title: Ex-Federal Correction Officer Pleads Guilty to Taking Bribes in Exchange for Smuggling Contraband into Federal Jail in Brooklyn

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, former federal correction officer Quandelle Joseph, formerly employed by the United States Bureau of Prisons (BOP), pleaded guilty to receiving bribes in exchange for providing contraband to individuals detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. Today’s proceeding was held before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry. When sentenced, Joseph faces up to 15 years in prison. Joseph resigned from the BOP during the pendency of the case. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Region, announced the guilty plea. According to court documents and facts presented at the guilty plea proceeding, Joseph became a correction officer at the MDC in May 2020. During his employment, Joseph accepted tens of thousands of dollars from inmates in exchange for smuggling narcotics, cigarettes, and cell phones into the MDC. In one instance, Joseph entered a unit he was not guarding during a lockdown, opened an inmate’s cell and provided him with contraband. Several hours later, MDC staff smelled marijuana in that inmate’s cell and recovered a contraband cell phone during a search of the cell; Joseph was to be paid $12,000 from this inmate for bringing in contraband. Joseph also accepted bribes to smuggle contraband into the MDC to another inmate, who then sold the contraband widely throughout his unit. Joseph also warned the inmate about upcoming contraband searches at the MDC. For example, on January 26, 2021, Joseph texted an inmate from whom he was taking bribes: “Tighten up search comin clean phones out call logs n text n try to stash it.” The next day, Joseph texted the inmate: “keep your phones cleannnnnnnnnn erase texts and call logs every night.” The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Pilmar and Sara K. Winik are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : QUANDELLE JOSEPH Age: 33 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-306 (DLI)


title: Leaders Of International Drug Trafficking And Firearms Smuggling Organization Sentenced To 21 And 20 Years In Prison

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that FRANCISCO JAVIER MECINA BARRERA, a/k/a “Angel,” was sentenced to 21 years in prison for MECINA’s leadership of a large-scale firearms trafficking and methamphetamine distribution and importation operation he called the “ Cartel de Houston ” — Spanish for “Houston Cartel” — or “CDH.” The organization smuggled substantial quantities of firearms to Mexico to trade them for hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, which they then distributed throughout the United States, while using firearms of their own to protect their organization and threaten others. In June 2023, MECINA pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero, who imposed today’s sentence. On December 1, 2023, Judge Marrero sentenced co-defendant ADALID CABRERA HUATO, a/k/a “China,” who was the CDH’s second-in-command, to 20 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “These defendants sought nothing less than the establishment of a heavily armed drug cartel based in the United States, importing massive quantities of deadly drugs while exporting weapons to some of the most violent criminal organizations in the world. They believed Satan was watching over them because they knew what they were doing was evil — plain and simple. These crimes cause immense harm to communities on both sides of the border, all across the United States, and right here in New York City. Our Office continues its unwavering commitment to dismantling all organizations that look to line their pockets through drugs, guns, and violence.” According to court filings and statements made in court proceedings: From at least in or about March 2020 to at least in or about April 2021, MECINA was the leader of an international narcotics importation and distribution organization that imported hundreds of kilograms of crystal and liquid methamphetamine from Mexico into Texas and further distributed it throughout the United States, including to New York. MECINA called his group the Cartel de Houston , or “CDH,” because it was based in Houston and had ties to Mexico-based drug trafficking cartels. CDH was also an international supplier of firearms. At MECINA’s direction, members of CDH smuggled numerous firearms into Mexico and delivered them to Mexico-based drug traffickers, often in exchange for methamphetamine that they then smuggled back into the United States for distribution, hidden in the gas tank of a car that MECINA provided to his couriers. A photograph of some of these firearms as they were packaged by members of CDH to be smuggled into Mexico is included below: MECINA and other members of CDH also used firearms to threaten and intimidate a narcotics customer of CDH who owed MECINA money for drugs, intimidating him with an assault-style rifle with a 50-round drum magazine. When MECINA was arrested, that rifle and loaded drum magazine were found in his apartment, as shown in the below photographs: After establishing CDH, MECINA appointed co-defendant Cabrera as his right-hand man in Houston, and MECINA recruited others, including co-defendants GIOVANNI DE LA MORA and JAIME SANTILLANO, to acquire and transport numerous guns from the United States into Mexico, trade them for substantial quantities of methamphetamine, and transport the drugs into the United States, where they would distribute them throughout the country, including to the Bronx, New York. MECINA provided his co-conspirators with vehicles and instructed them on how to hide the guns and drugs in the fuel tank to avoid detection. MECINA also utilized a Mexico-based religious figure known as “Lucifer” to bless the CDH’s members and drugs as they were crossing the border. To exert control over his criminal organization, MECINA created a CDH Initiation Agreement that he sent to those working for him, marked it with a purportedly Satanic symbol, and detailed the “Rite of Initiation for New Applications to Enter the Fraternity of CDH,” as depicted below: MECINA also created a logo for his criminal organization that he shared with co-conspirators, which had the same Satanic icon at the top: * * * MECINA, 32, of Michoacán, Mexico, and Houston, Texas, pled guilty to (i) conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; (ii) conspiracy to illegally import methamphetamine into the United States; and (iii) use, carrying, and possession of a firearm in connection with, and in furtherance of, the narcotics conspiracy and the narcotics importation conspiracy, which was brandished. CABRERA, 26, of Houston, Texas, pled guilty to narcotics conspiracy. As part of the same case, DE LA MORA and SANTILLANO, both of Houston, Texas, previously pled guilty to narcotics conspiracy. DE LA MORA and SANTILLANO were sentenced by Judge Marrero to 90 months and 86 months in prison, respectively. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Marrero sentenced DE LA MORA and SANTILLANO each to four years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations New York City Border Enforcement Security Task Force, which is comprised of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, including the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Houston Police Department, and the DEA Houston Division for their invaluable assistance in this investigation. This prosecution 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 . This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Herman, Mitzi S. Steiner, and Jane Y. Chong, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Jacqueline Hauck, are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Albany County Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing Government Funds

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – John T. Cox, age 61, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to mail fraud and stealing money from a federally funded governmental agency. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Ryan T. Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) Northeast Region, made the announcement. Cox admitted that between June 2017 and February 2023, while employed as a Budget Analyst in the Albany County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO), he stole $122,251.25 by issuing 16 fraudulent checks drawn on funds in the care of the ACSO, an agency that received more than $10,000 in federal funding each year during this time period. Cox used the checks to pay himself directly or to pay down his line of credit. Cox then tried to cover up his fraud by falsifying ACSO records to suggest that the funds were being used for legitimate purposes such as vehicle and equipment purchases. Cox stole some of the money from a Department of Justice program in which the federal government shares the proceeds of federal asset forfeitures with state and local law enforcement agencies. Cox is scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2024 by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. The mail fraud conviction carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and the federal program theft conviction carries a maximum term of 10 years in prison. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Cox has also agreed to pay $122,251.25 in restitution to the ACSO, and to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $113,301.25. The FBI, DOJ OIG, and ACSO investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal is prosecuting the case.


title: St. Louis Man Indicted on Armed Robbery, Gun Charges

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis, Missouri was accused in an indictment Wednesday of the armed robbery of a store in October. The indictment accuses Divontay Scott, 33, of the Oct. 17, 2023, armed robbery of a Family Dollar store in St. Louis. Scott was indicted on three felony counts: robbery, possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The robbery charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The felon in possession charge is punishable by of up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The possession and brandishing charge carries a penalty of at least seven years in prison, consecutive to the other charges. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney and ATF Release New Public Service Announcement Warning Against Possession of Machine Gun Conversion Devices

