title: Saint Bernard Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ROBERT C. METZLER , age 60, pled guilty on January 23, 2024 before United States District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of carisoprodol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846 (Count 1), and possession with intent to distribute forty (40) grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, oxycodone and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D) (Count 2). As to Count 1, METZLER faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. As to Count 2, METZLER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. According to court records, METZLER conspired to receive shipments of carisoprodol from outside of the United States with intent to distribute and possess with intent to distribute this controlled substance within the Eastern District of Louisiana. Following the execution of a search warrant for METZLER’s home, agents recovered multiple controlled substances and documents associated with drug transactions . This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspectors Office, and the Saint Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Mobile Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile, Alabama man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, following a trial held in October 2023, the jury convicted James Pettway of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pettway has at least two prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. In November 2022, members of the Mobile Police Department encountered Pettway during a robbery investigation. When law enforcement approached Pettway, he had a firearm in his waistband. Today United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Pettway to 15 years in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, which is the statutory maximum sentence. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tandice Blackwood and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program.


title: Two Maryland Men Charged With Killing Maryland Pro Boxer

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jayvon Thomas, 20, and Lavar Hunter, 19, were arraigned today, in Superior Court for the District of Columbia, on one count of first degree felony murder while armed, for the November 2023 murder 24-year-old Anwar “The Silent Assassin” Wingate, a professional boxer from Maryland, during an armed robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. The murder, on November 19, 2023, happened inside a parking garage located at 2112 8 th Street NW. Wingate was shot in the neck after he tried to fight off the two men who were able to get the jump on him by catching him off guard. The defendants were arrested yesterday morning in Maryland. Both defendants entered not guilty pleas today. The Honorable Magistrate Judge Eric Glover found probable cause that the defendants committed the murder and held them without bond pending a preliminary hearing on February 2, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., before Judge Raffinan in Courtroom 203. An arrest on a complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty. In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Assistant United States Attorneys Kathleen Gibbons and Alec Levy for their continued efforts in prosecuting this case.


title: Uzbek National And United States Citizen Charged With Long-Running Immigration And Passport-Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a superseding indictment charging U.S. citizen Abduvosit Razikov (44, Orlando) and Uzbek national Dilrabo Obidova (35, Orlando) with conspiring for more than 16 years to make false statements to federal agencies, illegally obtain immigration benefits, make false statements in U.S. passport applications, and illegally obtain U.S. passports. The superseding indictment also charges Razikov and Obidova with several counts of passport fraud, and it charges Obidova with making false statements to federal agencies and attempting to illegally procure naturalization or U.S. citizenship. If convicted, Obidova and Razikov each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to ten years in federal prison for passport fraud. Obidova also faces five years in federal prison for false statements to a federal agency and up to ten years in federal prison for attempting to illegally procure naturalization or U.S. citizenship. According to the superseding indictment, Razikov, originally a national of Uzbekistan, gained immigration status and eventually obtained U.S. citizenship through a fraudulent marriage to a U.S. citizen. Razikov and Obidova separately conspired for Obidova to gain immigration benefits in the United States through her own fraudulent marriage to a different U.S. citizen. In the meantime, Razikov and Obidova secretly married each other and concealed their relationship from immigration authorities, including by listing Obidova’s sham husband as the father on Razikov and Obidova’s children’s birth certificates. Their efforts to hide their respective fraudulent marriages led to both Razikov and Obidova making several false statements in applications for U.S. passports for Razikov and their children. After obtaining lawful permanent resident status, Obidova attempted to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. According to the superseding indictment, in her application for naturalization, Obidova made numerous false statements, under penalty of perjury, relating to her background, marriages, and past attempts to illegally obtain immigration benefits and status. A superseding 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with valuable assistance from the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Office of the Principal Legal Advisor, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kara M. Wick and Richard Varadan.


title: Husband and Wife Sentenced for $65 Million TRICARE Fraud

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – January 25, 2024 SAN DIEGO - Jimmy and Ashley Collins, a married couple living in Birchwood, Tennessee, were sentenced in federal court today for orchestrating a health care fraud scheme that bilked TRICARE – the health care program that covers United States service members – out of more than $65 million. Jimmy Collins received a 10-year prison sentence and was immediately taken into custody; Ashley Collins was sentenced to 18 months home confinement. The couple was ordered to pay $65,679,512.71 in restitution to Defense Health Agency and TRICARE. The couple pleaded guilty in July 2023, admitting they worked with others to recruit sham TRICARE beneficiaries, mainly Marines from southern California who agreed to receive expensive, compounded medications in return for a kickback of approximately $300. Doctors and a nurse practitioner at Choice MD, a Tennessee medical clinic owned and operated by the Collinses, then wrote prescriptions for the sham TRICARE beneficiaries, despite never examining the patients. Choice MD sent the prescriptions to The Medicine Shoppe, a small pharmacy in Bountiful, Utah, which filled the prescriptions and later received reimbursement from TRICARE. At the peak of the conspiracy, The Medicine Shoppe billed TRICARE over $10,000 (and at times upwards of $20,000) per fraudulent compounded prescription. Between December 2014 and May 9, 2015 – the day TRICARE stopped reimbursing for compounded medications – the conspirators wrote thousands of fraudulent prescriptions amounting to $65,679,512 in fraudulent reimbursements. The owners of The Medicine Shoppe then paid kickbacks to the Collinses based on a percentage of the TRICARE reimbursement. Between approximately February and July 2015, these kickback payments to the Collinses totaled at least $45.7 million dollars. The Collinses, in turn, kicked back a small percentage of that money (approximately 10 percent) to recruiters working as part of their network, including defendants Josh Morgan, Kyle Adams, and Daniel Castro. Authorities seized numerous items and properties purchased by the Collinses and others with the proceeds of the fraud: an 82-foot yacht; multiple luxury vehicles, including two Aston Martins; a multimillion-dollar investment annuity; gold and silver bars; dozens of pieces of farm equipment and tractor-trailer trucks; and three pieces of Tennessee real estate. The Collinses are the latest members of the conspiracy to be sentenced. The doctors who prescribed the compounded creams, and the corporate owner of the pharmacy that filled these prescriptions, were previously sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. The patient recruiters and the nurse practitioner who facilitated the conspiracy await sentencing. “Access to medical care is not a benefit for the service member, it’s a benefit to the rest of America to have a healthy and well cared for military force,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Today, defendants who defrauded millions of tax dollars intended for the care of our nation’s service members were held accountable for their crimes. Yachts and Aston Martins are a fantasy now, and prison is the reality.” “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and our law enforcement partners, to aggressively pursue illegal actions that pilfer taxpayer funds and degrade our military healthcare system,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Gregory Shilling, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS will continue to diligently investigate these schemes in order to protect our service members and their families.” “TRICARE fraud is not a victimless crime; it is theft of taxpayer dollars that would be directly used in support of the health and readiness of our warfighters,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Greg Gross of the NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office, “Today’s sentencing demonstrates NCIS’ and our law enforcement partners’ dedication to ensure the integrity of our government programs for the sake of the U.S. military and taxpaying public.” DEFENDANTS Case Number: 18-CR-0432-JLS Jimmy Collins Age: 59 Birchwood, TN Ashley Collins Age: 37 Birchwood, TN SUMMARY OF CHARGES Jimmy Collins: Receipt of Illegal Remuneration, in violation of 42 U.S.C. §1320(a)-7b(b)(1)(A) Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $100,000 fine or double loss amount, whichever is greater An order of restitution requiring defendant to repay at least $65,679,512.71 to DHA/TRICARE Ashley Collins: Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine or double loss amount, whichever is greater An order of restitution requiring defendant to repay at least $65,679,512.71 to DHA/TRICARE INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Defense Criminal Investigative Service Naval Criminal Investigative Service IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Gulfport, MS Federal Bureau of Investigation - Jackson, MS Field Office


