title: Morgantown Physician Admits to Tax Fraud

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – David M. Anderson, age 63, of Morgantown, West Virginia, has admitted to filing a false tax return, according to United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld. According to court documents, Anderson, a physician, filed false tax returns that understated his taxable income, causing a loss to the IRS of $143,599. “The Justice Department works every day to ensure that those who fail to pay their income taxes are held to account,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Dr. Anderson fell far short of his obligation and now he must pay up, plus penalties and interest, and faces a lengthy prison sentence.” Anderson faces up to three years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Collaborates with FBI to Secure Guilty Plea in Shiprock Murder Case

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Pinehill man pleaded guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal stabbing during a family gathering in Shiprock. According to court documents, on July 31, 2023, Kirtie Cohoe , 48, an enrolled member of Navajo Nation, attended a gathering at a relative's home in Shiprock, New Mexico. During the event, Cohoe and John Doe were alone in the kitchen when a dispute erupted. Cohoe lost self-control and, instead of walking away, stabbed John Doe multiple times in the torso with a knife. After the incident, Cohoe fled the scene on foot, taking the weapon with him. Navajo Police Department officers responding to the call found John Doe deceased at the home. Cohoe was later apprehended in a nearby wooded area, with blood visible on his clothing. The weapon was recovered near Cohoe 's wallet. At sentencing, Cohoe faces 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Cohoe will be subject to up to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. This case was investigated by the Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Mark Probasco are prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement # # #


title: Plant City Man Indicted For Making Threats

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Janye B. Evans (18, Plant City) with interstate transmission of a threat to injure. If convicted, Evans faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. According to court records, on July 24, 2024, law enforcement learned that Evans had posted a photograph of himself on social media. The photograph depicted Evans in front of a Hillsborough County high school and contained a caption threatening to injure others. Law enforcement obtained additional photographs from Evans’s account on the social media platform, several of which depicted Evans in possession of what appeared to be firearms. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.


title: Joplin Man Sentenced to 22 Years for Meth Trafficking, Illegal Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for illegally possessing firearms. Dustin L. Holden, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark on Friday, Aug. 23, to 22 years and nine months in federal prison without parole. On Feb. 13, 2024, Holden pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Co-defendant Britton D. Friday, 42, of Nixa, Mo., was stopped by a Christian County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy while driving a Dodge Avenger in Ozark, Mo., on Jan. 11, 2022. Friday had 32.8 grams of methamphetamine in his possession and was arrested. Holden admitted that he sold methamphetamine to Friday and others for approximately $350 per ounce (28 grams). On Feb. 10, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Holden’s residence and found a black zippered case that contained 187.9 grams of pure methamphetamine. Officers also found a Taurus 9mm handgun, a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun, a Poly Tech 7.62mm rifle, a Ruger AR15 rifle, and an Anderson Manufacturing AR15 lower assembly (which was reported stolen). Friday was sentenced on July 16, 2024, to 10 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy. Friday admitted that he purchased a total of 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine from Holden. This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Indianapolis Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 44 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Eleven-Year-Old Over Snapchat

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS—Sonny Dale Applegate, 27, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to forty-four years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of committing a felony offense while required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, on December 17, 2020, Applegate was convicted of possession of child pornography in Marion County and sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment, with nearly the entire sentence suspended to probation. At the time Applegate committed the following offenses, he was on probation because of that conviction. Despite being on probation and subject to stringent restrictions, Applegate reoffended. Between August 1 and September 12, 2022, Applegate used Snapchat to communicate with a child he knew was underage. At the time, the victim was an eleven-year-old child residing in Missouri. Through Snapchat, Applegate engaged in graphically explicit sexual chat with the child and routinely demanded that they create and send him images and videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct that he directed. On September 12, 2022, during a routine probation visit, Applegate’s probation officer discovered that he was in possession of a Samsung Galaxy cell phone hidden under a pillow. A forensic investigation recovered the child sex abuse material of the child, and more than 600 images or videos of child sex abuse material involving other children that he had collected from the Internet. Applegate must also pay $10,000 in restitution and is required to register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school, pursuant to state law. “Every family should know that social media apps like Snapchat are not safe spaces for young children and are often hunting grounds for predators who seek gratification from their exploitation,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana “The federal prison sentence imposed here ensures that the public will be protected from this offender for many decades to come. Other online predators should take notice that the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, including the FBI, and our federal prosecutors, will work tirelessly to hold them accountable and make our children safer from abuse.” "This sentence reflects the profound harm the defendant caused the victim and should serve as a warning that those who exploit children will be held accountable,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue our unwavering commitment to ensure we protect vulnerable children from such heinous crimes.” The FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by Indianan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Marion County Probation, and the FBI’s Kansas City, Missouri, Field Office. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case. This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/ to learn more about their efforts. 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. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. ###


title: 32 Individuals Indicted for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Fraud

