title: Seven Defendants Sentenced To Federal Prison In $11.5 Million Fraud Case

body_text: LITTLE ROCK— Seven defendants were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture out of more than $11.5 million that was intended to benefit farmers who had been discriminated against. Chief United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr. sentenced the defendants earlier today. Four of the defendants, all of whom are sisters, were each sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison. Lynda Charles, 73, of Hot Springs; Rosie Bryant, 75, of Colleyville, Texas; Delois Bryant, 76, of North Little Rock; and Brenda Sherpell, 73, of Allport; each pleaded guilty on July 6, 2022, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Niki Charles, 50, of Puerto Rico, was sentenced to serve 16 months in federal prison for her involvement in the fraud scheme. Charles admitted during her guilty plea that she and others solicited people to file false claims, asserting they were discriminated against when they tried to get assistance from USDA for their farming operations. Charles said she verified statements from corroborating witnesses who submitted affidavits to support the claims, but none of those witnesses actually appeared before Charles. Those actions resulted in $4.5 million in loss. Everett Martindale, 76, of Little Rock, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. Martindale worked as an attorney and acted as the legal representative for most of the claimants that the five women recruited. Jerry Green, 42, of Grand Prairie, Texas, a tax preparer hired by the sisters to falsify tax returns, was also sentenced to a serve a year and a day. As documented in plea agreements, the defendants submitted claims under two programs: the Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation (BFDL) settlement and the Hispanic and Women Farmers and Ranchers (HWFR) claim program. The BFDL settlement resulted from a class action lawsuit filed in 1997 in which a group of black farmers claimed they had been discriminated against when they applied for farm credit, credit servicing, or farm benefits from USDA. Similarly, the HWFR claim program was created after groups of Hispanic and women farmers filed separate lawsuits against USDA, also alleging discrimination in their farm benefit programs. Both BFDL and HWFR resulted in a claims process where farmers who could show they had applied for participation in a USDA benefit program and believed they had been discriminated against could make a claim for financial relief. A successful claim resulted in an award of $62,500. Of that, $50,000 would be made payable to the claimant, and $12,500 would be transferred directly to the Internal Revenue Service as a tax withholding. Altogether, the sisters were involved with 192 claims, almost all of which were successful, resulting in a loss of over $11.5 million. The claims were false because the claimants had not suffered discrimination and, in most cases, had not even attempted to farm. The indictment alleged that Martindale would deposit claim checks into his law firm trust account, issue a check from that trust account to the claimant, and withhold his attorney fee. For both BFDL and HWFR, attorney fees were restricted to $1,500 per claimant. The indictment alleged that the four sisters entered an agreement with Martindale in which they would split the attorney fee. The sisters also demanded and received additional money from the claimants themselves. The money received from a claim was income that should have been reported on the claimant’s tax return. The sisters and their accountant, Green, admitted that Green provided tax preparation services for the claimants they recruited and that Green falsified the tax returns in order to create a tax refund. Three of the sisters—Lynda Charles, Rosie Bryant, and Delois Bryant—filed false tax returns of their own and used money from the conspiracy to purchase homes and properties, a Chevrolet van, and a Mercedes G550. The United States is pursuing recovery of those assets, and any additional fraud proceeds used to purchase assets, in the criminal case, as well as in a separate civil forfeiture proceeding. “These sisters defrauded two programs meant to help those that were discriminated against and instead lined their pockets,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., Special Agent in Charge IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “We want every American to take advantage of the programs, deductions, and credits to which they are entitled to by law; however, no one is entitled to defraud the government. Protecting taxpayer money is a matter IRS-CI takes extremely seriously and today’s sentences reinforce our commitment to the public that we will investigate and prosecute those who steal from American taxpayers.” “Discrimination is real. The 192 settlement claims submitted by these defendants, requesting millions of dollars, were not,” said United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “Today’s sentences send the message that the United States is committed to prosecuting those who steal from programs designed to provide justice for victims of discrimination, and the Court takes seriously crimes such as these. We will continue to seek prison time for fraudsters who re-victimize those the government sought to make whole.” Special Agent-in-Charge Dax Roberson from the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG), said, “I want to thank the United States Attorney’s office, USDA-OIG Special Agents, and our investigative partners for their hard work on this investigation. When fraud is committed to deprive proper recipients of USDA funds, OIG will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.” In addition to their sentences of imprisonment, each defendant was sentenced to two years of supervised release following imprisonment, and the defendants were ordered to pay more than $9,000,000 in restitution. The investigation is being conducted by USDA-OIG and IRS-CI with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cameron McCree, Bart Dickinson, and Amanda Fields. # # # This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar Twitter: @EDARNEWS


title: Quincy Woman Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Illinois, Central

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Quincy, Illinois woman, Christina Harbison, 41, of the 600 block of Chestnut was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless to sixty months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release for distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Harbison was indicted in December of 2019 and pleaded guilty in January of 2023. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that the drug transaction at issue occurred on March 11, 2019. After initially being released on bond, Harbison’s bond was subsequently revoked, and she has been in the custody of the United States Marshal since October 31, 2022. The statutory penalties for distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine are not less than five and up to forty years in prison, not more than a $10,000,000 fine, and not less than four years and up to life of supervised release. The West Central Illinois Task Force and the Quincy Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Harbison 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: Saratoga Springs Man Indicted for Receiving and Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Barry, age 41, of Saratoga Springs, New York, was arrested and arraigned yesterday on an indictment charging receipt and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. The indictment alleges that between June 2021 and January 2022, Barry received child pornography, and, on February 9, 2023, possessed two phones containing child pornography. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Barry would face at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Barry was arraigned yesterday in Albany before United States Magistrate Judge Christian F. Hummel and ordered detained pending trial. HSI is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). 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: York County Man Sentenced To Probation For Theft Of Federal Program Funds

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Leonard Hart, age 50, of Mount Wolf, PA was sentenced to five years of probation for obtaining by fraud and misapplying money from Lincoln Charter School (LCS) in York, Pennsylvania. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, LCS is a recipient of federal program funds because it receives grants funded by the U.S Department of Education—primarily Title I funding, which is financial assistance for schools with high numbers of children from low-income backgrounds. From 2013 until November 2021, Hart was LCS’s Principal and CEO. LCS offers a program by which employees are able to get partial tuition reimbursement for furthering their education. Hart misrepresented that he was pursuing a Ph.D. and submitted numerous requests for reimbursement for courses that he falsely claimed he was taking from a couple of universities. He also falsified records to support these claims for tuition reimbursement and pressured a lower-level employee of the school and former LCS student to assist him in creating a forged diploma. Hart admitted to submitting to LCS nearly 20 false and fraudulent reimbursement between 2018 and 2020. Hart was also ordered to pay $55,311 in restitution, representing the total amount of funds he received through fraudulent reimbursement requests. At sentencing, Hart presented a check for $10,000 toward his total restitution payments. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Burlington Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Gun and Drug Charges