title: Winona Man Indicted on Child Exploitation Charges After Targeting More Than 60 Young Girls in Online Sextortion Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Winona man has been charged in an online sextortion scheme that victimized more than 60 minor girls across the country and abroad, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. “Online predators are using social media apps to befriend, coerce, and ultimately extort children and teens,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. “Thousands of minor victims have been the target of this horrific exploitation. It’s imperative that we as a community engage with our kids about sextortion schemes so we can prevent them in the first place.” According to court documents, between April 2022 and June 2023, Valentin Silva Quintana, 30, used social media apps, including Snapchat and Instagram, to threaten, sexually manipulate, and exploit more than 60 young girls primarily between 9 and 12 years old in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Zealand and elsewhere. Quintana, who knew that most of the girls were between 9 and 12 years of age, used fake identities and lied about his age in communications with the girls, posing as a minor girl himself. He used images and videos of youthful appearing girls to make his communications with other victims more believable. According to court documents, Quintana used a wide range of tactics to coerce his victims, sometimes by convincing young girls that he was their friend or romantic partner, or by offering them money. But most frequently, he convinced young girls to send him a sexual photo or video or covertly recorded them engaging in sexually explicit conduct and then threatened to send the first image to their friends and family unless the girls produced ever more graphic sexual images and videos for him. He continued this type of sextortion even as his victims wept and begged him to stop. “The sexual exploitation of Minnesota’s children is horrific and tragic but never more so than when the offenses also include the physical assault of the young victims,” BCA Superintendent Drew Evans said. “Our Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will continue to partner with local law enforcement to root out those who commit these acts and help bring them to justice.” “Today’s indictment sends a crucial message to all predators – we will not allow any crimes against our most vulnerable population to go unpunished,” said Jamie Holt, special agent in charge for HSI St. Paul. “HSI is dedicated to protecting our children against sexual predators who seek to take advantage of their innocence by working with our federal, state and local partners to bring people like Quintana to justice.” The indictment charges Quintana with thirteen counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Quintana made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright. Quintana was ordered to remain in custody pending further court proceedings. To date, more than 60 minor girls have been identified, although law enforcement believes there may be additional victims. Anyone who believes they may have information about this matter is encouraged to contact Homeland Security Investigations through the toll-free tip line at 1-866-347-2423. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winona County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McBride is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Two Owners of Tony Luke’s Philadelphia Cheesesteak Restaurant Sentenced for Tax Fraud

component: Tax Division

body_text: Two New Jersey owners of a popular South Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant were sentenced today for their decade-long conspiracy to defraud the IRS. The court sentenced Nicholas Lucidonio, 57, and Anthony Lucidonio Sr., 84, to 20 months in prison each. According to court documents and statements made in court, the Lucidonios owned and operated Tony Luke’s, a cheesesteak and sandwich restaurant located in South Philadelphia. From 2006 to 2016, they hid from the IRS more than $8 million in cash receipts by, among other things, depositing only a portion of the cash they received into Tony Luke’s business bank accounts and providing incomplete information to their accountant, which caused their accountant to file false tax returns that substantially underreported business receipts and income. The Lucidonios also committed employment tax fraud by paying employees “off the books” in cash. To evade detection, they paid most employees a portion of their wages “on the books.” The Lucidonios then paid the remainder of their wages in cash without withholding federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare taxes or paying those to the IRS. They did not report these cash wages to their accountant, which caused the accountant to prepare and file false quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. When a dispute over Tony Luke’s franchising rights arose between the Lucidonios and another individual in 2015, the Lucidonios became concerned that their tax fraud scheme would be revealed, so they directed that the prior year’s tax returns be amended to increase reported sales. The Lucidonios continued to hide their ongoing payroll tax scheme. As a result of their tax fraud scheme, the defendants caused a loss of $1,321,042 to the United States. In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Gerald A. McHugh ordered both defendants to serve three years of supervised release. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Acting Section Chief John Kane of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney and Criminal Division Chief Richard Barrett for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.


title: Arizona Man Charged with Assault in Indian Country

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Olan Jumbo appeared in federal court on an indictment charging him with involuntary manslaughter and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Jumbo, 30, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, will remain on conditions of release in the third-party custody of a halfway house pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. According to the indictment, on Nov. 26, 2022, Jumbo killed Jane Doe by unlawfully operating a motor vehicle with wanton and reckless disregard for life and assaulted John Doe with a motor vehicle, causing serious bodily injury. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Jumbo faces up to 10 years in prison. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case. # # # 24-35


title: Antrim Man Pleads Guilty to Faking a Disability to Fraudulently Obtain $660,000 in Veterans Benefits