body_text: SAN JUAN, P.R. – On August 22, 2024, a Federal Grand Jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned 32 separate indictments charging 32 individuals with engaging in fraud to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits totaling $981,071, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG) are in charge of the investigations with the assistance of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources. According to the indictments, the defendants engaged in schemes to defraud the Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources (Departamento del Trabajo y Recursos Humanos, “DTRH”) by submitting fraudulent applications to obtain unemployment insurance benefits which contained PUA funds. Under the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, persons who were business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, or gig workers qualified for federal benefits (PUA) administered by the DTRH if they previously performed such work in Puerto Rico and were unemployed, partially unemployed, unable to work, or unavailable to work due to a COVID-19 related reason. To obtain these federal benefits, individuals could apply online through the DTRH’s web site—www.trabajo.pr.gov. Claimants answered various questions to establish their eligibility and were required to provide personal identifying information, which included their name, mailing address, gender, email, phone number, social security number, and date of birth. Moreover, claimants had to identify a qualifying occupational status and COVID-19 related reason for being out of work. In their application, claimants could also submit several documents as evidence of their income. If the DTRH approved a claimant’s application, the DTRH would send a check to the claimant via the United States Postal Service for qualified benefits which could contain regular unemployment insurance benefits and federal funds in the form of PUA, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC); and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits. The indictments charge the 32 individuals with theft of United States’ property—PUA benefits— mail fraud and misuse of Social Security numbers because the defendants engaged in deceptive conduct designed to fraudulently obtain multiple-unemployment checks from the DTRH by using false social security numbers. The defendants received PUA benefits from the DTRH via mail in the form of checks that they were not qualified or authorized to receive. The defendants charged and the amount of money fraudulently obtained are: Alexander Hernández-Casanova ($21,576) Héctor Javier Fernández-Porrata ($40,488) José Emanuel Serrano ($30,564) José Manuel Salinas-Bermúdez ($18,180) Kenny A. Cruz-Chévere ($49,476) Luis Felipe Cesani-Cintrón ($66,390) Michael Martínez-Torres ($21,444) Juan José Reyes-Hernaiz ($35,022) Neyscha Lee Font-Fontanez ($22,908) Christopher J. Mercedes-Sánchez ($30,168) Taylor Bryan Rentas-Día ($22,374) Danny Olmo-Quiñones ($22,440) Francisco J. Carrillo-Hernaiz ($43,152) Julio Omar Rodríguez-Algarín ($31,632) Alexander Barbosa-Concepción ($23,304) Bryan Omar De Jesús-Pizarro ($53,636) Bryan De Jesús-Acevedo ($17,580) Carlos Alberto Batista-Serrano ($53,070) Fabián Abdiel García-Concepción ($22,440) Dianelys Ailysh Torres-Pizarro ($34,692) Jamisael Jiménez-Pérez ($30,366) Jerry Isaías Medina-Hernández ($20,112) Jesús Manuel Crespo-Rivera ($31,830) Glendaly Rivera-Torres ($21,708) Joumar Vale-Sauri ($33,069) Kelvin A. Fermaint-Hernández ($22,374) Kenneth Javier Escalera-Paris ($17,910) Manuel Salinas-Bermudez ($40,086) Rodney Eiram Rodríguez-Rivera ($20,112) Yoanelys Vázquez-González ($32,430) Eluzay De Jesús-Acevedo ($17,376) Luis Angel Crespo-Rivera ($33,162) “The Justice Department remains committed to using every available federal tool to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “We will continue to hold accountable those who seek to exploit the pandemic for personal gain, to protect vulnerable populations, and to safeguard the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs.” “This repeat violation is deeply concerning. It is clear that some individuals continue to exploit a worldwide crisis for personal gain by disregarding the law. We want to make it abundantly clear that this behavior will not be tolerated, now or ever,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office, Joseph González. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue all leads to ensure that these criminals face justice. If you or anyone you know has information about these crimes, I urge you to come forward by calling (787) 987-6500 or submitting a tip online at tips.FBI.gov. To those who have engaged in these fraudulent acts, I strongly advise you to come forward and cooperate with law enforcement before we take action against you.” “An important part of the mission of the U.S Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving pandemic-related unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “The 32 defendants charged are alleged to have collectively stolen close to a million dollars from the federal government by committing fraud in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance under the CARES Act. These charges are a reminder that fraud is not a victimless crime and individuals who attempt to commit fraud face significant penalties,” said Juan A. Vargas, Inspector in Charge, Miami Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure the U.S. Mail is not utilized as a tool to defraud the government and taxpayers.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson is in charge of the prosecution of these cases. If convicted, the defendants are facing the following sentences: up to 20 years of imprisonment for mail fraud; up to10 years of imprisonment for theft of government money; up to 5 years of imprisonment for misuse of a social security number; a fine of up to $250,000; and three years of supervised release. To report a COVID-19-related fraud scheme or suspicious activity, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) by calling the NCDF Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form Indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. # # #


title: Rochester Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Rochester man has been sentenced to 240 months followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, beginning in July 2022—shortly after he was released early from prison for prior controlled substance felonies—through December 2002, Panh Thavong, 51, was part of a conspiracy in which he would distribute methamphetamine in the greater Rochester area. After an investigation that was conducted over several months, law enforcement identified locations and vehicles that Thavong was using to facilitate his methamphetamine distribution along with one or more of his conspirators. On December 9, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants at these locations and seized over 34 kilograms of methamphetamine: 3.5 kilograms from the stash house, 4.5 kilograms from the rental unit, and 26 kilograms from a conspiracy vehicle. As part of his guilty plea, Thavong admitted that the seized controlled substances were intended for distribution. On July 20, 2023, Thavong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on August 23, 2024, in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Task Force, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office, the Rochester Police Department, and the Red Wing Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Secures Guilty Plea from Santo Domingo Man in Child Sexual Abuse Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Santo Domingo man pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl on the Navajo Nation after meeting her online and lying about his age. According to court documents, Jordian Pacheco , 33, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Santo Domingo, met Jane Doe on the internet and they began to communicate via phone, email, and social media platforms. On January 9, 2021, Pacheco drove to Jane Doe's residence, located within the Navajo Nation, when her mother was not home. He then engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts with Jane Doe, knowing she was only 14 years old at the time. Pacheco , who was 29 years old, did not disclose his true age to Jane Doe. On January 10, 2021, Navajo Police Department (NPD) officers responded to a call from Jane Doe’s mother about a man hiding in Jane Doe's closet. Upon arrival, they found Pacheco , who initially provided false identification and denied any wrongdoing. He was detained and transported to Window Rock Adult Detention Center. NPD officers located an unknown vehicle outside Jane Doe’s residence and towed it. When they ran the plates, it came back as belonging to Pacheco . Officers spoke to Pacheco again who confirmed that he had given them false identification. He later confessed to engaging in sexual acts with Jane Doe and lying to her about his age during an interview with the FBI. At sentencing, Pacheco faces 63 to 78 months in prison. Upon his release from prison, Pacheco will be subject to not less than five years and up to life of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: California Lobbying Firm Agrees to Settle Fraud Allegations Involving Paycheck Protection Program Loan