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

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Los Angeles Field Division today launched a public service announcement designed to raise awareness on the dangers of machine gun conversion devices, sometimes known as “switches,” “chips” or “auto sears.” The PSA features United States Attorney Martin Estrada and ATF Los Angeles leadership highlighting the dangers of using illegal conversion devices in firearms and how possession of these devices can lead to federal prosecution and incarceration. “In the last five years, ATF has recovered more than 31,000 machine gun conversion devices,” said ATF LA Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bombardiere. “These devices are not gun accessories. They are illegal and considered machine guns under federal law. This current machine gun conversion device trend is similar to what we saw when ghost guns emerged more than a decade ago.” “Protecting the public is our priority and gun ‘switches’ pose a real danger to the community,” said U.S. Attorney Estrada. “Simply possessing a conversion device can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, and law enforcement is committed to eradicating them for everyone’s safety.” Conversion devices can convert semi-automatic pistols and rifles into fully automatic weapons in less than 60 seconds. One pull of the trigger can release all the ammunition in the magazine. The PSA encourages the public to contact the local ATF office if they know someone making, selling or possessing a conversion device. Individuals are also encouraged to contact an ATF office if they need to safely dispose of a conversion device. Conversion devices are advertised using misleading names and deceptive descriptions intended to avoid detection by law enforcement and defeat protocols used by internet vendors. Often the devices are advertised with the assertion that the purchase and possession of the devices is lawful. This is not true. A conversion device just on its own is considered an illegal machine gun under federal law and cannot be possessed, even without a pistol or rifle. Both the National Firearms Act and the Gun Control Act regulate machine guns. The definition of a machine gun under 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b) and 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(23) includes: Any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun. The 60-second PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnlJ6HMpkMI The 30-second PSA: https://youtu.be/XFw7abax_EM The 30-second radio PSA: https://atf.widen.net/s/sg9mltzxk9/california-psa-30-sec.-radio-spot


title: Man who Provided a Ride Share to Engage in Sexual Activity with a Minor is Sentenced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: A Tulsa man was sentenced today coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Miles Alan Parsons, 39, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervision by the U.S. Probation Office. Upon release, Parsons will also be required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, in Sept. 2022, Parsons responded to a post on social media with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old female. Over several days, Parsons engaged in sexual conversation, sent nude videos and photos of himself, and requested the underage female to do the same. He then requested the underage female to come to his house. The underage female agreed to meet Parsons down the street from his home. Hoping to engage in sexual intercourse, Parsons admitted to ordering a ride share to pick up the underage female. When the ride shared arrived, Parsons was arrested. Parsons will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. The Homeland Security Investigations and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Readout of Justice Department’s Interagency Convening on Advancing Equity in Artificial Intelligence

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division convened a meeting yesterday with the heads of civil rights offices and senior officials from multiple federal agencies to discuss the critical intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and civil rights as directed by President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence . In her opening remarks, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke detailed the division’s comprehensive approach to address the potential impact of AI on civil rights through enforcement, education and outreach, interagency coordination and policy. She highlighted the division’s joint statement with federal partners explaining AI’s potential impact on civil rights, fair competition, consumer protection and equal opportunity and our collective commitment to combating unlawful use of AI systems. She also noted the division’s guidance explaining how algorithms and AI can lead to disability discrimination in hiring and the important work of the division’s internal AI Civil Rights Working Group. During the meeting, attendees discussed their efforts to safeguard civil rights through robust enforcement, policy initiatives and ongoing education and outreach. Agency representatives explored ways to leverage shared resources to address discrimination or other adverse situations that may arise through the use of AI and other advanced technologies. Participants also provided updates on their respective obligations under the executive order, which include developing and issuing policies, guidance and other resource documents on the application of existing federal civil rights and consumer protection laws to the use of AI in areas such as education, employment, healthcare, housing and credit. All participants highlighted the importance of educating the public about how AI and similar systems can violate federal protections and the need to develop holistic remedies to address those harms. Attendees at the interagency convening included Chair Charlotte Burrows of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Director Rohit Chopra of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Director of Civil Rights Melanie Fontes Rainer of the Department of Health and Human Services and Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia of the Department of Homeland Security. Additional officials participated from the following agencies: the Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Department of Education, Department of Energy, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of Labor, Department of Transportation, Department of the Treasury, Federal Trade Commission and Social Security Administration. All of the participants pledged to continue collaboration to protect the American public against any harms that might result from the increased use and reliance on AI, algorithms and other advanced technologies. The agencies also agreed to partner on external stakeholder engagement around their collective efforts to advance equity and civil rights in AI.


title: St. Louis County Man Accused of Two Carjackings

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Jennings, Missouri on Wednesday was indicted in connection with two carjackings in October. Ahmod Samez Moore, 28, of Jennings, was indicted on two counts of carjacking and two counts of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The indictment alleges that Moore stole a Kia Optima at gunpoint on Oct. 5, 2023, in St. Louis County and a GMC Envoy five days later, also at gunpoint, in St. Louis. The carjacking charges are each punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. The brandishing charges carries a penalty of at least seven years in prison, consecutive to any other charges. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The County Club Hills Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Finlen is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Seattle man making drug sales in car stolen from Childrens’ Hospital sentenced to eight years in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A Seattle man arrested in a car that had been stolen from a Children’s Hospital garage, was sentenced on Tuesday January 9, 2024, to eight years in prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Timothy Robert Laucks, 42, pleaded guilty on September 26, 2023, to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart imposed three years of supervised release to follow the prison term. According to records filed in the case, Laucks was spotted driving a car that had been stolen at the Childrens’ Hospital parking garage, while the owner was inside with a sick child. The car was taken on October 30 th and just days later, on November 4, 2022, Seattle Police spotted the car in the Ballard neighborhood. Officers observed the car for a few hours while the driver, Laucks, drove to various homeless encampments in the Seattle area. At these locations, officers observed Laucks carrying a pizza box and trafficking narcotics to members of the homeless encampments. Officers followed Laucks, who drove to a downtown grocery store parking lot. When officers pulled their marked patrol car pulled in front of the stolen car, Laucks hit the accelerator crashing into the patrol car. He attempted to flee on foot but was caught within moments. While running, Laucks attempted to toss his jacket and backpack. Those were recovered by officers. In the jacket was a .40 semi-automatic pistol that had been reported stolen in Redmond, Washington. In the backpack were multiple narcotics packaged for distribution, including zanax, fentanyl pills, powder, cocaine, meth, and heroin. Laucks had a second handgun and more than $8,000 cash on him when arrested. Laucks claimed he had purchased the car from someone else and didn’t realize it had been stolen from a family with a sick child, until he saw some medical paperwork in the car. He told officers he had intended to return the car and the paperwork but “got busy making drops,” or drug sales. Laucks was indicted by the grand jury on March 1 st , 2023. Laucks has multiple prior convictions which prohibit him from possessing firearms, including felony convictions in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. In asking for a nine-year prison sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson wrote to the court, “As a prohibited person, the defendant was precluded from possessing any firearms, let alone using them to traffic drugs. Seattle Police officers observed the defendant peddling drugs thinly disguised in a pizza box to various homeless communities in the city. The defendant’s prior encounters with the criminal system have failed to deter or dissuade him from selling drugs and carrying firearms.” The case was investigated by the Seattle Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.