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – An Antrim man pleaded guilty today in federal court to faking a disability to get $662,871.77 in veteran’s benefits of which he was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Christopher Stultz, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2024. Stultz was charged on September 13, 2023. Beginning in January 2003, Stultz falsely represented to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that he was no longer able to use his feet. This caused the VA to rate him as 100% disabled, increasing his monthly VA benefits. In addition, because the VA believed Stultz was unable to use his feet, he was also awarded funding through the VA’s Automobile Adaptive Equipment program to purchase special cars and vehicle adaptations designed to help mobility-impaired veterans. However, Stultz did not need a wheelchair or other ambulatory device to move around. He was surveilled on multiple occasions and recorded walking normally. For example, on October 28, 2021, Stultz went to the VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plain in Boston. He used a wheelchair while inside the VA facility. After leaving the VA, he stood up, lifted the wheelchair into his car, and drove off to a shopping mall. There, Stultz walked normally through multiple stores. Similarly, on October 3, 2022, Stultz went to the VA Medical Center in Manchester. Again, he used a wheelchair while inside the VA facility. After leaving the VA facility, Stultz drove to the Mall of New Hampshire and was recorded walking normally through multiple stores. In addition, multiple witnesses reported that they had never known Stultz to use a wheelchair or other ambulatory devices as far back as the early 2000s. In total, from January 2003 through December 2022, Stultz received $662,871.77 in VA benefits he was not entitled to. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: New Orleans Men Plead Guilty to Possessing Cars Stolen from Norfolk Southern Railyard and Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DERRIN RILEY , age 28, and JONATHAN FRANK , age 40, residents of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on January 23, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey. RILEY pleaded guilty to one count, and FRANK pleaded guilty to two counts, of possessing goods stolen from an interstate shipment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 659. RILEY also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D). FRANK also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, on March 20, 2023, a white 2023 Ford Explorer ST was stolen from the Norfolk Southern Automotive Distribution Facility. On March 27, 2023, a Ford Explorer Timberline and a stone blue metallic 2023 Ford Explorer ST were also stolen from that Facility. Between March 30 and April 3, 2023, FRANK was seen on surveillance video driving both stolen Ford Explorer STs while in possession of a Smith & Wesson handgun. On April 3, 2023, RILEY was seen on surveillance video exiting the stolen Ford Explorer Timberline with a large bag of marijuana which, it was determined, he intended to distribute. Two other individuals riding in the stolen car with RILEY possessed firearms. Each count of possessing a stolen car carries a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment , up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to his conviction for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, RILEY faces up to 5 years imprisonment , up to a $250,000 fine, and a minimum of two years of supervised release. As to his conviction for felon in possession of a firearm, FRANK faces up to 15 years imprisonment , up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. As to each count of conviction, FRANK faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. 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 Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Keith Royal Goode-Harper, 32, of Charleston, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 25, 2023, Goode-Harper obtained 7 ounces of methamphetamine from co-defendant Karl Lamont Funderburk at Funderburk’s residence in Charleston. Goode-Harper admitted that he arranged the purchase with Funderburk in advance over a series of cell phone calls. Goode-Harper further admitted that he had asked to purchase 10 ounces of methamphetamine for a customer, but that Funderburk told him that he only had 7 ounces of methamphetamine available. Goode-Harper conducted two other transactions with Funderburk during this time period, obtaining over 1 pound of methamphetamine from Funderburk to sell to third-party customers. Goode-Harper and Funderburk are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash. Goode-Harper pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023, to use of a communication facility to facilitate drug trafficking. Funderburk, 37, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on December 6, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute a quantity of cocaine, and conspiracy to distribute a quantity of fentanyl. Funderburk awaits sentencing. Goode-Harper and Funderburk are among 27 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. 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. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-135. ###


title: Lame Deer meth trafficker sentenced to 20 years in prison for role in large-scale ring based on Crow Indian Reservation

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man who admitted to distributing methamphetamine on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation that he received through a large-scale narcotics trafficking organization based on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Joseph John Simpson, 49, pleaded guilty in September 2023 to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. “Armed with multiple firearms, including a submachine gun, Simpson was a prolific and dangerous drug dealer who trafficked nearly 10 pounds of meth on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. He was considered the best customer of an extensive drug conspiracy based on the Crow Reservation with ties to Washington traffickers and a cartel in Mexico. To put it simply, Simpson is dangerous, and the people of the Northern Cheyenne and Crow Nations can rest easier knowing he will spend the next 20 years in federal prison,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. In court documents, the government alleged that from May 2022 to July 2023, law enforcement obtained information from multiple sources that Simpson was distributing meth on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation and elsewhere. Simpson is one of approximately two dozen defendants related to a large-scale, multiple-state narcotics trafficking organization centered on multiple properties on the Crow reservation, including one referred to as Spear Siding. Simpson was considered the “best client” of the organization and was a “top dealer” of meth on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, along with being the source for other dealers. Simpson is responsible for the distribution of almost 10 pounds of meth, which is the equivalent of 36,240 doses. The government alleged Simpson was integral to the operation, partially because he made sure his sources got paid. The government further alleged that on July 13, 2023, a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer in Lame Deer observed a pickup truck that appeared to be stolen and was driven by an individual, later identified as Simpson. Law enforcement arrested Simpson after a high-speed pursuit and found him in possession of two pounds of meth, $9,000 in cash and four firearms, including an Uzi submachine gun. Simpson told law enforcement that the $9,000 was drug proceeds. Assistant U.S. Attorneys prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


title: Owner of Suburban Chicago Construction Company Pleads Guilty to Federal Bribery Charges

body_text: CHICAGO — The owner of a suburban Chicago construction company has pleaded guilty to federal bribery charges for conspiring to bribe an employee of the Cook County Assessor’s Office in return for favorable property assessments. ALEX NITCHOFF, 56, of Lemont, Ill., pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of conspiring to corruptly give something of value to influence and reward a public official, and one count of using an interstate facility to facilitate bribery. Each count is punishable by up to five years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge John F. Kness set sentencing for May 8, 2024. Nitchoff admitted in a plea agreement that from 2016 to 2019 he conspired with others to corruptly provide home improvement services and materials to Cook County Assessor’s Office employee LAVDIM MEMISOVSKI, who assessed property values and reviewed property tax appeals for Cook County commercial properties. Nitchoff and others provided free home improvement services and materials at Memisovski’s personal residence, including a concrete pad, decking materials, dumpster usage, fascias and soffits, a fence, a gas line, heads for a sprinkler system, tile, and windows, the plea agreement states. In return for the benefits, Memisovski took official action to reduce the property taxes owed for Nitchoff’s properties by at least $550,000, the plea agreement states. One of Nitchoff’s employees, JOHN BODENDORFER, 56, of Chicago, has pleaded not guilty to participating in the bribery scheme and is awaiting trial. Memisovski, 45, of Burbank, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing. Nitchoff’s guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and the City of Chicago Inspector General’s Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vikas Didwania and Thomas Peabody. Nitchoff, Bodendorfer, and Memisovski were among seven people charged in connection with the federal investigation. Two other Cook County Assessor’s Office employees, BASILIO CLAUSEN, 51, of Crown Point, Ind., and LUMNI LIKOVSKI, 47, of Burbank, Ill., have pleaded not guilty to bribery charges and are awaiting trial in connection with a scheme in which they allegedly accepted bribes from the owner of a fence installation company in return for reducing property assessments. The fence company owner, ROBERT MITZIGA, 65, of Dyer, Ind., also pleaded not guilty to bribery charges and is awaiting trial. The seventh defendant, former City of Chicago building inspector JOSEPH E. GARCIA, was sentenced to probation for falsely claiming to have inspected home repair projects for low-income Chicago homeowners, allowing the city to pay a contractor for work that at the time had not been performed. The public is reminded that the defendants who have pleaded not guilty are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.