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: california_advisors_settlement_agreement_v.1.pdf SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Advisors LLC, Delaney Hunter, and William Gonzalez have agreed to pay the United States a combined $580,000 in damages and penalties to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act by receiving a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, to provide relief to small businesses experiencing economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many businesses were eligible for these loans, some businesses were not, including those primarily engaged in political or lobbying activities. In April 2020, California Advisors, a lobbying firm, through its partners Delaney Hunter and William Gonzalez, applied for and received a PPP loan in the amount of $144,340. The Small Business Administration forgave the loan in February 2021. This settlement resolves allegations that California Advisors, Delaney Hunter, and William Gonzalez knowingly made false statements in certifying the business’s eligibility for a PPP loan. As part of the settlement, California Advisors agreed to pay approximately $380,000 in damages under the False Claims Act and approximately $150,000 in civil penalties under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act. Delaney Hunter and William Gonzalez have agreed to pay $25,000 each for their involvement in the false certification in California Advisors LLC’s PPP loan application and loan forgiveness application. “The Paycheck Protection Program was a vital resource to struggling small businesses during the darkest hours of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “This Office will continue to investigate businesses who took advantage of these funds at the expense of other small businesses.” SBA’s General Counsel Therese Meers stated, “The favorable settlement in this case is the product of enhanced efforts by federal agencies such as the Small Business Administration working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SBA’s Office of Inspector General and other Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as private individuals who uncover fraudulent conduct to recover the product of this fraud as well as penalties.” The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Amin. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across the government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: City of Los Angeles Agrees to Pay $38.2M to Resolve False Claims Act Suit for Alleged Misuse of Department of Housing and Urban Development Grant Funds

component: Civil Division

body_text: The City of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $38.2 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to meet federal accessibility requirements when it sought and used Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funds for multifamily affordable housing. HUD provides grant funds to Los Angeles and other cities to support housing and community development, including building and rehabilitating affordable multifamily housing units. Recipients of federal housing development funds must comply with federal accessibility laws, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act. These laws prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in activities receiving federal financial assistance. For example, the laws require 5% of all units in certain federally-assisted multifamily housing be accessible for people with mobility impairments and an additional 2% be accessible for people with visual and auditory impairments. Recipients of federal funds must also implement other housing-related accessibility requirements, including maintaining a publicly available list of accessible units with a description of their accessibility features, adopting policies and procedures to ensure that people who need the accessibility features of particular units occupy them and designating at least one city employee to coordinate accessibility efforts. In 2017, the United States intervened and filed a complaint in a whistleblower action filed under the False Claims Act alleging that, for over a decade, the City of Los Angeles failed to follow federal accessibility laws when building and rehabilitating affordable multifamily properties and failed to make its affordable multifamily housing program accessible to people with disabilities. The United States alleged that the housing was not structurally accessible because of failures like slopes that were too steep, counters that were too high, and thresholds that did not permit wheelchair access. The United States further alleged that the city failed to maintain a publicly available list of accessible units and their accessibility features. The United States alleged that the city, on an annual basis, knowingly and falsely certified to HUD that it complied with these grant requirements despite its failure to do so. Today’s settlement resolves the pending lawsuit. “This settlement shows that we will hold accountable jurisdictions receiving federal grant money to ensure they satisfy their obligations to make affordable housing accessible to people with disabilities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our years spent litigating this case demonstrate the department’s steadfast commitment to this effort.” “Municipalities that receive federal grant money for affordable and accessible housing must comply with federal law and honor the rights of people with disabilities,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally for the Central District of California. “The nearly $40 million settlement here demonstrates our commitment to ensuring municipalities receiving federal funds comply with federal law. We will continue to work with the City of Los Angeles to ensure equal access for individuals with disabilities.” “By failing to make certain that HUD-funded multifamily housing was appropriately built or rehabilitated to meet federal accessibility requirements, the city discriminated against people with disabilities,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis of HUD. “HUD’s Office of the Inspector General will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who fail to meet their legal obligations for the housing needs of people with disabilities.” “The settlement announced today sends a clear message that HUD and its partners at the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of HUD’s programs and demonstrates the importance of providing accessible housing,” said General Counsel Damon Smith of HUD. “In this instance, HUD determined that the City of Los Angeles fell far short of its responsibilities to provide HUD-funded accessible housing, but the settlement agreement provides a fresh start for HUD and the City to work collaboratively to address the City’s pressing housing needs.” The False Claims Act permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating such an action, as the United States did here. The lawsuit is captioned U.S. ex rel. Ling, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al., No. CV11‐00974, and was brought by a Los Angeles resident who uses a wheelchair and the Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley, a nonprofit disability rights advocacy group. The private parties’ share of the settlement has not yet been determined. In 2020, the United States settled for $3.1 million allegations against another defendant in the lawsuit, CRA/LA, the successor of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, a local redevelopment agency that financed and assisted in the development of multifamily affordable housing using local tax monies and federal grants. The resolutions obtained in this litigation were the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from HUD’s Office of General Counsel and Office of Inspector General. Attorneys William C. Edgar, Jennifer Chorpening, Daniel W. Kastner and Wesley J. Heath of the Civil Division of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen Paik and Paul La Scala for the Central District of California handled the case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Obtains $850,000 Settlement with Fresno Acupuncturist to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations of Improper Billing

body_text: kim_agmt_fully_executed.pdf FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno medical provider Young Sam Kim has agreed to pay the United States $850,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by fraudulently billing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for health care services that were not in fact provided, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today. Kim is an acupuncturist practicing at the Acuworld Health Clinic in Fresno, and who provided care to a number of Veterans through various federal programs funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration. The settlement announced today resolves allegations that, between 2016 and 2020, Kim submitted claims for payments to the VA for acupuncture services that were significantly overstated, including multiple instances in which Kim submitted claims totaling more than 24 hours in a single day. “The exploitation of federal health care programs designed to help Veterans is inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “We will continue to hold accountable those who defraud such programs for personal gain.” “The VA Office of Inspector General is committed to ensuring veterans receive the quality health care they deserve, and we will continue to work to make certain that VA healthcare services are not compromised by fraudulent billing practices,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this investigation.” The resolution announced today was made possible by an investigation conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen M. Kennedy handled this matter for the United States.