title: Man Who Carried Out Machete Attack on NYPD Officers in Times Square on NYE 2022 Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Charges

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Trevor Bickford Traveled to the Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration in 2022 for the Purpose of Killing U.S. Officials in the Name of Radical Islamic Jihad and Used a Machete-Style Knife to Attack Three NYPD Officers Working in Coordination with Federal Authorities to Protect the New Year’s Eve Event Trevor Bickford, 20, of Wells, Maine, today pleaded guilty to multiple counts of attempting to kill officers and employees of the U.S. government and persons assisting them based on his jihadist attack using a machete-style knife against three New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2022. “Last New Year’s Eve, Trevor Bickford attacked courageous NYPD officers protecting those celebrating in Times Square as part of his effort, as he later told law enforcement, to commit jihad in New York City,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Today’s guilty plea should serve as a warning: terrorists who target and attack law enforcement and endanger the American people will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” “The defendant in this case, motivated by violent extremist views, traveled to New York City for the sole purpose of committing acts of violence and attacked three police officers causing serious injuries,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Police officers bravely protect the American people and attacks against them cannot be tolerated. The FBI will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable all those who engage in acts of terrorism.” “As he admitted in court today, Trevor Bickford attempted to murder three NYPD officers while they were on duty protecting the thousands of civilians who flocked to Times Square just over a year ago to celebrate the New Year with friends and family,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Bickford targeted the iconic yearly celebration to carry out brazen acts of violence and hatred in the name of jihad. Bickford, as with countless others who have carried out acts of terrorism in support of misguided ideologies, is now going to spend lengthy time exactly where he deserves – in federal prison.” According to court documents, in December 2022, Bickford, a U.S. citizen and resident of Maine, traveled from Maine to New York City to, in his own words, wage jihad and kill as many of his targets as possible. After considering his options, researching his target location, and settling on his plan of attack, he packed a large machete-like blade and went to one of the most densely populated areas in the United States at one of the most densely populated times possible: Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Bickford then chose to ambush three NYPD officers, declared “Allahu Akbar,” an Arabic phrase meaning “God is great” that other radical Islamic extremists have similarly proclaimed while carrying out terrorist attacks, and attacked them with his blade, seriously injuring all three officers. One of the officers managed to shoot Bickford in the shoulder, halting his violent rampage. Bickford later declared that he carried out his attack to wage jihad and admitted that his goal was to kill as many military-aged men who worked for the U.S. government as he could before himself becoming a martyr. The machete-style knife with a blade over a foot long that Bickford used to carry out his jihadist attack is shown below: Bickford spent months consuming materials espousing radical Islamic ideology — including materials promoting the Taliban and reflecting the teachings of Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, a prominent radical Islamic cleric who was a spiritual mentor of al Qaeda — and contemplating ways to wage jihad. As he immersed himself deeper into this propaganda, Bickford devoted himself to violent Islamic extremism and pursuit of the jihad that he would eventually unleash in the heart of New York City. In the months leading up to his attack, Bickford focused on traveling overseas to support the Taliban in Afghanistan or elsewhere. He planned to ally himself with the Taliban to fight against governments that, in his view, oppress Muslims, and to wage jihad against officials of governments that he believes are anti-Muslim, including the U.S. Government. Ultimately, Bickford decided that he would not travel overseas and instead turned his attention to an attack in the United States. After months of radicalization, this decision resulted in Bickford perpetrating his attack in Times Square on New Year’s Eve just over a year ago. Near the scene of the attack, law enforcement recovered a book from Bickford’s backpack with the following passage highlighted: “Fight in the Name of Allah and in the Cause of Allah. Fight against those who do not believe in Allah. Wage a holy war.” Bickford pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted murder of officers and employees of the U.S. government and persons assisting them, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and three counts of assault of officers and employees of the U.S. government and persons assisting them, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charges carry an aggregate potential sentence of 120 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman, Sarah L. Kushner, and Kaylan E. Lasky for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney D. Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Felon Guilty of Illegal Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Minneapolis man guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to the evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of October 25, 2022, officers with the Minneapolis Police Department responded to an apartment building on Hiawatha Avenue following reports of a possible domestic incident involving a person with a gun. Officers went to the apartment unit and, as they approached the door, could hear a male voice yelling loudly. Officers ultimately opened the door using a key from apartment security and located Devon Lamont Holt, 33, and a woman inside. Officers obtained a search warrant for the apartment and recovered a loaded Taurus model G2C nine-millimeter pistol. Subsequent testing revealed Holt’s DNA on the firearm. Because Holt has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. Following a three-day trial before Judge Katherine M. Menendez in U.S. District Court, Holt was found guilty yesterday on one count of possession of a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider and Bradley M. Endicott tried the case.


title: Koreatown Lawyer Charged with Money Laundering, Tax Evasion and Obstructing Probe of $2.1 Million Payment from Swiss Oil Company

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury has indicted a Koreatown lawyer with multiple felonies arising from an alleged $2.1 million bribe, which he received while serving as an officer of Nigeria’s state-owned oil company in connection with negotiating favorable drilling rights for a subsidiary of a Chinese state-owned oil company, the Justice Department announced today. Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, 67, of Valencia, who practices immigration and personal injury law out of an office in Koreatown, was charged in a five-count indictment returned on Wednesday. Okoronkwo is charged with three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, one count of tax evasion, and one count of obstruction of justice. He is expected to be arraigned in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles in the coming weeks. According to the indictment, Okoronkwo, who is a dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria, was a foreign official who served as the general manager of the upstream division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC), a state-owned company through which Nigeria’s government developed that nation’s fossil fuel and natural gas reserves, including through partnerships with foreign oil companies. In this role, Okoronkwo owed a fiduciary duty to the NNPC and the Nigerian people and was a public official. In October 2015, Addax Petroleum, a Switzerland-based subsidiary of Sinopec, a Chinese state-owned petroleum, gas, and petrochemical conglomerate, wired a payment of $2,105,263 to an Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account (IOLTA) in the name of Okoronkwo’s Los Angeles law firm, purportedly for his work as a consultant who negotiated and completed a settlement agreement with the NNPC with respect to Addax’s drilling rights in Nigeria. According to the indictment, Addax calculated that it stood to lose billions of dollars if its favorable drilling rights were not secured. The engagement letter that Addax signed that month with Okoronkwo’s law office – with a fake address in Lagos, Nigeria – allegedly was a ruse intended to conceal the fact that its payment to Okoronkwo was a bribe in exchange for his influence in securing more favorable financial terms relating to its crude oil drilling in Nigeria. According to the indictment, to conceal the illegal bribery scheme, Addax falsely characterized the $2.1 million payment as a payment for legal services, lied to an auditor about the payment, and fired an executive who questioned the payment’s propriety. To create the false impression that the bribe payment constituted client funds, Okoronkwo allegedly received the payment in his law firm’s IOLTA. In November 2017, Okoronkwo allegedly used $983,200 of the illegally obtained funds to purchase a house in Valencia. In addition to money laundering, Okoronkwo is charged with tax evasion for allegedly omitting the $2.1 million bribe payment from his 2015 federal income tax return. He is also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to investigators when interviewed in June 2022. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted of all charges, Okoronkwo would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count, 10 years in federal prison for the obstruction of justice count, and five years in federal prison for the tax evasion count. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force is prosecuting this case.


