title: Jury Convicts Colorado City Men in Child Sexual Abuse Conspiracy

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, a federal jury in Phoenix found LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr., 45, and Torrance Bistline, 36, both of Colorado City, Arizona, guilty of multiple charges related to their participation in a years-long child sexual abuse conspiracy that spanned several states and victimized at least 10 children. The defendants committed their crimes with others, including co-defendant Samuel Rappylee Bateman, the self-proclaimed leader of a religious sect based in Colorado City. Bateman and nine of his other followers pleaded guilty to charges related to the child sexual abuse conspiracy and were not part of the trial against brothers LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline. “Today’s verdict is a step towards justice for the victims of LaDell and Torrance Bistline,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino. “The Bistlines used their positions of power and trust to sexually exploit children and to profane their community. The devastating trauma and harm they inflicted is unfathomable. But today’s guilty verdicts hold them to account – for their despicable acts, for their breach of trust, and for their complete indifference to the mental and psychological scars their victims will live with for the rest of their lives. The United States Attorney’s Office, along with its state and federal law enforcement partners and other agencies, will continue to work tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable from abuse and exploitation, and to help them heal.” “Protecting children is one of the many noble missions of the FBI,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “Adults who exploit children for illicit activities are a danger and a disgrace. Today’s verdicts reflect the unwavering dedication by the FBI and its partners to ensure those who prey on children are held accountable and brought to justice.” LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. was convicted of one count of Receipt of Child Pornography; one count of Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor; two counts of Persuading or Coercing Travel to Engage in Sexual Activity; two counts of Using a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; and two counts of Transportation of a Minor for Criminal Sexual Activity. Torrance Bistline was convicted of one count of Using a Means of Interstate Commerce to Persuade or Coerce a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity; two counts of Destruction of Records in an Official Proceeding; one count of Conspiracy to Commit Destruction of Records in an Official Proceeding; one count of Tampering with an Official Proceeding; and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Tampering with an Official Proceeding. LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline were followers of Bateman, who represented himself as a religious prophet. In 2020 and 2021, Bateman’s followers gave their minor daughters and wards to him as child “brides” to sexually abuse. Bateman and others transported the victims between states, including Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona to facilitate the sexual abuse. LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. delivered two of his own daughters to Bateman to become child “brides” when the girls were nine and 11 years old. LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. also participated in group sexual activity involving children, including one event he watched over a video livestream. Torrance Bistline, who financially supported Bateman’s group, sexually abused one of Bateman’s child “brides” during a group sexual activity. Torrance Bistline later tried to destroy and hide evidence to interfere with the investigation. LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. and Torrance Bistline each face a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. Sentencing for LaDell Jay Bistline, Jr. is currently scheduled for December 16, 2024, and sentencing for Torrance Bistline is currently scheduled for December 20, 2024, before United States District Judge Susan M. Brnovich. Bateman is currently scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Brnovich on October 28, 2024. Several other defendants have already been sentenced, and the remaining defendants will be sentenced in the coming months. The Phoenix Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution. The United States Attorney’s Office continues to extend special gratitude to the Arizona Department of Child Safety for its work rescuing and protecting Arizona children impacted by this matter, the Colorado City Police Department, the Iron County (Utah) Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the St. George Resident Agency of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office for their assistance in this matter. CASE NUMBER: CR-22-8092-PHX-SMB RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-135_Bistline # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Six People Indicted After Allegedly Robbing an ATM of $200,000

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: UPDATE Upon motion of the United States, the indictment described in the press release below against Keaira Woods, in this case was dismissed on April 2, 2026. Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging residents from Texas and Louisiana after they allegedly robbed $200,000 from an ATM while it was being serviced by an ATM technician. According to court documents, Calvin Brantley, 29, Jevaunte Reese, 32, Lashawn Charleswell, 31, and Keaira Woods, 26 all from Houston, Texas, and Tiras Jack, 44, and Harold Oliver, 37 of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, allegedly robbed a Mountain America Credit Union ATM in Taylorsville, Utah. As alleged in the complaint, on September 11, 2024, Taylorsville Police Department and special agents from the FBI responded to a duress alarm at the Mountain America Credit Union. Upon arrival, law enforcement spoke to an ATM technician who was present during the robbery. The technician is contracted through a company that repairs ATM machines and has access to the cash stored inside. During the service call, multiple males pushed the ATM technician down and one told him to “stay down.” The technician saw the men take the boxes out of the ATM which contained $200,000 in cash, and run and take off in a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee that was parked nearby. During the investigation, police identified a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Colorado license plate and a white Jeep Grand Cherokee with a Florida license plate. Both license plates belonged to rental car companies that had license plates removed from rental vehicles and stolen. Using a GPS tracker on one of the license plates, law enforcement identified the location of one of the white Jeep Grand Cherokee at a rest stop in Paragonah, Utah, and took six people into custody. Additionally, $195,691 was recovered from inside the vehicle. Brantley, Oliver, Reese, Charleswell, Jack, and Woods are charged with credit union robbery. Brantley, Oliver, Reese and Charleswell are scheduled for their initial appearance on the indictment on October 7, 2024. Jack and Woods are scheduled for their initial appearance on October 8, 2024, in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Taylorsville Police Department and the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Attachments: keaira_woods.order_granting_leave_of_court_to_file_a_dismissal_of_the_indictment.pdf keaira_woods.motion_for_leave_to_dismiss_the_indictment.pdf


title: Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Defraud Apple Inc. out of 6,000 iPhones Nets Prison Terms for Two Maryland Residents

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Haotian Sun, 34, and Pengfei Xue, 34, both Chinese nationals, were sentenced today for participating in a sophisticated scheme to defraud Apple Inc. out of millions of dollars’ worth of iPhones. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly sentenced Sun to 57 months in prison, and sentenced Xue to 54 months in prison. The sentences were announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington Field Office. On February 20, 2024, after three-and-a-half days of testimony, Sun, of Baltimore, and Xue, of Germantown, MD, were found guilty by a federal jury in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Kelly today ordered Sun to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,072,000 in restitution. Judge Kelly ordered Xue to serve three years of supervised release and pay $397,800 in restitution. According to the government’s evidence, between May 2017 and September 2019, Sun, Xue, and other conspirators defrauded Apple Inc. by submitting counterfeit iPhones to Apple Inc. for repair to get Apple to exchange them with genuine replacement iPhones. Sun and Xue received shipments of inauthentic iPhones from Hong Kong at UPS mailboxes throughout the D.C. metropolitan area. They then submitted the fake iPhones, with spoofed serial numbers and/or IMEI numbers, to Apple retail stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers, including the Apple Store in Georgetown. Trial evidence and evidence developed after trial showed that members of the conspiracy submitted more than 6,000 inauthentic phones to Apple during the conspiracy, causing an intended loss of approximately $3.8 million and an actual loss of more than $2.5 million. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division and Homeland Security Investigations’ Washington Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi J. Kleinman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Ryan Dickey of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Valuable assistance was provided by Paralegal Specialist Sona Chaturvedi. Essential work also was provided by Paralegal Specialists Michon Tart, Mariela Andrade, and Liliana Villamizar. ## 21cr0646 Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube


title: Beaumont convenience store robbers guilty of killing clerk with firearm

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – Two men who robbed a Beaumont convenience store and killed the clerk last December have pleaded guilty to federal firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. Larry Nathaniel Hagan, 27, of Houston, pleaded guilty to possessing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death before U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on October 2, 2024. Keandre Marquis Robinson, 20, of Beaumont, pleaded guilty to the same offense before Judge Crone on October 1, 2024. According to information presented in court, on December 29, 2023, Robinson and Hagan were wearing masks and brandishing semi-automatic pistols when they entered the Kris Food Mart located on Gulf Street in Beaumont. Robinson quickly forced the clerk behind the counter and demanded cash while Hagan guarded the front door. Seconds later, Robinson shot the clerk two times in the chest, killing him. Robinson grabbed cigarettes from behind the counter and fled with Hagan. No cash was taken. Later that night, the Beaumont Police Department posted images from the robbery to social media and a tip identified Robinson. Police detained Robinson about three hours after the robbery as he was leaving his residence just a few blocks from the store. Robinson later confessed to his role in the robbery and killing but would not identify Hagan. Detectives searched Robinson’s phone and discovered text messages with Hagan related to the robbery. The texts began on December 28 at 10:15 a.m. and ended a few minutes after the robbery. During the conversation, Robinson and Hagan planned to rob the store to “[g]et some money.” In one text, Robinson told Hagan that he would “knock [the clerk’s] top” [to eliminate any] “lose [sic] ends…”. The conversation ended on December 29 at 10:07 p.m. (approximately 4 minutes after the shooting). In that text, Hagan told Robinson to “[s]tay in the house for some days”. Robinson was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 7, 2024. Hagan, who was at large until April 24, 2024, when he was arrested in New Orleans by the U.S. Marshals Service, was added to the indictment by the federal grand jury on May 1, 2024. Robinson and Hagan each face up to life in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department, the FBI, and the U.S. Marshals Service, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross. ###


title: Four Leaders Of Notorious Nuestra Familia Prison Gang Convicted Of Racketeering And Related Crimes

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – A federal jury found David Cervantes (aka “DC”), James Perez (aka “Conejo”), Guillermo Solorio (aka “Capone” aka “Caps”), and George Franco (aka “Puppet”) guilty of racketeering, for their roles as senior members of the Nuestra Familia criminal enterprise, which engaged in murder conspiracies, attempted murder, drug distribution, and money laundering. The jury’s verdict follows a 12-week trial before the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge. “Prison gangs are a blight on the criminal justice system and on society,” said Martha Boersch, Chief of the Office of the U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Division. Prisons are supposed to protect the community from further crime and offer people the chance for rehabilitation, but prison gangs frustrate both goals. They perpetuate violence and criminality inside prisons, and through the use of contraband cell phones, gang leaders are able to oversee vast criminal networks on the streets. Successful prosecutions like this send an unmistakable message that this will not be tolerated simply because it’s happening behind prison walls.” “These convictions are the culmination of eight years of complex investigative work by the FBI-led Santa Clara County Safe Streets Task Force. Through tireless investigative efforts and collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we have dismantled a core part of this criminal enterprise, whose illicit drug distribution and violent crime have long plagued our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “The FBI remains committed to ensuring that those who lead and engage in such violence, no matter where they operate, are brought to justice.” The evidence at trial established that the four defendants—Cervantes, 76; Perez, 70; Solorio, 45; and Franco, 59 – all were senior members of the Nuestra Familia (NF) prison gang, all serving on the General Council, the primary decision-making body for the gang. Through the testimony of more than 50 witnesses and dozens of wiretapped phone calls, the trial evidence revealed a lucrative and violent criminal enterprise with a presence in every Bay Area county and the roles that each defendant played in it. The trial evidence established that Cervantes was one of the NF’s three “Generals.” As outlined in the Nuestra Familia’s written Constitution, the three generals sat atop the NF organizational structure and made final decisions on serious matters involving governance of the enterprise. As the sole member of the General Advocates Office, Cervantes oversaw member discipline—a role that at times included deciding when members should be attacked or killed for violating gang rules. Further, the trial evidence established that Cervantes was responsible for (1) receiving “complaints” containing allegations of member wrongdoing within the NF, (2) appointing investigators to look into alleged wrongdoing of gang members, (3) accepting and modifying “findings and recommendations” of the investigators, and (4) forwarding final recommendations regarding member discipline to a seven-member General Council. Cervantes also was the “Regimental Commander” of the NF street gangs in Kings County. As Regimental Commander, Cervantes was responsible for overseeing, managing, directing, and otherwise controlling criminal activity conducted by Norteño street gang members in Kings County. In addition to convicting Cervantes of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Cervantes responsible for the conspiracies to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman in 2015 and John “Shanks” Reyna in 2019, as well as the attempted murders of Antonio “Sombras” Villagrana in 2015, John “Knockers” Muzquiz in 2016, and Matt Rocha in 2019. The trial evidence demonstrated Perez was another General of the prison gang, specifically, the “General of Prisons.” In this role, Perez was responsible for maintaining authority over all NF regiments within the California prison system. His responsibilities included appointing NF members and associates to leadership positions within California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) facilities, as well as overseeing and regulating criminal activity occurring in these facilities. In his role as General of Prisons, Perez collected a portion of profits from the prison regiments. He also was the Regimental Commander of the San Mateo County Street Regiment. In addition to convicting Perez of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Perez responsible for the conspiracy to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman, as well as the attempted murders of Antonio “Sombras” Villagrana, John “Knockers” Muzquiz, and Matt Rocha. At trial, the evidence established that Franco was a member of the NF’s “Inner Council” and was Regimental Commander of San Joaquin County. As a member of the Inner Council, Franco was an advisor to the three NF Generals (two of whom were Cervantes and Perez) and was part of the General Council that, in addition to member discipline, made other significant decisions in conducting the affairs of the NF. In addition to convicting Franco of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Franco responsible for the conspiracy to murder Lorenzo “Lencho” Guzman, as well as the attempted murder of Matt Rocha. Solorio also was part of the NF “Inner Council” and was an advisor to the NF Generals. Solorio also was the Regimental Commander over the Monterey County Street Regiment. The evidence at trial demonstrated Solorio oversaw a prolific drug trafficking operation in Fresno, Calif. In addition to convicting Solorio of Racketeering Conspiracy, the jury found Solorio responsible for the attempted murder of Matt Rocha. In sum, all four defendants were found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962, along with various special findings pertaining to the acts involving murder described above. The maximum statutory sentence for each defendant is life in prison. Judge Gonzalez Rogers scheduled the defendants’ sentencings for Mar. 6, 2025. The trial of these four defendants marks the culmination of the prosecution of the NF leadership in the Northern District of California. The prosecution stems from a five-year investigation by the FBI, which resulted in the indictment of 54 Nuestra Familia members and associates, including defendants both on the streets and in California state prisons. With the jury’s verdict this week, the government has now obtained convictions of all 7 members of the NF’s General Council, its entire senior leadership team. This case is being prosecuted by Mari Overbeck, Leif Dautch, and Aseem Padukone of the Organized Crime Strike Force for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI (San Francisco, Sacramento, and Phoenix Divisions), the DEA, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshal Service, with the assistance of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, and the San Jose Police Department, and with support from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Antioch Police Department, Campbell Police Department, Fremont Police Department, King’s County Sheriff’s Office, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Mountain View Police Department, Sacramento Police Department, Salinas Police Department, Menlo Park Police Department, Santa Clara County Parole Department, Santa Clara County Probation Department, Santa Clara Police Department, Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office, Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, Modesto Police Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, San Francisco Police Department, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, and the FBI’s Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit. This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: San Francisco Man Pleads Guilty To Making Threats To Assault And Murder Federal Probation Officer