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Burlington man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Robert Gantz, 39, was identified as a source of methamphetamine in southeast Iowa. Officers purchased methamphetamine from Gantz with the use of a confidential source. In a subsequent search of a vehicle occupied by Gantz, officers located a handgun, with an obliterated serial number, two loaded magazines, methamphetamine, marijuana, and other items indicative of drug trafficking. At the time of his arrest, Gantz admitted to being involved in the distribution of methamphetamine. Gantz was also under supervision for a prior state drug conviction at the time of his arrest. After completing his term of imprisonment, Gantz will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southeast Narcotics Task Force and Burlington Police Department. 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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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: Iowa City Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

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

body_text: DAVENPORT, IA – A Iowa City man was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, and evidence presented at sentencing, Michael Haythorn, 32, fled from law enforcement after they were called to respond to a domestic disturbance between Haythorn and his significant other. Law enforcement chased Haythorn on foot until he jumped a fenced and officers lost sight of him. Approximately 20 feet away from the location that Haythorn jumped the fence, officers located a firearm. The firearm had Haythorn’s DNA on it. Haythorn knew he was a felon and was prohibited from possessing firearms. After completing his term of imprisonment, Haythorn will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa City Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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. In May 2021, the Department of Justice 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: Doctor Convicted of Illegally Distributing Opioids and Other Drugs

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Columbus convicted an Ohio doctor yesterday for illegally prescribing buprenorphine and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Eskender Getachew, 58, of Galena, unlawfully prescribed opioids and benzodiazepines to his patients. This included prescribing Subutex, which has a high risk of abuse and diversion, to patients for whom the drug is not indicated. The number of pills Getachew prescribed depended on the amount of money patients paid at their office visits. Getachew was aware of several reports that patients were selling their Subutex, but his prescribing continued unabated. The jury convicted Getachew of 11 counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the DEA Detroit Division; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Regional Office made the announcement. The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, Ohio Attorney General’s Office, and Ohio Board of Pharmacy investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Timothy Landry and Samantha Stagias of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past four years, ARPO has charged over 115 defendants, collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 80 ARPO defendants have been convicted. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: CVS To Pay $70,000 To Resolve Allegations That It Filled Fake Prescriptions

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD –CVS has agreed to pay $70,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act at CVS stores in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. “Pharmacies have a legal responsibility to ensure that controlled substances are dispensed only pursuant to valid prescriptions,” said United States Attorney Jane E. Young. “When pharmacies ignore red flags that a prescription is fraudulent, they miss a critical opportunity to prevent prescription drugs from being misused or diverted for unlawful uses or into the black market. We will use the Controlled Substances Act along with all other available tools to protect the residents of New Hampshire. I am grateful to the DEA’s diversion investigators for their investigative work in this case.” “Pharmacies are responsible for handling controlled substances responsibly and staying in compliance with the Controlled Substance Act,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian D. Boyle. “Any violation of that will not be tolerated. We are committed to working with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to ensure that these rules and regulations are followed.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office contended that CVS pharmacists filled 41 forged prescriptions of Adderall, Ritalin, and Xanax. This affirmative civil enforcement resulted from two separate criminal investigations into individuals who filled prescriptions at multiple CVS pharmacies in New Hampshire. Theodoros Bahtsevanos pled guilty in June 2019 to two counts of misuse of a DEA registration number and one count of possession of five or more false identification documents, based on his presentment and obtaining numerous prescriptions under fictitious names. He was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 3 years of probation on April 30, 2020. Jane Mastrogiovanni pled guilty to ten counts of obtaining controlled substances by fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge in July 2020 based on her use of forged prescriptions to obtain controlled substances. She was sentenced to 3 years of probation on February 5, 2021, following transfer of the case to the U.S. District Court for New Jersey. Under the Controlled Substances Act, a valid prescription for a controlled substance must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of his or her practice. Based on its investigation, the government alleged that the pharmacists at CVS should have known that they were presented with invalid prescriptions that should not have been filled. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael Katz. ###


title: Nashua Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Stolen Apple Products Worth $2 Million

body_text: CONCORD – A Nashua man pleaded guilty in federal court to transporting stolen property, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. Guangwei “William” Wu, 30, pleaded guilty to the interstate transportation of stolen property. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott scheduled sentencing for October 4, 2023. Wu was charged on June 1, 2023. The defendant owned and operated a transshipping company in Manchester called Hai Xing Qiao. In fall 2022, the victim company purchased Apple products, including iPads, iPhones, Apple Watches, and Macbooks, and then hired Hai Xing Qiao to forward the products onto Hong Kong. However, Yongfu Huo, another Hong Kong-based company, paid a bribe of over $700,000 to the defendant to have the products shipped to Yongfu Huo instead. To cover up his tracks, the defendant claimed that law enforcement had seized the Apple products and sent the victim company a false document titled “Disclaimer of Ownership” purportedly issued by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The defendant also forged the signature of a federal agent on the document. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution. 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. As part of the plea agreement, the defendant is repaying $2 million in restitution to the victim. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney, FBI Raise Awareness on Importance of Reporting Hate Crimes

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – As part of a Department of Justice initiative, U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe and FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz hosted a safety and hate crime educational training for local religious leaders and security personnel at the FBI Fairview Heights resident office on Wednesday. “By educating the public through the United Against Hate initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working to give individuals the resources to report acts motivated by hate when witnessed, so we have the ability to prosecute offenders of federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. "It is our hope that in informing our faith-based communities about hate crimes, we will empower worshipers to recognize threats and know proper actions to take to protect themselves," said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. "Everyone deserves to practice their religious faith and attend religious services without fear of violence. The FBI is committed to protecting houses of worship from bias-motivated crimes." To offer education to religious officials on protecting their houses of worship, FBI agents and Assistant U.S. Attorneys led training for attendees from Belleville, Cahokia, Shiloh, O’Fallon and surrounding communities on the distinguishing factors between hate crimes versus hate incidents and protected speech under the First Amendment versus speech that advocates violence or encourages people to commit hate crimes. Attendees took away resources on how to report suspected hate crimes to the proper investigative authorities. FBI also provided active shooter training through its Protect Houses of Worship initiative. To expand education to students, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is accepting requests to bring the United Against Hate presentation to school districts throughout the Southern District of Illinois. For more information and to request an event, visit www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/united-against-hate .