title: Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Distribution

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield man pleaded guilty today to possessing cocaine intended for distribution. Hector Quinones, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for May 9, 2024. Quinones was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2022. On Jan. 20, 2022, Quinones possessed with intent to distribute 236 grams of cocaine. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Cheryl Clapprood, Superintendent of the Springfield Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: District Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tanisha Sadulski, 41, was sentenced in federal court on January 9 to 20 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of children and sentenced to five years for the sexual abuse of children. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates also sentenced Sadulski to a lifetime of supervised release plus an additional ten years, to run concurrently, for the child sexual abuse charges. According to the government’s evidence, between October 25, 2021, and April 28, 2022, Sadulski repeatedly uploaded graphic images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers to her Google account. Sadulski also took pictures of a child when the victim was undressed. Additionally, she filmed herself sexually assaulting a toddler. Sadulski communicated with other sex offenders via the internet with the intent to send and receive child pornography. She uploaded child sexual abuse material, including videos which documented the sexual abuse and exploitation of young children. Sadulski pleaded guilty on September 13, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist commended the work of those who investigated the case from FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn Bond of the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.


title: Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bryan Tamblyn, 40, of Sacramento, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison for receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. He was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to a victim in the case, and a $5,000 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act assessment. According to court records, between July 2018 and August 2019, Tamblyn used a BitTorrent client to knowingly receive thousands of files containing visual depictions of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Some of those files included children under the age of 12. This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall 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: Chaparral Man Sentenced to 90 months in Prison for Hostage Taking

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, John Morales, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s El Paso Field Office, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Ricardo Arce, III was sentenced to 90 months in prison. Arce, 44, of Chaparral, New Mexico, pled guilty in federal court on Sept. 22, 2021, to conspiracy to take a hostage and two counts of hostage taking. In his plea agreement, Arce admitted to conspiring with his co-defendants, Jonathan Matthew Gonzalez and Vicki Sowell, to take two foreign nationals’ hostage. Gonzalez transported the hostages to Arce’s residence in Chaparral, took their phones and wallets, and told them they were not allowed to leave unless their families paid money to secure their release. While held against their will, Gonzalez assaulted both of the hostages. Arce recorded videos of Gonzalez assaulting one of the hostages while Sowell turned up music to cover the sounds of the beating. Gonzalez sent the videos to the hostage’s family along with a demand for money. Gonzalez threatened to kill the hostages if they did not pay the ransom. Family and friends of the hostages paid nearly $20,000 in an attempt to secure their release. Gonzales paid Arce and Sowell to house and watch the hostages. Upon his release from prison, Arce will be subject to 5 years of supervised release. Gonzalez pled guilty to conspiracy to take a hostage and two counts of hostage taking on March 18, 2022, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Sowell was convicted of conspiracy to take a hostage and two counts of hostage taking and sentenced to 32 months in prison. The FBI El Paso Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Las Cruces Resident Agency, El Paso Police Department, Las Cruces Police Department, Otero County Sheriff's Office, Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector and Border Patrol El Paso Sector Special Operations Detachment BORTAC. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Ramirez is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment View the Plea Agreement # # # 24-16


title: Five Individuals Indicted for Long-Running Pump-and-Dump Schemes

body_text: BOSTON – Four Canadian nationals and one former California attorney, who is believed to be residing in Mexico, were indicted on Jan. 9, 2024 in connection with long-running international securities fraud schemes in which they sold millions of shares in multiple microcap—or “penny”—stock companies during pump-and-dumps, generating at least tens of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds. The indictment charged Frederick L. Sharp, 71, and Courtney M. Kelln, 43, both of British Columbia, with two counts each of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. The indictment further charged Luis Carrillo, 50, previously of California, and Mike K.G. Veldhuis, 43, and Paul Sexton, 55, both of British Columbia, with one count each of securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Sharp, Carrillo, Veldhuis and Kelln were previously charged in a criminal complaint . Also among the named co-conspirators was Roger Knox, who founded and ran the Swiss asset management firm Wintercap SA and who was sentenced for securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities fraud in October 2023 . According to the charging documents, a pump-and-dump typically involves an effort to artificially inflate the stock price or trading volume of a publicly traded company (the “pump”) so that individuals who control a substantial portion of the company’s float can sell their shares at artificially high prices, or in a more liquid market, to other investors (the “dump”). Sharp—who used the codename “Bond”—allegedly operated a sophisticated platform for at least six years that provided a variety of services to individuals seeking to conceal their identities in contravention of the securities laws when selling penny stock shares during pump-and-dumps. Sharp’s alleged services included: providing offshore nominee entities to hold shares for clients; providing and administering encrypted communications networks for use by clients and other co-conspirators (known as “xphone” and “xmail”); facilitating the deposit of stock through Wintercap in the names of the nominee entities; administering a proprietary web-based accounting system that tracked clients’ total stock holdings, sales and proceeds (known as “Q”); and facilitating the payment of illegal stock sale proceeds to accounts around the world at his clients’ direction. Kelln, who worked for Sharp, allegedly facilitated the breakdown and transfer of Sharp’s clients’ shares to Sharp’s offshore nominees, as well as the shares’ subsequent deposit with Wintercap to facilitate their sale to unsuspecting investors. Carrillo, Veldhuis and Sexton are alleged to have been “undisclosed control persons” who orchestrated pump-and-dumps using Sharp’s platform and through Wintercap. The steps in the alleged schemes generally involved: acquiring control over a significant portion, if not all, of a penny-stock issuer’s outstanding shares and a majority, if not all, of the issuer’s float, while simultaneously failing to file public disclosures when required by the securities laws; transferring the shares to nominee entities in blocks of less than five percent of the total outstanding shares of the issuer in order to evade and circumvent the securities laws and to evade scrutiny by brokers; transferring the shares held by the nominee entities to Wintercap, which in turn deposited the shares for trading at brokerages around the world; directing Wintercap to dump—i.e., sell—the shares during multifaceted promotional campaigns funded and organized by the undisclosed control persons, which campaigns at times included “boiler rooms” cold-calling unsuspecting U.S. investors in Massachusetts and elsewhere touting the stocks and soliciting purchases; and distributing the illicit proceeds from Wintercap at the undisclosed control persons’ direction. The indictment identifies three issuers whose shares were sold during pump-and-dumps allegedly led by Carrillo: OneLife Technologies Corp. (ticker OLMM), millions of shares of which were sold between November 2017 and October 2018 through Wintercap, generating proceeds of approximately $5.2 million; Garmatex Holdings, Ltd. (ticker GRMX), millions of shares of which were sold between March and May 2017 through Wintercap, generating proceeds of approximately $5 million; and Pure Snax International, Inc. (ticker PSNX), millions of shares of which were sold between November 2015 and September 2016 through Wintercap, generating proceeds of approximately $1.6 million. The indictment also identifies one issuer whose shares were sold during a pump-and-dump allegedly led by Veldhuis and Sexton: Vitality BioPharma, Inc., formerly known as Stevia First Corp. (tickers VBIO & STVF), millions of shares of which were sold between May 2016 and September 2018 through Wintercap, generating proceeds over $17 million. The charges of securities fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. The charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Bay Area Men Plead Guilty to Bribing a Vallejo City Official

