component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: WASHINGTON – An Indiana man was sentenced today to 17 years and six months in prison for possessing and creating images of child sexual abuse. According to court documents, Timothy J. Carpenter, 36, of Portage, came to the attention of law enforcement around July 2022 after he used peer-to-peer software to knowingly receive and distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the internet through his cellular device. During the investigation, Indiana State Police (ISP) recovered Carpenter’s cellular phone, which contained hundreds of images and dozens of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. During an interview with ISP investigators, Carpenter admitted that he used his phone to access CSAM. Further analysis of Carpenter’s phone revealed that Carpenter also created multiple videos depicting a prepubescent child fully nude in a shower. These videos show Carpenter concealing a camera in multiple locations near the shower to capture video of the child’s genitals and pubic region. In addition to the prison sentence, Carpenter will also be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student and to pay restitution totaling $76,000 to his victims. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Clifford D. Johnson for the Northern District of Indiana; and Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Division made the announcement. HSI investigated this case with the assistance of the ISP, Lake County Sheriff’s Special Victims Unit, and Porter County Prosecutor’s Office. Trial Attorney Eduardo A. Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily A. Morgan for the Northern District of Indiana prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. 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 .


title: Alleged 18th Street Gang Affiliate Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Non-Citizen

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Erik Antonio Hernandez Pineda, 27, recently of Washington D.C., was sentenced today for illegally possessing and discharging a pistol twice within the District during September 2023 and for using the firearm to persistently terrorize his wife. Hernandez Pineda, who is a citizen of El Salvador and an alleged associate of the multinational gang Calle 18, or 18 th Street, is in the United States unlawfully and knew that as a noncitizen it was illegal for him to possess a firearm. At the time of the charged possession, he was also subject to a domestic violence protective order barring him from possessing a firearm. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hernandez Pineda, aka “Lucky,” pleaded guilty on June 3, 2024, to possession of a firearm by a noncitizen unlawfully present in the United States. Today he was sentenced to 22 months in prison. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Hernandez Pineda faces deportation following his prison term. According to court documents, Hernandez Pineda purchased a 9mm Springfield XD firearm on January 20, 2023. An FBI investigation into the 18th Street gang began focusing on Hernandez Pineda when investigators learned he had purchased the charged firearm from an 18th Street gang member. Specifically, the pistol had been used in a shooting on January 11, 2023, on a Washington, D.C. Metrobus where two children (aged 6 and 9 at the time) were shot as bystanders after an altercation broke out between two individuals. Review of a phone recovered from the 18 th Street gang member eventually linked the sale of the gun to Hernandez Pineda. On September 18, 2023, Hernandez Pineda recorded a video of himself shooting the pistol into the air. The same minute this video was recorded, at 1:37 am, the MPD received a ShotSpotter alert in the vicinity of the Hernandez Pineda’s residence. MPD recovered two 9mm shell casings nearby. These were entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and yielded a lead to the January 11, 2023, Metrobus shooting. On September 24, 2023, at about 6:48 PM, MPD received another ShotSpotter alert from the area near Hernandez Pineda’s residence. Officers responded and recovered one 9mm shell casing in the alley behind the building. Between these two shootings, on September 20, 2023, Hernandez Pineda pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges in Alexandria, Virginia, but was admitted to a diversionary program that granted him a two-year probationary term to comply with the conditions of the program. This plea also included a final order of protection that barred him from possessing a firearm and required him to sign an acknowledgement of that fact. On December 8, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Hernandez Pineda’s residence and recovered three live 9mm rounds from a drawer. Law enforcement also recovered his cell phone. Hernandez Pineda admitted to possessing the Springfield XD 9mm pistol. Law enforcement reviewed Hernandez Pineda’s phone after his arrest and learned that, not only did he discharge this firearm twice, he also used it as part of his persistent harassment and intimidation of his wife following his arrest on May 17, 2023, for alleged domestic violence and assault. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations – Washington D.C., the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office, the ATF Washington Field Division, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. 24cr120


title: Pharmacists Convicted of $13M Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurer Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury convicted four pharmacy owners yesterday for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Raef Hamaed, of Maricopa County, Arizona; Kindy Ghussin, of Greene County, Ohio; Ali Abdelrazzaq, of Macomb County, Michigan; and Tarek Fakhuri, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, all licensed pharmacists, billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for prescription medications that they did not dispense at pharmacies they owned in Michigan and Ohio. The defendants collectively caused over $13 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Hamaed, Ghussin, Abdelrazzaq, and Fakhuri were convicted of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud. Abdelrazzaq was also convicted of two counts of health care fraud and Fakhuri was convicted of one count of health care fraud. Sentencing hearings will be set at a later date. Hamaed, Ghussin, Abdelrazzaq, and Fakhuri face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy count, and Abdelrazzaq and Fakhuri face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. The FBI Detroit Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Claire Sobczak, Kelly M. Warner, and S. Babu Kaza of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Wynn Las Vegas Forfeits $130 Million for Illegally Conspiring with Unlicensed Money Transmitting Businesses

