent willingness to kill to avoid arrest and escape responsibility. This case is the result of investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dain K. Barnett. This case is part of "Operation 922" and operation “Shots Fired," the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. "Operation 922" prioritizes prosecution of federal firearms violations connected to domestic violence. "Shots Fired" targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for more information.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Montana Observes Domestic Violence  Awareness Month

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS – U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich for the District of Montana joins the U.S. Department of Justice in observing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), paying tribute to victims and survivors, and saluting the dedication of advocates, service providers, justice professionals, law enforcement officers, and first responders who work tirelessly in support of survivors. Domestic, dating and intimate partner violence can have long-lasting impacts and consequences. Approximately one in four women and one in seven men will experience severe domestic violence in their lifetimes. However, rates are disproportionately higher for American Indian and Alaska Native populations, women of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and two-spirit people, and people with disabilities. DVAM provides an opportunity to spread awareness about domestic violence and encourage everyone to play a role in ending gender-based violence. “We want Montanans to know that we are here to support victims and survivors of domestic violence--not just in October, but every month,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Domestic violence harms individuals, families and communities and provides each of us with the responsibility in helping to end this abuse.” Through Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Justice Department violent crime reduction initiative, the District of Montana is working with federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute firearms crimes, which is crucial for combatting domestic violence. Domestic violence abusers who have access to a gun are five times more likely to kill their partners. In addition, abusers use guns to inflict fear, intimidation and coercive control. Under federal law, persons with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions and those subject to domestic violence protective orders are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also has an essential role in prosecuting crimes in Indian Country, including domestic violence crimes that involve assault of intimate or dating partners. Holding violent domestic offenders accountable is critical for stopping the abuse and ensuring justice and safety for survivors. To find support in Montana, visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/local-resources . For immediate help for domestic violence victims: Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (@ndvhofficial) at 1-800-799-7233 or Strong Hearts Native Helpline (@strongheartsdv) at 1-844-762-8483. To learn more, please visit www.Justice.gov/OVW XXX


title: Sentence imposed for using vehicle to assault federal agent and smuggle individuals

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 22-year-old man from Brownsville has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for transporting and attempting to transport undocumented aliens and assaulting a federal officer, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Cristian Rodriguez pleaded guilty May 23. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Rodriguez to serve 48 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. On Sept. 16, 2022, law enforcement observed three individuals running away from the border wall and getting in a gray vehicle at an intersection in Brownsville. Authorities activated emergency equipment but the driver - Rodriguez - impacted the marked unit in a head-on collision. Authorities extracted the occupants and evaluated them for injuries. In total, there were five occupants in the gray vehicle, three of whom were in the rear - Mexican nationals without proper documentation to be in or remain in the United States. They had just made an illegal entry into the United States by crossing the Rio Grande River. The front passenger was Rolando Rodriguez, the brother of Cristian Rodriguez. He had also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 46 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for transporting and attempting to transport undocumented aliens. Previously released on bond, Cristian Rodriguez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender in the near future. Border Patrol and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Coronado and Paul Marian prosecuted the case.


title: Child Pornography Distributor Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jeremy Carson Lamb, 39, of Mesa, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 288 months in prison, for attempted production of sex abuse material. Lamb pleaded guilty on June 13, 2023, to one count of Attempted Production of Child Pornography. In late 2019, Lamb traveled from Phoenix to Sierra Vista to meet and engage in sexual conduct with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old minor and had attempted to obtain sexually explicit images of the minor. Lamb was found with a large quantity of videos and images depicting children as young as one-year-old being sexually abused. The investigation confirmed that Lamb had distributed many child exploitation files to others. When Lamb is released from prison, he will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life and will be required to register as a sex offender. “This defendant has no respect for laws and boundaries,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “When an undercover law enforcement officer posted an online profile pretending to be a young girl, the defendant engaged in a two-week effort to entice, induce, and lure. We appreciate the investigative efforts by Homeland Security Investigations to protect the community from defendant.” “Predatory behavior will not be tolerated by HSI,” said Scott Brown, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Arizona. “The defendant in this case will spend the next 24 years in prison giving him ample opportunity to think about his actions. Let this case demonstrate HSI’s unwavering commitment to protect children and apprehend predators to then face justice.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Douglas, Arizona, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carin C. Duryee, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR 19-3408-TUC-JGZ RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-156_Lamb # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Drug kingpin gets 4 life sentences