title: Dentist Convicted of Unlawfully Distributing Opioids That Caused Patient’s Death

body_text: A federal jury in the Eastern District of Kentucky convicted a dentist yesterday for unlawfully prescribing opioids, including unlawfully prescribing morphine that caused his patient’s death. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Jay M. Sadrinia, 60, of Villa Hills, Kentucky, owned and operated dental clinics in Crescent Springs. Despite clear signs – including being told explicitly that his prescribing of controlled substances was dangerous and put his patients’ lives at risk – Sadrinia prescribed powerful opioids to his patients for routine dental procedures. Sadrinia unlawfully prescribed morphine to one patient, which caused the patient’s death. He charged $37,000 for dental procedures and prescribed the patient medically unnecessary quantities of narcotics, including morphine. Several days later, the patient fatally overdosed on the morphine. Sadrinia was convicted of one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in death and one count of unlawful distribution of controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 13. He faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison on the unlawful distribution of controlled substances resulting in death count, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the unlawful distribution count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Carlton S. Shier IV for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram made the announcement. The FBI and DEA investigated the case. Assistant Chief Katherine Payerle and Trial Attorney Thomas D. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force. Since its inception in late 2018, ARPO has partnered with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, and West Virginia to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. Over the past three years, ARPO has charged over 115 defendants collectively responsible for issuing prescriptions for over 115 million controlled substance pills. To date, more than 84 ARPO defendants have been convicted. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Atlantic County Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Role in Drug Distribution Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 168 months in prison for his role in drug distribution scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Ricardo Clavijo, 42, of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before the U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, and one count of maintaining a drug-related premises. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence on June 22, 2023, in Camden federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On July 12, 2021, a search warrant was executed at Clavijo’s residence, where law enforcement authorities encountered Clavijo and his brother, Christopher Gonzalez. Authorities found a drug packaging facility in the basement, as well as 4.3 kilograms of heroin, 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 10.8 kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging materials and equipment, and a money counting machine. Some of the heroin was already packaged in tens of thousands of individual doses, ready for street-level distribution. Agents also seized a .45 caliber handgun, a loaded magazine for the handgun, a 9mm 50-round drum magazine, and $8,457 in cash, all of which will be forfeited by Clavijo as part of his guilty plea. In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Clavijo to five years of supervised release. Gonzalez pleaded guilty in October 2022 to his role in the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, DEA Atlantic County HIDTA Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds, and the Egg Harbor Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Frederick Spano, for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Johns of the Criminal Division in Camden.


title: Mobile Health Application Developer Ordered to Modify Business Practices to Protect the Privacy of Consumers’ Personal Information and to Pay $100,000 in Civil Penalties

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced that the government has obtained substantial injunctive relief protecting consumer privacy against Easy Healthcare Corporation (Easy Healthcare), an Illinois corporation located in Burr Ridge, Illinois, pursuant to a stipulated order entered by a federal court today. The department also will collect $100,000 in civil penalties from the defendants, an amount based upon the defendant’s ability to pay. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the United States alleged that Easy Healthcare violated Section 5 of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45, and the Health Breach Notification Rule (HBNR), 16 C.F.R. § 318, in connection with its ovulation and period tracking mobile application. The complaint alleges that Easy Healthcare engaged in deceptive and unfair acts by: (1) sharing persistent identifiers of consumers (unique markers that allow the identification of consumers’ online activity or mobile devices) without user notice or consent and sharing sensitive personal health information with certain third-party companies in violation of its privacy promises; (2) failing to disclose to users how those third-parties could use such personal information, including for third-party advertising; and (3) failing to take reasonable measures to assess and address the privacy and data security risks created by incorporating third-party software into its application. The complaint also alleges that Easy Healthcare violated the HBNR through its ongoing failure to notify its users, the FTC, and the media of the unauthorized disclosures of user information. The order entered by the court today requires Easy Healthcare to implement a comprehensive privacy and data security program with safeguards to protect consumer data. The order also requires Easy Healthcare to hire an independent third-party to regularly assess its compliance with the privacy program for a period of 20 years. Easy Healthcare also is enjoined from sharing health information with third-parties for advertising purposes, from sharing health information with third-parties for other purposes without obtaining users’ affirmative express consent, and from making misrepresentations about Easy Healthcare’s privacy practices. In addition, Easy Healthcare is required to comply with the HBNR’s notification provisions in any future breach of Security. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to pursue and hold accountable companies that fail to protect consumers’ privacy by sharing consumers’ private medical and other personal information and failing to notify consumers when such information has been made available to third-parties,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting the public from companies that do not safeguard the privacy of consumers’ medical and other personal data as required by law.” “Premom broke its promises and compromised consumers’ privacy,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “We will vigorously enforce the Health Breach Notification Rule to defend consumer's health data from exploitation. Companies collecting this information should be aware that the FTC will not tolerate health privacy abuses.” This matter is being handled by Rachel Baron and Claude Scott of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and David Walko and Ronnie Solomon of the FTC. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . For more information about the FTC, visit its website at www.FTC.gov .


title: EDVA and NCIS Seek Information About Victims in Child Exploitation Case

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – The Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) have issued a call for victims of a man charged with child exploitation to come forward. A criminal complaint filed on June 5, 2023, charged Lieutenant Commander (Select) Michael Andrew Widroff, a Naval Officer previously assigned as the psychologist for the USS GERALD R. FORD (CVN-78) in Norfolk, with attempting to produce child pornography, attempting to coerce or entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to transfer obscene matter to a minor. Widroff is alleged to have used the social media platform Snapchat to conduct this activity using the username “mikenavyguy78” and display name “M Sailorguy.” Prior to serving on the USS GERALD R. FORD, Widroff worked or studied at the following institutions: Women’s League Home for Mentally Disabled Boys in Brooklyn, New York, from 2009 to 2016; City University of New York from approximately 2008 through 2011; Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, from approximately 2011 through 2017; Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island, from August 2016 through September 2016; Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, from September 2016 through December 2017; and Naval Branch Health Clinic in Groton, Connecticut, from December 2017 through June 2021. Anyone who believes they have information relating to this case or are a victim of this individual, are encouraged contact NCIS via the NCIS Tips app or at www.ncis.navy.mil . Based on the information provided, respondents may be contacted by NCIS and asked to provide additional information. If convicted, Widroff faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria Liu is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-mj-107. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Two Men Sentenced to Prison Terms in $1 Million ‘Upfront-Fee’ Scheme

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man and a Nevada man were sentenced to prison terms for their roles in defrauding multiple victims through a $1 million “upfront-fee” scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Roy Johannes Gillar, 51, of Las Vegas, was sentenced to six years in prison; Harold Mignott, 60, of Voorhees, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years in prison. They were each convicted on Oct. 21, 2022, of wire fraud conspiracy and four counts of wire fraud following a five-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge John Michael Vazquez. Gillar was also convicted of one count of transacting in criminal proceeds. Judge Vazquez imposed the sentences on June 22, 2023, in Newark federal court. A co-defendant, Jerrid Douglas of Freehold, New Jersey, who was also convicted, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 26, 2023. According to documents in this case and evidence at trial: From March 2016 through June 2016, Douglas, Gillar, and Mignott, along with a fourth conspirator, agreed to defraud the owners of the victim company of approximately $1 million. The defendants fraudulently induced the two victim company owners to enter a joint venture agreement with the defendants’ New Jersey-based shell company. The defendants falsely represented that their company could acquire and provide a “standby letter of credit” (SBLC) backed by either €1 billion in cash or highly lucrative Mexican gold bonds. An SBLC is a guarantee of payment issued by a bank on behalf of a client that is used should the client fail to fulfill a contractual commitment with a third party. The victim company wanted access to the standby letter of credit so it could purchase raw gold overseas and sell it to gold refineries. As part of the joint venture agreement, the company agreed to pay the defendants $1 million for the bank fee associated with the standby letter of credit. In order to cover up the scheme and convince the victims to approve the transfer of the funds, the defendants made numerous verbal and written misrepresentations, including providing the victims with a phony letter from a major international bank saying that it was ready, willing, and able to provide a €1 billion SBLC to the defendants’ shell company. However, after the victim company owners transmitted $800,000 of the $1 million to the defendants, the defendants failed to provide an SBLC or anything of value. Instead, the defendants misappropriated the money for their personal use. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Vazquez sentenced Gillar to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $1.1 million and forfeiture of $1 million. Mignott was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $1.1 million and forfeiture of $219,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason S. Gould and Joshua L. Haber of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Violent Crime Initiative Targets  Gangs, Firearms, Drug Trafficking and Drivers of Violence across RI Cities