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Brandon Sims-White pleaded guilty in federal court today to making threats to sexually assault and murder his United States Probation Officer, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Acting United States Marshal Jay Bieber. Sims-White has remained in federal custody since making these threats and following his arrest in February 2024. Sims-White, 41, was originally charged in April 2019 with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He was arrested in 2019 and remanded to federal custody. Sims-White pleaded guilty in June 2019 and, in September 2019, the Hon. Charles R. Breyer, Senior U.S. District Judge, sentenced him to 30 months of imprisonment. According to the criminal complaint filed on Apr. 16, 2024, a United States Probation Officer (identified as “Victim-1”) began supervising Sims-White upon his release from federal custody in March 2021. While Sims-White was under federal supervision, Victim-1 sought warrants on multiple occasions for Sims-White’s arrest, alleging violations of his conditions of supervised release. As described in the criminal complaint and other court documents, Sims-White was arrested multiple times while under federal supervision. In February 2024, Sims-White appeared again for detention proceedings in federal court in San Francisco and was remanded to federal custody pursuant to a detention order. In his plea agreement, Sims-White admitted that after the February 2024 court proceedings, he knowingly and repeatedly made threats to Victim-1. Specifically, Sims-White repeatedly made threats to kill and sexually assault Victim-1, including in the presence of multiple other individuals. Sims-White also admitted that, further to making the threats to Victim-1, he made additional statements of harm regarding other federal officials. Following the filing of the criminal complaint, Sims-White was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 18, 2024 on one count of Threatening to Assault, Kidnap, or Murder a United States Official, United States Judge, Federal Law Enforcement Officer, or Other Official in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 115(a)(1)(B). Judge Breyer scheduled Sims-White’s sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024. Sims-White faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison under 18 U.S.C. § 115(a)(1)(B). However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. This case is being prosecuted by the National Security & Cyber and General Crimes Sections of the United States Attorney’s Office, and is the result of an investigation by the United States Marshals Service.


title: Yakima Man Who Violated No-Contact Order Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Benjamin Cliett, pleaded guilty to one charge of Person Subject to a Court Order in Possession of Firearms. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke accepted Cliett’s guilty plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 4, 2025, in Yakima, Washington. According to the plea agreement, testimony from an earlier trial, and other court filings, on July 23, 2022, officers with the Yakima Police Department (YPD) were dispatched to Cliett’s residence in Yakima. Dispatch told the YPD that neighbors had called to report screaming and other loud noises coming from the residence. YPD also observed groceries spoiling in the sun. When YPD knocked on the front door, all noises stopped from inside the residence. Aware that Cliett had a no-contact order protecting his intimate partner and fearing that a domestic violence incident was occurring inside, YPD entered the residence. YPD conducted a protective sweep of the residence and found Cliett hiding in a dog kennel in the back yard. Cliett was arrested for violating the no-contact order. While conducting the sweep, YPD observed a tall gun safe in Cliett’s bedroom. The gun safe was forcibly opened and found to contain more than 14 firearms. Cliett’s residence was also found to contain more than two dozen ammunition magazines as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Cliett had previously declared under penalty of perjury before the City of Yakima Municipal Court that he did not have any firearms in his possession. In October 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref announced her office’s Safe Homes, Safe Community Initiative to prevent domestic violence homicides and prevent abusers who have previously been convicted of domestic violence offenses from having access to firearms. Partnering with the Yakima Police Department, Yakima County Prosecutor’s Office, Spokane Police Department, and Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, and domestic violence prevention advocates, the U.S. Attorney’s Office focuses enforcement on individuals identified as repeat domestic violence abusers who unlawfully possess firearms. “The unlawful possession of firearms by domestic violence abusers is too often deadly for victims of intimate partner violence and lethal for law enforcement officers responding to emergency calls. In this case, Mr. Cliett possessed more than a dozen firearms he knew he should not have and that he did not disclose when the Yakima Municipal Court issued a no-contact order for his partner,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My Office’s Safe Home Safe Community Initiative focuses on curbing gun violence by removing firearms unlawfully possessed by individuals with a track record of violent crime and domestic violence – these efforts protect victims, law enforcement, and the entire community.” This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Yakima Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Ellis.


title: Federal jury convicts Shepherd man of making threats to assault former U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, harassing phone calls

body_text: BILLINGS — A federal jury convicted a Shepherd man today of charges accusing him of making repeated threatening and harassing phone calls, including threatening to injure former U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. After a three-day trial that began on Sept. 30, the jury found the defendant, Richard Lee Rogers, 45, guilty of threatening to assault a member of Congress and two counts of harassing telephone calls as charged in a superseding indictment. Rogers faces a maximum of six years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the charge of threatening to assault a member of Congress, and a maximum of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release on the charge of harassing phone calls. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 31, 2025. Rogers’ release was continued pending further proceedings. In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on Feb. 3, 2023, Rogers made repeated and harassing phone calls to staff members who worked for former Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was then Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. The jury found that during one of the calls, Rogers threatened to assault the Speaker. In addition to the harassing and threatening calls placed to the Speaker’s office, Rogers placed at least 150 harassing phone calls to telephone operators at the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center (NTOC) between Dec. 31, 2021 and Oct. 13, 2022. On Feb. 3, 2023, the U.S. Capitol Police received a report from Speaker McCarthy’s office advising it had received a high volume of phone calls from Rogers. In the calls, Rogers identified himself and said he resided in Billings, Montana. U.S. Capitol Police identified the number used and confirmed it was associated with Rogers. A staff member who spoke to Rogers reported that the calls consisted of Rogers harassing and swearing at the employees who were answering the calls in the Speaker’s office that day. The staff member reported that Rogers’ comments were at first sexual in nature prior to threatening to assault the former Speaker. An investigation determined that the phone number associated with Rogers called the Speaker’s office 147 times in 75 minutes on Feb. 3, 2023. The government further alleged that records showed Rogers contacted the FBI’s NTOC more than 100 times between December 2021 and October 2022. During many of the calls, Rogers identified himself and provided his phone number and address when speaking to operators. Rogers behavior with the NTOC operators in many instances consisted of his yelling, berating, being uncooperative and using obscenities toward the employees. During several of the calls, NTOC operators informed Rogers that they were terminating the call because he was being abusive and harassing. During the investigation, an FBI special agent contacted Rogers on Oct. 13, 2022 regarding his numerous calls to NTOC. During the call, Rogers admitted to calling NTOC “thousands of times” and expressed anger with various political officials. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and U.S. Capitol Police conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Norwich Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing a Short-Barreled Rifle