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. - A California drug kingpin gets life for directing a continuing criminal enterprise by organizing and directing at least three separate meth conspiracies in Oklahoma and Missouri, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour sentenced Luis Alfredo Jacobo, 32, of Bakersfield, California, to four life sentences in federal prison, one each for a count of continuing criminal enterprise and three counts of drug conspiracy. Judge Coughenour further sentenced Jacobo to four years each on 21 counts of unlawful use of a communication facility. All sentences are to run concurrently. “Luis Alfredo Jacobo led a drug enterprise responsible for bringing countless amounts of meth into the state of Oklahoma from California,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The life sentences handed down today should put those who pedal poison in our communities on notice. The U.S. Department of Justice together with our law enforcement partners are organized and will prosecute to the full extent of the law.” “Drug trafficking affects countless lives, whether it’s in our Oklahoma neighborhoods or 1,500 miles away in California. It impacts the safety and security of all our lives,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division, that covers DEA operations in Oklahoma. “This sentence reflects our continued resolve to partner with all our law-enforcement counterparts to fight greed, violence, and drug addiction.” “The weight of this successful investigation and prosecution cannot be overestimated. Luis Alfredo Jacobo is responsible for putting hundreds of pounds of meth onto the streets of Oklahoma. For nearly three decades, meth has remained one of the biggest drug threats impacting Oklahoma, including links to violent crime, theft, addiction and more than 700 overdose deaths in 2022, alone. My agency is committed to continue working with our federal partners to target and dismantle these criminal trafficking organizations who put the health and safety of our citizens at risk.” ----Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Director, Donnie Anderson Using his Mexican sources of supply and Bakersfield, California, as a base of operations, Jacobo managed, supervised, and organized more than a dozen individuals in California, Northeast Oklahoma, and Southwest Missouri in an enterprise that spanned over five years and involved at least three drug conspiracies operating in and around the Northern District of Oklahoma. Through countless communications between the conspirators, Jacobo set prices, determined methods of delivery and payment, and approved any suggestions made about the groups’ operations. From May 2016 to Sept. 2021, Jacobo received bulk shipments of meth to his home base in Bakersfield, California. From there, Jacobo directed that the meth be sent via U.S. mail or driven in vehicles to the groups in Oklahoma and Missouri, sometimes in quantities of up to 200 pounds at a time. Coconspirators would drive large amounts of cash back to California, send money through money remitters, or mail cash payments back to Jacobo and to others at Jacobo’s direction. The coconspirators sometimes mailed as much as $100,000 cash at a time from Oklahoma to California. The three conspiracies were run by Jacobo’s regional managers in northeastern Oklahoma. The managers employed, with Jacobo’s knowledge, distributors and sub distributors to help sell Jacobo’s drugs. Jacobo even met and gave direction to many of the distributors and sub distributors. From May 2016 to Dec. 2018, one drug conspiracy operated in Bakersfield and later in and around Grove, Oklahoma. A second drug conspiracy also worked out of Grove from Sept. 2018 to Aug. 2019. Finally, a third drug conspiracy operated from Sept. 2018 to March 2021 in and around Grove and southwestern Missouri. During trial, federal prosecutors presented evidence that included numerous communications and countless money exchanges related to the conspiracies as well as evidence collected when law enforcement executed search warrants. For example, on Oct. 12, 2020, agents and officers with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and Grove Police Department opened a storage unit in Grove and discovered 231 pounds of methamphetamine and more than $465,000 in U.S. currency. The storage unit was rented for defendant Johnson to store meth for redistribution. That same weekend in 2020, law enforcement also executed search warrants on houses in Grove where codefendants stored drugs and drug proceeds. Three days after the 231 pounds of meth was located, officers arrested codefendant Tony Garcia driving in Oklahoma City with 30 pounds of meth and a loaded 9 mm handgun. Text messages in Garcia’s phone show that he received instructions from Jacobo just prior to the trip about where and when to distribute the meth to Johnson and others in Oklahoma. During the trial the government highlighted the sheer number of Jacobo’s coconspirators who testified against Jacobo and repeated many of the same details about how Jacobo’s extensive drug business operated, including that Jacobo directed members of his organization to send cars packed full of meth to Northeast Oklahoma and cars packed full of money back to him in Bakersfield. Jacobo’s conviction resulted from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation “Pullin Chains,” led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage Jacobo will remain in the custody of the Federal Marshal Service pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Bureau of Indian Affairs, City of Miami Police Department, Grove Police Department, Quapaw Tribal Marshals Service, Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Oklahoma District 13 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas E. Duncombe, Nathan E. Michel, and Melody N. Nelson prosecuted the case.