body_text: PROVIDENCE – As part of ongoing efforts by the District of Rhode Island and in concert with the Justice Department’s summer anti-violent crime strategy, United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha this week hosted his quarterly Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Violent Crime Strategy Session, bringing together partners from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to share critical intelligence and resources to target significant investigations into illegal firearms and firearm trafficking; gang and neighborhood violence; and drug trafficking in an around the state’s urban core. PSN law enforcement partners meet quarterly at the United States Attorney’s Office to share law enforcement sensitive intelligence and investigative information on the individuals and organizations suspected of being involved in violent crimes associated with firearms, gangs, neighborhood violence, and/or drug trafficking, with the goal of identifying the drivers of significant criminal activity and targeting resources to address those threats to public safety. The goal is to reinforce positive trends in reducing violent crime, remain ahead of emerging areas of concern, and share critical information. Given Rhode Island’s compact geography, the U.S. Attorney’s Rhode Island PSN Violent Crime Initiative strategically focuses on the urban corridor, that brings together law enforcement partners to deal with violence that crosses community lines, and often involves highly mobile and social media-engaged individuals. “Coordination and cooperation with our state and local partners is critical to staying ahead of the curve when it comes to fighting violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney Cunha. "Those partnerships: with local police departments, federal agencies, and the Rhode Island Office of Attorney General are crucial to our common goal of keeping Rhode Islanders safe. By sharing intelligence, resources, and strategies, our PSN initiative aims to do exactly that, and I am grateful for our colleagues’ insights, collaboration, and continuing commitment to this effort.” Last week, United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland met with all 93 United States Attorneys and the senior leadership of the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the United States Marshals Service to emphasize the importance of continued efforts to address violent crime, and to reiterate the Justice Department’s commitment to identifying, investigating, and prioritizing the prosecution of those who are responsible for the greatest violence in our communities. This Justice Department-wide anti-violent crime strategy leverages the resources of federal prosecutors, agents, investigators, criminal justice experts, and grant programs to combat violent crime, to include providing resources to give law enforcement agencies the tools and training they need to protect their communities and to build the public trust that is essential to effective law enforcement. Attorney General Garland noted that over the coming year, the Department anticipates that the Office of Justice Programs and Office of Community Oriented Policing Services will award over $1.3 billion to support state and local law enforcement efforts to combat violent crime. Rhode Island PSN state and local law enforcement partners include the Rhode Island State Police, the Rhode Island State Fusion Center, and the Central Falls, Cranston, Pawtucket, Providence, Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Department. Federal law enforcement partners include ATF, DEA, FBI, U.S. Federal Probation, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. ###


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Louisville Man for Transporting Minors Across State Lines with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment on June 21, 2023, charging a Louisville man with four counts of transporting a minor in interstate commerce with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, during the late hours of May 7, 2023, going into May 8, 2023, Brian Anthony Sauer, 44, transported three minor girls who had run away from a residential care facility in Louisville, Kentucky, to Clarksville, Indiana, and subsequently engaged in sexual activity with the girls. Sauer ultimately drove all three girls to a trailer park in the southwest area of Jefferson County, Kentucky, where he left them on May 10, 2023. Sauer previously made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky and he was ordered detained pending trial. Sauer is scheduled for arraignment on June 23, 2023. If convicted, Sauer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and maximum potential penalties of life in prison, a $250,000.00 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The Louisville Metro Police Department’s Crimes Against Children Unit is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo E. Lawless is prosecuting 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Man Who Sexually Abused Minor at Fort Bliss in 2014 Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Dallas man was sentenced in a federal courthouse in El Paso Tuesday to 35 years in prison for sexually abusing a prepubescent child—a penalty that will be served once he reaches the end of his current 20 year sentence on state charges. According to court documents, Trevor Dylan Lehew, 28, sexually abused a minor under the age of 12 while serving in the Army at Fort Bliss between 2014 and 2015. The child victim disclosed the abuse in 2020 to a Child Adolescence Forensic Interviewer. Lehew was remanded into federal custody on Jan. 6, 2022. He had been serving a 20-year sentence at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a separate incident involving indecency with a child/sexual contact, and the aggravated sexual assault of a child. On Aug. 8, 2022, Lehew pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. “The child victim in this case was extremely courageous to come forward about the horrible acts that this defendant committed years prior,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. “That disclosure led to a successful investigation by our partners at the FBI, which has now resulted in the lengthy imprisonment of a dangerous child predator with repeat offenses.” “A child should feel and be safe in their homes and community,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey of the FBI El Paso Field Office. “I hope this sentencing brings some closure to the victims knowing this predator will be in federal prison for a very long time. I want to thank the members of the FBI El Paso’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking task force for their work on this case and their commitment to protecting our most vulnerable population, our children, to ensure justice is served for them.” The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ian Hanna and Michelle Winters prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: D.C. Man Convicted of Drug-Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a D.C. man yesterday for engaging in a conspiracy to traffic 500 grams or more of cocaine. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Roldin Martinez Diaz, 32, had a multiple-year agreement to distribute cocaine that ended upon his arrest in August 2022. This conspiracy included co-defendant Delvin Funez Perdomo, a drug distributor in Northern Virginia, and others. Funez Perdomo pleaded guilty to this conspiracy on January 23, 2023, before Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton. Evidence introduced at trial further demonstrated that Martinez Diaz negotiated and later distributed nearly half a kilogram of cocaine during two controlled purchases. Martinez Diaz faces a mandatory minimum of 60 months and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison when sentenced on September 15, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division, and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the verdict. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maya D. Song are prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-219.


title: Cass County (Iowa) Man Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl Causing Serious Bodily Injury or Death

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Cass County (Iowa) man was sentenced yesterday, for conspiring to distribute fentanyl causing serious bodily injury or death. Mason Blaine Loudermilk, 19, was sentenced to 192 months in prison. Loudermilk must serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, Loudermilk plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. The investigation revealed that between August 2020 and May 2022, Loudermilk obtained fentanyl, in pill form, from a source in Omaha, Nebraska. In turn, Loudermilk distributed the pills containing fentanyl in and around Cass County (Iowa) causing several fentanyl overdoses, each overdose requiring medical attention to prevent death. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Agencies involved in the investigation include the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Atlantic Police Department, Cass County (Iowa) Sheriff’s Office, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (SWINE), Council Bluffs Police Department, Iowa Division of Intelligence, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Crime Lab, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Omaha Police Department. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pill, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about One Pill Can Kill.