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Benjamin Wheeler, age 19, of Norwich, New York pled guilty today in federal court in Utica to possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Craig. L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). As part of his guilty plea today, Wheeler admitted that on August 6, 2024, the defendant knowingly possessed a “Spikes Tactical” AR-15 style rifle at his apartment in Norwich, New York, knowing that the firearm had a barrel length of less than sixteen inches. The firearm was not registered to the defendant in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as required by federal law. Sentencing for his conviction for possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle is scheduled for February 12, 2025, in Utica, New York, at which time Wheeler faces a maximum sentence of up to 10-years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), New York Police Department (NYPD) and the New York State Police with assistance from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey J. L. Brown is prosecuting the case.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Garrett Hannes, age 37, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced on October 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for failing to register as a sex offender. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Hannes to 10 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Hannes will be placed on a 5-year term of supervised release. On June 29, 2021, Hannes was convicted of felony possession of child pornography in the 268th Judicial District of Fort Bend County, Texas. The conviction carried with it a 6-year period of supervision, and included a condition that he does not reside in any household with children under the age of 18 without approval. Hannes was also required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), a federal law. In October 2023, Hannes moved from Texas to an apartment in Omaha, Nebraska to reside with a woman and her son. Hannes then moved in with a second woman and her three children at an address in Omaha, Nebraska in December 2023 and again in January 2024. Although Hannes was in contact with his supervising officer in Texas in February 2024 and was instructed to register in Nebraska, Hannes refused to do so. Among the special conditions of supervision imposed by Judge Buescher are that Hannes has no contact with children under the age of 18, including his own children, and that he does not loiter near schools, parks, and playgrounds and other places primarily used by children under the age of 18, unless approved in advance by his supervising U.S. probation officer. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.


title: Arizona Man Sentenced for 10 Kilograms of Cocaine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Carlos Daniel Ruelas, age 21, of Arizona, was sentenced October 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Ruelas to 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Ruelas also agreed to forfeit $68,460. On July 31, 2023, the DEA Criminal Interdiction Unit was working at the bus station in Omaha, Nebraska, when they made contact with Xavier Olivas-Valenzuela. During the contact, Olivas-Valenzuela admitted to contraband in his bag. When investigators began to search his bag, Olivas-Valenzuela ran out the door. After a short pursuit, Olivas-Valenzuela was detained. A search of his luggage resulted in 51 pounds of methamphetamine being seized. A search that night of Olivas-Valenzuela’s phone showed that he was directed to stay at a residence in the 1700 block of N. 10 th Street. A search warrant was obtained for that residence. Investigators found Ruelas at the residence, along with 10 kilograms of cocaine and $68,460. Olivas-Valenzuela has pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing on October 23, 2024. This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Yankton, South Dakota Woman Sentenced for Escape from Federal Custody

component: U.S. Marshals Service

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jordon Whipple, age 30, of Yankton, South Dakota, was sentenced on October 2, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for escape from federal custody. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Whipple to 6 months’ imprisonment, consecutive to her previously imposed sentence, which she had yet to complete when she escaped from custody. There is no parole in the federal system. After Whipple’s release from prison, she will begin a 1-year term of supervised release. In September 2022, Whipple was sentenced to the Bureau of Prisons for a term of 41 months following her conviction for involuntary manslaughter. On November 21, 2023, Whipple was transferred to a Residential Reentry Center (RRC) in Omaha to complete her federal sentence, which was set to expire on May 12, 2024. On April 13, 2024, Whipple left the RRC without permission or authorization while she was still in the custody of the Attorney General or his designee. Whipple was placed in escape status until she was arrested June 11, 2024. This case was investigated by the United States Marshal Service.


title: Jury Convicts Coweta Resident Of Making False Statement To A Federal Officer

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Ashley Bryanne Rockwell, age 40, of Coweta, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of False Statements. The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, and concluded on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, with the guilty verdict. At trial, the United States presented evidence that Rockwell knowingly and willfully made a false statement to a Deputy U.S. Marshal as to a material fact. On August 18, 2023, while being questioned during an active investigation, Rockwell denied leaving the state with a registered sex offender who was wanted under an arrest warrant for Failure to Comply as a Sex Offender. In fact, Rockwell had recently traveled to several states with the individual, including Colorado and Oregon. The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the United States Marshal Service and the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak Cohen and Joshua Satter represented the United States.


title: North Carolina Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Phillip Scott Barnette, 41, of High Point, North Carolina, was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base. According to court documents, Barnette, also known as “E-Lo,” worked with others to sell methamphetamine in Falling Waters, West Virginia, and the surrounding area. Barnette will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The investigation was conducted by the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.


title: Justice Department Finds Conditions in Georgia Prisons Violate the Constitution

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Today the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced its findings from a multi-year investigation concluding that the Georgia Department of Corrections is violating incarcerated persons’ constitutional rights by failing to protect them from widespread physical violence and harm. The 94-page report details how the violence in Georgia prisons has become increasingly worse over the past several years. “Individuals incarcerated by the Georgia Department of Corrections should not be subjected to life threatening violence and other forms of severe deprivation while serving their prison terms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our constitution requires humane conditions in prisons, that, at a minimum, ensure that people in custody are safe. The findings of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act investigation of the Georgia Department of Corrections reveal grave and diffuse failures to safeguard the men and women housed in its facilities, including disturbing and increasing frequencies of deaths among incarcerated people. We expect the State of Georgia to share our sense of urgency about the seriousness of the violations described in this report and to work cooperatively with the Department of Justice, our office, and our U.S. Attorney partners in the Middle and Southern Districts to remedy these systemic deficiencies in Georgia prisons.” “Our findings report lays bare the horrific and inhumane conditions that people are confined to inside Georgia’s state prison system,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our statewide investigation exposes long-standing, systemic violations stemming from complete indifference and disregard to the safety and security of people Georgia holds in its prisons. People are assaulted stabbed, raped and killed or left to languish inside facilities that are woefully understaffed. Inmates are maimed and tortured, relegated to an existence of fear, filth and not so benign neglect. These dangerous conditions not only harm the people Georgia incarcerates — it places prison employees and the broader community at risk. The Justice Department is committed to using its authority to bring about humane conditions of confinement that are consistent with contemporary standards of decency and respect for basic human dignity.” As described in the report issued today, Georgia has the fourth-highest state prison population in the country, with almost 50,000 people incarcerated in 34 state-operated prisons and four private prisons. Beginning in 2016, the United States conducted a thorough investigation of Georgia’s prisons, with a focus on medium- and close-security facilities. The report found that critical understaffing and systemic deficiencies in physical plant, housing and classification, contraband control, and incident reporting and investigations, all contribute to the widespread violence. The United States also determined that gangs exert improper influence on prison life with impunity, including controlling entire housing units and operating unlawful and dangerous schemes in and from the prisons, harming both incarcerated people and the public. The report concludes that the GDC’s procedures constitute a pattern or practice of violating incarcerated persons’ constitutional rights under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by failing to protect those housed at the medium- and close-security levels from widespread physical violence and harm. The United States also concluded that Georgia unconstitutionally subjects incarcerated persons to unreasonable risk of harm from sexual abuse across its facilities. Specifically, Georgia fails to protect incarcerated persons, including persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (“LGBTI”), from harm caused by sexual violence or abuse. Individuals who are LGBTI are subjected to unreasonable risk of harm from sexual abuse in Georgia prisons due to inadequate sexual safety screening and classification practices, problematic and ineffective housing assignments, and other systemic deficiencies. The United States launched its investigation under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act in 2016. At that time, the investigation focused on whether Georgia adequately protected incarcerated persons who are LGBTI from sexual abuse. In 2021, the United States expanded the investigation to also investigate protection from violence and harm for all incarcerated persons in facilities housing those at the medium- and close-security levels. The Northern District of Georgia’s United States Attorney’s Office joined together with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia, and the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section, to conduct the investigation. The case is being handled by Aileen Bell Hughes, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity & Civil Rights Section. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga . Attachments: cover_letter_for_georgia_cripa_findings.pdf findings_report_-_georgia_department_of_corrections_2024_final.pdf