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 6, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Wynn Las Vegas, the Las Vegas casino and subsidiary of Wynn Resorts, Limited, agreed today to forfeit $130,131,645 to settle criminal allegations that it conspired with unlicensed money transmitting businesses worldwide to transfer funds for the financial benefit of the casino. Today’s settlement is believed to be the largest forfeiture by a casino based on admissions of criminal wrongdoing. “Casinos, like all businesses, will be held to account when they allow customers to evade U.S. laws for the sake of profit,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Federal oversight seeks to prevent illegal funds from tainting legitimate businesses, ensuring that casinos offer a clean, thriving, and safe entertainment option.” As part of a Non-Prosecution Agreement, which allows a company or individual to avoid criminal prosecution in exchange for meeting certain criteria, Wynn Las Vegas (WLV) admitted that it illegally used unregistered money transmitting businesses to circumvent the conventional financial system. For example, WLV regularly contracted with third-party independent agents acting as unlicensed money transmitting businesses to recruit foreign gamblers to WLV. For the gamblers to repay debts to WLV or have funds available to gamble at WLV, the independent agents transferred the gamblers’ funds through companies, bank accounts, and other third-party nominees in Latin America and elsewhere, and ultimately into a WLV-controlled bank account in the Southern District of California. Funds deposited into the WLV-controlled account were transferred into the WLV cage account. WLV employees, with the knowledge of their supervisors, and working with the independent agents, eventually credited the WLV account of each individual patron. The convoluted transactions enabled foreign gamblers at WLV to evade foreign and U.S. laws governing monetary transfer and reporting. In one example, Juan Carlos Palermo, while acting as an independent agent for WLV, operated and controlled multiple unlicensed money transmitting businesses in the United States and abroad that conducted more than 200 transfers with bank accounts controlled by WLV or associated entities. These transactions, on behalf of more than 50 foreign casino patrons, exceeded $17.7 million. WLV also facilitated the unlicensed transfer of money through “Human Head” or “Human Hat” gambling, known in Mandarin as “人头” or “ ren tou. ” In this scheme, a person known as a “Human Head” purchased chips at WLV and gambled at WLV as a proxy for another nearby person who, in some instances, because of federal Bank Secrecy Act or Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML) laws, was unable or unwilling to conduct financial transactions or gamble under their own identity. The true patron, however, would direct the Human Head’s gaming. WLV knowingly allowed this form of gambling without scrutinizing the true patron’s funds and without reporting the suspicious activity. In another example, WLV facilitated the unlicensed transfer of money to and from China through a method known as “ qian chen” or “Flying Money.” A money processor, acting as an unlicensed money transmitting business, collected U.S. dollars in cash from third parties in the United States and delivered that cash to a WLV patron who could not otherwise access cash in the U.S. The patron then electronically transferred the equivalent value of foreign currency from the patron’s foreign bank account to a foreign bank account designated by the money processor. The WLV patron paid the money processor a percentage of the value transferred. Like Human Head gambling, WLV knowingly allowed this form of gambling without scrutinizing the source of funds and without reporting the suspicious activity. WLV also facilitated the international transfer of money and conducted other financial transactions for WLV patrons whose activity should have triggered the filing of Suspicious Activity Reports. For example, in 2018, WLV facilitated financial transactions worth approximately $1.4 million for an individual who two years earlier had been publicly linked to proxy gambling and a year earlier, while in the company of the President of Marketing of a WLV international affiliate, was denied entry to the United States because of suspected associations with a criminal organization. In another instance, WLV allowed and did not report transactions involving millions of dollars by an individual who, according to publicly available information, had spent six years in prison in China for conducting unauthorized international monetary transactions and violations of other financial laws. “Of the many unique authorities HSI is able to enforce, understanding and investigating complex financial crimes that lead to holding criminals accountable for their actions, is one that HSI does best,” said Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “The success of this investigation is in part due to our partner agencies’ cooperation and dedication to seeing these long-term investigations through to bring justice to these companies and protect American financial institutions.” “Federal laws that regulate the reporting of financial transactions are in place to detect and stop illegal activities. Deliberately avoiding Bank Secrecy Act requirements is a form of money laundering. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to following the money and enforcing these laws, wherever it leads” said Carissa Messick, Special Agent in Charge for IRS-CI in Las Vegas. “Law enforcement put their collective authorities together to ensure the integrity of our financial systems and that they are not circumvented,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Clark. As part of this investigation, 15 other defendants previously have admitted money laundering, unlicensed money transmitting, or other crimes, with associated criminal penalties of over $7.5 million. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark W. Pletcher and Carl F. Brooker IV. INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Homeland Security Investigations IRS-Criminal Investigations, Las Vegas Financial Crimes Task Force Drug Enforcement Administration


title: Amsterdam Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Drug and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Samuel Payano, age 24, of Amsterdam, New York, was sentenced today to 130 months in prison for engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, for distributing fentanyl pills, and for using a firearm during or in relation to a drug trafficking crime. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement. As part of his prior guilty plea , Payano admitted that he conspired with Bernardo Tovar to distribute counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, as well as cocaine and methamphetamine, from May 2022 to December 2022. Payano also admitted that he distributed fentanyl pills and a firearm to another person on October 12, 2022. He also admitted that he and Tovar possessed fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well two firearms in their apartment, on December 7, 2022, when their apartment was searched. Chief United States District Judge Branda K. Sannes also ordered that Payano serve a 4-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. Payano’s co-conspirator, Tovar, previously pled guilty and was sentenced to 181 months in prison. The DEA and ATF investigated this case, and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.


title: Local man sentenced to 10 years in prison for robbing mail carrier at gunpoint

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – Marvin Brown, Jr., 20, of Dayton, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for assaulting a postal carrier and using a firearm during a crime of violence. According to court documents, Brown assaulted a mail carrier in December 2023. He and a co-defendant drove around a Dayton neighborhood on Dec. 18, 2023, looking for a mail carrier to rob. Upon finding a postal worker, Brown approached the victim and brandished a handgun at him, demanding his mail bag. Brown discharged the firearm at least twice into victim’s postal vehicle. Brown and the co-defendant sped away with the mail bag and mail contained within it. Brown was charged federally in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in June 2024. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Walter H. Rice. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced For Federal Drug And Firearm Crimes

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Ricky Dale Degase, age 30, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and 120 months imprisonment for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The sentences will run concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. On February 7, 2024, Degase pleaded guilty to the federal drug and firearm charges. According to investigators, on March 7, 2023, an OHP trooper conducting a traffic stop arrested Degase on an outstanding warrant. During the arrest, Degase was discovered in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol, found under Degase’s seat, along with 22.36 grams of methamphetamine, which Degase intended for distribution. Degase knowingly possessed the firearm and ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the sentencing hearing. Degase will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: McAlester Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Drug Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeremy David Crawley, age 46 of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Drug Conspiracy. The Indictment alleged that between 2019 and January 2023, the defendant conspired to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, at least 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the McAlester Police Department. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Crawley was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.


title: Buffalo man charged with burning restaurant and bar

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that John W. Burns, 40 years old, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with maliciously damaging and destroying, and attempt to damage and destroy, by means of fire, a building and real property used in interstate commerce and in activity affecting interstate commerce, namely a restaurant and bar located at 223 Allen Street in Buffalo, NY, which carries a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard P. Antoine, who is handling the case, stated that on June 17, 2024, Burns was at the restaurant and bar, known as the “Old Pink”, and had a confrontation with another individual formerly contracted to work security for the Old Pink. Following that confrontation, Burns left the Old Pink and told the former security guard he would return to “burn that bitch down” and “ain’t nobody going to have a job”. Approximately two hours later, the restaurant was engulfed in flames. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement obtained video evidence, which shows an individual setting the building on fire. Burns is identified by witnesses as the individual in the video. “Arson is an extremely dangerous crime, placing lives and property in danger”, stated United States Attorney Trini E. Ross. “Arson has tremendous ripple effects, leaving people homeless, without employment, or both. Here, the arson of the Old Pink left employees without jobs and destroyed an iconic gathering place in the Buffalo community. Such harm to our community will not be tolerated. My office will continue to investigate and prosecute all persons who commit arson, and other federal crimes, that negatively impact the Western District of New York.” The defendant is schedule for an Initial Appearance on the criminal complaint at 1:00 pm today, before Magistrate Judge H, Kenneth Schroeder. The complaint is the culmination of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Bryan Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge; Erie County District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Acting District Attorney Michael J. Keane; Buffalo Fire Department, under the direction of Commissioner William Renaldo; and Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph A. Gramaglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Federal Inmate and Maryland Woman Indicted on Drug Charges