title: Roanoke Man Pleads Guilty to Selling ‘Ghost Gun,’ Pressed Fentanyl Pills

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man pled guilty last week to a handful of federal drug and gun charges after orchestrating the straw purchase of a firearm and selling pressed fentanyl pills and multiple firearms (including a ‘ghost gun’) to a confidential informant. Julius Frederick Muse, III, 19, of Roanoke, Virginia, pled guilty last week to four counts of selling a firearm to another person knowing or having a reasonable cause to believe that person was a convicted felon, two counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of aiding and abetting a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer and one count of knowingly possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. As part of the plea agreement, the government and the defendant have agreed to recommend a sentencing range between 70 and 108 months. The final sentence will be determined by the Court at sentencing. According to court documents, in December 2022, Muse provided cash to another person to purchase an AR-style pistol on his behalf and paid that individual with marijuana. In order to do so, the individual made a false statement on ATF Form 4473. Later that month, Muse sold a confidential informant four pressed fentanyl pills and two firearms. Eight days later, Muse sold the same informant 27 more pressed fentanyl pills and a Polymer 80 privately-made firearm, also known as a ‘Ghost Gun,” which Muse claimed was “untraceable.” Muse later sold the informant four more firearms, including another AR-pattern pistol. At the time of these sales, Muse knew or had a reason to believe the informant was a convicted felon who was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. Federal agents searched Muse’s apartment in March of 2023 and discovered, among other items, a 9mm Hi-Point pistol with an obliterated serial number. United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Homeland Security Investigations provided valuable support and assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee S. Brett is prosecuting the case for the United States. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Gate City Pharmacist Sentenced for Tampering with Oxycodone

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A Gate City, Virginia pharmacist who tampered with oxycodone and hydromorphone was sentenced last week to 24 months in federal prison. Dillon West Breeding, 34, pled guilty in June 2024 to one count of tampering with consumer products. “Ensuring the integrity of our prescription drugs is vital to maintaining the public’s confidence in our healthcare system,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “When patients go to the pharmacy, they trust the medicines they receive are legitimate, and prosecutions like this one go a long way towards ensuring that trust. I am grateful to the FDA, Virginia Department of Health Professions, Virginia State Police, and the Gate City Police for bringing this important matter forward.” “FDA-OCI remains committed to safeguarding the drug supply chain from individuals who endanger public health and safety by tampering with products,” said George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metropolitan Washington Field Office. “When pharmacists betray their customers’ trust by tampering with narcotic medications, they not only risk causing needless suffering from ineffective substitutes but also put lives at risk by introducing potentially harmful substances into the drug supply chain. The foundational work of the Gate City Police Department and our valued partnership with the Virginia State Police were integral to our efforts in safeguarding public health and safety in this case.” According to court documents, Breeding swapped oxycodone tablets with prednisone, a steroid used to treat inflammation, and replaced hydromorphone tablets with leflunomide, a drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, Breeding would dispense medication to patients and short them pills, keeping the additional pills for himself. Because Breeding tampered with these products, a pharmacist could have filled and dispensed the wrong drug to a customer, placing them in danger of death or bodily injury. The Food and Drug Administration - Office of Inspector General, the Virginia Department of Health Professions, along with the Gate City Police Department and the Virginia State Police, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Macon prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: City of Los Angeles Agrees to Pay $38.2 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Suit for Alleged Misuse of HUD Grant Funds

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT LOS ANGELES – The City of Los Angeles has agreed to pay $38.2 million to resolve allegations that it knowingly failed to meet federal accessibility requirements when it sought and used U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funds for multifamily affordable housing, the Justice Department announced today. “Municipalities that receive federal grant money for affordable and accessible housing must comply with federal law and honor the rights of people with disabilities,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The nearly $40 million settlement here demonstrates our commitment to ensuring municipalities receiving federal funds comply with federal law. We will continue to work with the City of Los Angeles to ensure equal access for individuals with disabilities.” HUD provides grant funds to Los Angeles and other cities to support housing and community development, including building and rehabilitating affordable multifamily housing units. Recipients of federal housing development funds must comply with federal accessibility laws, including Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. These laws prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in activities receiving federal financial assistance. For example, the laws require five percent of all units in certain federally-assisted multifamily housing be accessible for people with mobility impairments and an additional two percent be accessible for people with visual and auditory impairments. Recipients of federal funds must also implement other housing-related accessibility requirements, including maintaining a publicly available list of accessible units with a description of their accessibility features, adopting policies and procedures to ensure that people who need the accessibility features of particular units occupy them, and designating at least one city employee to coordinate accessibility efforts. In 2017, the United States intervened and filed a complaint in a whistleblower action filed under the False Claims Act alleging that, for over a decade, the City of Los Angeles failed to follow federal accessibility laws when building and rehabilitating affordable multifamily properties and failed to make its affordable multifamily housing program accessible to people with disabilities. The United States alleged that the housing was not structurally accessible because of failures like slopes that were too steep, counters that were too high, and thresholds that did not permit wheelchair access. The United States further alleged that the city failed to maintain a publicly available list of accessible units and their accessibility features. The United States alleged that the city, on an annual basis, knowingly and falsely certified to HUD that it complied with these grant requirements despite its failure to do so. Today’s settlement resolves the pending lawsuit. “This settlement shows that we will hold accountable jurisdictions receiving federal grant money to ensure they satisfy their obligations to make affordable housing accessible to people with disabilities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our years spent litigating this case demonstrate the department’s steadfast commitment to this effort.” “By failing to make certain that HUD-funded multifamily housing was appropriately built or rehabilitated to meet federal accessibility requirements, the city discriminated against people with disabilities,” said HUD Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis. “HUD’s Office of the Inspector General will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who fail to meet their legal obligations for the housing needs of people with disabilities.” “The settlement announced today sends a clear message that HUD and its partners at the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of HUD’s programs and demonstrates the importance of providing accessible housing,” said General Counsel Damon Smith of HUD. “In this instance, HUD determined that the City of Los Angeles fell far short of its responsibilities to provide HUD-funded accessible housing, but the settlement agreement provides a fresh start for HUD and the City to work collaboratively to address the City’s pressing housing needs.” The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating these cases, as the United States did in 2017 here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Ling, et al. v. City of Los Angeles, et al. , No. CV11‐00974 (C.D. Cal.), and was brought by a Los Angeles resident who uses a wheelchair and the Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley, a nonprofit disability rights advocacy group. A relator share has not yet been determined. In 2020, the United States settled for $3.1 million allegations against another defendant in the lawsuit, CRA/LA, the successor of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, a local redevelopment agency that financed and assisted in the development of multifamily affordable housing using local tax monies and federal grants. The resolution obtained in this litigation was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from HUD’s Office of General Counsel and Office of Inspector General. The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen Y. Paik and Paul B. La Scala of the Civil Division’s Civil Fraud Section and Justice Department Fraud Section attorneys William C. Edgar, Jennifer Chorpening, Daniel W. Kastner, and Wesley J. Heath of the Civil Division. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Milwaukee Man Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment for Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 22, 2024, Montae D. Jacobs (age: 34) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was sentenced to a term of 20 years’ imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, after being convicted following a bench trial of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, one count of sex trafficking of a child, and ten other related charges. According to court records, the offenses for which Jacobs was convicted began in 2019 and continued through 2023. It also included conduct that occurred after his arrest and indictment in this case, while he served a state prison sentence. Throughout his time in custody, Jacobs continuously attempted to recruit new victims for his sex trafficking scheme, including at least one minor. Jacobs solicited, and in some cases paid, his fellow inmates for the contact information of women and girls they thought might be susceptible to Jacobs’ pitch, which was that they could quickly become wealthy by prostituting and live-streaming pornographic content if they followed his detailed instructions. His instructions included paying part of their earnings to him. Jacobs sent any women who were responsive to him letters, emails, and calls multiple times a day, exhorting them to call him “daddy” and “king,” to “submit” and “bow down” to him, and to recruit other victims for him. In announcing the sentence, United States District Judge Lynn Adelman emphasized that while Jacobs may not have been as financially successful or as violent as some other traffickers previously sentenced in this district, his unusual degree of persistence and total lack of remorse required a serious sentence, both to protect the community from future crimes by Jacobs and to deter others who would engage in similar conduct. Judge Adelman also noted that the varied and nefarious means by which Jacobs controlled his victims, including false promises, physical violence, threats to have the victims arrested or evicted, and manipulation of their drug addictions, influenced the Court’s sentencing decision. “The sentence in this case reflects the fact that human trafficking is a brutal offense, involving victimizing individuals day after day,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “In this case, Mr. Jacobs not only engaged in this conduct while in the community but he also continued to seek to victimize vulnerable individuals even after being placed in custody. I commend the hard work of all involved in seeking justice for and giving a voice to the individuals exploited by Mr. Jacobs.” “Human trafficking is a heinous crime that has no place in Wisconsin or anywhere else,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to everyone who collaborated to make this investigation and prosecution successful.” This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, with support from the South Milwaukee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erica J. Lounsberry and Kate M. Biebel. ### For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: United States Attorney’s Office Issues Statement on the Passing of Lynn Crooks