title: Russian National Indicted for Series of Ransomware Attacks

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Justice Department today unsealed an indictment charging Russian national Aleksandr Viktorovich Ryzhenkov (Александр Викторович Рыженков) with using the BitPaymer ransomware variant to attack numerous victims in Texas and throughout the United States and hold their sensitive data for ransom. According to the indictment, beginning in at least June 2017, Ryzhenkov allegedly gained unauthorized access to the information stored on victims’ computer networks. Ryzhenkov and his conspirators then allegedly deployed the strain of ransomware known as BitPaymer and used it to encrypt the files of the victim companies, rendering them inaccessible. An electronic note left on the victims’ systems contained a ransom demand and instructions on how to contact the attackers to begin ransom negotiations. Ryzhenkov and his conspirators allegedly demanded that victims pay a ransom to obtain a decryption key and prevent their sensitive information from being made public online. The indictment further alleges that Ryzhenkov and others used a variety of methods to intrude into computer systems, including phishing campaigns, malware, and taking advantage of vulnerabilities in computer hardware and software. Ryzhenkov and coconspirators used this access to demand millions of dollars in ransom. Ryzhenkov is believed to be in Russia. View the FBI’s wanted poster for him here . In coordination with the indictment’s unsealing, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control today announced that Ryzhenkov was added to its list of specially designated nationals. The designation blocks property and interests in any property the designee may have in the United States and prohibits U.S. financial institutions from engaging in certain transactions and activities with the designated individual. To learn more, view the Treasury announcement here . “The Justice Department is using all the tools at its disposal to attack the ransomware threat from every angle,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s charges against Ryzhenkov detail how he and his conspirators stole the sensitive data of innocent Americans and then demanded ransom. With law enforcement partners here and around the world, we will continue to put victims first and show these criminals that, in the end, they will be the ones paying for their crimes.” “The FBI, together with partners, continues to leverage all resources to impose cost on criminals engaging in ransomware attacks,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Today’s indictment delivers a clear message to those who engage in cyber-criminal activity – you will face severe consequences for your illicit activities and will be held accountable under the law.” “Aleksandr Ryzhenkov extorted victim businesses throughout the United States by encrypting their confidential information and holding it for ransom,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Addressing the threat from ransomware groups is one of the Criminal Division’s highest priorities. The coordinated actions announced today demonstrate, yet again, that the Justice Department is committed to working with its partners to take an all-tools approach to protecting victims and holding cybercriminals accountable.” “Ransomware attacks – particularly those deployed by bad actors with ties to Russia – can paralyze a company in the time it takes to open a laptop. Whether or not the ransom is paid, recovering from a ransomware attack is generally costly and time-consuming,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is committed to pursuing cybercriminals who hold data hostage, no matter where in the world they may be hiding.” The FBI Dallas Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Debra L. Ireland of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent J. Mazzurco for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Victims of ransomware attacks are encouraged to contact their local FBI field office. For additional information on ransomware, please visit StopRansomware.gov . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: CHICAGO — A Joliet, Ill. man has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for sex trafficking and facilitating the sex trafficking of multiple women. KENDALL GUYTON admitted in a plea agreement that he recruited three women to engage in commercial sex acts from 2017 to 2020. Guyton admitted that he advertised commercial sex acts online and arranged for the victims to meet individuals in various locations in the Chicago area. He provided the victims with illicit drugs, including heroin or cocaine, and often beat his victims to force them to comply with his demands. At sentencing, the government presented evidence that Guyton facilitated the trafficking of at least five other victims, including a minor, by beating and sexually assaulting them. Guyton, 29, pleaded guilty last year to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the 27-year sentence on Thursday during a hearing in federal court in Chicago. A co-defendant, GREGORY INGRAM, 45, of Richton Park, Ill., also pleaded guilty to his role in the trafficking of multiple victims, including a minor whom he invited to live in his home while he trafficked her. Ingram controlled the 14-year-old victim using drugs and threats of harm. Judge Ellis in May sentenced Ingram to 20 years in federal prison. The sentences were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Carol Stream, Ill. Police Department, Lisle, Ill. Police Department, Will County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office, Joliet Police Department, Richton Park Police Department, and Downers Grove, Ill. Police Department. “Defendant’s crimes were incredibly serious and had long-lasting impacts on his victims,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. O’Neill and Prashant Kolluri argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Guyton’s case. “Defendant knew these women were vulnerable and he preyed upon these vulnerabilities.” If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678 or logging on to http://www.missingkids.com . The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Steven Schrank. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Eric Damone Wilson, aka “Hector,” 35, of Hoover, to 180 months in prison for two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. Wilson went to trial in May but pleaded guilty after the government rested its case. According to court documents, on two separate occasions in April 2022, Wilson distributed methamphetamine at a gas station on Green Springs Highway in Birmingham and at his apartment in Hoover. Upon Wilson’s arrest for those drug-trafficking offenses, officers found him to be in possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl, digital scales, money from the previous sale of methamphetamine, and a pistol. HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case.


title: North Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud And Money Laundering In Connection With Embezzlement Of Funds From Her Employer