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Steven Chu, 41, of San Bruno, and Ben Guan, 36, of San Francisco, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Chu and Guan ran an illegal marijuana cultivation operation in Vallejo. In July 2020, Chu and Guan were notified that the building in which they maintained the operation was in violation of multiple laws, including city codes related to illegal drug activity, and that the city would take legal or administrative action if the violations were not corrected. Subsequently, Chu and Guan offered to pay and then paid a Vallejo building inspector to clear the violations and ensure the city would not interfere with their operation. Chu and Guan paid the building inspector on at least six occasions. The payments totaled approximately $27,000. Unbeknownst to Chu and Guan, the building inspector was working with law enforcement to record meetings with them. This case is a product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta is scheduled to sentence Chu and Guan on May 2, 2024. They face a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the court’s discretion after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Monticello Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Jeffrey Sredl, 45 years old, of Monticello, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possessing unregistered firearms, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Sredl was sentenced to 51 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Sredl manufactured multiple destructive devices that functioned as firearms, one of which accidentally discharged and injured a person. During the execution of a search warrant at Sredl’s home, law enforcement recovered a pipe bomb and five other firearms. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the assistance of the Cass County Sheriff’s Department and the White County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome W. McKeever. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Howard County Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Threatening an LGBTQI+ Advocacy Group

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Adam Michael Nettina, age 34, of West Friendship, Maryland, to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for using the telephone to make death threats and other calls for violence against a group that advocates for LGBTQI+ people. According to the evidence presented by the government at today’s sentencing hearing, Nettina also sent threatening messages to Maryland and Virginia state delegates due to their support of transgender people. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. “You have the right to your own opinions, but you don’t have the right to threaten the lives of those who disagree with you. As this case demonstrates, free speech does not include violent threats against others,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Erek L. Barron. “We’ll continue prosecuting these threats to the fullest extent of the law.” “This defendant targeted and threatened members of the LGBTQI+ community and their allies, instilling fear and promoting violence toward a heavily targeted community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence underscores the Justice Department’s commitment to combating threats against public officials and protected communities. We will work tirelessly to expunge the growing threat posed by bias-motivated acts of violence directed at the LGBTQI+ community and their allies.” “Threats of violence made against people and organizations to instill fear will not be tolerated,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work diligently to ensure the civil rights of all Americans are protected.” According to court documents, on the evening of March 28, 2023, the victim organization received a threatening voicemail from a phone number, which investigators identified as belonging to Adam Michael Nettina. The message referenced the March 27, 2023, mass shooting at a school in Nashville, Tennessee, involving multiple shooting fatalities, where police identified the perpetrator as a transgender woman. During the call, numerous threats were made including, “ . . . We’ll cut your throats. We’ll put a bullet in your head . . . . You’re going to kill us? We’re going to kill you ten times more in full.” Nettina admitted that he left this voicemail for the purpose of issuing a threat and with the knowledge that the voicemail would be viewed as a threat. Further, Nettina intentionally selected the advocacy organization as a target of his message because of the actual and perceived gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation of the people who work at and are assisted by the organization. As detailed in his plea agreement, on March 31, 2022, a Maryland State Delegate posted a message of support on social media in honor of Trans Day of Visibility. Nettina responded on social media later that same day, which stated, among other things, that he had “begun the formal process of getting you excommunicated . . . ” from the Catholic Church. On November 8, 2022, the delegate was reelected. Nettina sent the delegate another message on social media, stating: “ . . . Baby killing terrroist. Enjoy hell You’re going sooner than you think.” Finally, as outlined in the court documents, on October 13, 2022, an online news story was published about an interview a Virginia State Delegate gave in which she advocated for the prevention of abuse towards transgender children. Two days later, on October 15, 2022, Nettina used the internet to send an email to the delegate’s press email account, stating: “The delegate is a terrorist. You are a terrorist. You deserve to be shot and hung in the streets. You want to come after people? Let’s go b**ch.” Nettina also sent a similar message to another email address of the delegate two minutes later. Nettina intentionally selected the delegate and her campaign staff as the recipient of his email because of the actual and perceived gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation of the people and constituents for whom the delegate had expressed support. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke commended the FBI for its work in the investigation. Mr. Barron and Ms. Clarke thanked Assistant U.S. Paul E. Budlow and Trial Attorney Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who prosecuted the federal case. Earlier this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (USAO-MD) launched the national Department of Justice initiative, United Against Hate. Together with our local partners, USAO-MD’s United Against Hate campaign will empower local residents and communities to combat unlawful acts of hate, stand against racism and discrimination and alter the course of growing intolerance. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: United States Attorney’s Office Hosts Human Trafficking Simulation for Human Trafficking Awareness Month

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO – United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina (USAO-MDNC), in partnership with Triad Ladder of Hope and the Lexington Police Department, hosted a simulation for community members, law enforcement, and service organizations to learn about the warning signs of human trafficking and provide resources for victims. Each year, the Department of Justice recognizes National Human Trafficking Awareness month in January in an effort to better educate the public about the signs of human trafficking and bring awareness to the victims. This year, the USAO-MDNC hosted its first human trafficking simulation to allow law enforcement, community members, and service providers a chance to learn more about what it is like to be a victim of human trafficking in order to better serve victims and their families. Over fifty participants from all around the state took part in this event, including service providers, NGOs, churches, medical providers, law enforcement, analysts, and victims’ services. Participants were also given a chance to speak with prosecutors and law enforcement about the government response to human trafficking and what resources are available. “Human trafficking takes place in every state across the United States, and the public is law enforcement’s most valuable partner in identifying cases and preventing this heinous crime,” said United States Attorney Sandra Hairston. “Our office is proud to host this event to educate members of both the community and law enforcement on the ways to recognize and prevent human trafficking, and we will continue to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.” If you or someone you know has experienced human trafficking, help is available. The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides free, confidential help, 24/7. Call: 1-888-373-7888; Text: HELP to 233733 (BEFREE); or Chat: humantraffickinghotline.org/chat . If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911. ###


title: Lafourche Parish Man Sentenced for Violations of Federal  Controlled Substances Act

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DILLON TOUPS , age 34, a resident of Larose, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 9, 2024 by United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to 140 months imprisonment, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, on December 18, 2021, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop of TOUPS on Highway 1 in Raceland, Louisiana. After smelling marijuana in the vehicle, deputies searched the vehicle and found a bag containing 1,317 grams of methamphetamine on the back seat. After being advised of his rights, TOUPS told the deputies he stored additional drugs at his residence. Deputies searched his residence in Larose, Louisiana and located 411 grams of methamphetamine and .91 grams of fentanyl. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Former Employee Of Two Leading Global Financial Institutions And His Associate Plead Guilty To Insider Trading