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Olona Roba, a federal inmate at United States Penitentiary Hazelton, and Sakile G. Fiddermon, of Fort Washington, Maryland, were indicted on heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine charges. Roba, 26, and Fiddermon, 23, were each charged with conspiring to smuggle heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and suboxone into the penitentiary. According to the indictment, Fiddermon attempted to smuggle narcotics into the prison for Roba. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Motocross Coach Sentenced for Child Exploitation Crimes

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Ryan Meyung, a motocross instructor who traveled the country building motocross tracks and mentoring children, has been sentenced for multiple child exploitation offenses. “Meyung is a predator who sexually abused numerous children while working as a motocross coach,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This office remains steadfast in our determination to closely coordinate with our law enforcement partners across state lines to ensure justice is served to those who commit these heinous crimes against children.” “This coach violated his position of trust and profound responsibility to protect and mentor those in his care,” said Homeland Security Investigations Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “HSI, alongside our partners at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and the Chattanooga Police Department, is fully committed to investigating and removing people who seek to harm our children. Our primary concern is ensuring justice for the victims and supporting their needs.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Between July 2019 and December 2021, Ryan Meyung caused six minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce images and videos of child sexual abuse. At the time, the victims were between six and 13 years old. Meyung also possessed and transported images and videos of child sexual abuse produced by other sex offenders. Additionally, he sexually abused and recorded other children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Ryan Meyung, 33, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 40 years in prison to be followed by supervised release for life. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $193,500. Meyung was convicted of six counts of producing child pornography on April 26, 2024, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation - Chattanooga (Tennessee) with joint assistance from Homeland Security Investigation – Dalton (Georgia), the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (Tennessee), the Chattanooga (Tennessee) Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigation field offices throughout the country. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin N. Spritzer and Trial Attorneys Jessica L. Urban and James E. Burke IV of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case. 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. Attorneys’ 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 . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Montgomery Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Committing Armed Robbery and Discharging a Firearm During the Crime

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson announced that a federal judge sentenced 33-year-old Roddrecius Lavelle Goldsmith, a resident of Montgomery, Alabama, to 157 months in prison for his role in a 2023-armed robbery. During the September 4, 2024, sentencing hearing, the judge also ordered that Goldsmith remain on supervised release for five years following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records and statements made in open court, on January 20, 2023, Goldsmith entered a gas station on U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka, Alabama and walked to the counter. Goldsmith asked the clerk about the location of the store’s bathroom, then pulled out a handgun. Goldsmith forced the clerk to go with him into the restroom where he struck her in the head with the firearm multiple times. Goldsmith then forced the clerk back to the counter and demanded money from the cash register. After retrieving approximately $79 from the register’s drawer, Goldsmith exited the store. The clerk hit a panic button that magnetically locked the doors. When Goldsmith got to his vehicle, he realized he had left his car keys inside the store. Goldsmith returned to the locked gas station doors and fired a round through the glass. Goldsmith reentered the store through the shattered glass door and retrieved his keys. He then fled the scene. On May 23, 2024, Goldsmith pleaded guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI and the Wetumpka Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.


title: Madison County Man Sentenced for Firearms Thefts and Illegal Possesion of a Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Richmond, Ky., man, Christopher David Taylor, 39, was sentenced to 94 months on Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, following his convictions for two counts of theft from a federally licensed firearms dealer and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, on January 4, 2023, law enforcement responded to a burglary at Dan’s Discount Jewelry and Pawn, a federally licensed firearms dealer. Taylor and an accompanying juvenile unlawfully entered the store and stole 60 firearms from the business. As law enforcement arrived, Taylor and the juvenile escaped through the back of the business, dropping a duffel bag containing 57 of the 60 firearms. An additional firearm that was stolen was recovered from the field behind the business. Later, on February 8, 2023, law enforcement responded to another burglary, this time in Clark County, at Bypass Gold and Pawn LLC, another federally licensed firearms dealer. Taylor was observed on surveillance unlawfully entering the building and stealing a total of nine firearms from the business. Then, on February 10, 2023, after identifying Taylor on surveillance, law enforcement searched Taylor’s residence, finding him hiding in the attic. Law enforcement also found five firearms, three of which had been stolen by Taylor, from Bypass Gold and Pawn. Taylor later admitted to committing both burglaries. As part of his plea, Taylor admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to several prior state felony convictions, which include multiple burglaries in Anderson Circuit Court, a bail jumping in Madison Circuit Court, and a possession of a controlled substance in Madison Circuit Court, all in 2022. Under federal law, Taylor must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Rodney Richardson, Richmond Police Department, jointly announced the sentence. The case was investigated by ATF and Richmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. — END —


title: Fort Myers Woman Indicted For Defrauding Department Of Veterans Affairs Of More Than $300,000

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Laurie Ann Roszelle (65, Fort Myers) with one count of wire fraud. If convicted, Roszelle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Roszelle that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $338,364.66, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. According to the indictment, for nearly 19 years after her mother’s death in 2005, Roszelle schemed to wrongfully receive United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits intended for her mother. To effectuate the scheme, Roszelle falsified her mother’s signature in responding to VA correspondence and represented, in telephone and in-person interviews with the VA, that her mother was still alive years after her mother’s death. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.


title: South Charleston Man Indicted on Federal Fraud, Money Laundering and Obstruction Charges