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: Fargo – United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota Mac Schneider today issued the following statement on the passing of Lynn Crooks, a former long-time federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s Office: The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota is mourning the loss of Lynn Crooks, a beloved colleague to many of our attorneys and staff and arguably the greatest prosecutor in the history of North Dakota. During more than three decades of service to the Department of Justice and the District of North Dakota, Lynn served as Criminal Chief, Civil Chief, First Assistant United States Attorney, and Acting United States Attorney. He was a jack of all trades and a master at it all, twice receiving the prestigious Director’s Award for Superior Achievement. While North Dakota will remember Lynn for prosecuting challenging and consequential federal cases of national prominence, his colleagues will remember him as a kind and generous man who was never too busy to help a friend or mentor a young attorney. Personally, my family and I will never forget his comforting words at the memorial service for United States Attorney John Schneider after he passed away following a cancer diagnosis over 20 years ago. Relatively few attorneys have had the privilege of representing the United States in federal court. Virtually none of them did it better than Lynn Crooks. He will be missed dearly. ######


title: JBER soldier indicted on child pornography charges

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment on Thursday charging an Army soldier with child pornography offenses. The defendant, Seth Herrera, 34, who is stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, was arrested on August 23, 2024. According to court documents, Herrera transported, received and possessed files depicting child sexual abuse. Herrera also allegedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to generate child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting minors known to him. Court documents further allege that law enforcement uncovered tens of thousands of visual depictions of the violent sexual abuse of children as young as infants on cellphones belonging to the defendant. Herrera also allegedly used encrypted messaging applications and network applications to find, receive and download CSAM. Herrera is charged with one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant is currently scheduled for his initial court appearance on August 27, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “The misuse of cutting-edge generative AI is accelerating the proliferation of dangerous content, including child sexual abuse material – so the Department of Justice is accelerating its enforcement efforts,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, the defendant used AI tools to morph images of real kids into horrific child sexual abuse material. Criminals considering the use of AI to perpetuate their crimes should stop and think twice – because the Department of Justice is prosecuting AI-enabled criminal conduct to the fullest extent of the law and will seek increased sentences wherever warranted.” "Technology may change, but our commitment to protecting children will not,” said S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. “We will aggressively pursue those who produce and traffic in child sexual abuse material (CSAM), no matter how that material was created. Put simply, CSAM generated by AI is still CSAM, and those who sexually exploit children, through whatever technological means, will be held accountable by our office in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, for justice and the safety of our children." “The charges against Herrera, a U.S. military soldier, for trafficking and generating child sexual abuse materials using artificial intelligence represent a profound violation of trust as well as preview of the challenges law enforcement continues to face in this evolving threat to our children” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Pacific Northwest Division. “This appalling misconduct undermines Herrera’s commitment to defending both our nation and its most vulnerable members.” U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Pacific Northwest operations made the announcement. The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Herrera’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online using the name Seth Herrera, please contact the HSI tip line at 1-877-447-4847. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson and Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Charged with Threatening Election Officials, State Judge, and Federal Law Enforcement Agents