title: Concord Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offenses

body_text: CONCORD – A Concord man was sentenced today in federal court for sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Scott Wilkinson, age 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 240 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release. Wilkinson was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution. “The pain and trauma that Wilkinson caused the survivor and the survivor’s family is inconceivable,” U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young said. “Not only did Wilkinson sexually exploit a child, but he produced child sexual abuse material from his crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize cases that involve harming children, and we will work tirelessly to obtain justice for survivors of heinous crimes like those committed by the defendant.” “Scott Wilkinson admitted to unimaginably abhorrent behavior. He sought out sex with a child and perpetuated that trauma by recording and reliving it. The harm he has done is vast, and today’s sentence is richly deserved,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Locking up predators like Wilkinson is one of the most important actions that the FBI and our partners can take to help protect kids, the most vulnerable members of our community.” In April 2022, Wilkinson traveled from New Hampshire to New Jersey, where he engaged in sexual acts with a 12-year-old child. Wilkinson had been corresponding with the child online for approximately one year prior to traveling to New Jersey to meet the child. A video that Wilkinson created of himself engaged in sexual acts with the child was found on his cell phone, as were other images and videos of child sexual abuse material. The Egg Harbor Township Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland from the District of New Hampshire and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Harteis from the District of New Jersey 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Two Charged with Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy

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

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, announced that Anthony Stephen and Whitney Bisetti appeared in federal court on an indictment charging them with one count each of firearms trafficking conspiracy and transfer of a firearm not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Stephen is charged with an additional count of transfer of a firearm not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Stephen, 34, and Bisetti, 22, both of Albuquerque, were released on conditions pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. According to the indictment, between May 12 and Aug. 31, 2023, Stephen and Bisetti transferred a firearm to another person knowing that the use, carrying, and possession of a firearm by the recipient would constitute a felony. On Aug. 9, 2023, Stephen and Bisetti transferred a rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches and an overall length less than 26 inches that was not registered in the National firearms Registration and Transfer Record. On Aug. 31, 2023, Stephen transferred a rifle with a barrel length less than 16 inches and an overall length less than 26 inches that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The transfers are alleged to have occurred while Stephen and Bisetti worked at the Shooter’s Den store in Albuquerque. An indictment is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Stephen and Bisetti face up to 15 years in prison. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . # # # 24-36


title: Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 991 Grams of Methamphetamine

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Grand Bay, Alabama man pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 991 grams of methamphetamine. Charles Oliver Trahan, III, 51, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. According to court documents, in early 2023, law enforcement officers received intelligence that an individual named Linda Mizell was selling methamphetamine in Jackson County, Mississippi. Further investigation revealed that Mizell was working with another individual to sell methamphetamine. Law enforcement identified and corroborated trips where Charles Trahan traveled from Alabama to Mizell’s residence. On August 22, 2023, officers observed Trahan leaving Mizell’s residence and initiated a traffic stop which led to the recovery of 991 grams of methamphetamine. Trahan was placed under arrest and analysis of his cell phone revealed that he had frequent contact with Mizell since July 2023 and multiple digital cash payments were sent from Trahan to Mizell. Trahan is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2024. He faces up to twenty years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Linda Mizell pled guilty on January 17, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2024. She also faces up to twenty years in prison. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steve Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.


title: Arizona Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution Conspiracy

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JOANNA MANZANO , age 34, a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on January 24, 2024 by United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to three years’ probation and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841 (b)(1)(C), and 846, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on March 16, 2020, a drug supplier contacted a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover agent to arrange the delivery of methamphetamine to the New Orleans area. On March 19, 2020, the supplier informed the agent that a driver, later identified as MANZANO , was travelling from Phoenix, Arizona to New Orleans with the methamphetamine and needed money for expenses. The supplier also informed the agent that the methamphetamine was in liquid form and that another individual would arrive in New Orleans later to convert the liquid methamphetamine into a solid . After MANZANO and her accomplice arrived in Louisiana, law enforcement officers identified MANZANO’S vehicle and maintained surveillance on them until they arrived in Metairie. On March 20, 2020, Louisiana State Troopers stopped MANZANO . After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, troopers discovered approximately 4, 576 grams of liquid methamphetamine in the gas tank of the vehicle. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that two owners of a popular South Philadelphia cheesesteak restaurant were sentenced to prison today for their decade-long conspiracy to defraud the IRS. The court sentenced Nicholas Lucidonio, 57, and Anthony Lucidonio Sr., 84, to 20 months in prison each. According to court documents and statements made in court, the Lucidonios owned and operated Tony Luke’s, a cheesesteak and sandwich restaurant located in South Philadelphia. From 2006 to 2016, they hid from the IRS more than $8 million in cash receipts by, among other things, depositing only a portion of the cash they received into Tony Luke’s business bank accounts and providing incomplete information to their accountant, which caused their accountant to file false tax returns that substantially underreported business receipts and income. The Lucidonios also committed employment tax fraud by paying employees “off the books” in cash. To evade detection, they paid most employees a portion of their wages “on the books.” The Lucidonios then paid the remainder of their wages in cash without withholding federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare taxes or paying those to the IRS. They did not report these cash wages to their accountant, which caused the accountant to prepare and file false quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. When a dispute over Tony Luke’s franchising rights arose between the Lucidonios and another individual in 2015, the Lucidonios became concerned that their tax fraud scheme would be revealed, so they directed that the prior year’s tax returns be amended to increase reported sales. The Lucidonios continued to hide their ongoing payroll tax scheme. As a result of their tax fraud scheme, the defendants caused a loss of $1,321,042 to the United States. “For a decade, these successful restaurateurs boldly cooked the books, cheating the government and honest taxpayers alike,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “As this investigation and prosecution show, tax fraud is a crime with some pretty high stakes, with violators held fully accountable.” “Anyone contemplating cheating on their taxes should know that IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents work tirelessly, year-round, to investigate tax and financial crimes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Our largest enforcement program is directed at the portion of American taxpayers who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their taxes.” In addition to the terms of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Gerald A. McHugh ordered both defendants to serve three years of supervised release. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Acting Section Chief John Kane of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Criminal Division Chief Richard Barrett of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.