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rhonda Rochelle Canidate, age 48, of Greensboro, North Carolina, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner to a two-count criminal information charging her with wire fraud and money laundering, in connection with a scheme to embezzle funds from her employer between 2021 and 2022. According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, between March 2021 and July 2022, Canidate was employed as an accounting specialist at Henry Molded Products Company (“Henry Molded”) in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Between October 2021 and June 2022, Canidate entered false payment entries for former Henry Molded employees into Henry Molded’s third-party payroll software, causing the software to issue direct deposit payments from Henry Molded’s bank account to bank accounts controlled by Canidate in the name of the former employees. This fraud not only financially injured Henry Molded; it also harmed the former employees by creating an overpayment for tax purposes. Canidate caused a loss of $532,050 and has agreed to pay restitution in accordance with a schedule to be determined by the Court. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case. The maximum combined penalty under federal law for these offenses is 30 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


component: Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

body_text: The Justice Department today unsealed an indictment charging Russian national Aleksandr Viktorovich Ryzhenkov (Александр Викторович Рыженков) with using the BitPaymer ransomware variant to attack numerous victims in Texas and throughout the United States and hold their sensitive data for ransom. According to the indictment obtained in the Northern District of Texas, beginning in at least June 2017, Ryzhenkov allegedly gained unauthorized access to the information stored on victims’ computer networks. Ryzhenkov and his conspirators then allegedly deployed the strain of ransomware known as BitPaymer and used it to encrypt the files of the victim companies, rendering them inaccessible. An electronic note left on the victims’ systems contained a ransom demand and instructions on how to contact the attackers to begin ransom negotiations. Ryzhenkov and his conspirators allegedly demanded that victims pay a ransom to obtain a decryption key and prevent their sensitive information from being made public online. The indictment further alleges that Ryzhenkov and others used a variety of methods to intrude into computer systems, including phishing campaigns, malware, and taking advantage of vulnerabilities in computer hardware and software. Ryzhenkov and coconspirators used this access to demand millions of dollars in ransom. Ryzhenkov is believed to be in Russia. View the FBI’s wanted poster for him here . In coordination with the indictment’s unsealing, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced that Ryzhenkov was added to its list of specially designated nationals. The designation blocks property and interests in any property the designee may have in the United States and prohibits U.S. financial institutions from engaging in certain transactions and activities with the designated individual. To learn more, view the Treasury announcement here . “The Justice Department is using all the tools at its disposal to attack the ransomware threat from every angle,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s charges against Ryzhenkov detail how he and his conspirators stole the sensitive data of innocent Americans and then demanded ransom. With law enforcement partners here and around the world, we will continue to put victims first and show these criminals that, in the end, they will be the ones paying for their crimes.” “Ransomware attacks – particularly those deployed by bad actors with ties to Russia – can paralyze a company in the time it takes to open a laptop. Whether or not the ransom is paid, recovering from a ransomware attack is generally costly and time-consuming,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is committed to pursuing cybercriminals who hold data hostage, no matter where in the world they may be hiding.” “Aleksandr Ryzhenkov extorted victim businesses throughout the United States by encrypting their confidential information and holding it for ransom,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Addressing the threat from ransomware groups is one of the Criminal Division’s highest priorities. The coordinated actions announced today demonstrate, yet again, that the Justice Department is committed to working with its partners to take an all-tools approach to protecting victims and holding cybercriminals accountable.” “The FBI together with partners continues to leverage all resources to impose cost on criminals engaging in ransomware attacks,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Today’s indictment delivers a clear message to those who engage in cyber-criminal activity – you will face severe consequences for your illicit activities and will be held accountable under the law.” The FBI Dallas Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Debra L. Ireland of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent J. Mazzurco for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Victims of ransomware attacks are encouraged to contact their local FBI field office. For additional information on ransomware, please visit StopRansomware.gov . An indictment is merely an allegation. Under United States law, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Child

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 30, 2024, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced David J. Fuchs (age: 41), formerly of Janesville, Wisconsin, to 25 years in federal prison for attempting to sexually exploit a child. According to court records, Fuchs engaged in a conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer from the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, who was posing online as a 12-year-old girl. During the conversation, Fuchs repeatedly described his desire to have sex with the child, sending multiple explicit photographs of himself and requesting explicit photographs from the undercover officer. Fuchs explained to the undercover officer, in explicit terms, how he intended to “teach” the young girl how to have sexual intercourse. During many of the sexually explicit conversations, Fuchs expressed his belief that the 12-year-old girl was in school. He planned to meet the girl at a travel plaza near Madison, Wisconsin, and he promised to bring her art supplies. On March 15, 2024, Fuchs arrived at a travel plaza with the intention of meeting a 12-year-old girl. The United States Marshals Service placed him under arrest. Court records further indicate that the undercover officer from the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office also talked to Fuchs using a different undercover identity. During this conversation, Fuchs offered to pay $100 to have sex with a 7-year-old girl. Fuchs was also talking to undercover officers from the Madison Police Department, the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fox Valley Metro Police Department, who were posing online as underage girls. Fuchs is a registered sex offender with prior convictions for attempted second degree sexual assault of a child and sexual assault of an intoxicated victim. This case was investigated by the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office, the Fox Valley Metro Police Department, and the Madison Police Department, with assistance from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . # # #


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Guilty Plea in Federal Assault Case

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Ohkay Owingeh man pleaded guilty in federal court to assault resulting in serious bodily injury after shooting John Doe. According to the plea agreement, on June 28, 2023, Robert Abeyta , 51, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh, confronted John Doe at Doe's residence while armed with a pistol. Abeyta threatened John Doe with the firearm before shooting him multiple times in the upper body. John Doe suffered gunshot wounds to his cheek, neck, shoulder, and chest. Abeyta will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Abeyta faces seven to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Abeyta will be subject to up to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Ohkay Owingeh Police Department and Santa Clara Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement (Abeyta).pdf # # #


title: Chicago Lab Owner Pleads Guilty to $14 Million Covid-19 Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal - Criminal Fraud Section

body_text: WASHINGTON – The owner of a Chicago laboratory has pleaded guilty in federal court for his role in a COVID-19 testing fraud scheme. ZISHAN ALVI, 45, of Inverness, Ill., owned and operated a laboratory in Chicago that performed testing for Covid-19. From February 2021 through February 2022, Alvi caused claims to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for Covid-19 tests that were not performed as billed. As part of the scheme, the laboratory released negative test results to patients, even though the laboratory either had not actually tested the specimens or the results were inconclusive. Alvi knew that the laboratory was releasing negative results for tests that were not performed or were inconclusive, but still caused the laboratory to submit claims to HRSA for those tests. HRSA paid the laboratory more than $14 million as a result of the fraudulent claims Alvi caused to be submitted to HRSA. Alvi pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of wire fraud, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025, by U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Chad Yarbrough, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Mario Pinto, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Misty Wright of the Northern District of Illinois, and Claire T. Sobczak, Trial Attorney of the Department of Justice's Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . u.s._v._alvi_-_plea_agreement.pdf


title: Mexican National Sentenced To 46 Months In Prison For Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Juan Rodriguez-Acevedo (57, Mexico) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for illegal reentry after removal following a conviction for committing an aggravated felony. Rodriguez-Acevedo entered a guilty plea in June 2024. According to the court documents, Rodriguez-Acevedo is a native and citizen of Mexico. In 2007, he was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Due to his conviction for an aggravated felony, Rodriguez-Acevedo received a permanent ban from the United States and was deported to Mexico in 2018 after his release from federal prison. In 2019, Rodriguez-Acevedo was encountered by law enforcement in Texas. He had crossed the border illegally and was prosecuted for illegal reentry following his removal after a conviction for commission of an aggravated felony. He was again deported to Mexico in 2021 after his release from federal prison. In March 2024, law enforcement officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Rodriguez-Acevedo during enforcement activities in Lake City. Rodriguez-Acevedo admitted to law enforcement that he had again unlawfully reentered the United States in June 2023. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement And Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.