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty pleas of ANTHONY VIGGIANO and his co-conspirator, STEPHEN FORLANO, Jr., in connection with their participation in a scheme to commit insider trading securities fraud based on information that VIGGIANO misappropriated from two leading global financial firms while VIGGIANO was employed at the firms. VIGGIANO and FORLANO were arrested in May 2023 and pled guilty to securities fraud based on insider trading before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni. CHRISTOPHER SALAMONE previously pled guilty for his role in the scheme. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Anthony Viggiano was placed in trusted positions by not one, but two leading global financial institutions. Viggiano broke that trust repeatedly, illegally tipping Stephen Forlano, Jr., with material, confidential information. Viggiano and Forlano knew their conduct was wrong but sought to cheat the system anyway. Protecting the sanctity and integrity of the financial markets continues to be a cornerstone initiative for this Office, and we will continue to bring anyone attempting to illicitly disclose non-public information to justice.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, other public court documents, and statements made during court proceedings: ANTHONY VIGGIANO was employed at two different, leading global financial institutions located in New York, New York, specifically an investment management firm (“Firm-1”) and an investment bank (“Firm-2,” and together with Firm-1, the “Firms”). VIGGIANO worked as an analyst in Firm-1’s New York, New York, office between in or about April 2021 and in or about October 2021 and then worked at Firm-2 in New York, New York, as an associate in the asset management department. While working at the Firms, VIGGIANO received confidential internal communications that contained detailed information about non-public potential strategic partnerships involving Firm-1 and acquisitions involving Firm-2. VIGGIANO attended college with FORLANO and was a childhood friend of SALAMONE. In violation of the duties that he owed to each of the Firms, VIGGIANO tipped FORLANO and SALAMONE with material, non-public information (“MNPI”) relating to the names of potential counterparties for Firm-1’s strategic partnerships and, later, information that VIGGIANO learned during his employment at Firm-2 about companies that were potential acquisition targets. After VIGGIANO started working at Firm-2, he continued tipping STEPHEN FORLANO, Jr., with MNPI that VIGGIANO obtained through his employer. In total, VIGGIANO tipped FORLANO and/or SALAMONE with inside information in advance of at least eight different transactions involving publicly traded companies. FORLANO and SALAMONE each used MNPI provided by VIGGIANO to purchase shares in companies and to trade call options, including short-dated, out-of-the-money call options. VIGGIANO and SALAMONE agreed to split the profits from their illegal trading, which yielded total illegal profits of over approximately $300,000. FORLANO further provided this MNPI to friends and family through, among other means, a video game console’s audio chat function in order to evade detection by law enforcement. FORLANO himself illegally profited at least approximately $100,000 from the scheme. * * * VIGGIANO, 26, of Baldwin, New York, and FORLANO, 27, of Tampa, Florida, each pled guilty to one count of securities fraud under Title 15, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. He also expressed appreciation for the SEC, which separately initiated civil proceedings against the defendants. This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter J. Davis and Jared Lenow are in charge of the prosecution.


title: North Carolina Man Convicted of Federal Hate Crimes for Racially Motivated Attacks Against Black and Hispanic Men

body_text: A jury today in Greensboro, North Carolina, convicted Marian Hudak, 52, for committing a hate crime against a Black man and a Hispanic man on separate occasions. “It’s one thing to use racial slurs and harbor the KKK’s flag, but carrying out acts of violence fueled by naked racial animus and hatred violates the law and core principles of our democracy. The defendant was held accountable for his violent and unlawful attacks on Black and Hispanic members of his community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will vigorously investigate and prosecute violence targeting people because of their race or national origin. All community members should be able to live in and move about their neighborhoods without fear of attack because of how they look or where they are from.” “All people — regardless of the color of their skin or their nationality — are entitled to travel on public roads and enjoy their homes without fear of being threatened, harassed or intimidated,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We appreciate the law enforcement agencies who diligently sought justice in this case. The Concord community is safer and more peaceful as a result of today’s verdict.” “Investigating civil rights violations is some of the most important work we do,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “No one should be afraid to drive down the street, fill their car with gas or take their children to the bus stop because of someone’s intolerance and racial hatred. The FBI hopes this guilty verdict can give Mr. Hudak's victims some sense of peace." Evidence at trial proved that, on Oct. 13, 2022, Hudak encountered a Black man, identified as J.S., while driving in Concord, North Carolina, and shouted racial slurs at him. After telling J.S. to “come here, boy,” Hudak swerved into J.S.’s lane, got out of his vehicle and punched J.S.’s driver’s side window multiple times. When J.S. fled, Hudak chased him to his home where he continued shouting racial slurs and threatened to shoot and kill him. Evidence at trial also proved that on Nov. 27, 2021, Hudak attacked his Hispanic neighbor, J.D., outside J.D.’s home because of his nationality. Hudak shouted racially charged insults at J.D. before attacking him. Hudak punched and tackled J.D., causing J.D. to suffer bodily injury. Additional trial witnesses testified about Hudak’s frequent anti-Hispanic comments, both before and after the attack on J.D., and about other instances where Hudak shouted slurs at, gave the middle finger to and drove aggressively near other minority motorists in the Concord area. Other evidence included a KKK flag, a racist publication and Nazi memorabilia found in Hudak’s residence. On June 26, 2023, Hudak was charged with willfully injuring, intimidating or interfering with J.S. because of J.S.’s race and color and because J.S. was using a public facility. Hudak was charged with willfully injuring, intimidating or interfering with J.D. because of J.D.’s race and national origin and because J.D. was occupying a dwelling. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for May 1. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Waid and JoAnna McFadden for the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Missouri Man Who Tried to Sell ‘Spy Videos’ of Teens Sentenced to 17 ½ Years in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Thursday sentenced a man from Lincoln County, Missouri caught trying to make and sell “spy videos” of teenage girls to 17 and one-half years in prison. James Dean Kukan, 39, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to two counts of attempted production of child pornography. He admitted producing “spy videos” of two teenage girls in the bathroom using a hidden camera between October 2021 and February 2022. He also admitted trying to sell those videos online via Kik, Snapchat, Telegram and WhatsApp. On Feb. 14, 2022, Kukan entered a Kik group and began communicating with an undercover FBI agent. He offered to sell videos of the teens for between $60 and $100, his plea says. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman 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 the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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: Mexican National Sentenced  for Federal Immigration and Controlled Substances Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that FERMIN DANIEL PUENTE-MONTOYA , a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced on January 9, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B Vitter to 57 months incarceration, after previously pleading guilty to violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act and illegal reentry of a removed alien. Judge Vitter also ordered deportation for PUENTE-MONTOYA following imprisonment, and a 1-year term of supervised probation should he ever illegally reenter the country. According to the indictment, in March of 2023, PUENTE-MONTOYA conspired with others to pick up and transport a bag he knew contained over 9 kilograms of pure methamphetamine from Dallas, Texas to Kenner, Louisiana. PUENTE-MONTOYA participated in this narcotics conspiracy after previously being deported from the United States. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Kenner Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Leader of Fitchburg Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

body_text: BOSTON – The leader of a Fitchburg-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for fentanyl, heroin, crack and cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Pedro Baez, 54, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In February 2021, Baez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 280 grams or more of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine) and 500 grams or more of cocaine and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of heroin and cocaine. Following a fatal fentanyl overdose in September 2018, law enforcement began an investigation into a DTO operating in the Fitchburg area led by Pedro Baez and his son Anthony Baez. Beginning in July 2019, electronic communications revealed that the Baez DTO distributed a fentanyl and heroin mixture, cocaine and crack cocaine on a regular basis to individuals in the Fitchburg area, who then redistributed the drugs to others. Over the course of the investigation, over 1.8 kilograms of a heroin and fentanyl mixture, over 3.6 kilograms of cocaine and over 50 grams of crack cocaine, as well as a stolen, loaded handgun, drug manufacturing equipment and over $376,000 in cash were seized. Pedro Baez was charged along with 17 others in July 2020 . All 18 defendants were convicted, either by guilty plea or at trial. Pedro Baez is the 18th and final defendant to be sentenced in the case. In December 2020, Anthony Baez was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 13 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Commissioner Carol Mici of the Massachusetts Department of Correction; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. The Fitchburg Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Lunenburg Police Department also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea E. Porter and Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division 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 .