title: Lynn Man Sentenced for Trafficking More Than 7,000 Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that manufactured and distributed thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing narcotics. Erick Solis Lopez, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 62 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Solis was also ordered to forfeit $18,190, assorted jewelry and two vehicles. In October 2023, Solis pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Solis was among 23 individuals charged in October 2022 in connection with a wide-ranging conspiracy to traffic counterfeit prescription pills. The defendants were subsequently indicted along with two additional alleged co-conspirators in December 2022. According to court documents, the DTO distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, among other things, to various individuals in the Lynn area. Solis is the third defendant to be sentenced in the case. Solis was responsible for the distribution of approximately 7,300 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing undisclosed amounts of fentanyl. Solis made daily deliveries of fentanyl pills, powder fentanyl, crack cocaine and marijuana for the DTO. Some of these controlled substances were recovered from a vehicle registered to Solis in a mechanically operated concealed compartment (commonly referred to as a “hide”). The vehicle also contained a fraudulent driver’s license bearing Solis’s photograph. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James E. Arnold and Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf . The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former San Antonio Dentist Sentenced to 30 Years for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced yesterday in a federal court in San Antonio to 360 months in prison, lifetime supervised release, a $45,000 restitution to victims and ordered to pay a total of $55,100 in special assessments for his role in the production of child pornography. According to court documents, Abiel Alejandro Saldivar, 33, who worked as a dentist in San Antonio, messaged numerous minors on various social media applications telling them he had nude images of them, and that he would post them if they did not engage in and record sexual activity for him. Saldivar was arrested on Jan. 21, 2022, and has remained in custody since. He pleaded guilty to the charge May 3, 2023. “The defendant, a local pediatric dentist, was aggressively and ruthlessly sexually exploiting children via social media,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This case demonstrates the benefits of collaboration between local, state and federal law enforcement to serve victims and hold perpetrators, especially those who prey on the most vulnerable of our society, accountable.” “The significant sentence imposed on Abiel Saldivar sends a clear message that there are serious consequences for those individuals who exploit children. Saldivar will serve the next 30 years in federal prison for his reprehensible acts” said HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge, Craig Larrabee. “We remain committed to working with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who victimize our children.” HSI; Whatcom County, WA Sheriff’s Office; and the Texas Attorney General’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bettina Richardson 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 . ###


title: Denver Man Indicted for Aiming Laser Pointer at Police Helicopter

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Josefat Alejandro Marmolejo-Lucio, age 27, of Denver, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a single count of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. According to the indictment, on October 5, 2023, the Defendant knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a helicopter, “Air 1,” operated by the Denver Police Department. The Defendant had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak on January 24, 2024. This case is being investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus Chung is handling the prosecution. The charge in the indictment is an allegation and the Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Case Number: 24-cr-00010-RMR


title: Lawrence Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man was sentenced in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after been deported. Francisco Araujo Lara, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Araujo Lara pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Araujo Lara, a citizen on the Dominican Republic, was deported from the United States in September 2019, after serving an 18-to-30-month state sentence for a fentanyl distribution. Sometime thereafter, Araujo Lara unlawfully reentered the United States. In 2021, he was arrested in Lawrence for distributing fentanyl and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Araujo Lara pleaded guilty to the state charges and was sentenced to 30 months in state prison. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Armed Robbery Targeting Southern Oregon Marijuana Grower

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—On January 24, 2024, a Portland, Oregon man with a lengthy criminal history was sentenced to federal prison for his role in an armed robbery targeting a southern Oregon marijuana grower. Kenan Dizdarevic, 35, was sentenced to 107 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims. “Mr. Dizdarevic and his accomplices—pretending to be police armed with firearms and outfitted in body armor and ski masks—placed their victims in a horribly dangerous and frightening situation. Our office is committed to holding defendants like Mr. Dizdarevic accountable and combating violent crime throughout Oregon,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford Branch Offices. “This is a well-deserved sentence,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Mr. Dizdarevic and his accomplices committed robbery, impersonated law enforcement, stole a vehicle and fled from actual law enforcement. Their actions were extremely brazen and posed a great danger to the community.” According to court documents, in the early morning hours of November 2, 2019, Dizdarevic and another individual entered a residence located on a secluded marijuana grow in Eagle Point, Oregon. Wearing dark clothing, gloves, body armor, and ski masks and armed with multiple firearms, Dizdarevic and his accomplice shouted, “police search warrant” before handcuffing and placing two individuals found inside the residence face down on the floor. Dizdarevic and his accomplice demanded money and guns from the two victims and eventually made off with more than 30 pounds of marijuana and one of the victim’s vehicles. Soon after, law enforcement located the stolen vehicle traveling with another car on Interstate 5. After a lengthy pursuit that exceeded 120 miles per hour and traversed three counties, the stolen vehicle successfully eluded law enforcement. After being disabled by a spike strip, the second vehicle came to a stop in Douglas County, Oregon, and the driver, who investigators later connected the Eagle Point robbery, fled on foot. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the vehicle and located ski masks, zip ties, handcuffs, tactical vests, and multiple firearms. Investigators determined that Dizdarevic, the driver who fled on foot and was later apprehended, and a third individual traveled together to the Eagle Point robbery in the vehicle. Dizdarevic’s fingerprints, DNA, and various personal belongings were located in the vehicle. On February 19, 2021, Dizdarevic was charged by criminal complaint with interfering with commerce by robbery; conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and using, carrying, or brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was arrested on June 29, 2022, and on August 23, 2023, he pleaded guilty to a two-count criminal information charging him with interfering with commerce by robbery and conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. On March 2, 2023, Shannon Christopher Harrop, 34, of Wilsonville, Oregon was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release for organizing the Eagle Point robbery Dizdarevic participated in and other robberies. 10 individuals, including Harrop and Dizdarevic were charged and have pleaded guilty for their roles in these robberies. Dizdarevic is the eighth defendant to be sentenced and the final two are pending sentencing. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon State Police, the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, and Medford Police Department. It was prosecuted by Marco Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Kermit Man Sentenced for Distribution of Methamphetamine

body_text: PECOS – A Kermit man was sentenced this week in federal court in Pecos to 115 months in prison for possession and distribution of methamphetamine and an additional 24 months in prison for a supervised release violation stemming from a felon in possession charge he was sentenced for in 2022 in Midland. According to court documents, Brian Lee McGill, 43, while serving a term of supervised release on his 2022 conviction in Midland for being a felon in possession of a firearm, failed to stop for deputies with the Winkler County Sheriff’s Department during a traffic stop for speeding. Deputies pursued McGill, who was riding a motorcycle, at speeds as high as 115 miles per hour as McGill drove recklessly on the wrong side of the road and disregarded stop signs. Pursuit came to an end when the motorcycle either ran out of gas or had a mechanical failure. After securing the area, deputies recovered over 25 grams of crystal meth from McGill. McGill pled guilty to possession and distribution of methamphetamine, for which the Court sentenced him to imprisonment for a term of 115 months. For having violated his term of supervised release on the firearm conviction the Court sentenced him to serve an additional 24 months in prison. “We continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to take deadly drugs off the streets of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “McGill’s lack of concern for others is apparent. His attempted escape from law enforcement put citizens and officers at risk. His peddling of toxic drugs puts our whole community in danger.” “Illicit synthetic drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine are killing Americans at alarming rates,” said Towanda Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division. “Mr. McGill contributed to that, so he must now pay the price. The men and women of the DEA remain committed to disrupting the operations of all other drug dealers in our community.” DEA’s Alpine Resident Office and the Winkler County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum prosecuted the case. ###