title: Preliminary Injunction Entered in Justice Department Suit to Stop Fraudulent Debt Collection Scheme that Harmed Veterans

component: Civil Division

body_text: The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma has issued a preliminary injunction enjoining three individuals and two companies from continuing their fraudulent debt collection scheme. The order was issued after the department filed a civil complaint against Assured Collections LLC, Assured Financial LLC, Christopher Parks, Christopher Noah Parks and Stephen Miller. According to the complaint, Christopher Parks, 62, who is currently incarcerated in Cushing, Oklahoma, his son, Christopher Noah Parks, 29, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Stephen Miller, 39, also of Broken Arrow, operate Assured Collections LLC and Assured Financial LLC. The defendants, according to the complaint, used those companies to distribute thousands of fraudulent debt collection notices to consumers across the country. These notices falsely stated that consumers owed money, often thousands of dollars, for durable medical equipment. In fact, defendants had no authority to contact consumers to attempt to collect any debt. Many of the notices were sent to older adults and veterans. “No consumer should have to panic at the thought of needing to pay thousands of dollars they do not in fact need to pay,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department and its partners remain steadfast in our resolve to protect consumers from companies and individuals responsible for sending fraudulent debt collection notices.” “The defendants in this case victimized individuals who were already traumatized by illness and were struggling emotionally, physically and financially,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “This fraudulent billing scheme caused additional harm and eroded the public’s trust in the medical industry. I’m thankful for the collaborative effort of all the investigative agencies that worked together in pursuit of justice for the victims.” “The Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for our military members,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Michael C. Mentavlos of DCIS’s Southwest Field Office. “This action is the result of strong partnerships across the law enforcement community, and demonstrates the DCIS’s ongoing commitment to investigating and prosecuting companies and individuals that seek to enrich themselves at the expense of our military members, their families and the American taxpayer.” “This action sends a clear message that the VA Office of Inspector General makes it a priority to investigate those who would seek to exploit our nation’s most vulnerable veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA-OIG) South Central Field Office. “The VA-OIG is grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and our law enforcement partners for their efforts to achieve justice in this case.” According to the complaint, Christopher Parks (who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison), Christopher Noah Parks and Stephen Miller knew that debt notices were fraudulent. Despite that knowledge, defendants continued to contact consumers attempting to collect. Anyone who believes that they are a victim of the unlawful debt collection activity is encouraged to report to the Federal Trade Commission at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/ . The VA-OIG, DCIS, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and FBI investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick Runkle of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marianne Hardcastle for the Northern District of Oklahoma filed the case. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-ndok .


title: Top Source of Supply in Juvenile Fentanyl Case Pleads Guilty

body_text: A top source of supply in the Carrollton juvenile fentanyl case – which has resulted in at least 14 juvenile overdoses, four of them fatal – pleaded guilty today to a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Julio Gonzales, Jr., 18, was charged via criminal complaint in July 2023 with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and was indicted in August 2023. He pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez. According to plea papers, Mr. Gonzales admitted to receiving and selling approximately 120,000 counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl to multiple customers including codefendants and at least one juvenile M30 dealer. Mr. Gonzales sold M30 pills individually and also sold customers “K Packs” which consisted of 1,000 pills at a time. According to court documents, in February 2023, a 16-year-old dealer who delivered the fentanyl pills that killed a 14-year-old girl in December 2022 allegedly identified Mr. Gonzales, whom he called “J-Money,” as his supplier. In text messages, the child discussed “J-Money” with codefendant Luis Eduardo Navarrete, one of the first dealers charged in the scheme. They identified “J-Money” as their “plug,” street parlance for a source of supply. During a search of the residence used to store and sometimes distribute illegal drugs including counterfeit M30 pills, DEA agents found thousands of fentanyl-laced M-30 pills stuffed in the microwave, a partial kilogram of cocaine tucked in a plastic food storage container, bulk U.S. currency hidden in the closet, and numerous firearms, including a pistol equipped with an illegal Glock switch, littered throughout the home. Mr. Gonzales is the eighth defendant charged in the wake of the Carrollton / Flower Mound juvenile overdose investigation to enter a guilty plea. Jason Xavier Villanueva, Magaly Cano, Robert Alexander Gaitan, Rafael Soliz, Jr., Adrian Martinez-Leon, Donovan Jude Andrews and Stephen Paul Brinson pleaded guilty earlier this year; Luis Eduardo Navarrete has been charged but not yet convicted. (All are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.) Mr. Gonzales now faces up to 40 years in federal prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office, the Dallas Police Department’s SWAT team, and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.