title: U.S. Attorney Resolves Employment Discrimination Suit With The Town/Village Of Harrison, New York, And Its Fire Department, Requiring Defendants To Adopt Wide-Ranging Policy Changes And Pay $425,000

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Kristen Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, announced that the United States has settled a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that the TOWN/VILLAGE OF HARRISON (“HARRISON”) and its Fire Department (the “HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT”) discriminated against a female firefighter on the basis of her sex and retaliated against her in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Consent Decree was approved yesterday by U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As part of the settlement, the Town of Harrison has admitted that it never took any disciplinary action against a male firefighter who ultimately pled guilty to harassing a female firefighter. That type of response to illegal workplace harassment is abhorrent and undermines citizens’ faith in their local government. Pursuant to the Consent Decree, the Town of Harrison is required to implement comprehensive policy changes. I want to commend the bravery of Angela Bommarito, who fought back against discrimination and made this Consent Decree possible. This Office will always stand with victims of violations of our nation’s civil rights laws.” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said: “All employees deserve a workplace free from sexual harassment and must be able to report harassment without fear of retaliation by employers. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously pursue all cases to ensure that all workers are guaranteed the rights and protections promised by our Nation’s laws.” As part of the Consent Decree, HARRISON and the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT made factual admissions, including the following: In May 2015, the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT had no active female firefighters. In June 2015, Angela Bommarito joined the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT, together with one other female volunteer firefighter. HARRISON and the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT ultimately became aware that after Bommarito ended a relationship with Henry Mohr, a senior firefighter, Mohr repeatedly called her, followed her (including while driving a Fire Department official vehicle), and repeatedly drove by her house. In addition, Bommarito complained to certain members of the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT leadership about Mohr’s harassment. In January 2016, Bommarito went to the HARRISON Police Department and filed a report against Mohr. HARRISON’S then-Police Chief met with Mohr and told him that he wanted “to make sure this whole thing dies” and get Mohr “out of this whole situation.” The Police Chief said to Mohr that Bommarito’s presence at the firehouse was a “temptation,” which was “hard to resist sometimes.” The then-Police Chief also met with Bommarito. During their meeting, the Police Chief suggested that he could arrest Bommarito for her presentation of what the Police Chief claimed was incomplete and false information to the Police Department regarding her relationship with Mohr. The Police Chief prepared a resignation letter for Bommarito, which stated that she would resign from the Fire Department. Bommarito signed the resignation letter. HARRISON and the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT never took any disciplinary action against Mohr. In May 2016, Mohr was arrested for his harassment of Bommarito. Later that year, Mohr pled guilty to harassment in the second degree, in violation of New York Penal Law 240.26.03. Under the Consent Decree approved by the Court, HARRISON and the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT must maintain an anti-discrimination policy that includes prohibitions on discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation, as well as provisions that require objective fact-finding investigations into complaints of policy violations. HARRISON and its FIRE DEPARTMENT must also provide training to relevant personnel on prohibited employment practices and corresponding investigation procedures. The Consent Decree further requires HARRISON and the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT to provide information to the United States regarding complaints and investigations relating to charges of discrimination while the Consent Decree remains in effect. The Consent Decree also requires that HARRISON maintain recent improvements to the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT firehouse, which have provided additional facilities and features for female firefighters. Finally, the Consent Decree requires the HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT and HARRISON Police Department to maintain policies relating to use of HARRISON FIRE DEPARTMENT vehicles and limitations on the disclosure of non-public sensitive information obtained by HARRISON Police Department employees in connection with criminal investigations. As part of the resolution, the Defendants have also agreed to pay a total of $425,000, which will consist of an up-front cash payment to Bommarito and a sum to fund the purchase of an annuity contract to make future periodic payments to Bommarito as well as payments to her attorney for reasonable attorneys’ fees. This is one of the largest payments by a local government in an employment discrimination case brought by the United States on behalf of a single individual. * * * Mr. Williams thanked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) for its initial investigation of Bommarito’s charge filed with the EEOC. This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles S. Jacob is in charge of the case. Harrison Consent Decree


title: York Man Sentenced To 25 Years’ Imprisonment For Sexually Exploiting Two Children

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Sinhue Johnson, Jr., age 27, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to 25 years’ imprisonment for sexually exploiting children. The Court also ordered a 15-year term of supervised release to follow the term of imprisonment. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Johnson previously admitted to sexually assaulting two thirteen-year-old girls, one in 2018 and 2019 and the other in 2020, and enticing those girls to take sexually explicit pictures of themselves. Johnson also admitted that he possessed hundreds of images or videos of child pornography, some of which depicted infants and very young children. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources." # # #


title: Fugitive Extradited from Hungary to the United States to Face Fraud Charges

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Uchenna Christian Nlemchi made his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico on June 7 after being extradited from Hungary on an indictment charging him with conspiracy, 13 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering, aggravated identify theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Nlemchi, 31, a Nigerian national, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Nlemchi on May 24, 2017. According to the indictment, Nlemchi and his co-conspirators registered with online dating websites to initiate romantic relationships with victims for the purpose of tricking those individuals into transferring money to them by way of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. Simultaneously, the co-conspirators used phishing emails and malware to collect other victims’ email account names and passwords. They used this information to spy on email correspondence to identify upcoming financial transactions in order to divert and steal said funds and transfer them to bank accounts controlled by Nlemchi. Nlemchi was arrested on these charges in June of 2017 and released on conditions pending trial. In Oct. of 2017, Nlemchi violated the conditions of his release, and an arrest warrant was issued. At that time, Nlemchi fled the country and was believed to have returned to his native Nigeria. The FBI pursued Nlemchi for five years before locating him in Hungary. Nlemchi was extradited to the United States and arrested on June 6, 2023. Nlemchi will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. The Albuquerque Division of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department during the extradition process. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case. ### 23-132


body_text: ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Uchenna Christian Nlemchi made his initial appearance in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico on June 7 after being extradited from Hungary on an indictment charging him with conspiracy, 13 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of money laundering, aggravated identify theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Nlemchi, 31, a Nigerian national, will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. A federal grand jury indicted Nlemchi on May 24, 2017. According to the indictment, Nlemchi and his co-conspirators registered with online dating websites to initiate romantic relationships with victims for the purpose of tricking those individuals into transferring money to them by way of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises. Simultaneously, the co-conspirators used phishing emails and malware to collect other victims’ email account names and passwords. They used this information to spy on email correspondence to identify upcoming financial transactions in order to divert and steal said funds and transfer them to bank accounts controlled by Nlemchi. Nlemchi was arrested on these charges in June of 2017 and released on conditions pending trial. In Oct. of 2017, Nlemchi violated the conditions of his release, and an arrest warrant was issued. At that time, Nlemchi fled the country and was believed to have returned to his native Nigeria. The FBI pursued Nlemchi for five years before locating him in Hungary. Nlemchi was extradited to the United States and arrested on June 6, 2023. The Albuquerque Division of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department during the extradition process. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case. ### 23-132