title: New Mexico Man Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Prison for Cocaine Distribution

body_text: PECOS – An Anthony, NM, man was sentenced this week to 327 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking organization that distributed cocaine. According to court documents, Gilberto Hernandez, aka “G”, 30, was the leader of the Hernandez drug trafficking organization (DTO). From August 2021 until November 2022, the Hernandez DTO trafficked approximately 58 kilos of cocaine throughout Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. On May 26, 2023 Hernandez pleaded guilty to eight counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Five other co-defendants of Hernandez have been sentenced and one is awaiting sentencing. Cesar Rodarte, aka El Gordo, 38, of Anthony, NM, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced this week to 151 months in prison. Daniel Ochoa Meza, 37, of Monahans, after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, was sentenced this week to 135 months in prison. Anthony Bustos, Sr., aka Tony, 60, of Monahans was sentenced on September 22, 2023 to 87 months in prison. Bustos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Armiro Bernal Cabello, 45, of Fort Stockton, was sentenced on August 29, 2023 to 121 months in prison. Cabello pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Juan Jose Mora, 41, of Vado, NM, was sentenced on May 23, 2023 to 27 months in prison. Mora pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. George Daniel Mendoza, 31, of Deming, NM, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Mendoza is set to be sentenced on February 27, 2024. “In a little over a year, the Hernandez DTO peddled over 127 pounds of cocaine throughout Texas, Mexico and Colorado,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “I applaud the DEA for their diligence and persistence in taking down this drug organization.” “If you attempt to set up a criminal enterprise in one of our communities, you will be introduced to the men and women of the DEA,” said Towanda Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division. “We will stop at nothing to shut you down and make sure you face the same justice handed down to Mr. Hernandez.” The DEA’s Alpine Resident Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum prosecuted the case. ###


title: Aloha Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Sexually Explicit Images and Videos of Children

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—An Aloha, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for possessing and distributing thousands of photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Jason Reuben, 42, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison and 10 years’ supervised release. Reuben must also pay $8,000 in special assessments and $14,000 in restitution, and, upon his release from prison, will be required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement officers in New Albany, Ohio gained access to a private chat group used to share sexually explicit images and videos of children on Kik Messenger, an instant messaging mobile application. Investigators observed one member of the group, later determined to be Reuben, post several illicit media files. Investigators soon discovered that six separate Cyber Tipline reports from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children tracked back to an internet protocol (IP) address associated with Reuben’s Aloha residence. On July 26, 2022, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Reuben’s residence and seized multiple digital devices containing more than 48,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse, including many depicting the abuse of young children and toddlers. Reuben admitted to possessing the illicit material and accessing the Kik messaging service. On September 21, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Reuben with distributing and possessing child pornography. On October 19, 2023, he pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the New Albany Police Department. It was prosecuted by Charlotte Kelley and Gary Sussman, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org . Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, they re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org . This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Buffalo man going to prison on gun conspiracy charge involving machine guns

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Angel Flores, 36, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to deal in the business of dealing firearms without a license, was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison by Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that on October 27, 2022, Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted a parcel, sent from China, at the FedEx facility at the Memphis International Airport in Memphis, Tennessee. The parcel contained parts for several Machine Gun Conversion Devices (MCDs), which were concealed in a bag comingled among black plastic drawstring clips. The parcel, addressed to a residence on Sweet Avenue in Buffalo, was seized and turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. Subsequent investigation determined Flores resides at the Sweet Street address. On November 9, 2022, an investigator delivered the parcel, without the MCDs, to the front steps of the Sweet Avenue residence. A short time later, Flores took the parcel inside before exiting the residence, at which time he was taken into custody. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge John B. DeVito, New York Field Division. # # # #


title: Rochester man pleads guilty to child pornography charge involving cameras hidden in a church bathroom

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Nicot, 61, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that between 2012 and 2014, Nicot hid a camera in the bathroom of a church located in the Western District of New York. Nicot positioned the camera so that it would capture video and images of naked individuals using the shower in the church bathroom. He did this knowing some of the individuals would be under the age of 18 and he planned to display the video of the minors. On July 21, 2022, law enforcement executed a warrant at the Nicot’s residence and recovered a memory card and USB drive, which contained videos and images of at least five minor victims using the church bathroom and shower. Two cell phones were also seized, which contained naked images of a minor victim that were recorded by a camera hidden in a bathroom of Nicot’s residence. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing is scheduled for May 6, 2024, before Judge Geraci. # # # #


title: Five More Fentanyl Trafficking Defendants Arrested in Washington Highlands-Focused Operation