title: U. S. Attorney Hairston Announces $48 Million in Justice Department Grants

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, NC – United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina (NCM) today announced that communities, organizations, and programs in the district have been awarded at least $27,949,065 in Department of Justice grants as part of the end-of-year funding cycles of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs and Office on Violence Against Women. In addition, the North Carolina Courts, State Bureau of Investigation, and Departments of Justice, Public Safety, and Corrections, were awarded more than $20 million in grants for programs and research with state-wide impacts. “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community and supported if the unthinkable happens and they become a victim of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “These grants help improve public safety, serve crime victims, support America’s youth, advance science, support law enforcement, and promote equal justice for all. I am pleased that the Department of Justice is making these funds available to our community partners and proud of the work we are engaged in, together, to create a safer, more equitable country.” Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Created in 1995 to implement the provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and its subsequent reauthorizations, OVW provides national leadership on domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. OVW has distributed over $11 billion in funding authorized by VAWA since its enactment. Through its grant programs and partnerships, OVW helps strengthen local responses to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking and provides funding annually to all 50 states, six territories, and many Tribal nations. By funding essential services for survivors, OVW ensures that communities are better equipped to address these critical issues. Recent OVW awards for FY24 to entities in NCM total at least $2,997,009 and include the following recipients: City of Greensboro $500,000.00 NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence $114,533.00 Alamance County $950,000.00 Winston-Salem State University $499,976.00 Second Bloom of Chatham, Inc $550,000.00 Stand Up - Speak Out of NC $328,500.00 Office of Justice Programs The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov . NCM organizations and programs received a total of at least $24,952,056 in funding from OJP in the recent grant-making cycle, including the following: City of Winston-Salem $300,000.00 City of Greensboro $500,000.00 City of Durham $549,671.00 Justicematters Inc $800,000.00 Maggies Outreach Community Economic Development Center $705,604.00 Research Triangle Institute $17,408,550.00 Piedmont Triad Regional Council $862,040.00 Randolph County $150,000.00 Moore County $900,000.00 Rockingham County $900,000.00 Alamance County $900,000.00 UNC Greensboro $799,995.00 PSN funding (NC DPS) $176,196.00 These awards include $2.7 million for RTI International and its subrecipients, the Eradicate Hate Global Summit and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, to launch BJA’s new Coordinated Hate Crimes Resource Center; $1.8 million for establishing veterans courts; and $176,198 for Project Safe Neighborhood sites in NCM. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page . ###


title: Lehigh Valley-Area Doctor Agrees to Pay $45,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Liability

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Maneesh Ailawadi, MD, has agreed to pay $45,000 plus interest to resolve False Claims Act allegations that he caused the submission of false claims by submitting inappropriate claims to Medicaid and Medicare by improperly billing esophagogastroduodenoscopies (“EGDs”) on bariatric patients at the former Steward Easton Hospital in Easton, Pennsylvania. EGDs are procedures that examine the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and the first part of the small intestine – the duodenum. These are performed to identify symptoms that may be new, cannot be explained, or are not responding to treatment. The findings from an EGD can help surgeons decide on the most appropriate bariatric procedure and follow up care. Ailawadi, a bariatric and general surgeon, had privileges to perform bariatric surgeries and EGDs at Steward Easton Hospital. The government alleges that Ailawadi caused the submission of false claims for payment to both Medicaid and Medicare from January 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020, arising from Ailawadi improperly billing EGD procedures using CPT Code 43239 without reduced service modifier 52 when the duodenum was deliberately not examined. According to the United States, these EGD procedures were only partially completed to save time, although Ailawadi billed the federal healthcare programs as if they had been fully completed. By failing to enter the duodenum during the EGD procedure, Ailawadi allegedly was not able to identify any abnormalities, such as bleeding, growths, ulcers, or inflammation. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania places a high priority on enforcement in cases involving healthcare fraud,” said Romero. “We will hold accountable those who bill the Federal Healthcare Programs for procedures that are either not performed, or partially performed, as was the case here.” “Today’s settlement shows our attention to and commitment to investigating allegations of fraud targeting Medicare and Medicaid, whether we need to examine the potential conduct of an individual physician or several parties in a complex scheme,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to partner with the United States Attorney’s Office to evaluate allegations brought under the False Claims Act to ensure the integrity of Federal Healthcare Programs.” This settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania by a former Steward Easton Hospital employee. Under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, lawsuits like this one may be brought on behalf of the United States and the relator shares in any recovery by the government. The relator was represented in this case by Brian J. McCormick, Jr., of Ross Feller Casey, LLP. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah W. Frey and Eric D. Gill, Auditor George Niedzwicki, Fraud Examiner Frank O’Connor, and Paralegal Brendan Novak. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Missouri Man Admits Recording Sex with Minor

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Linn County, Missouri on Monday admitted recording himself having sexual contact with a minor. Russell Alan Pirkey, 54, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a charge of sexual exploitation of a child. Pirkey admitted using his cell phone to record himself having sexual contact with a 10-year-old girl. Pirkey’s crime was discovered on April 8, 2023, when the Brookfield Police Department was contacted with concerns about his contact with the victim. Pirkey has also agreed to forfeit a cell phone, a tablet and various electronic storage devices that were seized by law enforcement during the investigation. Pirkey is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 14, 2025. The sexual exploitation charge carries a mandatory minimum charge of 15 years in prison, and a maximum of 30 years. The FBI, the Brookfield Police Department and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Chapman is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Greensboro man sentenced for possession of child pornography

body_text: GREENSBORO – A 55-year-old Greensboro man was sentenced today to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). According to court records, investigators with the Greensboro Police Department (GPD) obtained search warrants for a Greensboro residence and a vehicle belonging to JEFFREY ALLAN HILL after three victims reported to GPD that they were sexually assaulted when they were minors sleeping over at HILL’s house. Subsequent forensic analysis of electronic devices used by HILL revealed more than 13,500 image files and 244 video files of child pornography. HILL pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on March 13, 2024. United States District Court Judge Thomas D. Schroeder sentenced HILL to a 120-month term of imprisonment followed by lifetime supervised release. In addition, HILL was ordered to pay restitution totaling $33,000.00, special assessments totaling $22,100.00, and a $5,000 fine. He also forfeited a computer and two hard drives. The case was investigated by the Greensboro Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security-Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K. P. Kennedy Gates. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . ###