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A federal grand jury returned a 15-count indictment yesterday charging Theodore Miller, 34, of South Charleston, with wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction. The indictment alleges that, beginning as early as October 2021, Miller conceived and perpetrated two fraudulent schemes to bolster his businesses’ monthly cash flow and to pay unrelated personal and professional debts, obligations and expenses. As part of these schemes, Miller portrayed himself on social media as a wealthy and successful real estate mogul with enough disposable income to travel the world at his leisure. In reality, Miller had poor credit, thin month-to-month financial margins, was delinquent on property taxes and bills, and had defaulted on loans. One scheme sought to defraud investors by inducing them to invest in two specific real estate projects located on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. One project proposed to rehabilitate a small residential property into a dry-storage lot, and the other proposed to develop duplex housing. Misrepresenting himself on social media as a wealthy and successful real estate investor, Miller created and shared false and misleading promotional materials for these direct investments. Between July 5, 2022, and September 8, 2022, Miller fraudulently induced several individuals to wire a total of $90,000 from California, Florida and Texas to him in Charleston for these projects. Upon receiving the investments, Miller did not proceed with either of the projects and in fact never owned any of the properties involved. Miller ceased all contact with the individuals after they began inquiring about the projects and the money they had invested. Miller’s other scheme sought to defraud investors by inducing them to invest in “Bear Lute,” a pooled real estate investment vehicle. In or around May 2022, Miller launched Bear Lute and began directing his social media followers to invest through bearlute.com. Miller advertised Bear Lute as a way for ordinary people to invest in real estate and become wealthy and successful, like him. Miller made numerous misrepresentations through his social media posts, his website and one-on-one communications. Among other misrepresentations, Miller falsely that claimed Bear Lute generated exceptionally high and guaranteed returns, investors would receive a minimum return of 6 percent, the average investor historically received a return exceeding 20 percent, the investment was secured by income-producing real estate, and investors could request to withdraw their funds and receive them within 60 days. Between June 30, 2022, and February 28, 2024, Miller fraudulently induced more than 100 individuals to invest in Bear Lute and obtained more than $200,000 in investor funds. The defrauded investors included two individuals who wired a total of $17,500 from Texas to Miller in Charleston. Nearly all of Miller’s representations and promises about Bear Lute were untrue, including that he owned the property pledged as security for investors. Miller posted false figures on an online investor dashboard that purported to allow investors to track and manage their investments, and ceased all communications with investors who requested withdrawals. Miller also failed to disclose to Bear Lute investors that the West Virginia Securities Commission ordered him to cease and desist operating Bear Lute. Miller directed most of the fraudulently obtained funds from both schemes toward personal expenses, private investments, and other business expenses. These expenditures were for the benefit of Miller and an individual identified in the indictment as D.D. A resident of Charleston, D.D. was as an active participant in Miller’s businesses, held herself out as the vice president of the Miller-owned and operated Bear Industries LLC, and acted as Miller’s agent while he was outside of the United States. Miller remained outside of the United States from on or about February 12, 2022, to on or about August 8, 2024. On or about July 20, 2022, Miller engaged in and caused others to engage in a electronic transfer of $20,000 between the bank accounts of Bear Industries LLC and another business he owned and operated, T&C Construction LLC, knowing that the property involved in the monetary transaction was criminally derived. On August 11, 2024, Miller sought to have a backpack and a cell phone destroyed, concealed or altered. Miller is charged with 12 counts of wire fraud, one count of money laundering and two counts of obstruction. If convicted, Miller faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, 10 years in prison for money fraud, and 20 years in prison for each obstruction count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel civil action yesterday against Miller, Bear Industries LLC, Bear Investments and Business Consulting LLC, and Deanna Drumm in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The lawsuit alleges that Miller has engaged in the unregistered and fraudulent offer of securities related to his real estate-related investment programs since at least 2022, and that Miller’s social-media persona and businesses were all a calculated fraud to divert investor funds for his own personal benefit. The lawsuit seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-145 and 2:24-cv-479. ###


title: Camden Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Charges

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Martrell Johnson-Cooke, 28, and Krishawn Shykeice Allen, 23, both of Camden, were sentenced to 10 years and seven years in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In 2021, law enforcement received information that Johnson-Cooke was a drug distributor attempting to purchase kilogram quantities of narcotics. An undercover agent, posing as a dealer, contacted Johnson-Cooke, who expressed interest in fentanyl and methamphetamine. Johnson-Cooke inquired about the cost of a kilogram of fentanyl, and the agent told him $30,000. Two months later, Johnson-Cooke contacted the agent to arrange the purchase of one kilogram of fentanyl, five ounces of cocaine, and two pounds of methamphetamine. They agreed to meet on May 20, 2021, in Columbia. On May 20, Johnson-Cooke arrived at the agreed upon location with $35,000 in cash, two armed associates, and three people to test the drugs he intended to buy. Allen accompanied Johnson-Cooke inside the establishment to meet with the agent, acting as security for Johnson-Cooke and the cash. As Johnson-Cooke gave the money to the agent, Richland County deputies intervened and arrested the two men. Allen tried to run, and a loaded gun fell out of his back pocket. Allen is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. United States District Judge Mary Geiger-Lewis sentenced Johnson-Cooke to 120 months imprisonment, followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Lewis sentenced Allen to 84 months imprisonment, followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Tampa Man Indicted For Distribution Of Cocaine, Possessing AK-47 Pistol, Silencer, Cocaine, And Machinegun Switch

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Joshua Black (38, Tampa) with several counts of distribution of cocaine, possession of firearms after having been convicted of a felony offense, and possession of an unregistered silencer and machinegun switch. If convicted of all counts, Black faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. According to the indictment and criminal complaint, between February and March 2024, Black distributed cocaine from a residence in Tampa. On April 10, 2024, law enforcement officers with the Tampa Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence. In Black’s bedroom, law enforcement found a 9 mm “Freedom Ordinance” pistol, a “Zastava Arms” AK-47 pistol, a ballistic vest, a silencer, a machinegun switch which had the ability to convert firearms into machineguns, and various items indicative of drug trafficking, including glass bowls and plates containing crack cocaine, individually wrapped marijuana bags, crack cocaine, two digital scales, and $30,000 in cash hidden inside a hollowed out book. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This investigation was led by the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: September Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the September Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Esteban Abarca-Calbario. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Abarca-Calbario, 45, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Jan. 2023. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-281 Gerardo Becerra-Quiroz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Becerra-Quiroz, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in May 2020. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-282 Courtney Jamar Calamease. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Counts 1 & 2) (superseding). Calamease, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition in May 2024 and Aug. 2024, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-252 Raul Yepez Garcia. Assault of a Federal Officer; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Yepez Garcia, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with resisting, impeding, and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon while the officer was performing his official duty. Additionally, Yepez Garcia knowingly possessed a firearm, knowing he was an unlawful alien in the United States. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-292 Michael Vincent Martin. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling in Indian Country and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country (Count 1); Abusive Sexual Contact by Force and Threat in Indian Country (Count 2); Tampering with a Witness by Intimidation, Threats, and Corrupt Persuasion (Counts 3 & 7); Sexual Abuse Without Consent in Indian Country (Count 4); Cyberstalking (Count 5); Tampering with a Witness by Intimidation, Threats, and Corrupt Persuasion (Count 6) (superseding). Martin, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with assault by strangulation of an intimate dating partner, engaging in sexual contact by force or threat, and without consent. Martin is further charged with attempting to influence and prevent the tribal victim from testifying and communicating with law enforcement. Additionally, he is charged with cyberstalking. The FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-180 Victor Muniz-Nieto. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Muniz-Nieto, 41, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Feb. 2016. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-283 Steve Earl Perry, Jr. Escape from Federal Custody. Perry, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with escaping from federal custody while confined in the Turley Residential Center. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-284 Jerico Lee Reddell. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Count 1); Kidnapping in Indian Country (Counts 2, 5 & 8); Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country (Counts 3, 6 & 9); Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Count 4 & 7); Witness Tampering (Counts 10 & 11); Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice by Witness Tampering (Count 12) (superseding). Reddell, 41, of Bartlesville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. He allegedly kidnapped two different victims, intentionally assaulted them with a dangerous weapon, and used a firearm in a crime of violence. Additionally, Reddell is charged with obstructing a federal Grand Jury investigation and conspiring with someone else to tamper with a witness. The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, and Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michele W. Hulgaard and Stacey Todd are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-105


title: Long Island Contractor Pleads Guilty to Fraud in Connection with Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funds

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Alexander Almaraz, the owner of Design Concepts Group LLC (DCG) in Freeport, New York, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Central Islip to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to induce individuals to hire him and pay DCG to repair their Hurricane Sandy-damaged homes. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack. When sentenced, Almaraz faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and mandatory restitution to his victims. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney, announced the guilty plea. “After Hurricane Sandy turned their lives upside down, the individuals who hired Almaraz to repair their homes were further harmed by the defendant’s unconscionable fraudulent scheme, which extended the time they were deprived of a livable home,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “With his guilty plea today, Almaraz is no longer outrunning the damage that his personal greed inflicted on a shattered Long Island community and it is my hope that the victims will find some solace in the defendant being held accountable and making full restitution.” “This defendant took advantage of vulnerable Long Island homeowners at a time of unimaginable loss, purchasing luxury cars and paying off credit cards with funds meant to repair their storm-damaged homes after Hurricane Sandy battered our shores,” stated Nassau District Attorney Donnelly. “Today’s plea holds Almaraz accountable for his greedy scheme, and the restitution he will be ordered to pay is a necessary step towards making his victims whole. I thank our federal partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI for their continued dedication to investigating and prosecuting fraudsters who exploited Long Island residents in the aftermath of this devastating storm.” On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck New York and New Jersey, causing catastrophic damage to low-lying and coastal areas, including many neighborhoods in the Eastern District of New York. New York residents whose homes were damaged were eligible to receive funding from the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery through the New York Rising (NYR) program. According to court documents and Almaraz’s own admissions today, Almaraz entered contracts with homeowners who qualified to receive funds from NYR. As part of these contracts, Almaraz agreed to lift the victims’ homes and set them down on temporary support structures which would permit the foundations of the damaged homes to be removed and new foundations to be installed. After the new foundations were installed, Almaraz was supposed to lower the homes and reconnect the homes’ appliances. Between October 2015 and June 2019, Almaraz agreed to lift the homes of at least 20 customers who had received NYR funding and who collectively paid him approximately $2.5 million. Almaraz convinced many of these victims to move out of their homes and pay him rent to live elsewhere, all the while neglecting their projects and causing greater loss. Additionally, instead of performing the agreed-upon work, Almaraz used the victims’ monies to pay for personal expenses, including credit card bills, land purchased in Kansas City, Missouri, and luxury automobiles, including a Lamborghini, a Porsche and a Jaguar. The defendant’s fraudulent scheme caused more than $1.5 million in losses to NYR and the defendant’s individual victims. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Section. Assistant United States Attorney Megan E. Farrell is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : ALEXANDER ALMARAZ Age: 56 San Antonio, Texas; formerly of Freeport, Long Island E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-17 (JMA)


title: Channel One Russia TV Contributor Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions, Money Laundering

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON –Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia, are charged by indictments with two separate schemes to violate U.S. sanctions. The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. The first indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme. Channel One Russia, a state-owned Russian television station, was sanctioned by OFAC on May 8, 2022, for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation. From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes, and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of ten employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri Simes and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations. “These defendants allegedly violated sanctions that were put in place in response to Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine,” said US Attorney Graves. “Such violations harm our national security interests—a fact that Dimitri Simes, with the deep experience he gained in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and becoming a U.S. citizen, should have uniquely appreciated.” Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, one count of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, each of which each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A second indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes further participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of, and to receive funds from, sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Udodov was sanctioned by OFAC on February 23, 2023, for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. Between at least February 2023 and the present, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate IEEPA by purchasing art and antiques for the benefit of Udovov from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, and having the items shipped to her residence in Huntly, Virginia, where they were stored for onward shipment to Russia. In return, Anastasia Simes was reimbursed and received a service fee. The indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations. (Below are photographs of some of the art and antiques intended for Udodov and stored in Anastasia and Dimtiri Simes’s residence.) In connection with this scheme, Anastasia Simes is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, one count of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, each of which each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating both cases. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The case is part of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The task force leverages all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. simesa_indictment_signed.pdf simes_d_a_indictment_24-cr-404_signed.pdf


title: TV Presenter Who Worked for Channel One Russia Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions Imposed on Russia

body_text: Note : View the indictments for District of Columbia cases #24-cr-403 and #24-cr-404 . The Department of Justice today unsealed two indictments charging Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia with two separate schemes to violate U.S. sanctions. As alleged in the first indictment, Dimitri and Anastasia Simes participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme. Channel One Russia, a state-owned Russian television station, was sanctioned by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on May 8, 2022, for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation. From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of 10 employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations. Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. As alleged in the second indictment, Anastasia Simes further participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of, and to receive funds from, sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Udodov was sanctioned by OFAC on Feb. 23, 2023 for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. From at least in or around February 2023 through the present, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate IEEPA by purchasing art and antiques for the benefit of Udovov from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, and having the items shipped to her residence in Huntly, Virginia, where they were stored for onward shipment to Russia. In return, Anastasia Simes was reimbursed and received a service fee. The indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations. Below are photographs of some of the art and antiques intended for Udodov and stored in Anastasia and Dimtiri Simes’s residence. In connection with this scheme, Anastasia Simes is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, one count of violating the IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement. The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 45 Years' Imprisonment for Attempting to Sexually Exploit Minors and Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Davis Burgos-Collazo was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 45 years in prison for five counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of distributing child pornography, one count of accessing child pornography with intent to view it and one count of committing a felony sexual offense involving minors while being a registered sex offender. As part of the sentence, the Court ordered Burgos-Collazo to pay restitution of $33,000. Burgos-Collazo was convicted by a federal jury in July 2022 following a one-week trial. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence. “It has been proven that the defendant is an extremely dangerous predator, who, while being a registered sex offender, coerced a 10 year old child to perform sex acts for him on Instagram and threatened the child when she pleaded that he leave her alone. And sadly, she was not the only vulnerable victim,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “With today’s sentence, the goal of incapacitating this master manipulator and sextortionist has been achieved. We are dedicated to protecting our children from those who weaponize social media in order to sexually exploit and harm them.” As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum and related court proceedings, in 2020, Burgos-Collazo used at least 26 Instagram accounts to attempt to sexually exploit children as young as nine years old. The defendant enticed the victims by pretending to be a modeling scout and by using accounts with names like “future models” and “preteen beauty pics.” After the defendant coerced a 10 year old victim into performing live sex acts for him on Instagram and she pleaded with him to leave her alone, he threatened to post a naked picture of her online for her friends to see if she refused to provide him with additional sexually explicit materials. The FBI recovered over 100 photos and videos of child pornography on the defendant’s phone. Burgos-Collazo committed these crimes while he was a registered sex offender. In March 2006, he was convicted of sexually abusing and attempting to sexually abuse multiple minors, all of whom were under the age of eleven, and one as young as seven. This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc . The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel A. Bennek and John O. Enright are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Anna November. The Defendant : DAVIS BURGOS-COLLAZO Age: 45 Queens, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 20-CR-492 (PKC)


title: Columbia Man Sentenced for Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose Death

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. – James Brewer, 36, of Columbia was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl. Evidence presented to the court showed that on April 22, 2022, Brewer and the victim, R.B., discussed the exchange of drugs and that Brewer sent R.B. a picture with a syringe loaded with the drugs, which Brewer subsequently gave to R.B. When Brewer had not heard back from the victim, he drove down the road where he knew R.B. had planned to use the drugs and found R.B. unresponsive in his vehicle. Paramedics responded, but R.B. later died. The pathology report determined the victim’s cause of death was mixed drug toxicity including toxic levels of fentanyl. The pathologist stated but for the fentanyl in the R.B.’s body, he most likely would not have died. United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis sentenced Brewer to 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case. ###


title: Indianapolis, IN, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on September 5, 2024, United States District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Anthony Lee Davis, age 32, of Indianapolis, IN, to serve 110 months in federal prison and serve three years supervised release for the offense of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. On April 16, 2024, Davis pleaded guilty to Count One of an Indictment charging him with the offense of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Evidence introduced during a July 23, 2024, evidentiary hearing established that, on October 23, 2021, Davis possessed a 9mm pistol and discharged this firearm at people and property while driving a vehicle erratically around Minot, ND. Additionally, unprovoked, Davis fired this pistol at an individual who was driving in a nearby vehicle, with two bullets from Davis’s firearm hitting the driver’s side door of the vehicle and one bullet striking the individual who was driving the vehicle in the left elbow. After Davis shot this individual, he crashed the vehicle that he was driving, fled the vehicle on foot, and continued possessing the firearm until he was arrested by members of the Minot Police Department. When law enforcement searched the crashed vehicle, they located multiple spent shell casings and at least one live round of ammunition. “This strong sentence is a fair one considering the defendant’s reckless violence and actions putting the public in harm’s way,” Schneider said. “We are grateful to our partners at the Minot Police Department and in federal law enforcement for bringing this defendant to justice. As this case shows, the United States Attorney’s Office will be absolutely unsparing when it comes to making federal defendants out of felons who illegally possess firearms.” This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service and the Minot Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek. ######


title: KC Chiefs ‘Superfan’ Sentenced to 17 Years for Bank Robberies, Money Laundering

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: NOTE: A video statement from U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore is available at https://youtu.be/ejVWEofiHBI?si=KxKFsaadvxOaQBcB KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was sentenced in federal court today on charges related to a string of 11 robberies, or attempted robberies, in which he stole $847,725 from financial institutions in seven states. “While parading as a social media celebrity, the defendant secretly engaged in a violent crime spree of armed robberies and attempted robberies across seven states,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Babudar’s robbery spree bankrolled the expensive tickets and travel across the country to attend Kansas City Chiefs games while he cultivated a large fan base online. However, the bank and credit union employees whom he terrorized at gunpoint suffered the brunt of his true nature. He tried to flee from justice, but law enforcement caught up with him and now he will spend a significant portion of his life in prison.” Xaviar Michael Babudar, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Babudar to pay $532,675 in restitution to the victim financial institutions. Some of the stolen money was recovered, but most of it was not. The court ordered Babudar to forfeit to the government any property involved in his money laundering activity, including an autographed painting of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick L. Mahomes II that has been recovered by the FBI. “The actions of Babudar were brazen and traumatic for the bank employees robbed in Bixby, Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson of the Northern District of Oklahoma. “A big thank you to the Bixby Police Department for their hard work in collaboration with the FBI Tulsa field office, who helped detain Babudar in Oklahoma.” “The bank was not the only victim of these crimes,” stated Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Babudar terrorized bank employees throughout his multi-state crime spree, while relishing his celebrity status. Today’s sentencing speaks to the severity of his actions and the significant law enforcement assistance and resources utilized across multiple states to hold him accountable for his violent and criminal behavior.” On Feb. 28, 2024, Babudar pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. Babudar also pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, which is contained in a separate case filed in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The court today sentenced Babudar to 17 years and six months in federal prison in the Western District of Missouri case and 17 years and six months in prison in the Northern District of Oklahoma case, to be served concurrently. Babudar also admitted that he engaged in a string of nine bank and credit union robberies (or attempted robberies) in 2022 followed by two bank robberies committed while he was a fugitive from justice. Babudar laundered much of the stolen money through area casinos and online gambling. Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing. Babudar pleaded guilty to stealing $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the bank wearing a ski mask and handed the bank teller a note demanding money and indicating he had a firearm. As he fled on foot, Babudar left behind a black glove and approximately $1,420 in $20 bills in a wooded area near the bank. Investigators later recovered Babudar’s DNA from the black glove. Babudar then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account in an attempt to conceal the criminal nature of the proceeds. Babudar also pleaded guilty to stealing $139,500 from Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union in Bixby, Okla., on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the credit union armed with what appeared to be a black handgun, jumped the teller counter, and ordered a bank employee at gunpoint to go to the credit union’s vault. Once at the vault, Babudar demanded that bank employees open the vault and put the money from the vault into a plastic bag. During this robbery, Babudar told credit union employees that if they did not comply he would shoot them. When Babudar was arrested shortly after the robbery, he had a large bag in his possession that contained $139,500 in $100 bills plus $10,750 in $50 bills, totaling $150,250 in cash. When investigators searched his 2019 Mazda 3, they found numerous pairs of goggles and gloves, which Babudar wore during a series of bank robberies. Investigators also found a Barstool Sportsbook Betslip for $20,000, dated Nov. 19, 2022; a FanDuel Betslip for $4,000, dated Dec. 1, 2022; and letters from Community America Credit Union related to his deposits of $20,000 and $50,000 on May 2, 2022. Babudar also admitted that he committed, or attempted to commit, nine robberies of banks and credit unions in addition to the two to which he pleaded guilty. Those crimes, including two bank robberies committed while Babudar was a fugitive from justice, were considered as relevant conduct for sentencing. Babudar admitted that he stole $170,860 from the Omaha, Nebraska, branch of First National Bank of Omaha on April 28, 2022. Babudar entered the bank armed with what appeared to be a firearm and ordered bank employees to open their vault. Omaha police officers recovered $163,560 following the theft. Babudar admitted that he stole $303,845 from the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of First Class Community Credit Union on July 13, 2022. Babudar brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees open the bank vault. After carrying the stolen money back to Missouri, Babudar began laundering this money through area casinos, depositing the cash he received from these casinos into his personal bank account. Babudar admitted that he stole $125,900 from the Nashville, Tennessee, branch of The Tennessee Credit Union on Nov. 17, 2022. Babudar, armed with what appeared to be a black and silver firearm, climbed over the bank teller counter. He pressed the firearm against the teller’s body and demanded that credit union employees take him to the vault. Employees complied with Babudar’s demands, provided him with cash from the teller drawers, and took him to the vault. Babudar told credit union employees that if he was given a dye pack he would “come back and put a bullet in your head.” After Babudar fled on foot, a hat was recovered; investigators extracted DNA from the hat that matched the DNA extracted from Babudar’s glove in the March 2, 2022, robbery. A few days later, Babudar used some of the stolen money to purchase $20,000 in casino chips in multiple transactions from a local casino. Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Wings Financial Credit Union in Savage, Minnesota, on Nov. 29, 2022. Babudar entered this credit union with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded that credit union employees open the vault. Babudar fled from the credit union, however, after seeing the vault only held small bills. Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Royal Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minn., on Nov. 29, 2022. Babudar entered the credit union with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded that credit union employees open the vault. When he saw the vault only contained small bills, Babudar demanded $100 bills. Credit union employees told him they didn’t keep $100 bills in the vault, and Babudar fled on foot. Babudar admitted that he stole $25,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of First Interstate Bank on Nov. 30, 2022. Following the two unsuccessful robberies the previous day, Babudar returned to the same facility he had robbed on March 2, 2022, which had since then become a branch of First Interstate Bank. Babudar entered the bank carrying what appeared to be a firearm and jumped over the teller counter. He ordered the bank employees, at gunpoint, to open the vault. He fled on foot after the bank employees gave him the cash in the vault. Babudar then carried the stolen money back to Missouri, where he deposited a portion of it into his personal bank account. Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Pinnacle Bank in Papillon, Nebraska, on Dec. 15, 2022. At approximately 1:55 p.m., Babudar entered the vestibule area of Pinnacle Bank and pulled on the doors, but was unable to open them. He then left the area. The next day, he robbed the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union and was arrested. Babudar, after being arrested in Oklahoma in December 2022, was released on bond in the state case in February 2023. Months earlier, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023. Days later, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. According to court documents, Babudar used his gambling winnings to purchase a vehicle in Henderson, Nevada, and evade law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento on July 7, 2023. Babudar admitted that he robbed two additional banks while he was a fugitive from justice. Babudar admitted that he stole $1,100 from Heritage Bank in Sparks, Nevada, on June 8, 2023. Babudar entered the bank wearing a beanie, a Covid-19 mask, a blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, and a fanny pack. Babudar showed a note to the Heritage Bank teller that was composed on his cell phone, which demanded money from the teller. Babudar admitted that he stole $950 from U.S. Bank in El Dorado Hills, California, on July 3, 2023. Babudar entered the bank wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, a Covid-19 mask, and a yellow reflective vest. Babudar showed a note to the U.S. Bank teller that was composed on his cell phone, which demanded money from the teller. Babudar has been detained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on July 7, 2023. This case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick D. Daly and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw in the Western District of Missouri, and U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston in the Northern District of Oklahoma. It was investigated by the FBI and the Bixby, Okla., Police Department. The Bixby, Okla., Police Department arrested Babudar in December 2022, and the Placer County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department and the Lincoln, Calif., Police Department assisted the FBI in the July 2023 arrest.