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A Colorado man will make his initial appearance at the federal courthouse in Durango, Colorado, today on federal charges in connection with a series of online threats he made toward election officials in Colorado and Arizona, a Colorado state judge, and federal law enforcement agents. Teak Brockbank, 45, of Cortez, was arrested on Friday in Cortez. “We allege that the defendant made detailed death threats against election officials, judges, and law enforcement officers,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Violent threats against public servants are a danger to our democracy, and the arrest and charges announced today make clear that the Justice Department will see to it that perpetrators answer for their actions.” “As alleged, Teak Brockbank threatened the lives of multiple public servants on social media. Among other threats, he allegedly claimed that it was ‘time’ to put two state election officials to death and that he was obligated to ‘put a bullet’ in the head of a Colorado state judge,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Public servants must be able to do their jobs without fear. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who target public officials with threats of violence.” According to court documents, between September 2021 and August 2022, Brockbank allegedly used two social media accounts to post messages threatening Colorado and Arizona election officials. For example, on Aug. 4, 2022, Brockbank allegedly posted a message referring to separate election officials in Arizona and Colorado and then stated: “Once those people start getting put to death then the rest will melt like snowflakes and turn on each other. . . . This is the only way. So those of us that have the stomach for what has to be done should prepare our minds for what we all [a]re going to do!!!!!! It is time.” Brockbank also allegedly posted a message threatening a Colorado state judge on Oct. 2, 2021: “I could pick up my rifle and I could go put a bullet in this Mans head and send him to explain himself to our Creator right now. I would be Justified!!! Not only justified but obligated by those in my family who fought and died for the freedom in this country. . . . What can I do other than kill this man my self?” Finally, Brockbank allegedly threatened federal law enforcement on July 20, 2022, posting: “ATF CIA FBI show up to my house I am shooting them peace’s of s*** first No Warning!! Then I will call the sheriff!!! With everything that these piece of shit agencies have done I am completely justified to just start dropping them as soon as they step on my property! justified.” Brockbank is charged with transmitting interstate threats. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun. Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – A Colorado man will make his initial appearance at the federal courthouse in Durango, Colorado, today on federal charges in connection with a series of online threats he made toward election officials in Colorado and Arizona, a Colorado state judge, and federal law enforcement agents. Teak Brockbank, 45, of Cortez, was arrested on Friday in Cortez. “We allege that the defendant made detailed death threats against election officials, judges, and law enforcement officers,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Violent threats against public servants are a danger to our democracy, and the arrest and charges announced today make clear that the Justice Department will see to it that perpetrators answer for their actions.” “As alleged, Teak Brockbank threatened the lives of multiple public servants on social media. Among other threats, he allegedly claimed that it was ‘time’ to put two state election officials to death and that he was obligated to ‘put a bullet’ in the head of a Colorado state judge,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Public servants must be able to do their jobs without fear. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who target public officials with threats of violence.” According to court documents, between September 2021 and August 2022, Brockbank allegedly used two social media accounts to post messages threatening Colorado and Arizona election officials. For example, on Aug. 4, 2022, Brockbank allegedly posted a message referring to separate election officials in Arizona and Colorado and then stated: “Once those people start getting put to death then the rest will melt like snowflakes and turn on each other. . . . This is the only way. So those of us that have the stomach for what has to be done should prepare our minds for what we all [a]re going to do!!!!!! It is time.” Brockbank also allegedly posted a message threatening a Colorado state judge on Oct. 2, 2021: “I could pick up my rifle and I could go put a bullet in this Mans head and send him to explain himself to our Creator right now. I would be Justified!!! Not only justified but obligated by those in my family who fought and died for the freedom in this country. . . . What can I do other than kill this man my self?” Finally, Brockbank allegedly threatened federal law enforcement on July 20, 2022, posting: “ATF CIA FBI show up to my house I am shooting them peace’s of s*** first No Warning!! Then I will call the sheriff!!! With everything that these piece of shit agencies have done I am completely justified to just start dropping them as soon as they step on my property! justified.” Brockbank is charged with transmitting interstate threats. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The FBI Denver Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Jonathan E. Jacobson of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus Y. Chung for the District of Colorado are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. A year after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the Task Force has begun. Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the Task Force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Criminal Division, the Civil Rights Division, the National Security Division, and the FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo . To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found here: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/ . You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov . Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: The Office of the Pardon Attorney Releases Spanish Language Commutation Application

component: Office of the Pardon Attorney

body_text: The Office of the Pardon Attorney (Pardon) released a Spanish-language version of its application for commutation of sentence. The Spanish-language application can be used to request that the President commute the sentence of an individual who is incarcerated. This application follows the launches of the improved pardon application in June 2024, and the English-language commutation application in November 2023. In 2023 and 2024, Pardon revised all its clemency forms to make them more accessible and user-friendly. The revisions have been part of a department-wide effort to expand access to justice by simplifying public-facing forms and documents, consistent with the recommendations described in the 2022 and 2023 Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable Reports. “Through collaboration with the Office for Access to Justice, regular community outreach and education, and the hard work of our team, we have been able to overhaul our entire platform of clemency applications,” said Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer. “The Spanish-language application will allow a large number of people within the Federal Bureau of Prisons to better access the clemency process going forward. It is a key step in our efforts to make clemency more transparent and to meet our obligation to increase language access for our applicants.” Pardon is also working with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) to make the Spanish-language commutation form available to Spanish speakers within FBOP facilities. To learn more about the work and outreach of the Office of the Pardon Attorney, visit Office of the Pardon Attorney | Office of the Pardon Attorney (justice.gov) .


title: La Oficina del Abogado de Indultos Publica la Solicitud de Conmutación de la Pena en Español

body_text: La Oficina del Abogado de Indultos (Indultos) publicó una Versión en idioma español de su solicitud de conmutación de la pena. La solicitud en español puede usarse para pedirle al presidente la conmutación de la pena de una persona que está encarcelada. Esta solicitud sigue el lanzamiento de la solicitud de indulto mejorada en junio de 2024, y de la solicitud de conmutación de la pena en inglés en noviembre de 2023. En 2023 y 2024, Indultos revisó todos sus formularios de clemencia para hacerlos más accesibles y fáciles de usar. Las revisiones han sido parte de un esfuerzo de todo el departamento por ampliar el acceso a la justicia mediante la simplificación de los formularios y documentos de carácter público, coherente con las recomendaciones descritas en los Informes de la Mesa Redonda Interinstitucional de Asistencia Jurídica de 2022 y 2023 . “Por medio de la colaboración con la Oficina de Acceso a la Justicia, la divulgación y la educación regulares de la comunidad, y el arduo trabajo de nuestro equipo, hemos sido capaces de revisar toda nuestra plataforma de solicitudes de clemencia”, dijo la Abogada de Indultos Elizabeth Oyer. “La solicitud en español permitirá a un gran número de personas dentro de la Oficina Federal de Prisiones acceder mejor al proceso de clemencia en el futuro. Es un paso clave en nuestros esfuerzos por hacer el indulto más transparente y cumplir con nuestra obligación de aumentar el acceso lingüístico de nuestros solicitantes”. Indultos también está trabajando con la Oficina Federal de Prisiones (FBOP, por sus siglas en inglés) para poner el formulario de conmutación en español a disposición de los hispanohablantes en las instalaciones de la FBOP. Para obtener más información sobre el trabajo y el alcance de la Oficina del Abogado de Indultos, visite la Oficina del Abogado de Indultos | Oficina del Abogado de Indultos (justice.gov) .