title: 5th and final man admits role in Laredo cocaine trafficking conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 31-year-old man has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and launder money, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Elizardo Vasquez Jr. admitted to being the courier of cocaine and drug proceeds. Vasquez is the fifth co-conspirator to be convicted in this trafficking ring. He joins Cesar Mendiola, 57, Jose Angel Rodriguez Jr., 60, Rafael Rodriguez, 63, and Jose Angel Rodriguez III, 34, all of Laredo, who admitted on June 7 to felony charges related to cocaine distribution and money laundering in Laredo. Throughout the course of this investigation, authorities seized nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine and over $147,000 in drug proceeds. The investigation revealed brothers Rodriguez Jr. and Rodriguez would receive kilograms of cocaine from a source in Mexico through Vasquez and provide that cocaine to Mendiola for further distribution in and around Laredo. Rodriguez III kept records of transactions and drug proceeds for his father, Rodriguez Jr. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing Sept. 25. At that time, Vasquez faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Vasquez will remain in custody pending that hearing. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Webb County District Attorney’s Office, the Webb County Sheriff’s Office and the United Independent School District Police Department. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony J. Evans and Brian Bajew are prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Announces $12 Million Settlement Of Civil Forfeiture Action Against Estate Of Antiquities Trafficker Douglas Latchford

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), announced today that the United States had filed and settled a civil forfeiture action against $12 million derived from the sale of stolen Southeast Asian antiquities by indicted antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford. The Settlement with the daughter of the late Douglas Latchford, who died in 2020, resolves claims that Latchford transferred the proceeds from the sale of stolen antiquities to bank accounts in the Bailiwick of Jersey. As part of the Settlement, Latchford’s daughter has also agreed to the forfeiture of a 7th Century bronze statue depicting the four-armed goddess Durga, which is alleged to have been stolen from Vietnam in 2008 and which Latchford allegedly purchased using tainted funds. The proposed settlement is subject to review by a district judge in the Southern District of New York. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “For years, Douglas Latchford made millions from selling looted antiquities in the U.S. art market, stashing his ill-gotten gains offshore. This historic forfeiture action and settlement shows that we will be relentless in following the money wherever it leads to fight the illicit trade in cultural patrimony.” HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo said: “The late Douglas Latchford was a prolific dealer of stolen antiquities. His complicity in numerous illicit transactions over several decades garnered him millions of dollars in payments from buyers and dealers in the United States, of which as part of this agreement, $12 million will be rightfully forfeited by his estate. HSI New York celebrates the pending repatriation of any outstanding artifacts from Latchford’s illegally obtained collection to their rightful owners and reaffirms our commitment to disrupting the illicit trafficking of cultural property, art, and antiquities.” According to the allegations in the Complaint and the Stipulation filed in Manhattan federal court on June 22, 2023: [1] In 2019, Latchford was indicted in the Southern District of New York with wire fraud conspiracy and other crimes related to a multi-year scheme to sell looted Cambodian antiquities on the international art market, primarily by creating false provenance documents and falsifying invoices and shipping documents, including misrepresenting the country of origin of artworks. See United States v. Latchford , 19 Cr. 748 (AT) (the “Indictment”). In September 2020, the Indictment was dismissed due to the death of Latchford. Between 2003 and 2020, Latchford maintained bank accounts in New York, the United Kingdom, and the Bailiwick of Jersey (“Jersey”). During those years, Latchford received more than $12 million in his New York and U.K. accounts as payment for his sale of stolen and smuggled Southeast Asian antiquities to buyers and dealers in the United States. As part of those sales, Latchford provided false provenance and/or made false statements on shipping records and importation records when those antiquities were imported into the United States. Latchford then transferred at least $12 million in illegally derived proceeds (the “$12 Million”) to his bank accounts in Jersey. In 2008 and 2009, Latchford used funds derived from the sale of stolen and smuggled antiquities to purchase a 7th Century bronze statue depicting the four-armed goddess Durga (the “Durga”), pictured below: According to bank and email records, including correspondence with his bankers, Latchford traveled to Vietnam in November 2008 to purchase a piece of art and instructed his bankers to send around $2 million to the bank account of a person with a Vietnamese email address. In January 2009, Latchford emailed a dealer a photograph, below, of the Durga lying on its back, covered in what appears to be dirt and minerals indicative of recent excavation. Latchford identified My Son, a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage site located in Vietnam, as the location where the Durga was recovered. Under the terms of the stipulation and order of settlement, Latchford’s daughter (the “Claimant”) consents to forfeiture of the $12 Million and the Durga. The United States has agreed not to object to the lifting by Jersey of a freeze order on any remaining funds as defined in the settlement agreement. The parties recognize that nothing in the Stipulation constitutes an admission of liability, fault, or guilt on the part of the Claimant, who expressly denies fault, liability, or wrongdoing. * * * Mr. Williams thanked HSI for its outstanding work on this investigation, which he noted is ongoing, and praised its ongoing efforts to find and repatriate stolen and looted cultural property. Mr. Williams also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Law Officers’ Department of the Bailiwick of Jersey, and authorities in the United Kingdom for their cooperation and assistance. This matter is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and International Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant U. S. Attorney Jessica Feinstein is in charge of the case. The allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. Latchford Complaint Latchford Stipulation and Settlement


title: FACT SHEET: Justice Department Efforts to Protect Reproductive Rights, Health and Justice

component: Office of the Associate Attorney General

body_text: In the year since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade , the Justice Department has worked with commitment and urgency to defend the reproductive freedoms that are protected by federal law. In response to the Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization , the department established the Reproductive Rights Task Force, which formalized the department’s ongoing work to protect reproductive freedoms under federal law. Led by Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta , the Task Force consists of senior officials and dedicated staff from across a dozen department components who are working daily to address complex and widespread threats to reproductive health in the wake of Dobbs . The Associate Attorney General regularly convenes Task Force meetings, including a meeting on Friday, June 23, to reflect on the department’s work in the year since Dobbs and prepare for the challenges ahead. Over the past year, the Task Force has also met with a broad array of stakeholder groups – ranging from state Attorneys General offices to foreign delegations to members of litigating and reproductive justice organizations – to discuss the fallout from Dobbs and gather information about on-the-ground developments. The Task Force’s website contains resources for attorneys, state officials, patients and providers. “The Dobbs decision was and is devastating for people and communities across this country,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “We established the Reproductive Rights Task Force to bring a whole-of-department approach to protecting access to reproductive health care. And we remain committed to utilizing every tool at our disposal to protect reproductive freedoms in the days ahead.” Taking Action to Protect Federal Law and Reproductive Rights: The department continues to monitor state laws and enforcement actions that threaten to infringe on federal protections of reproductive rights. The department takes legal action where appropriate, including by filing affirmative suits or statements of interest and by intervening in private litigation. For instance, in August 2022, the department filed suit against the State of Idaho under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which mandates that every hospital that receives Medicare funds provide necessary stabilizing treatment – including abortion care, in certain instances — to a patient who arrives at an emergency room suffering from a medical condition that could place their life or health in serious jeopardy. The department successfully obtained a preliminary injunction blocking the enforcement of Idaho’s total ban on abortion as applied to medical care required by EMTALA. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has made clear that the department will defend bedrock constitutional protections of women who reside in states that have blocked access to comprehensive reproductive care: Women must remain free to travel to states in which that care is lawful and, under the First Amendment, individuals must also remain free to inform and counsel each other about the reproductive care that is available across state lines. Protecting Access to Medication Abortion and Other Reproductive Care: The department is vigorously defending the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) against multiple legal challenges concerning the abortion medication mifepristone. On April 21, the Supreme Court issued a stay in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA , which means that mifepristone – a safe and effective medication that FDA approved more than two decades ago – will remain available nationwide as that case continues to make its way through the courts. Among other challenges, the department is also defending the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in litigation concerning guidance on the emergency care guaranteed by EMTALA, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in litigation concerning the VA’s interim final rule allowing access to reproductive health services at VA clinics. Advising Federal Agencies and Employees: The department is advising federal agencies as they consider policies and actions to preserve access to reproductive services. For example, the Office of Legal Counsel has published opinions concluding that: the VA had authority to adopt an interim final rule allowing access to reproductive health services at VA clinics; the Department of Defense may lawfully provide funds to enable servicemembers and their dependents to travel out of state for abortion care; and the Department of Health and Humans Services can provide transportation to women seeking abortions without violating the Hyde Amendment. The Office of Legal Counsel also published an opinion advising the U.S. Postal Service that the federal Comstock Act does not generally prohibit the mailing of mifepristone. In addition, the department has made clear that it will support and provide representation to any federal employees who are subject to legal actions for appropriately carrying out their duties under federal law. FACE Act Enforcement: The Civil Rights Division continues its ongoing enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE, Act. The FACE Act prohibits anyone from obstructing access to reproductive health services – including abortion services, reproductive health services provided by pharmacies and pregnancy counseling services – through violence, threats of violence or property damage. Since January 2021, the department has brought 18 cases involving a total of 48 defendants accused of criminal FACE Act-related violations. The department is also working to ensure that federal prosecutors across the country are equipped to bring FACE Act cases. In addition, the department has brought civil actions to enjoin violations of the FACE Act, and our National Task Force on Violence Against Reproductive Health Care has prepared training for state Attorneys General offices, which can similarly bring civil actions under the FACE Act. Legal Representation and Access to Justice: Pursuant to Executive Order 14076 on Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services, the department and the White House Counsel’s Office convened pro bono counsel, bar associations, law professors and public interest groups to identify gaps in legal representation and catalyze coordination and action. Coming out of that convening, pro bono counsel and non-profit groups stood up a clearinghouse to provide legal assistance, and the department has continued to meet with lawyers on the front lines to understand the needs and gaps in legal assistance for patients, providers and others. Provision of Technical Assistance: The department is providing technical assistance to Congress in connection with draft legislation that would, for example, codify reproductive rights, protect the right to travel and ensure access to comprehensive reproductive services. And the department will provide technical assistance on federal constitutional protections to states that are seeking to afford patients and providers from out of state access to reproductive healthcare and abortion services.


title: Seven Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Sex Trafficking in Green Lake County

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that seven federal defendants have been sentenced to prison terms for their involvement in the commercial sexual exploitation of a child in Green Lake County, Wisconsin. All seven pled guilty to the charge of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking. According to court documents, on multiple dates between June and November 2019, one of the defendants, Julio “Cesar” Veleta Veleta, transported the victim, a 16-year-old girl who was in foster care in Madison, between Dane County and Green Lake County for her to perform commercial sex acts for dairy farm workers. Another defendant, Evis Garcia Rivera, both paid for sex with the victim and promoted her availability for commercial sex within the Guatemalan national farm worker community in Green Lake County. Eventually, the victim began living with Garcia Rivera and several of the other defendants, who would “loan” the victim to other groups of farm workers in the area for her sexual services. The seven individuals charged in federal court have been sentenced as follows: Defendant Months of Prison Years of Supervised Release Julio Veleta Veleta, (Age: 36), Sun Prairie, Wisconsin 87 5 Evis Garcia Rivera (Age: 33), Manchester, Wisconsin 87 5 Avelino Sarceno Sarceno (Age: 42), Manchester, Wisconsin 30 5 Samuel Martinez Corado, (Age: 29), Markesan, Wisconsin 28 5 Abilio Corado Gonzalez, (Age 37), Markesan, Wisconsin 27 5 Belter Arana Bautista, (Age 36), Brandon, Wisconsin 24 5 Oscar Martinez Corado, (Age: 21), Markesan, Wisconsin 24 5 The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office (GLCSO) uncovered this conspiracy on Thanksgiving night in 2019, when the victim called 911. Several subjects were arrested that night at the house where the victim had been living, while others were arrested in other locations following further investigation. In a separate action, five additional defendants were prosecuted in Wisconsin Circuit Court by Green Lake County District Attorney Gerise LaSpisa. Four of these defendants, Rolando Corado Gonzalez, Edwin Rivera Salguero, Ember Rivera, Esler Rivera, have pled guilty to exposing genitals to a child and have been sentenced to state prison time, including a year and a half of initial confinement, and two years of extended supervision. “The convictions and sentences of the defendants in this case are the direct result of the hard work and excellent collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “Along with our partners, we are committed to protecting and supporting victims of human trafficking, and our enforcement efforts necessarily will include not only the primary traffickers but also others who assist in these trafficking efforts, including those who seek to drive the demand for this type of victimization.” “The sex trafficking of this 16-year-old victim is a serious and disturbing crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will continue to work tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice and protect the victims of these heinous crimes.” “The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice those who engage in human trafficking and involuntary servitude, particularly when children are involved,” said Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “These sentences are reflective of just how damaging crimes against children are and emphasizes HSI’s dedication to hold perpetrators accountable,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago area of operations Sean Fitzgerald. “We, alongside our law enforcement partners, are committed to the eradication of child exploitation from our communities.” “Human trafficking is an appalling violent crime that occurs across our state and the country, and we must continue to fight it,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to the investigators, including DCI agents, and prosecutors who worked to hold the defendants accountable.” Green Lake County Sheriff Mark Podoll said, “We are very pleased with the overall outcome of this case. We are hopeful for the victim and their future. The collaboration of the investigating agencies and attorney’s offices was tremendous. I’m incredibly proud of all the work everyone put into this case to pursue justice on behalf of the victim and the community. Clearly, crimes like these have no boundaries, and any community can be impacted.” 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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . The case was investigated by the United States Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Security Investigations, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigations and the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Abbey M. Marzick. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Federal correctional officer indicted on excessive force and obstruction charges