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Aiding and Abetting Theft of Federal Grant Funds

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aleksey Krylov, 42, of South Orange, New Jersey, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation, including six months on home detention, and ordered to pay $94,197.93 in restitution for aiding and abetting theft from programs receiving federal funds. Krylov admitted to diverting $94,197.93 in federal abandoned mine land (AML) remediation sub-grant funds to a West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) employee who had secretly helped Krylov obtain an AML grant award. According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about April 2017 until in or about August 7, 2019, Krylov enlisted Jerry D. Elkins to assist Krylov and one of Krylov’s companies with their application for a WVDEP AML pilot program sub-grant. Elkins was initially a regional planner and later an inspector for the WVDEP during the time period, and had become acquainted with Krylov prior to joining the WVDEP. The DEP receives grant funding from the United States Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) for, among other purposes, accelerating the remediation of eligible sites for economic revitalization and community development purposes under the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. Since 2016, West Virginia has received $181 million in AMLER block grant funds. Numerous private entities apply to receive AML sub-grants, and the process for selecting projects to receive sub-grant awards is competitive. Krylov and his company proposed to construct and operate an aquaponics facility that would produce commercial quantities of vegetables and fruits at a project site near Madison. Krylov agreed to pay Elkins a portion of the federal grant dollars in exchange for Elkins’ help. To assist Krylov and his company, Elkins disclosed internal WVDEP deliberations to Krylov, boosted Krylov’s project internally at WVDEP, submitted a report that was required to obtain the grant award, obtained public support for the project, provided his opinion and suggestions for improving the sub-grant application, recruited local individuals to work with Krylov, collected water samples, and continuously monitored the application’s status. Krylov admitted to paying Elkins for his services with checks and electronic fund transfers drawn from federal sub-grant disbursements totaling $94,197.93. Krylov further admitted that Elkins had no right to receive these funds and that he aided and abetted Elkins’ actions in fraudulently obtaining the $94,197.93. Krylov also admitted that he paid Elkins through a shell entity, Wanaque River Holdings LLC (“Wanaque”), that Elkins set up solely to receive and obscure payments from Krylov. Elkins was paid by Krylov through Wanaque for fictitious invoices that Elkins created using an online bill pay platform, Bill.com. Elkins, 54, of Danville, pleaded guilty to theft from programs receiving federal funds and was sentenced on November 30, 2023, to three years of federal probation, including 10 months on home detention, and ordered to pay $94,197.93 in restitution. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Holly Wilson and Kathleen Robeson prosecuted the case. 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-99. ###


title: Foreign National Is Sentenced To Prison For Trafficking Firearms

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Arturo Sanchez-Delgadillo, 34, of Mexico, was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, after he attempted to trade 12 illegal firearms for half a kilogram of cocaine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Interim Chief Roy Sisk of the Matthews Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on December 2, 2021, Sanchez-Delgadillo knowingly possessed 12 illegal firearms which he attempted to trade for half a kilogram of cocaine with an individual working with law enforcement (CI). Court documents show that, over the course of the negotiations about the trade, Sanchez-Delgadillo sent the CI photographs of multiple firearms he possessed. On December 2, 2021, Sanchez-Delgadillo and the CI arranged to meet and make the trade. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Sanchez-Delgadillo’s vehicle while he was on his way to meet with the CI. Law enforcement searched Sanchez-Delgadillo’s vehicle and seized 12 firearms, including pistols and semiautomatic assault rifles, four pistol magazines, and two high capacity rifle magazines. On June 21, 2023, Sanchez-Delgadillo pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and the Matthews Police Department for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taylor G. Stout and Shavonn N. Bennette of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Former Nonprofit Leaders Sentenced in San Antonio for Fraud

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A California man and his San Antonio co-conspirator were sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Hector Barreto, 62, of San Juan Capistrano, was sentenced to 20 months in prison and ordered to pay $944,693.51 in restitution and a $100,000 fine. Miguel Gutierrez, 49, was sentenced to 10 months in prison as a condition of five year probation. He was also ordered to pay a $100,000 fine and restitution of $1,194,439.51. A restraining order was entered against both defendants to ensure government oversight of their assets until the victims are made whole. According to Court documents, Barreto, who served as the Small Business Administrator under President George W. Bush, and Gutierrez operated a charity called the Latino Coalition Foundation. Barreto controlled the charity's bank accounts and had operational control. Barreto and Gutierrez solicited donations into that charity to be used to establish an apprenticeship program to help low income youth get critical job training and skills. Instead of using the charitable funds for charity, Barreto and Gutierrez stole much of the funds for themselves through direct and indirect payments to themselves, using the charity's credit cards for personal expenses, and payments to friends and family members. To help hide the diversion of charitable funds, Barreto and Gutierrez falsified the IRS Form 990s for the charity to make it falsely appear they had not received payments from the charity when in reality, they had received hundreds of thousands of dollars. Gutierrez pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of filing a false tax return. Barreto pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States. “Our nations charity system is based upon trust,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “Donors trust that those who run the charities are using their money for charity and not to line their own pockets. The defendants today were sentenced for betraying that trust. Our office will vigorously prosecute anyone who steals charitable donations to feed their own greed.” “Many Americans want to help their communities by supporting charities and causes that they care about. They trust that their support will be used to help those in need,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson for the FBI San Antonio Division. “Hector Barreto and Miguel Gutierrez abused that trust, and this sentence reflects the seriousness of their crimes. We want to thank our partners in IRS Criminal Investigation for their continued work in protecting our nation’s citizens.” “The tax-exempt status offered by the IRS helps citizens to know that an organization is operated to promote social welfare. Barreto and Gutierrez stole a significant portion of tax-exempt funds and eroded the trust citizens have in these organizations,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton for IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “CI special agents helped unravel this scheme and will continue working to protect the public’s interest by stopping these schemes cold.” The FBI and CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Blackwell and Bill Harris prosecuted the case. ###