title: Final Victory Inn Defendant Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Terry Pruitt, a conspirator in the sex and drug trafficking organization that operated out of the former Victory Inn hotel in Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison last week based on his conviction on drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison. Joining Ison in the announcement was Homeland Security Investigations Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. This sentencing is the final in the eight-year case in which the following defendants were sentenced to over 116 years collectively. Darrick Dernard Bell – 28 years Shelvie Lewis Avery – 19 years Janette Gaggo Tawfik – 10 years Michael Anthony Randol – 15 years Bryant Edward Daugherty – 7 years 3 months Charles Thomas Ford – 12 years Harold Lashawn Nero – 9 years 7 months Terry Pruitt – 15 years 8 months Pruitt pleaded guilty in March 2021 to charges stemming from the operation of a large-scale drug and prostitution business operating out of the Victory Inn, a motel formerly located next to the main drag for prostitution on Michigan Avenue. Specifically, Pruitt, a longtime drug dealer, helped satiate the demand of the vulnerable human-trafficking victims for crack cocaine and heroin at the Victory Inn. Pruitt engaged in both drug and human trafficking at the motel while co-defendant Darrick Bell’s drug trafficking conspiracy essentially ran the Victory Inn. “This final sentencing brings to an end the years-long investigation and prosecution of this pernicious drug and sex trafficking organization,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. I want to commend the hard work and dedication of the agents and prosecutors who worked so diligently to bring these individuals to justice.” “This case spanned 8 years, and thanks to our U.S. Attorney’s office we have the sentencing of the final defendant,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Angie M. Salazar. “Throughout this investigation our agents and law enforcement partners remained steadfast in their commitment to those impacted by this criminal organization. I commend our law enforcement team for their perseverance in the pursuit of justice and their dedication to protecting our communities.” The investigation was conducted by agents of Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Roth, Jerome Gorgon, Blake Hatlem, and Lisandra Fernandez-Silber


title: Defendant Sentenced To Over Eight Years For Scheme To Fraudulently Obtain More Than $1.8 Million In Covid-19 Cares Act Unemployment  Insurance Benefits

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – Today, federal inmate Jonathan Henry, age 32, was sentenced to 97 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $1,894,971 for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, relating to the submission of fraudulent CARES Act unemployment insurance benefits. Henry’s co-defendant, Kenneth Dodd, was previously sentenced to 42 months imprisonment for his role in the offense, which he will serve consecutively to previous sentences he is currently serving as a result of prior federal felony convictions. A third defendant, Jason Haddox, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 24, 2025. The sentences are announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General (“DOL-OIG”); and, Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) - Washington Division. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial assistance offered through the CARES Act included expanded eligibility for Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) benefits and increased UI benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (“PUA”), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (“FPUC”), and the Lost Wages Assistance Program (“LWAP”). According to their plea agreements, during the time of the conspiracy, from March 22, 2020 through at least June 2021, Henry, Dodd and Haddox were inmates at the Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix (“FCI Fort Dix”). Henry, Dodd Haddox and their co-conspirators (both inmates and outside individuals) submitted fraudulent online applications for UI benefits in Maryland and other states. Henry and other conspirators used the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims in many of the applications. Based on the information in the fraudulent applications, the Maryland Department of Labor, which is responsible for processing applications for UI benefits in Maryland, issued prepaid debit cards in the names of the applicants and mailed them to addresses included on the applications, which were accessible to the conspirators. The defendants and their co-conspirators used the prepaid debit cards to withdraw money from ATMs and to make retail purchases. Henry admitted that he used the PII of identity theft victims to submit approximately 191 fraudulent claims, the majority in Maryland but also in Washington, D.C., Virginia and North Carolina. Of the fraudulent claims submitted, 152 claims were paid, with an actual loss of approximately $1,894,971. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. 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 . United States Attorney Barron commended the DOL-OIG and the USPIS for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, who is prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao/md . # # #


title: El Paso Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Dealing Fentanyl, Causing Death

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 180 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl, causing death or serious bodily injury. According to court documents, Adrian David Perez Jr., 21, sold counterfeit M-30 pills laced with fentanyl to an individual on Oct. 13, 2021. The individual consumed the pills and his mother found him deceased the following day. The El Paso County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the individual died from acute fentanyl toxicity. In addition to imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower sentenced Perez to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $3,800 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Countryman prosecuted the case. ###


title: Justice Department Finds Unconstitutional Conditions in Georgia Prisons

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today its findings that conditions of confinement in Georgia’s prisons violate the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. “Our findings report lays bare the horrific and inhumane conditions that people are confined to inside Georgia’s state prison system,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our statewide investigation exposes long-standing, systemic violations stemming from complete indifference and disregard to the safety and security of people Georgia holds in its prisons. People are assaulted stabbed, raped and killed or left to languish inside facilities that are woefully understaffed. Inmates are maimed and tortured, relegated to an existence of fear, filth and not so benign neglect. These dangerous conditions not only harm the people Georgia incarcerates — it places prison employees and the broader community at risk. The Justice Department is committed to using its authority to bring about humane conditions of confinement that are consistent with contemporary standards of decency and respect for basic human dignity.” The department’s 93-page report details its findings from a thorough investigation of Georgia’s state-operated and private correctional facilities. Georgia has the fourth-highest state prison population in the country, with approximately 50,000 people incarcerated. The report concludes that: The State of Georgia engages in a pattern or practice of violating incarcerated persons’ constitutional rights by failing to protect individuals housed in medium- and close-security facilities from widespread physical violence and subjecting incarcerated persons to unreasonable risk of harm from sexual abuse across its facilities. Specifically, Georgia fails to protect incarcerated persons, including persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI), from harm caused by sexual violence or abuse. Critical understaffing and systemic deficiencies in physical plant, housing and classification, contraband control, incident reporting, and investigations all contribute to the widespread violence. Georgia allows gangs to exert improper influence on prison life, including controlling entire housing units and operating unlawful and dangerous schemes in and from the prisons, harming both incarcerated people and the public. “Individuals incarcerated by the Georgia Department of Corrections should not be subjected to life threatening violence and other forms of severe deprivation while serving their prison terms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “Our constitution requires humane conditions in prisons, that, at a minimum, ensure that people in custody are safe. The findings of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act investigation of the Georgia Department of Corrections reveal grave and diffuse failures to safeguard the men and women housed in its facilities, including disturbing and increasing frequencies of deaths among incarcerated people. We expect the State of Georgia to share our sense of urgency about the seriousness of the violations described in this report and to work cooperatively with the Justice Department, our office and our U.S. Attorney partners in the Middle and Southern Districts to remedy these systemic deficiencies in Georgia prisons.” “We hope these findings are a wake-up call. Incarcerated people and staff in the Georgia Department of Corrections face unacceptable, systemic risks, and the impact affects all of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Peter Leary for the Middle District of Georgia. “We hope to work collaboratively with the State of Georgia to improve these deadly conditions; indeed, the Constitution requires it.” “The safety and security of Georgia’s prisons are inescapably linked to the overall safety and security of our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg for the Southern District of Georgia. “The long-term dysfunction in the management of the prison system has led to the proliferation of criminal networks inside those facilities that endanger private citizens, staff and incarcerated people and directly lead to unacceptable and avoidable violence and abuse against incarcerated people. We are committed to working with the Georgia Department of Corrections to create a safer environment inside and outside Georgia’s prisons.” The findings announced today are the result of the Justice Department’s civil investigation and are separate from any criminal cases brought by the Justice Department. The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Georgia conducted the investigation. For more information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section . You can also report civil rights violations to the section by completing the complaint form available at civilrights.justice.gov/ . To provide information related to the department’s investigation of Georgia’s prisons, please call 1-844-401-3736 or email the department at Community.GeorgiaDOC@usdoj.gov . Spanish translation forthcoming. (La traducción al español estará disponible próximamente.)