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Justin Newkirk has been arraigned on federal charges of using excessive force against an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta (“USP-Atlanta”) and for writing a false incident report to justify his use of force. “Correctional officers perform a particularly challenging and critical job in maintaining order and protecting inmates in our nation’s prisons and jails,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “But this officer’s alleged misconduct of abusing an inmate and then writing a detailed false report to conceal the crime demands accountability.” “Newkirk allegedly used excessive force and then lied to try to cover up his conduct. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to holding accountable those that abuse their power,” said James F. Boyersmith, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Miami Field Office. According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: At the time of the alleged misconduct, Justin Newkirk was employed as a correctional officer at USP-Atlanta. On March 17, 2022, Newkirk allegedly sprayed an inmate with pepper spray repeatedly without any legal justification. Following the assault, Newkirk also allegedly wrote a report in which he falsely claimed that it was necessary for him to use pepper spray after the inmate lunged at him with a closed fist “showing imminent signs of violence.” Justin Newkirk, 35, of Locust Grove, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard. Newkirk was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 13, 2023. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Washington State Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Oyeniyi Oworu, age 45, of Washington, yesterday to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Judge Rubin also ordered Oworu to pay restitution of $296,779.84 The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Andrew McKay of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. According to his guilty plea, between February 2017 and July 2020, Oworu conspired with co-defendant Babatunde Ajibawo, Sadiq Folawiyo, Oyekanmi Oworu, and others to fraudulently obtain checks made out to legitimate businesses, then fraudulently register shell companies to obtain state business certificates in the identical or similar name of the legitimate businesses to which the checks were made payable. As detailed in his plea agreement, Oworu and his co-conspirators attempted to conceal their criminal actions and evade law enforcement by relocating the fraud scheme to other jurisdictions, including the states of Washington and Georgia. A substantial part of a fraudulent scheme was committed from outside the United States, specifically Nigeria. In total, Oworu and his co-conspirators intended to cause a loss of at least $4.1 million to victim businesses and caused an actual loss of at least $756,175.30. To perpetrate the scheme to defraud, Oworu and his co-conspirators used the stolen PII of more than 50 individual victims and established approximately 50 fraudulent or shell businesses. Co-defendants Babatunde Ajibawo, age 55, of Essex, United Kingdom; Oyekanmi Oworu, age 35, of Hyattsville, Maryland; and Sadiq Folawiyo, age 47, of Glen Burnie, Maryland all previously pleaded guilty to their participation in the bank fraud conspiracy. Ajibawo was sentenced to four years in federal prison and Oyekanmi Oworu and Folawiyo were each sentenced to three years in federal prison. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow, who prosecuted the case. For more information on fraud and how to report instances of fraud, including identity theft, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Federal Jury Convicts Statesville Man Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: STATESVILLE, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Jessie Leroy Glass, Jr., 49, of Statesville, for possession and receipt of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell presided over the two-day trial which ended late yesterday. Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Darren Campbell of the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to trial evidence, witness testimony and filed court documents, between January and February 2020, Glass received and possessed images and videos of child pornography. As trial evidence established, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation into Glass after an individual alerted law enforcement about Glass’s possession of child pornography. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered two cell phones associated with Glass. A forensic analysis of the cell phone devices revealed that they contained images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers. The jury convicted Glass of three counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Glass was released on bond. A sentencing date has not been set. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Each count of receipt of child pornography carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI, HSI, and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimlani Ford and Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting 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 Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


title: Brooklyn Park Felon Charged in Federal Complaint for Possession of Fentanyl, Firearm Following Deadly Vehicle Crash

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Derrick John Thompson has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with illegal possession of fentanyl and a firearm following a deadly vehicle crash that killed five victims, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on June 16, 2023, a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol observed a black Cadillac SUV speeding north on I-35W, traveling at 95 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour speed zone. The trooper began following the SUV but did not initiate the emergency lights or attempt to make a traffic stop because the trooper did not want to cause the driver, later identified as Thompson, 27, to continue to drive recklessly on city streets. The trooper observed Thompson abruptly cut across four lanes of traffic to exit the freeway at the Lake Street exit. At the intersection of 2 nd Avenue South and East Lake Street, Thompson sped through a red light at the intersection without stopping or slowing. The SUV struck at full speed the driver’s side of a Honda Civic that was traveling lawfully through the intersection. All five occupants of the Honda Civic, four adult females and one juvenile female, were killed. When law enforcement responded to the scene of the crash, witnesses told officers that Thompson had fled on foot through a nearby alley. Officers found Thompson sitting on the curb outside of a nearby restaurant. Officers detained Thompson, who was later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center for evaluation. According to court documents, an officer found at the scene a Hertz rental record for the Cadillac SUV indicating that Thompson rented the vehicle from a Hertz located at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport approximately 30 minutes before the crash. After obtaining a warrant to search the SUV, officers found a black leather bag on the front passenger side floor that contained a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, as well as three baggies containing 2,169 blue “M-Box 30” fentanyl pills, a baggie containing an additional 14 grams of powder fentanyl, a baggie containing 13 MDMA pills, a baggie containing 35 grams of cocaine, and a digital scale. Because Thompson has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. The complaint charges Thompson with possession of a firearm as a felon, possession of fentanyl, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the charges, Thompson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison. Thompson, who is currently in state custody in Hennepin County, will make his initial appearance in U.S. District Court at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport Police Department, in close coordination with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Calhoun-Lopez and Ruth S. Shnider are prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Hosts Bank Secrecy Act & Anti-Money Laundering Conference In Charlotte

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina hosted a Bank Secrecy Act & Anti-Money Laundering conference in Charlotte. Representatives from the banking sector and the financial services industry attended the one-day conference, which was held at the Charlotte Police & Fire Training Academy. The Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act of 1970, commonly known as the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), established the framework to increase financial transparency and prevent the misuse of the U.S. financial system for the purpose of money laundering. The BSA requires financial institutions to establish certain recordkeeping requirements and anti-money laundering programs, perform customer due diligence, and report suspicious activity . The purpose of the BSA is to safeguard the integrity of the U.S. financial system and to deter and detect those who engage in financial criminal activity, terrorist financing and other illicit financial transactions. The BSA conference highlighted a broad range of topics related to the role of financial institutions in monitoring, investigating, and reporting illicit financial activity, and provided attendees with important information about emerging areas of fraud in the financial crime landscape, including COVID-19 fraud, cryptocurrency and crypto crime threats, elder financial exploitation, cybercriminal groups, and transnational drug trafficking. “Money laundering is not a Charlotte problem. It is not a North Carolina problem. It is a global problem that can undermine the stability of our financial markets,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Today’s conference provides an important overview of the latest trends in financial criminal activity and underscores the important role financial institutions play in bolstering our anti-money laundering efforts and disrupting the illicit movement of money through our financial system.” U.S. Attorney King also noted that information obtained as part of the financial institutions’ BSA requirements can assist investigators and prosecutors in detecting and disrupting money laundering and other financial crimes, developing new investigations, providing leads for existing cases, and locating hidden assets that can be used to pay restitution to crime victims. “The Bank Secrecy Act is an important tool in our efforts to fight money laundering, bring to justice those who seek to misuse the U.S. financial system to move criminal proceeds, and protect Americans from financial harm,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Rooting out financial criminal activity doesn’t solely rest in the hands of prosecutors and regulators. Financial institutions need to continue to do their part to protect the U.S. financial system from those who misuse it to engage in illicit financial activities.”