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Drew Lamont Scruggs, 48, of Akron, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2024, Scruggs pawned a Kimber model Stainless Ultra Carry II .45-caliber pistol at a Huntington business. Scruggs admitted to possessing the firearm and that the firearm was later determined to have been stolen at the time he possessed it. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Scruggs knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for voluntary manslaughter on June 25, 1997, trafficking in cocaine on April 1, 1998, and on November 12, 2012, and failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer on November 3, 2015, and on August 6, 2019, all in Summit County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas. Scruggs is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-49. ###


title: Man Sentenced to Prison For Sexually Abusing, Stalking, and Blackmailing Three Victims, Including a Child and a Minor

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – John’Ta Price, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to 40 months in prison for the sexual abuse of three deaf victims, including a child and a minor, between 2015 and 2023, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves announced. Price pleaded guilty on June 18, 2024, to second-degree child sexual abuse, attempted stalking, and attempted blackmail in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Superior Court Judge Robert Okun sentenced the defendant on August 23, 2024, to 30 months in prison for the second-degree child sexual abuse, plus 180 days for attempted stalking, plus 120 days for attempted blackmail, all to run consecutively, followed by five years of probation. Price will also be required to register as a sex offender for 10 years. According to the government’s evidence, between March 1, 2015 and February 20, 2020, Price engaged in a course of conduct to stalk the first victim, who throughout this period was around 13 to 18 years-old. The defendant sent nude videos and pictures on at least 10 different occasions to the victim, despite the victim repeatedly asking him to stop. Price continued his inappropriate behavior when he confronted the victim at her high school and made lude remarks about having sexual intercourse with the victim. While making these remarks, Price touched the victim’s shoulder and attempted a hug, but the victim pushed him away. Price then attempted to grab the victim’s breast. In or around November 2021, Price threatened to expose nude pictures of the second victim to the public if the victim did not perform sexual acts on the defendant. On October 21, 2023, the third victim, a 14-year-old child, was contacted by Price to meet up. The victim subsequently met up with Price at Union Station. Price asked the victim to get inside his vehicle and perform a sexual act on him, which the victim performed after Price’s request. Then, after asking to perform a subsequent sexual act on the victim, Price proceeded to perform that sexual act on the victim. The defendant was arrested December 1, 2023, and was a Gallaudet student at the time. He has been in custody ever since. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. He acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco Crocetti, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Cabell County Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Walter Alvin Cremeans, 57, of Culloden, was sentenced today to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Cremeans admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 28, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cremeans on the 4200 block of Ohio River Road in Huntington. Cremeans admitted that he placed approximately 97 grams of methamphetamine in a cup that was thrown from his vehicle during the traffic stop. The officer located and seized the methamphetamine on the ground outside of Cremeans’ vehicle. Cremeans further admitted that investigators observed him acquiring the seized methamphetamine just before the traffic stop, and that he had arranged to receive the methamphetamine during multiple phone calls that were intercepted by investigators. Cremeans is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Cremeans is also among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180. ###


title: Quincy Landlord Agrees to $15,200 Settlement for False Claims Act Violations

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Quincy landlord has agreed to a settlement for a False Claims Act violation. Mario Bianco, 79, of Quincy has agreed to pay a $15,200 settlement for submitting false claims to the government after receiving side payments in excess of approved monthly rent from a low-income tenant participating in a federal housing subsidy program. The Federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, commonly referred to as “Section 8,” provides federal funding to low-income individuals to help them secure safe and affordable housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides this funding through local public housing agencies, which establish the total monthly rent due to landlords of Section 8 tenants. HUD pays the housing subsidy directly to landlords. In return, landlords agree to comply with certain program requirements, including that they will not charge Section 8 tenants rent exceeding the amount set by the public housing agency. Despite this restriction, Bianco demanded and received side rent payments from a Section 8 tenant, who brought a lawsuit against Bianco under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. As part of today’s settlement, Bianco admits to demanding and receiving side payments from the Section 8 tenant in violation of his agreements with HUD. “The Section 8 program provides critical assistance to families in need of safe and affordable housing,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “We will vigorously defend the integrity of the Section 8 program against landlords that seek to take advantage of members of our community for their own financial gain. We encourage any Section 8 tenants who have been forced to pay excess rent in violation of the terms of their leases to bring their concerns to our Office’s attention.” “Mr. Bianco preyed on the vulnerability of a low-income household by demanding rent payments in excess of the agreed upon amount by HUD from a tenant participating in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program,” said Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis. “This type of financial fraud scheme takes valuable dollars out of the pockets of low-income households and reduces the number of families that HUD’s assisted housing programs can serve. Our office will continue to pursue these matters with the United States Attorney’s Office to bring justice to those victimized by these schemes and to promote safe, affordable housing.” The False Claims Act allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud to bring civil actions on behalf of the government. The settlement agreement requires the defendant to pay $15,200 to the United States, and the whistleblower will share in that recovery. Acting United States Attorney Levy and Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Seol of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Charge

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Aaron Cardinale, age 48, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced August 22, 2024, in federal court in Omaha after having pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Cardinale to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Cardinale’s release he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On July 27, 2022, Cardinale was stopped for a traffic violation in South Omaha. During the stop officers became suspicious of illegal activity and called for a canine that alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from within the vehicle Cardinale was driving. A search of the vehicle revealed 87 grams of actual meth. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.


title: Colorado Dentist Charged with Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Denver returned an indictment unsealed on Friday charging a Colorado dentist with six counts of tax evasion for his use of an illegal tax shelter. According to the indictment, since 2014, Ryan Ulibarri owned and operated Ulibarri Family Dentistry in Fort Collins. In 2016, Ulibarri allegedly purchased a tax shelter for $50,000. From 2017 through 2022, Ulibarri allegedly used this tax shelter to conceal from the IRS over $3.5 million in income he earned. To effectuate the tax shelter, Ulibarri allegedly signed trust instruments purporting to create three trusts and a private foundation and opened bank accounts in the name of each entity. He also allegedly re-structured his dental practice so that the majority of it was purportedly owned by one of the trusts. Ulibarri allegedly transferred nearly all the funds he earned from his dental practice to the bank accounts for the trusts and foundation he created. He allegedly used those funds to pay personal expenses, such as the mortgage on his home and his credit card bills. Finally, he allegedly filed false tax returns for himself and the trusts that assigned the income he earned and controlled from his practice to the trusts. In total, Ulibarri is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1 million. If convicted, Ulibarri faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Ulibarri Indictment.pdf


title: Mexican National Sentenced for Possessing Heroin with Intent to Distribute in Bakersfield