title: Cusick Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing more than $155,000 Designated for Small Businesses During the COVID-19 Pandemic

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Nathan Michael Triano, age 41, of Cusick, Washington, was sentenced on one count of Wire Fraud. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 18 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $157,154.50. On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to retain jobs and maintain payroll during the pandemic. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Triano obtained six PPP loans totaling $140,865.00 by submitting materially false and fraudulent information concerning various purported businesses. In addition to the PPP funds dispersed to Triano, the United States also incurred a loss of $15,000.00 in lender fees for the PPPs, resulting in a total actual and intended loss of at least $155,865.00. “Many small and local businesses had financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were designed to help businesses navigate that uncertain time and keep people employed. Mr. Tirano’s actions caused limited funds to be diverted away from companies that needed the money, and instead went to line his own pockets, stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for the good work of all our partners on the COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force who continue to hold pandemic fraudsters accountable.” “Pandemic relief funds were a critical lifeline for countless small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Weston King, SBA OIG Special Agent in Charge for the Western Region. “This sentencing underscores the serious consequences of diverting resources away from businesses that genuinely needed them. We are grateful for the collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in bringing justice to those who abuse these essential programs.” “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who creates fraudulent schemes or who fraudulently gets money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and its Paycheck Protection Program,” said Special Agent in Charge Rod Ammari. “We’re grateful to our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office in making sure these crimes are prosecuted.” The case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by SBA-OIG, TIGTA, DOL-OIG, DHS-HSI and DHS-OIG. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frieda K. Zimmerman and Jeremy J. Kelley.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced For Threatening To Kill A Member Of The U.S. House Of Representatives And Lying In An Attempt To Purchase A Firearm

body_text: Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Michael Guy Dambrosia (61, Ocala) to 33 months in federal prison for interstate transmission of a threat to injure and making a false statement in connection with the attempted purchase of a firearm. Dambrosia entered a guilty plea on February 29, 2024. According to court documents, on January 30, 2023, Dambrosia made a call to the Washington D.C. office of a United States Congresswoman and left an obscenity-laden, threatening voicemail stating that he would kill her. On August 30, 2021, Dambrosia attempted to purchase a firearm from a local federally licensed firearms dealer. In completing the necessary paperwork to purchase the firearm, Dambrosia indicated that he was not a convicted felon even though he knew this to be false. This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police – Threat Assessment Section and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joe Wheeler III and Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.