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Five alleged fentanyl traffickers have been charged as additional members of two related narcotics conspiracies charged in U.S. District Court, the result of a yearlong multiagency investigation into narcotics distribution points in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. Three of the individuals are coconspirators newly charged in a superseding indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl, using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and money laundering, among other counts. Two other men are charged by complaint as additional coconspirators of four previously-indicted defendants in a related fentanyl trafficking conspiracy case. All five newly-arrested defendants are being held pending detention hearings. The charges and arrests were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, of Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, Acting United States Marshal Ronald Carter of the United States Marshalls Service and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department. The alleged fentanyl operations were based in the Washington Highlands neighborhood in Southeast Washington, centering on Oxon Run Park and the 100 block of Yuma Street, respectively. Kahlil Felder, 39, of Washington D.C., was indicted Dec. 14, 2023, on fentanyl distribution charges, using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Felder allegedly sold fentanyl in packaging branded with a female figure and the words “Heavy D.” In executing a search warrant on Felder’s residence on December 13, 2023, agents discovered over five kilograms of fentanyl powder, various tools for distribution including cutting agents, nitrile gloves, masks, and thousands of single serve baggies, and 3,300 pre-packaged baggies or “zips” of fentanyl in various sizes, indicating that the defendant used his residence as a stash house. The search of Felder’s residence also uncovered two loaded semiautomatic pistols – a Glock 36, 45mm, and a Springfield Hellcat 9mm – one of which had been reported stolen in Maryland. Today, three of Felder’s alleged lieutenants were arraigned on their charges in the superseding indictment against Felder. They include Cyrus Wheeler, 52, of Oxon Hill, Md; Carrol Edelen, 56, of Washington, D.C.; and Calvin Wright, 47, of Washington, D.C. The superseding indictment also adds 33 counts of money laundering and 19 counts of spending money laundering to the charges against Felder, reflecting a high volume of financial transactions that Felder allegedly made with illegal drug trafficking proceeds. Two additional defendants, Leonard Darnell Short, 40, and James Martin, 58, all of Washington D.C., were also charged by complaint in a related fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Each had initial appearances today in U.S. District Court. According to charging documents, law enforcement identified Short and Martin as additional members of the narcotics conspiracy previously charged in November 2023 when a grand jury returned a 10-count indictment against defendants Alphonso Lorenzo Murray, 50, Kevin Antaun Penn, 51, Marquette Alonzo Murray, 31, and Christian Raul Simms, 27, of Washington D.C. The coconspirators allegedly openly sold fentanyl on a cul-de-sac by the 100 block of Yuma Street, SE, within 1,000 feet from the Paramount Child Development Prep School. “Fentanyl trafficking destroys lives and fuels violence, especially when it involves firearms and obscene profit,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves. “The Metropolitan Police Department has identified the Washington Highlands neighborhood where this network allegedly operated as a neighborhood that will be a focus of its homicide reduction plan. We will continue to leverage our resources to take aim at those who are brazenly peddling deadly poison and engaging in crimes that attract violence.” “Kahlil Felder and his alleged co conspirators are facing some very serious charges; They will get their day in court, but they stand accused of attempting to distribute a significant amount of poison throughout the Washington, D.C. area,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon, of HSI Washington, D.C. “Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. One kilogram of fentanyl can produce 1 million to 1.5 million pill dosage units and has the potential to kill 500,000 people. The fact that they were allegedly in unlawful possession of firearms amplifies the gravity of the alleged crimes. HSI Washington, D.C. will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep our residents safe from the tragic repercussions of fentanyl and illegal firearms.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service remains steadfast in its collaboration with law enforcement partners, standing side by side to relentlessly pursue individuals infiltrating our communities with this deadly drug,” said Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the USPIS Washington Division. “We remain committed in eradicating these illicit substances from the U.S. mail and consequently safeguarding our community.” “We are focused on removing violent offenders, illegal firearms, and deadly drugs from our District streets. MPD along with our local and federal partners are narrowing in on these offenders through our initiative, homicide reduction plan / Operation THRIVE,” said Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. “Collectively, we are leveraging our resources and focusing in on areas that are experiencing elevated levels of violent crime. These arrests today show how this focused operation has successfully removed Fentanyl, illegal guns, and violent offenders from the Washington Highlands neighborhood.” These matters follow the charging and conviction of Ahmad Robertson, 33, of Washington, D.C., who was indicted in June 2023 and, in November 2023, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the government’s pleadings, Robertson was an established fentanyl trafficker in the 100 block of Yuma Street, SE, in the Washington Highlands area. Robertson is scheduled for sentencing on his guilty plea on March 22. The above efforts are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The charges of possession with intent to distribute over 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking carry a statutory maximum of life in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. This case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, and MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Andrea Duvall and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Javier Urbina and Jordan Leiter from the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.


title: Chenango County Man Indicted for Facebook Threats and Possession of Firearms

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – James Kenyon, age 52, of Smithville Flats, New York, was arraigned today on an indictment charging him with transmitting a threat to injure another person and unlawfully possessing three firearms while subject to a domestic violence order of protection. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. The charges filed against Kenyon carry a combined maximum term of 20 years in prison and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Kenyon was arraigned today in Albany, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart, and released pending a detention hearing. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI is investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner is prosecuting this case.


title: Cherokee Woman to Federal Prison for Meth Conviction

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine and possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on January 25, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Christina Gianopoulos-Rohrer, 50, from Cherokee, Iowa, pled guilty on March 15, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that on December 6, 2021, in Woodbury County, Iowa, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in which Gianopoulos-Rohrer was a passenger and seized approximately one pound of methamphetamine which Gianopoulos-Rohrer intended to distribute to other persons. Gianopoulos-Rohrer also admitted her involvement in a conspiracy that distributed at least 6 kilograms of methamphetamine from December 2019 through May 2022. Gianopoulos-Rohrer further admitted her involvement with others in obtaining four pounds of methamphetamine from sources in California and Nevada, along with others, and transporting it back to the Cherokee, Iowa area for further distribution. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Gianopoulos-Rohrer was sentenced to 47 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Gianopoulos-Rohrer remains in custody of the United States Marshal until she can be transferred to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, United States Postal Inspectors, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Iowa DCI Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-4002 and 22-4066. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Tennis Coach Convicted of Transporting Minor Across State Lines and Engaging in Sex Acts

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – On January 23, 2024, a federal jury in Dothan, Alabama convicted 51-year-old Leroy Thomas Joyner, Jr., from Columbus, Georgia, on one count of unlawfully transporting a minor across state lines with intent to engage in sexual activity, announced Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. According to court records and evidence presented during his trial, Joyner was a tennis coach operating an association in Dale County, Alabama. The association provided lessons to underprivileged children and teens. In September of 2018, reports of physical abuse were made to law enforcement alleging that Joyner had used a wooden paddle on some of his students. Law enforcement began to investigate these reports and found much more than physical abuse. Investigators discovered that, in late 2015, Joyner took a special interest in a 13-year-old female student. He began taking her out of state to play in tennis tournaments. Testimony given during Joyner’s trial indicated that he engaged in sex acts with the minor in multiple states, including Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina. This exploitation continued until the reports of abuse surfaced in 2018. At that time, the victim was 15. Following the guilty verdict, Joyner faces a sentence of ten years to life in federal prison. When the trial ended, the judge remanded Joyner into custody. There is no parole in the federal system. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for Joyner in the coming months. “Safeguarding children from sexual exploitation and abuse is one of law enforcement’s most vital responsibilities,” said Acting United States Attorney Ross. “Through his position of authority, Joyner targeted young and vulnerable victims. His actions were reprehensible and caused lasting harm. I am grateful for the law enforcement agents and prosecutors who worked diligently to hold him accountable.” Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown with the FBI stated, “Protecting our children is of paramount importance, and the FBI will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to prevent their victimization and to hold accountable those who abuse them.” The FBI and the Dale County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Russell T. Duraski, Tara S. Ratz, and B. Chelsea Phillips prosecuted.


title: Kaufman County man sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for defrauding investors of at least $2.7 million in the Eastern District of Texas