title: Seven Individuals Indicted for Violent Kidnappings in Queens

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a superseding indictment was unsealed charging Syed Rubel Ahmed, Shahed Alom, Abu Chowdhury, Anzu Khan and Sultana Razia with one count of kidnapping and one count of conspiracy to kidnap John Doe-1; Abu Chowdhury and Iffat Lubna with one count of conspiracy to kidnap John Doe-2. Abu Chowdhury and his wife Lubna were previously charged with kidnapping John Doe-2 in the underlying indictment. The defendants and the victims are members of the same ethnic community in Queens. Ahmed, Alom, Khan and Razia were arrested today and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph M. Marutollo. Abu Chowdhury and Lubna were previously arrested and will be arraigned on the superseding indictment at a later date. A seventh defendant remains at large. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests and charges. “As alleged, the defendants carried out acts of brutal physical and sexual assault of the victims,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The defendants allegedly exploited their shared ethnic background with the victims in furtherance of the crimes. I urge anyone who believes they were victims of these defendants to contact the United States Attorney’s Office at https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/report-crime .” Mr. Peace thanked the Joint Violent Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI and detectives from the NYPD, for their assistance with the investigation. “The violent physical and sexual assaults these defendants allegedly inflicted upon the victims they kidnapped were disturbing beyond measure. Violent crimes of any nature have no place in our society, and those who perpetrate such crimes will find themselves facing the full extent of our justice system--the FBI and the FBI New York Joint Violent Crimes Task Force is here to make sure of it,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “The men and women of the NYPD condemn these deeply disturbing allegations,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “We and our law enforcement partners take extremely seriously all accusations of violence and abuse and remain dedicated to eradicating such criminal behavior from the streets of New York City.” The March 27, 2023 Kidnapping of John Doe-1 in Jamaica, Queens As alleged in the superseding indictment and detailed in court filings, over the course of approximately 13 hours on March 27, 2023, Ahmed, Alom, Chowdhury, Khan, Razia and a co-conspirator, abducted and assaulted a victim (“John Doe-1”) off a public street in Jamaica, Queens. John Doe-1 had been walking in the vicinity of 181st Street and Hillside Avenue when Chowdhury allegedly forced him into a Honda SUV. Inside the SUV, Chowdhury began beating John Doe-1 as the co-conspirator drove them around Queens. During the kidnapping, Chowdhury forced John Doe-1 to exit the SUV and filmed the victim standing naked in a residential neighborhood. Ahmed, Alom, Khan and Razia communicated with Abu Chowdhury via cellular telephone during the kidnapping, met Chowdhury at different points throughout the night, and took part in further beating and threats to kill John Doe-1. When John Doe-1 begged for water from the kidnappers, the defendants gave him water laced with a sedative. John Doe-1 later lost consciousness and woke up in a local hospital the day after he had been abducted. The May 11, 2023 Kidnapping of John Doe-2 in Woodside, Queens As alleged in the superseding indictment and detailed in court filings, over the course of approximately three days beginning on May 11, 2023, Chowdhury and Lubna abducted and assaulted John Doe-2. John Doe-2 had been waiting to meet Lubna outside a restaurant in the vicinity of 72 nd Street and Broadway in Woodside, Queens, when Chowdhury forced John Doe-2 into a minivan and began beating him. During the kidnapping, Chowdhury, Lubna and a co-conspirator took John Doe-2 to a hotel, where Chowdhury sodomized John Doe-2. Chowdhury also made a ransom call to John Doe-2’s father, demanding $20,000 for the victim’s safety. The neighborhood where the abduction occurred is an ethnic community which the defendants exploited in warning the victim that they could easily find him if he cooperated with law enforcement. On the third day of the kidnapping, Chowdhury tied up and blindfolded John Doe-2, leaving him at an abandoned house. John Doe-2 was able to free himself by chewing through his restraints, breaking open a window and asking residents in the neighborhood to call 911. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of all counts, the defendants face a maximum of life imprisonment. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Pak and Vincent Chiappini are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Katrina Batista. Defendants Previously Charged : ABU CHOWDHURY Age: 34 Jamaica, Queens IFFAT LUBNA Age: 24 Jamaica, Queens Newly-Charged Defendants : SYED RUBEL AHMED Age: 43 Jamaica, Queens SHAHED ALOM Age: 29 Jamaica, Queens ANZU KHAN Age: 28 Jamaica, Queens SULTANA RAZIA Age: 38 Woodside, Queens E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-278 (S-1) (NRM)


title: On #WearBlueDay, U.S. Attorney Hurwit Releases PSA to Raise Awareness for Human Trafficking Prevention Month

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – Today, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, released a public service announcement, available here , in recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The PSA aims to raise awareness about the somber reality of human trafficking and highlight the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to putting an end to this serious crime that violates the most basic of human rights. Human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings for profit. It can occur as a form of forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking of children and adults, and has no place in any society. “That’s why in January and throughout the year, my Office’s dedicated prosecutors, our victim advocates, and our entire staff work with our law enforcement partners to prevent human trafficking and bring offenders to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Unfortunately, human trafficking continues to be a serious, global problem that impacts the United States and our communities, even here in Idaho,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Together we can end human trafficking. Please take time to learn how to identify and respond to people who are at risk or who have experienced human trafficking.” If you or someone you know has experienced human trafficking, help is available. The National Human Trafficking Hotline provides free, confidential help, 24/7. Call: 1-888-373-7888; Text: HELP to 233733 (BEFREE); or Chat: humantraffickinghotline.org/chat . ###


title: Victoria resident imprisoned for firing several shots at federal authorities

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: VICTORIA, Texas – A 37-year-old man has been sentenced for aggravated assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Mark Anthony Garcia Jr. pleaded guilty Sept. 28, 2023. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Garcia to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. On Dec. 1, 2022, at approximately 9 p.m., law enforcement approached the front door of Garcia’s residence and began to knock, loudly announcing their presence. After receiving no response, authorities attempted to force entry into the home through the front door, which was barricaded with a couch. Law enforcement then broke the front glass window, made entry, announced their presence again and identified themselves as law enforcement with arrest warrants. They then began searching for Garcia inside of the home. While in the hallway, authorities heard two gunshots coming from a back room and immediately exited the residence. At the time of the shots, there were a total of six law enforcement officer inside the residence. The shots were fired in close proximity to authorities, placing them in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death. They began negotiations which spanned several hours, during which Garcia admitted to having a firearm and threatening to use it. The negotiations failed, and Garcia fired at least five more gunshots from the back bedroom. Authorities then deployed tear gas into the residence, removed Garcia and took him into custody. He will remain there pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patti Hubert Booth prosecuted the case.


title: Salem Resident Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Salem, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Andrew R. Sorrento, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani to six years in prison and five years of supervised release. In October 2023, Sorrento pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography. In July 2022, Sorrento was identified as an individual distributing CSAM via social media and text messages. During a search of Sorrento’s Salem residence on Dec. 9, 2022, his cell phone was seized and found to contain 23 images and seven videos depicting CSAM – including images of a child under 12-years-old. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Calgary (Canada). Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit 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: Houstonian imprisoned for attempting to import enough fentanyl to kill 2 million people

body_text: LAREDO, Texas - A 49-year-old Houston woman has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to import fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. A federal jury deliberated for less than an hour before convicting Monica Mata Vasquez Aug. 25, 2023, following a two-day trial. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Vasquez to serve 136 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court emphasized the significance of this case noting that fentanyl is destroying our community and killing people across the country. “It takes only a tiny amount of fentanyl to kill a loved one. Vasquez brought in 4.6 kilos of that dangerous drug from Mexico--enough to kill approximately 2 million people,” said Hamdani. “She routinely travelled to Monterrey, Mexico, to pick up narcotics and did it all for money. She prioritized her greed over the well-being of our community. Today’s sentence takes a callous drug transporter off the streets and away from the border and guarantees that Vasquez will no longer profit from the pervasive destruction of fentanyl.” “Illicit fentanyl is one of the greatest dangers we’re facing as a country,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “The conviction and sentencing of Vasquez highlights the strength of our law enforcement partnerships who spend countless hours combating a poison that is harmful to many communities and families. HSI is steadfast in its efforts to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations and combat the flow of illicit opioids into the United States.” On March 10, 2023, Vasquez arrived at the Juarez-Lincoln Port of Entry in Laredo and attempted to enter the United States. She had a suspicious travel itinerary which caused authorities to refer her to secondary inspection. There, authorities noticed anomalies in the battery of her car. Law enforcement removed the battery and found four bundles of fentanyl hidden inside it. The total weight of the fentanyl was 4.6 kilograms, an amount with the approximate strength to kill more than two million people. The jury also saw text messages from Vasquez’s phone which showed she had been coordinating “trips” with co-conspirators to and from Monterrey, Mexico, into the United States as far back as July 2022. The evidence showed Vasquez had driven to such locations as Alabama and had conversations about the purchase and installation of car batteries. Further testimony indicated these messages showed Vasquez was part of an agreement to import and traffic narcotics. The defense attempted to convince the jury that Vasquez did not know the drugs were inside the car. The jury did not believe those claims and found her guilty of engaging in a conspiracy to import fentanyl. Vasquez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Leslie Cortez and Brian Bajew prosecuted the case. #OnePillCanKill