title: Five Russian GRU Officers and One Civilian Charged for Conspiring to Hack Ukrainian Government

body_text: Note : View the indictment here . In an indictment unsealed today, a grand jury in Maryland charged six computer hackers, all of whom were residents and nationals of the Russian Federation (Russia), with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud conspiracy. Five of the defendants were officers in Unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The sixth individual was a civilian already under indictment for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and is now also charged with wire fraud conspiracy. Note : Concurrent with the return of the indictment, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on any of the defendants’ locations or their malicious cyberactivity. Anyone possessing such information should contact Rewards for Justice here . The indictment alleges that these GRU hackers and their co-conspirator engaged in a conspiracy to hack into, exfiltrate data from, leak information obtained from and destroy computer systems associated with the Ukrainian Government in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The defendants did so in order to sow concern among Ukrainian citizens regarding the safety of their government systems and personal data. The defendants’ targets included Ukrainian Government systems and data with no military or defense-related roles. Later targets included computer systems in countries around the world that were providing support to Ukraine, including the United States and 25 other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries. “The GRU’s WhisperGate campaign, including targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure and government systems of no military value, is emblematic of Russia’s abhorrent disregard for innocent civilians as it wages its unjust invasion,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “Today’s indictment underscores that the Justice Department will use every available tool to disrupt this kind of malicious cyber activity and hold perpetrators accountable for indiscriminate and destructive targeting of the United States and our allies.” “The FBI and its international partners are relentless in our commitment to thwarting GRU attacks across the globe and bringing to justice those responsible for these criminal acts,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our work protecting against cyber threats in a rapidly evolving landscape continues, including deployment of all tools in our arsenal to defend our infrastructure and impose costs on those who target it.” “Since July 2021, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, administered by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act,” said DSS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Threat Investigations and Analysis Paul Houston. “Under this reward offer, the RFJ program is seeking information leading to the location of these individuals, GRU’s malicious cyber activity or associated individuals and entities.” “Today’s superseding indictment underscores our commitment to using all the tools at our disposal to pursue those who would do us and our allies around the world harm,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Cyber intrusion schemes such as the one alleged threaten our national security, and we will use all the technologies and investigative measures at our disposal to disrupt and track down these cybercriminals.” “Through strokes on a keyboard, the accused criminals used computers to cross into countries, hunting for weaknesses and seeking to harm. The FBI and our law enforcement partners, both national and international, will collectively defend against Russia’s aggressive and illegal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We are united in identifying, prosecuting and protecting against future crimes and vow to relentlessly hunt down and counter these threats.” The defendants charged in the indictment are: Yuriy Denisov [Юрий Денисов], a colonel in the Russian military and a commanding officer of Cyber Operations for Unit 29155; four lieutenants in the Russian military assigned to Unit 29155 who worked on cyber operations: Vladislav Borovkov [Владислав Боровков], Denis Denisenko [Денис Денисенко], Dmitriy Goloshubov [Дима Голошубов] and Nikolay Korchagin [Николай Корчагин]; and a civilian co-conspirator, Amin Sitgal [Амин Стигал]. According to court documents, on Jan. 13, 2022, the defendants conspired to use a U.S.-based company’s services to distribute malware known in the cybersecurity community as “WhisperGate,” which was designed to look like ransomware, to dozens of Ukrainian government entities’ computer systems. However, as the indictment alleges, WhisperGate was actually a cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian government networks subjected to this attack included the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Treasury, Judiciary Administration, State Portal for Digital Services, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Agriculture, State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Energy, Accounting Chamber for Ukraine, State Emergency Service, State Forestry Agency and Motor Insurance Bureau. In conjunction with these attacks, the defendants compromised several of the targeted Ukrainian computer systems, exfiltrated sensitive data, including patient health records and defaced the websites to read: “Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future.” That same day, the defendants offered the hacked data for sale on the internet. The U.S. government previously joined with allies and partners in May 2022 to attribute this cyber-attack to the Russian military and to condemn the attack and similar destructive cyber activities against Ukraine. In October 2022, the defendants also hacked the transportation infrastructure of a Central European country that was supporting Ukraine. Beginning in August 2021, the defendants also probed a variety of protected computer systems including those associated with 26 NATO member countries, searching for potential vulnerabilities. The indictment further alleges that from Aug. 5, 2021, to Feb. 3, 2022, the defendants leveraged the same computer infrastructure they used in the Ukraine-related attacks to probe computers belonging to a federal government agency in Maryland in the same manner as they had initially probed the Ukrainian Government networks. This indictment is part of an international effort, Operation Toy Soldier, to combat the malicious cyber activity by Unit 29155 of the GRU. Accompanying today’s announcement, the FBI and 12 other partners, representing governments of nine countries, released a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory to enhance network defense efforts against Unit 29155’s malicious cyber activities. The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from FBI Milwaukee and Boston Field Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Robert I. Goldaris for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.


title: Nearly $8 million in U.S. Department of Justice grants coming to Western Washington to improve public safety

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice programs has awarded nearly $8 million to cities, counties, and non-profits in Western Washington to enhance public safety, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The grants fall into two broad categories: support of programs that reduce crime and technological improvements to better serve the public. “It is a competitive process to get these federal dollars, and I congratulate the departments and organizations on the success of their applications,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Whether it is personnel on the street to assist people in crisis or DNA processing machines to better identify those responsible for criminal conduct, these dollars will make a difference in our community.” The largest grant, in the amount of $1,926,000 was awarded to the City of Seattle to support the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) Department. The funds will allow the CARE team to expand citywide with 18 additional staffers and three more supervisors to respond to community members facing behavioral health or related needs. Similarly, the City of Tacoma was awarded $963,000 to create a program of Community Service Officers. These would be civilians who can respond to calls concerning mental health crisis and homelessness related issues. The program is designed to take some of the burden from Tacoma Police officers who have historic staffing shortages. The King County Sheriff’s Office was also awarded $963,000 for hiring mental health professionals to join the Crisis Intervention Team. The mental health professionals will assist with public safety calls involving the need for mental health services. Tacoma Municipal Court and the non-profit Choose 180 both received program support as well. The Municipal Court will use $500,000 to enhance two court programs: mental health court for those with serious and persistent mental health issues; and Community Court which assists a broader range of defendants dealing with homelessness, substance use disorder and minor mental health issues. The funding will go for staff training, case management services and a research project with a university to evaluate the program and make risk assessments. Choose 180 is receiving $552,000 to support two of its programs aimed at reducing youth gun violence. The school-based diversion program works with students at risk of suspension and expulsion to keep them in an educational program and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. The second program, CHOOSE Freedom offers services to youth and young adults at risk of gun violence engagement. Three government entities and one non-profit received funding for technological improvements. The city of Bellevue received $963,000 for its body-worn camera program. Both King County ($811,000) and Whatcom County ($440,000) received funding for rapid DNA machines and technology for better and quicker processing of crime scenes. Finally, the King County Sexual Assault Center (KSARC) received $790,000 to modernize the non-profit’s database which will allow staff to spend more time with sexual assault survivors and less time working with out-of-date software and data systems. The grants are all part of the 2024 Office of Justice Programs Byrne Discretionary Community Project Grants. The Byrne Grants are named in honor of New York City Police Officer Edward R. Byrne, who was killed in the line of duty on February 26, 1988. Officer Byrne was just 22 years old.