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas– A Terrell man was sentenced to federal prison for defrauding investors in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Michael Disman, 41, pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant on Jan. 25, 2024. Disman was ordered to pay restitution of approximately $2.7 million to his victims. According to information presented in court, between January 2018 and March 2022, Disman operated an investment fraud scheme using various companies he controlled, including “Dexter Development” and “Disman Energy.” Disman solicited funds from victim investors for purported lucrative land development projects, when in reality, those projects were non-existent and the investor funds were spent elsewhere. To execute his scheme, Disman made various material misrepresentations about investor payouts and the use of investor money, executing sham contracts and sharing real estate paperwork to add legitimacy. Disman actually used the investor funds for various non-business purposes, including ATM cash withdrawals and drug purchases. In total, Disman defrauded at least 17 victim investors and caused at least $2.7 million in losses. This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by assistant U.S. attorneys in the Plano office. # # #


title: Jury finds former deportation officer guilty of federal crimes related to depriving immigrant victims’ civil rights

body_text: CINCINNATI -- A federal jury convicted a former ICE deportation officer today for crimes related to abusing his position to deprive the civil rights of victims under his supervision in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program. Andrew Golobic, 52, of Cincinnati and Mason, Ohio, was found guilty on four counts including obstructing a sex trafficking investigation, deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering and destruction of records in a federal investigation. The verdict was announced this evening following a trial that began on Jan. 8 before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. The jury began deliberations on Jan. 19 and found Golobic guilty on four of seven counts. Golobic was convicted of depriving a woman under his supervision in the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program of her fundamental right to bodily integrity, by forcing her to engage in nonconsensual sex. ATD allows certain asylum seekers and other immigrants who ICE has determined pose a low risk to public safety to remain in their communities while their immigration cases are pending. After being approached by agents from FBI and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General in June 2020, Golobic deleted evidence from his cellphones. Golobic was employed as a deportation officer with ICE from 2006 to 2020 and was assigned to the ICE office in Blue Ash, Ohio. He was assigned to the ATD program from approximately 2015 to 2020. In his role, Golobic supervised immigrants with vulnerable backgrounds including those fleeing violence, exploitation, and sexual assault. Golobic knew he had power over women under his supervision. Golobic had discretion over the degree of freedom and movement afforded to participants under his supervision. He had the authority to decide the type of monitoring, frequency of reporting and level of supervision, as well as the authority to recommend that ATD participants who violated conditions of the program be detained or deported. Golobic’s sentence will be determined by the Court based on federal sentencing guidelines and other factors at a future hearing. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and John R. Pias, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General (DHS-OIG) announced the verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Ashley N. Brucato are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Gallia County man sentenced to 11 years in prison for dogfighting & drug distribution

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Gallia County man was sentenced to 11 years in prison today after pleading guilty to dogfighting and fentanyl distribution. He will serve nine months concurrent and 12 months consecutive to the 10 years he is already serving on the drug charges. Michael Valentine, 40, of Bidwell, Ohio, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of raising and training dogs for the purpose of fighting and five counts related to fentanyl distribution. He was sentenced on Jan. 26, 2023, to serve 10 years in prison for the drug distribution charge. He will also serve five years of supervised release. “Valentine’s crimes endangered both humans and dogs,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Thanks to the work of our investigative partners, hundreds of grams of fentanyl were taken out of circulation before reaching our local communities and more than 50 dogs were removed from the defendant. It is appropriate that Valentine will spend a significant amount of time in federal prison.” “Dogfighting is a barbaric offense that cruelly harms animals and burdens the surrounding community in many ways,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those engaged in this horrific practice face significant punishment.” “The relevant provisions of the Animal Welfare Act were designed to protect animals from being used in illegal fighting ventures, which often entail other forms of criminal activity including drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Springer of USDA-OIG. “The USDA-OIG thanks the Department of Justice, who prosecuted the case, and Gallia County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI for their assistance with the investigation.” According to court documents, law enforcement first investigated Valentine for dogfighting offenses in 2019 after a dog attacked a small child living with him. That investigation led to a search warrant of the Valentine’s residence and the seizure of 40 dogs. The search also recovered numerous items of dog fighting paraphernalia, including treadmills, veterinary supplies and dogfighting videos. On March 8, 2022, a second search warrant was executed at the Valentine’s residence as part of a fentanyl-distribution investigation. That search revealed dog fighting paraphernalia, as well as two assault-style rifles. In addition, a search of a nearby parcel of land revealed 677 grams of fentanyl and 69 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution, and an additional 11 dogs, which Valentine was keeping for purposes of dogfighting. Valentine had previously sold 141 grams of fentanyl from the property. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General (USDA-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with assistance from the Gallia County Sherriff’s Office. This investigation was conducted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. More information about OCDETF can be found at: https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Michael Marous and Department of Justice Environmental and Natural Resources Division Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman are prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Repeat Chico Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jason Morgan, 46, of Chico, was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in December 2020, Morgan possessed child pornography while on federal supervised release for prior federal convictions for distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and the use of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alstyn Bennett and Audrey B. Hemesath prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joseph Gene Christie, age 18, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country. The Information alleged that Christie sexually assaulted a victim in March of 2023. The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Stilwell Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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. Christie was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending the sentencing hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.


title: Jury Convicts Man of Drug and Firearm Charges as Repeat Offender

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that a federal jury on January 25, 2024, returned verdicts against Donnale Clay, 40, of Tacoma, Washington. The jury found Clay not guilty of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and guilty of felon in possession of a firearm. The jury also found Clay guilty of the lesser-included offense of possession of methamphetamine. The verdicts followed a two-day trial in front of United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher. Judge Buescher scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2024. Clay faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for the firearm conviction and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 days up to two years for the drug charge. The evidence at trial established that on April 27, 2022, interdiction officers with a DEA task force were conducting routine surveillance at the Omaha bus terminal when a bus from Denver arrived. Officers visually examined the luggage compartment and noticed a suspicious suitcase. Officers set the suitcase next to the bus to observe if anyone would pick it up. Clay came and retrieved the suitcase. During a consensual conversation, the officer noticed other suspicious factors about Clay’s travel. Clay told the officer he was travelling from Tacoma to St. Paul, Minnesota. After granting consent to search the suitcase, Clay ran away. He was taken into custody after a short pursuit. A search of the suitcase uncovered three handguns, including a loaded .38-caliber Colt semi-automatic. A search of a backpack Clay had been wearing uncovered about 689 grams (1.51 pounds) of methamphetamine, about 60 grams (weight with packaging) of fentanyl pills, and an Airsoft pistol. After the jury returned the guilty verdicts on the two charges, it found that Clay had a prior conviction for a drug offense, enhancing his minimum and maximum sentences for the possession charge. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nebraska State Patrol. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office conducted forensic testing of the drugs. An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also testified.