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Antonio Beltran-Chaidez, 54, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in January 2022, Antonio Beltran-Chaidez recruited his brother, Jose Beltran-Chaidez, 68, a Mexican national residing in Bakersfield, to deliver more than 2 pounds of heroin to Jorge Calderon-Campos, 42, of Bakersfield, who was the target of a federal wiretap investigation for distribution to Calderon-Campos’s customers. However, when Calderon-Campos was unable to sell the drug, Jose Beltran-Chaidez retrieved it from Calderon-Campos at Antonio Beltran-Chaidez’s direction and was in possession of the heroin when stopped by a law enforcement officer for a traffic violation. Calderon-Campos and Jose Beltran-Chaidez recently pleaded guilty to their involvement in a larger drug conspiracy and are scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 21, 2024, and Nov. 4, 2024, respectively. They face a mandatory statutory minimum penalty of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, along with a $10 million fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, the CHP, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Kern County Sheriff's Office, the Kern County Probation Department, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Mercer County Couple Admit Conspiring to Submit Fraudulent Asylum Applications

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, couple today admitted their roles in a conspiracy to prepare and submit fraudulent asylum applications, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Zuwairul Ameer, aka “Zuwairul Thowfeek,” 61, and Claudette Ameer, aka “Claudette Pieries,” 63, both of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp in Trenton federal court to count one of an indictment charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Applicants for asylum in the United States must show that they have suffered persecution in their country of origin on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, or have a well-founded fear of persecution if they were to return to that country. The process requires an application that is reviewed by an asylum officer with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), who makes an initial determination whether to grant asylum. If the application has been prepared by someone other than the applicant, the preparer must disclose his or her name and address and must sign the application. Since at least 2007, Zuwairul Ameer has been in the business of preparing fraudulent asylum application on behalf of his non-citizen clients. Claudette Ameer has managed that business, acting as the primary point of contact for clients, arranging meetings, and mailing completed applications to USCIS. With Claudette Ameer’s assistance, Zuwairul Ameer met with clients, listened to their stories of mistreatment in their countries of origin, and drafted applications on their behalf that were fraudulent because they: exaggerated the stories of mistreatment; falsely omitted Zuwairul Ameer’s name as the preparer; or both. The conspiracy charge to which the Ameers have pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 25, 2025. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, New York Field Office, under the direction of under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge James Smith, and immigration officers with of the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate at the New York Asylum Office, under the direction of Director Mathew Varghese, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. ameer.indictment.pdf


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Transportation Management Company to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with BreakthroughFuel LLC (Breakthrough), a transportation management company based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with nationwide operations. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that Breakthrough violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against a non-U.S. citizen worker when the company withdrew its offer to work on a project based on his citizenship status. “Employers cannot unlawfully exclude people with permission to work in the United States because of their citizenship status,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department is committed to ensuring that employers do not unlawfully deny workers equal treatment in the workplace.” After opening an investigation based on a worker’s complaint, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that Breakthrough, which used a third-party staffing agency to fill a role on Breakthrough’s project, asked the agency to withdraw a job offer to a worker when Breakthrough learned he was not a U.S. citizen. IER also concluded that Breakthrough did not have any legal justification for withdrawing the offer. Under the terms of the settlement, Breakthrough will pay a civil penalty to the United States, train its employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination requirements, revise its employment policies and processes and be subject to monitoring by the department. During the course of IER’s investigation, Breakthrough and the staffing agency provided the worker with monetary compensation to address his claim of lost wages. IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee, unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination in recruiting and hiring on IER’s website . Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify) or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation ; email IER@usdoj.gov ; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una compañía de gestión de transporte que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con BreakthroughFuel, LLC (Breakthrough), una compañía de gestión de transporte con sede en Green Bay, Wisconsin, con operaciones a nivel nacional. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Breakthrough infringió la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) al discriminar a un trabajador no ciudadano de los EE. UU. cuando la empresa retiró su oferta de trabajar en un proyecto en función de su estatus de ciudadanía. «Los empleadores no pueden excluir ilegalmente a personas con permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos debido a su estatus de ciudadanía», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento se compromete a garantizar que los empleadores no nieguen ilegalmente a los trabajadores el trato igualitario en el lugar de trabajo». Después de abrir una investigación basada en la queja de un trabajador, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, concluyó que Breakthrough, que utilizó una agencia externa de dotación de personal para cubrir un puesto en el proyecto de Breakthrough, pidió a la agencia que retirara una oferta de trabajo a un trabajador cuando Breakthrough se enteró de que no era un ciudadano de los EE. UU. Por otra parte, la IER también concluyó que Breakthrough no tenía ninguna justificación legal para retirar la oferta. Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Breakthrough pagará una sanción civil a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos antidiscriminatorios de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a supervisión por parte del Departamento. Durante el transcurso de la investigación de IER, Breakthrough y la agencia de dotación de personal proporcionaron al trabajador una compensación monetaria para abordar su reclamación de salarios perdidos. La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación en la contratación y el reclutamiento en el sitio web de la IER . Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto. Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea gratuito o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.


title: Bakersfield Resident Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. —Jose Luis Zambrano, 40, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today to 12 years and seven months in prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. Today’s sentence will run consecutive to his state sentence. According to court documents, from October 2016 to January 2017, Zambrano sold 1 pound of methamphetamine and nearly 12 ounces of heroin in four separate transactions involving a confidential source. A federal wiretap investigation also revealed that Zambrano was the source of drug supply for Manuel Teodoro Aros, 49, of Santa Maria, from whom law enforcement seized another 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine in March 2017, and, in June 2017, was the intended recipient of 5 ounces of heroin from Jesus Burgos-Luna, 43, a fugitive believed to be running the operation from Mexico. The wiretap investigation ended prematurely when Zambrano and another drug co-conspirator were arrested for murder-related charges. Zambrano was brought to federal court following his conviction in May 2022 in Kern County Superior Court for solicitation to commit murder. Teodoro Aros previously entered a guilty plea for his involvement in the drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 13 years and eight months in prison. This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF .