title: Justice Department Launches Access DOJ

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department announced the launch of Access DOJ , a new and innovative Department-wide initiative led by the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) that will use human-centered design to improve access to Justice Department programs and services for all communities and stakeholders. “The Access DOJ Initiative will provide a path for us to make the Justice Department’s services more accessible, effective, and efficient at meeting the needs of the diverse communities we serve,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “It will ensure that the Department, for the first time, has a localized hub of expertise focused on assisting components broadly with human-centered design practices.” The Access DOJ Initiative will: Annually conduct high-impact projects in partnership with offices across the Justice Department to improve and streamline access to programs, services, and resources for the public; Provide resources, trainings, and hands-on coaching and support in methods like usability testing and writing with plain language; and Chair a newly launched community of practice with representatives from across the Justice Department to share successes and challenges and identify solutions to advance the work together. “Access to Justice includes Access to the Department of Justice. In our public-facing materials, we must prioritize what makes sense for the people we serve, above technical nuances,” said ATJ Director Rachel Rossi. “This will require that lawyers and subject matter experts work with designers to get feedback from the public. We cannot be the judge of whether our materials are accessible and effective — only the people using our services can do that.” Setting the groundwork for the launch of Access DOJ, ATJ has been partnering with Justice Department offices to employ human-centered design practices to simplify access to programs and services. This includes working with the Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney to revise the form people use to request a presidential pardon after finishing their sentence to restore their civil rights, regain their standing in the community, or improve their employment opportunities. The revisions were based on feedback from the public, usability testing, best practices in design, and access to justice research with the goal of reducing burdens on everyone involved — applicants and Justice Department staff — to promote both trust in government and fiscal responsibility. The Access to Justice team also worked with the Office of the U.S. Trustees Program (USTP) to gather feedback on newly piloted virtual bankruptcy meetings. The partnership included engagement with legal aid providers in the pilot region who work with low-income and rural communities, leading to plans for development of a series of short videos of mock meetings to give people a preview of the meetings, demystify them, explain them in plain language, and reduce the psychological costs of going through the process unprepared. ATJ hosted an event for Justice Department components to launch the initiative and encourage participation across the department. Additional Justice Department officials delivered remarks, including Director Steve Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), USTP Director Tara Twomey, and Deputy Pardon Attorney Kira Gillespie. The event also featured external experts who discussed their work using human-centered design and customer experience methodologies in other federal agencies as well as with state and local legal service organizations. This included Executive Director for Customer Experience Dana Chisnell of the Department of Homeland Security, the Executive Director of the Legal Design Lab at Stanford Law School Margaret Hagan, and the Managing Director of Contact Center and Customer Experience in the General Services Administration Centers of Excellence Lashanda Hodge. The event also included a gallery walk with case studies and resources to further illustrate the concepts. Access DOJ’s next high-impact project will focus on making it easier for communities to report actionable tips about crime or other violations of law to the department. Access DOJ will review reporting portals across the Department to ensure all communities can more effectively report crime to the department when necessary.


title: Court Imposes Restrictions on Alcohol Addiction Treatment Company to Protect Consumers’ Private Information

component: Civil Division

body_text: The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced today that a federal court in Washington, D.C., has entered a settlement that prohibits alcohol addiction treatment company Monument Inc. (Monument) from misrepresenting its data privacy practices and disclosing its customers’ health information to third parties for advertising purposes, and also requires the company to take several measures to safeguard its customers’ personal information. The court also entered a $2.5 million civil penalty judgment against Monument, which is suspended due to the company's inability to pay. A civil complaint filed today alleges that Monument violated the Federal Trade Commission Act and the Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act of 2018 by misrepresenting on its alcohol addiction treatment website and elsewhere that it would not disclose its customers’ health information without their express consent and by failing to employ reasonable measures to protect its customers’ data. The complaint alleges that such failures led Monument to disclose thousands of users’ health information to third parties for advertising or other purposes. “Treatment for substance abuse and addiction is highly personal and sensitive, and companies providing such services must be especially vigilant in safeguarding their customers’ information,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department is committed to working with the FTC to protect Americans’ sensitive information.” “This action continues the FTC’s work to ensure strict limits on how firms handle sensitive health data, rather than putting the onus on consumers to protect themselves,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Following on the heels of actions against GoodRx, BetterHelp and Premom, the market should be getting the message that consumer health data should be handled with extreme caution.” Senior Trial Attorney Richard Greene and Assistant Director Zachary Dietert of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch are handling this matter, working in conjunction with staff at the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . For more information about the FTC, visit www.FTC.gov .


title: Florence Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: FLORENCE, S.C. — Kendric Lanorris Cannon, 47, of Florence, was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of Feb. 2, 2022, officers with Florence Police Department encountered Cannon as the sole occupant of a vehicle, which was parked in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Florence. Officers approached the vehicle to verify who Cannon was and why he was there. Cannon said he lived there and exited the vehicle. As Cannon exited, law enforcement could see a firearm and a bag of white powder on the driver’s side floorboard. In a subsequent search of the car, law enforcement found a .380 caliber handgun, more than 100 grams of cocaine divided up into baggies, and a digital scale. Cannon later admitted that the firearm was his and that there was cocaine in the car. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced Cannon to 60 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Florence Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Former High School Dean Sentenced To Life Plus Five Years In Prison For 2010 Murder

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ISRAEL GARCIA, a/k/a “Shorty Rock,” the former leader of the Get Money Gunnaz set of the Young Gunnaz street gang (the “GMG YGz”), was sentenced to life plus five years in prison for the October 11, 2010, murder of Alfonso “Joey” McClinton. GARCIA shot and killed McClinton on a residential street in the Bronx, New York, as part of a dispute over narcotics trafficking territory. Following a seven-day trial in July 2023 before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence, a jury also convicted GARCIA of engaging in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics, murder while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy, murder through the use of a firearm, possessing firearms in connection with narcotics trafficking, and attempted witness tampering. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Today’s strong sentence reflects our unwavering commitment to holding those who take another life fully accountable for their heinous crimes. Israel Garcia, a former high school dean who could have had a positive impact on our community, will now spend the rest of his life in prison for the brutal murder of Joey McClinton, for engaging in a narcotics conspiracy, and for witness tampering. I commend the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners for doggedly pursuing this case and for bringing justice to Joey McClinton, nearly 14 years after his death.” According to court filings and the evidence presented in court during trial: For more than a decade, the defendant controlled the sale of narcotics in the vicinity of East 184 th Street and Morris Avenue in the Bronx as the leader of the GMG YGz. As part of their narcotics operation, GMG YGz members carried firearms and engaged in back-and-forth shootings with neighboring, rival crews. This violence resulted in, among other acts, the 2010 murder of Alfonso “Joey” McClinton (“McClinton”). The State of New York arrested and prosecuted GMG YGz member Joseph Johnson, a/k/a “Juice,” for the killing. [1 ] However, Ballistics, video evidence, and eyewitness testimony revealed that there was a second shooter involved in Mr. McClinton’s murder. GARCIA was that second shooter. When GARCIA became concerned that Johnson might cooperate with law enforcement, GARCIA took steps to prevent Johnson from identifying GARCIA as the person with whom he committed the murder. * * * GARCIA, 33, of the Bronx, New York, was previously found guilty of murder in aid of racketeering, narcotics conspiracy, murder while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy, murder through the use of a firearm, use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and attempted witness tampering offenses. Judge Rakoff imposed the following sentences on each count of conviction, with the sentences on Counts One, Two, Three, Four, and Six to run concurrently with one another, and the sentence on Count Five to run consecutively to all other sentences: COUNT SENTENCE Count One: Murder in Aid of Racketeering Life in prison Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances 35 years in prison Count Three: Murder While Engaged in a Narcotics Conspiracy 40 years in prison Count Four: Murder Through the Use of a Firearm 40 years in prison Count Five: Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime Five years in prison Count Six: Attempted Witness Tampering 10 years in prison Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals Service. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the U.S. using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Gutwillig, Maggie Lynaugh, and Jonathan Bodansky, with the assistance of paralegal specialist Owen Foley, are in charge of the prosecution. [1] Johnson was convicted at trial of second-degree murder in The People of the State of New York v. Joseph Johnson , Index Number 4311/2010. On February 3, 2022, the verdict against Johnson was vacated. Johnson subsequently pled guilty to manslaughter and is serving a 17-year sentence.


title: Owner of Boston Pizzeria Chain Convicted of Forced Labor

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of Stash’s Pizza, a pizzeria chain in Massachusetts, was convicted today following a nine-day jury trial of forced labor charges. The defendant forced or attempted to force six victims to work for him and comply with excessive workplace demands through violent physical abuse; threats of violence and serious harm; and repeated threats to report the victims to immigration authorities for deportation. Stavros Papantoniadis, a/k/a “Steve Papantoniadis,” 48, of Westwood, Mass., was convicted of three counts of forced labor and three counts of attempted forced labor. Chief U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Sept. 12, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. Papantoniadis has remained in custody since his arrest on March 16, 2023. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a powerful message to abusive employers that exploiting employees through fear and intimidation will never be tolerated. I hope that this verdict also alerts others who may be victims of exploitation and harm by employers, that the federal government will not sit idly by. We will vigorously investigate and prosecute any employer who thinks they are above the law and physically and mentally abuses employees, withholds wages due, or threatens and intimidates workers,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Mr. Papantoniadis preyed on the desperation of those without immigration status, subjecting them to violence and threats of deportation. Forced labor is a serious violation of human rights, and no one in the United States should live in fear of abuse and coercion in their workplace. I commend the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners who worked collaboratively to bring this defendant to justice.” Papantoniadis forced or attempted to force five men and one woman to work for him through violent physical abuse, threats of abuse, and repeated threats to report victims to immigration authorities to have them deported. According to evidence introduced at trial, Papantoniadis thinly staffed his pizza shops, and purposely employed workers without immigration status to work behind the scenes, for 14 or more hours per day and as many as seven days per week. To maintain control of those undocumented workers, he made them believe that he would physically harm them or have them deported. He monitored the workers with surveillance cameras, which he accessed from his cell phone, and constantly demeaned, insulted and harassed them. When Papantoniadis learned that one victim planned to quit, he violently choked him, causing that victim to flee the pizza shop and run to safety in the parking lot. When other victims separately expressed their intentions to quit, Papantoniadis told one victim that he would kill him and call immigration authorities; and he threatened another worker by telling him he knew where the victim lived. When another worker tried to leave and drive away from one of Papantoniadis’ pizza shops, Papantoniadis chased the victim down Route 1 in Norwood, Mass., and falsely reported the victim to the local police in an effort to pressure the victim to return to work at the pizza shop. “Stavros Papantoniadis instilled fear in his employees. He underpaid and threatened them, some with fear of arrest and many with physical abuse. Today, the jury saw the indignities his employees were subjected to and have found Papantoniadis guilty of forced labor violations,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect – especially those who place their trust in their employer. HSI is committed to ensuring those who violate forced labor laws are held accountable and brought to justice.” “The jury’s verdict affirms the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s commitment to prioritize and investigate allegations of labor trafficking by individuals who enrich themselves through coercion or force. Stavros Papantoniadis used threats of arrest, deportation, reprisals, and physical violence to ensure his employees continued to work for wages lower than required by the Fair Labor Standards Act. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate those who engage in labor trafficking,” said Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Papantoniadis is the owner and operator of Stash’s Pizza, a chain of pizzerias which has locations in Dorchester and Roslindale, and previously had pizzerias in Norwood, Norwell, Randolph (d/b/a Boston Pizza Company), Weymouth (d/b/a Pacini’s Italian Eatery), and Wareham, Mass. The charges of forced labor and attempted forced labor each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Members of the public who believe they are a victim of labor trafficking or have information about labor trafficking, please call 888-221-6023, Option 5 or send an email with contact information to USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov . Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HSI SAC Krol and DOL-OIG SAC Mellone made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, the Boston Police Department, and the Norwood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran, Chief of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit, and Brian A. Fogerty of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: CityMD Agrees to Pay over $12 Million for Alleged False Claims to COVID-19 Uninsured Program

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – W City Medical of the Upper East Side PLLC, Summit Medical Group P.A., Summit Health Management LLC and Village Practice Management Company LLC, which collectively do business as “CityMD,” and manage and operate approximately 177 urgent care practices in New Jersey and New York, have agreed to pay $12.04 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of false claims for payment for COVID-19 testing to a Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) program for uninsured patients. HRSA’s COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program (the “Uninsured Program) provided claims reimbursement to health care providers, generally at Medicare rates, for testing uninsured individuals for COVID-19, treating uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnoses, and administering COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals. The Justice Department alleges that, from Feb. 4, 2020, through April 5, 2022, CityMD knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for payment for COVID-19 testing to the Uninsured Program for individuals who had health insurance coverage when CityMD administered those tests. The United States contends that CityMD did not adequately confirm whether those individuals had health insurance coverage before submitting their claims to the Uninsured Program, including but not limited to certain individuals for whom CityMD had health insurance cards on file. The Justice Department further contends that CityMD caused outside laboratories to submit false claims for COVID-19 testing to the Uninsured Program in connection with individuals who had health insurance coverage by issuing requisition forms erroneously indicating that patients were uninsured. CityMD received credit in the settlement under the department’s guidelines for taking voluntary disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases. CityMD cooperated with the United States’ investigation by, among other things, voluntarily contracting with a third party to assist the United States in determining the amount of the losses the United States contends were caused by claims submitted by CityMD to the Uninsured Program for patients who had health insurance as described above. “Uninsured Americans who were at risk from COVID-19 were covered by emergency funding programs that made available to them the testing, vaccines and treatments that they needed. The alleged misuse of these funds is something we cannot and will not tolerate. Today’s settlement ensures that the money that was obtained inappropriately will be returned to the government.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “The Uninsured Program provided critical financial support for COVID-19 related testing and treatment for uninsured Americans during the height of the pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reflects the Department’s commitment to ensuring that the pandemic relief programs created by Congress were used as intended.” This civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Steven Kitzinger, a patient of CityMD. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Kitzinger v. City Practice Group of New York LLC d/b/a CityMD , Civ. No. 2:20-cv-20111-SRC-CLW (D.N.J.). Mr. Kitzinger will receive $2,046,308 as his share of the recovery. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across the federal government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international actors committing civil and criminal fraud and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit 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: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Tips and complaints about other types of potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Trial Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Orlowski for the District of New Jersey handled this matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. citymd.settlement.pdf


title: CityMD Agrees to Pay Over $12M for Alleged False Claims to the COVID-19 Uninsured Program

body_text: City Medical of the Upper East Side, PLLC, Summit Medical Group, P.A., Summit Health Management, LLC, and Village Practice Management Company, LLC, which collectively do business as CityMD, and manage and operate approximately 177 urgent care practices in New Jersey and New York, have agreed to pay $12,037,109 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of false claims for payment for COVID-19 testing to a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) program for uninsured patients. HRSA’s COVID-19 Claims Reimbursement to Health Care Providers and Facilities for Testing, Treatment, and Vaccine Administration for the Uninsured Program (the Uninsured Program) provided claims reimbursement to health care providers, generally at Medicare rates, for testing uninsured individuals for COVID-19, treating uninsured individuals with a COVID-19 diagnoses, and administering COVID-19 vaccines to uninsured individuals. The Justice Department alleges that, from Feb. 4, 2020, through April 5, 2022, CityMD knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for payment for COVID-19 testing to the Uninsured Program for individuals who had health insurance coverage when CityMD administered those tests. The United States contends that CityMD did not adequately confirm whether those individuals had health insurance coverage before submitting their claims to the Uninsured Program, including but not limited to certain individuals for whom CityMD had health insurance cards on file. The Justice Department further contends that CityMD caused outside laboratories to submit false claims for COVID-19 testing to the Uninsured Program in connection with individuals who had health insurance coverage by issuing requisition forms erroneously indicating that patients were uninsured. CityMD received credit in the settlement under the department’s guidelines for taking voluntary disclosure, cooperation, and remediation into account in False Claims Act cases. CityMD cooperated with the United States’ investigation by, among other things, voluntarily contracting with a third party to assist the United States in determining the amount of the losses the United States contends were caused by claims submitted by CityMD to the Uninsured Program for patients who had health insurance as described above. “The Uninsured Program provided critical financial support for COVID-19 related testing and treatment for uninsured Americans during the height of the pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reflects the department’s commitment to ensuring that the pandemic relief programs created by Congress were used as intended.” “Uninsured Americans who were at risk from COVID-19 were covered by emergency funding programs that made available to them the testing, vaccines, and treatments that they needed,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “The alleged misuse of these funds is something we cannot and will not tolerate. Today’s settlement ensures that the money that was obtained inappropriately will be returned to the government.” This civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Stephen Kitzinger, a patient of CityMD. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Kitzinger v. City Practice Group of New York LLC d/b/a CityMD , Civ. No. 2:20-cv-20111-SRC-CLW (D.N.J.). Mr. Kitzinger will receive $2,046,308 as his share of the recovery. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across the federal government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international actors committing civil and criminal fraud and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Tips and complaints about other types of potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). Trial Attorney Daniel Meyler of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Orlowski for the District of New Jersey handled this matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability. Settlement


title: Former Senior Executive at Chinatown Bank Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling More Than $700,000 From Employer

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The former chief financial officer at a bank in the Chinatown area of downtown Los Angeles was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $700,000 of his employer’s funds. Sammy Sims, 61, of West Covina, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered him to pay $306,849 in restitution. Sims pleaded guilty on February 22 to one count of bank fraud and admitted at that hearing and in court documents to stealing bank employees’ identities to open life insurance policies in their names to benefit his wife. Chinatown-based Eastern International Bank hired Sims in September 2017 as the lender’s CFO. As a condition of his employment, Sims agreed that he would not use the bank’s confidential information for his personal benefit or for others. The bank’s policy also required Sims to promptly disclose any conflicts or appearances of conflict with the bank’s interests. Sims’s scheme to defraud his employer lasted from February 2018 until at least April 2021. From August 2018 to October 2020, Sims wired $86,000 in bank funds to the United States Treasury and California Franchise Tax Board to make payments towards the personal federal and state income taxes for himself and his wife. Sims concealed these transactions by creating false entries in the bank’s general ledger that falsely represented that the payments were for the bank’s tax accounts. In April 2019, Sims used approximately $14,161 in bank funds to a debt collection agency to help pay off a debt that he had incurred. Sims concealed this transaction by creating a false entry in the bank’s general ledger that falsely stated the payment was for data processing software. From April 2019 to December 2020, Sims took approximately $113,264 in money belonging to the bank to pay the balances on his personal credit card. Sims hid these expenses in the bank’s general ledger by falsely labeling them as bank expenses. During this time, he also siphoned approximately $81,815 from the bank by using a bank credit card, meant for work purposes, for his personal expenses, including steak dinners and a trip to Las Vegas. Sims, from February 2020 to April 2021, also lied to several bank employees by telling them they had to switch their bank-funded life insurance policies because of their age. What neither the employees nor the bank knew was these policies were obtained through Sims’s wife, a licensed life insurance broker who received a commission for each life policy she sold. For some employees, Sims obtained their personal identifying information without their consent and then used this information to purchase life insurance policies from his wife. Sims used a checking account belonging to the bank to wire approximately $311,608 of the bank’s money to several life insurance companies to partially pay for the premiums for these policies. Later, when Sims was confronted about the life insurance policies opened using bank employees’ personal identifying information, he lied by saying the employees’ identities could have been stolen through a cybersecurity hack or by unauthorized disclosures by the bank’s personnel department. Sims resigned from the bank shortly after being confronted about the life insurance policies. In total, Sims unlawfully took $737,849 of bank funds for his personal use and benefit. The FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jason C. Pang of the General Crimes Section prosecuted this case, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section.


title: Norman Man to Serve Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – ANDREW LINTON SAWYERS , 60, of Norman, has been sentenced to serve 60 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after a prior felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Sawyers with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the public record, on October 30, 2022, Norman Police Department (NPD) officers responded to a welfare check at an apartment, where they learned that Sawyers had pointed a pistol at his girlfriend. Although Sawyers had left the residence before authorities arrived, he was arrested a short time later by NPD officers, who found a pistol in his waistband. At that time, Sawyers had been previously convicted of multiple felonies, including Florida convictions for armed home invasion and kidnapping, and Oklahoma convictions for possession of firearms after a felony conviction and endangering others while eluding or attempting to elude a police officer. On October 23, 2023, Sawyers pleaded guilty to illegally possessing the firearm, despite his criminal record. At Sawyers’ sentencing hearing on June 3, 2024, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Sawyers to serve 60 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Wyrick noted the circumstances of the offense and Sawyers’ criminal history. At sentencing, the government also introduced evidence that, in July 2023, Sawyers had threatened to kill a state prosecutor. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Norman Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement has learned since the program’s launch in 2001. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Peoria Felon Sentenced to Two Years  in Prison for Possessing a Firearm

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

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois man, Christopher J. Melahn, 35, of the 1400 block of North Rhodora Avenue, has been sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a felon. Co-defendant Jamarcus J. Hollingsworth, 30, was sentenced in January 2024 to 57 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release on the same charge. At the sentencing hearing before Senior U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade, the government established that in May 2023, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives received information that Hollingsworth, a felon, was in possession of firearms and was offering to sell a pistol in Peoria. The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of Hollingsworth at a hotel on West War Memorial Drive. During the arrest, agents found both Hollingsworth and Melahn, also a felon, in possession of a firearm. A federal criminal complaint was filed against Melahn and Hollingsworth in May 2023 and an indictment followed in June 2023. Hollingsworth pleaded guilty in September 2023, and Melahn plead guilty in October 2023. Melahn and Hollingsworth have been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since their arrests in May 2023. The statutory penalties for possessing a firearm as a felon are up to 15 years’ imprisonment and up to three years of supervised release. The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections and the Illinois State Police, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Melahn is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Possession of Machinegun Conversion Device Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for Two Years

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – ANTHONY DEWAYNE TAYLOR , 20, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 24 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On September 5, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Taylor with unlawful possession of a machinegun. According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, on April 6, 2023, Bethany Police Department officers pulled Taylor over for a traffic violation. When asked to provide a license and vehicle registration, Taylor handed the officer a learner’s permit that had been cut in half. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement located under the driver’s seat a handgun that had been modified with a conversion device. This conversion device is commonly known as a “switch,” which converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun. Taylor also attempted to flee on foot during the traffic stop but, after a brief pursuit, was apprehended and arrested. On December 12, 2023, Taylor pleaded guilty, admitting that he possessed the “switch” and knew that it turned the firearm into a fully automatic machinegun. At the sentencing hearing on June 6, 2024, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Taylor to serve 24 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted the seriousness of Taylor’s actions and the danger posed by conversion devices. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bethany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Three Peoria Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for  Armed Robbery of a Confidential Informant

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – Three Peoria men were sentenced this week for robbing a confidential informant of $1,200 at gunpoint during a federal firearms investigation in May 2023. Hunter Coombs, 24, of the 1600 block of North Delaware Street in Peoria, Illinois pleaded guilty to robbery of currency of the United States in October 2023 and was sentenced on June 3, 2024, to 46 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Germaine R. Hill, Jr., 26, of the 2700 block of West Rohmann Avenue, West Peoria, Illinois pleaded guilty in November 2023 to robbery of currency of the United States and was sentenced on June 5, 2024, to 46 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Rashon J. Miller, 25, of the 500 block of Vine Street, Peoria, Illinois pleaded guilty in December 2023 to robbery of currency of the United States and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Miller was sentenced on June 5, 2024, to a total of 84 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release. At the sentencing hearings before U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade, the government established that Hill, Miller, and Coombs acted together to rob a government informant at gunpoint. Hill told the victim that he had a handgun for sale that was equipped with an auto-sear, enabling it to fire as a fully automatic machinegun. Coombs drove Hill and Miller to meet with the buyer. Instead of selling a machinegun, Miller pointed a loaded gun at the victim and took the $1,200 purchase money. After the robbery, members of the Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force apprehended all three men, recovered the stolen money, and recovered two loaded semi-automatic firearms from the passenger compartment of the getaway car. All three men admitted that they discussed and planned the robbery prior to meeting with the informant. A complaint was filed in federal court in early June 2023 against all three defendants, followed by an indictment a few weeks later in June 2023. All defendants have been in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since May 2023. The statutory penalties for robbery of money of the United States is not more than 25 years’ imprisonment, with a possible $250,000 fine. Use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence carries a sentence of seven years to life imprisonment, to be served consecutively to the sentence for the violent crime. Each count carries up to five years of supervised release following imprisonment. The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Illinois State Police, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Hanna represented the government in the prosecution. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Updates in Four Child Exploitation Cases

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – This week, MICHAEL RIOS , 42, and JIMMY RAY PIERCE , 68, pleaded guilty to child pornography related charges; RONNIE GENE HAZELWOOD , 44, pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender after a felony conviction on possession of child pornography; and KRISTIAN FERNANDEZ , 20, was charged with receipt and possession of material containing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. This announcement reflects the latest in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma’s ongoing commitment to aggressively pursue cases involving the sexual exploitation of minors and defendants who fail to comply with sex offender registration requirements. The updates in the cases are as follows: Michael Rios , of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography on June 3, 2024. According to affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, Rios utilized an online encrypted messaging service to share child pornography. After executing a court authorized federal search warrant, FBI agents discovered a large library of child pornography on Rios’s phone. At sentencing, Rios faces no less than five years and up to 40 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case. Jimmy Ray Pierce , of Elgin, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to possession of material containing child pornography on June 6, 2024. According to an affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint, in January 2024, Pierce uploaded child pornography to Facebook. While executing a court authorized search warrant, law enforcement located on his cell phone multiple videos and images depicting child pornography. At sentencing, Pierce faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz is prosecuting the case. Ronnie Gene Hazelwood , of Tulsa and Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender on June 3, 2024. According to public record, Hazelwood was previously convicted of possession of child pornography and failing to register as a sex offender in the Northern District of Oklahoma, case number 15-CR-049. These convictions required Hazelwood to register as a sex offender, but he failed to do so while residing in the Western District of Oklahoma. Hazelwood faces up to 10 years in federal prison at sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ganz is prosecuting the case. ** Kristian Fernandez , of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, was charged with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of material containing child pornography by a federal grand jury on June 4, 2024. If found guilty on the receipt count, Fernandez faces not less than five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. If found guilty on the possession count, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. On each count, he faces a term of supervised release of no less than five years and up to life. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly is prosecuting the case. ** The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. These cases are the result of investigations by the FBI Oklahoma Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the Department of the Army—Criminal Investigation Division, the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation Task Force, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Detroit-Area Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison  for Maliciously Setting Fires to Commercial Truck Trailers

body_text: RIVERSIDE, California – A Michigan man was sentenced today to 121 months in federal prison for maliciously setting fires to six semi-trailers belonging to a major commercial trucking company in the Inland Empire and High Desert during a 10-month span. Viorel Pricop, 66, of Allen Park, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes, who also ordered him to pay $648,384 in restitution. At the conclusion of a 16-day trial, a jury on March 12 found Pricop guilty of six counts of arson of vehicle or property in interstate commerce. He has been in federal custody since October 2022. “This defendant was given a second chance but chose to throw it away and go on a national campaign of revenge,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “By setting fire to trailer after trailer with the drivers inside the trucks, he recklessly put people’s lives at risk. Violent recidivist criminals such as this defendant will only be deterred with consequences and the sentence imposed today does just that.” “Thanks to the outstanding work by dedicated ATF agents, partners from the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office from the Central District of California, a serial arsonist was held to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Brendan Iber. “Our communities deserve to be safe from violent criminals and due to the tireless work by agents, investigators and prosecutors, community members can rest a little easier knowing that an arsonist is no longer setting fires.” “We’re proud of the work our investigators were able to do with our partners to catch this serial arsonist, and piece together a strong case that helped bring him to justice,” said New Mexico State Fire Marshal Randy Varela. “We’ll continue to work with partners to keep our communities, and our neighbors, safe.” From December 2021 to September 2022, Pricop maliciously set fire to six semi-trailers belonging to Swift Transportation, a Phoenix-based commercial trucking company. Four of the arsons occurred in San Bernardino County (Newberry Springs, Ludlow, Barstow, and Hesperia) and two occurred in Riverside County (Coachella). In each of the incidents, the Swift-owned trailer was parked at or near a truck stop when a fire occurred on the trailer portion of the vehicle, mainly on or near the trailer tires. Pricop set on fire at least 18 additional Swift Transportation semi-trailers in other states from June 2020 to March 2022, according to an affidavit previously filed in this case. These incidents occurred at locations spanning from Barstow, California to McCalla, Alabama, with most incidents occurring along Interstate 10 and Interstate 40, the affidavit states. Federal criminal charges associated with some of these fires were filed against Pricop in the District of New Mexico and the District of Arizona. Swift Transportation hired a fire investigation consultant to assist with fire scene examinations. A pattern began to develop when multiple reports noted substantially similar methods of lighting the trailers on fire, including where on the vehicles the fires began, and the fact the fires occurred during the middle of the night. A review of cell tower data near some of the fires showed that a specific device – later found to be a navigation device installed in a commercial tractor-style truck – connected to cell towers near many of the fires at or around the times of the fires. Law enforcement determined that this device was installed on a vehicle operated by Pricop. Law enforcement also identified the cellphone subscribed to Pricop and, after obtaining court authorization, obtained historical cellular data and real-time location information for Pricop’s cellphone. Analysis of this data showed that Pricop’s cellphone was present in the general area of all California fires, as well as the 18 additional fires across the country. In September 2022, search warrants were executed on Pricop’s tractor-trailer, personal vehicle and residence, yielding additional evidence corroborating his involvement in this series of arsons. This evidence included a gas torch, torch-style lighters, and record keeping documents containing location information, such as cargo pickup and delivery dates which coincided with the time and location of several fires in the series of 24 fires across the country. Swift Transportation and other trucking companies were victims of thefts between 2010 and 2014. Swift initiated its own investigation into those thefts and utilized bait trailers to catch thieves. In 2015, someone broke into one of the bait trailers and took boxes of electronic goods containing tracking devices. Swift investigators tracked those boxes to a storage facility in Michigan, and local law enforcement in Michigan arrested Pricop in possession of the boxes of electronic goods from the bait trailer. Pricop was convicted in 2018 in the Eastern District of Michigan for a tax offense and for transportation of stolen goods, charges stemming from the investigation conducted by Swift. Pricop was sentenced to time served in that case, amounting to approximately 26 months’ imprisonment. His term of supervised release ended in June 2019, approximately one year before the arsons in this case began. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New Mexico State Fire Marshal’s Office investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Cory L. Burleson, Sean D. Peterson and Mitchell M. Suliman of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.


title: Update on Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Justice AI Convenings

component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General

body_text: This week, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco hosted the fourth convening of the “Justice AI Initiative,” which she launched earlier this year to inform the Justice Department’s AI policy, including how AI will impact the Department’s mission to uphold the rule of law, keep the nation safe, and protect civil rights. “Justice AI” brings together stakeholders across civil society, industry, academia, and law enforcement to share expertise and a wide range of perspectives on both the promise of AI and the perils of its misuse. On Thursday, the Deputy AG welcomed organizations and advocates focused on civil rights, democracy, and technology to the Justice Department to discuss ways to strengthen the Department’s efforts to address the civil rights and civil liberties challenges posed by AI. They discussed concerns about the use of AI, algorithms, and automated systems to make critical decisions that impact individuals’ rights and opportunities — including fair and equal access to employment and housing — as well as the security of personal health information. They also highlighted the potential of AI to be used to suppress the right to vote — including by imitating trusted sources of information and proliferating deepfakes. The Deputy AG previously met with representatives from industry in San Francisco, where she led a discussion on identifying the many ways malicious actors misuse AI and how information sharing between private industry and the government is critical to understanding and combatting the use of AI to commit crimes and threaten national security. The Department has also convened federal, state, and local law enforcement association leaders from across the country to discuss how malicious actors are using AI to supercharge their criminal schemes, and how law enforcement officials can combat these criminal actors. They also discussed how law enforcement agencies can leverage AI to fight crime and protect the public in a manner consistent with civil rights and liberties. The Department’s Criminal Division recently convened compliance executives to hear how companies are using AI and how compliance departments are addressing its risks. This discussion will inform updates to the Criminal Division’s Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs . Additional convenings will be held over the coming months to inform the Department of Justice’s work as part of Executive Order 14110 on “ Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence .”


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DATAYNA HOWARD (“HOWARD”) , age 22, of New Orleans, was sentenced on June 5, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to 122 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D), and two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). According to court documents, on January 19, 2022, HOWARD was arrested at the Oakwood Shopping Center in Gretna, Louisiana, in possession of fentanyl, marijuana, drug trafficking supplies, and two loaded handguns. On June 8, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at HOWARD’s residence in New Orleans. HOWARD possessed over 700 tapentadol pills, marijuana, drug trafficking supplies, three handguns, and additional ammunition. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Wellesley Psychiatrist Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for $19 Million Insurance Fraud Scheme; Billed Insurance Companies for Thousands of Services He Never Provided

body_text: BOSTON – A Wellesley psychiatrist was sentenced yesterday for billing Medicare and private insurance companies for over $19 million in treatments he did not provide and obstructing justice in an attempt to conceal his crimes. Gustavo Kinrys, 53, of Wellesley, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 99 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Kinrys was also ordered to pay restitution and forfeiture in an amount to be determined at a later hearing. In October 2023, following a jury trial, Kinrys was convicted of seven counts of wire fraud, six counts of false statements relating to health care matters, and one count of obstructing a criminal health care investigation. “Dr. Kinrys undermined the trust that our healthcare system relies upon. For years, he diverted millions of dollars in critical resources from those in genuine need of medical attention, relying on fraud to finance his luxury lifestyle. This defendant’s driving motivation was greed. His attempts to obstruct justice in order to conceal his scheme further exemplify his blatant disregard for the law,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “This sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to prosecuting those who exploit the healthcare system for personal gain. When someone commits health care fraud, we all suffer – it drives up costs for everyone, diverts precious resources and erodes the public’s confidence in our healthcare providers. Our office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of those who engage in such egregious misconduct.” “This 99-month sentence reflects the seriousness of Dr. Kinrys’ crimes – his violation of the public’s trust in his position as a physician and his theft from the American taxpayers,” said Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “As we’ve proven here, those who exploit our federal health care system for personal gain will be brought to justice.” “Gustavo Kinrys lied to Medicare and private insurers, billing them for over $19 million worth of mental health treatments he never provided and then obstructed our investigation in an attempt to cover up his crimes. In doing so, Dr. Kinrys betrayed the trust of his vulnerable and mentally ill patients, and taxpayers, to fund a lavish lifestyle including a $2.1 million vacation home in Nantucket, and over $600,000 in expensive jewelry,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners to identify, investigate, and bring to justice anyone who tries to steal from this country’s vital health care system.” “This sentence represents that health care fraud is not tolerated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts places a high priority on fighting this type of insurance fraud which affects the citizens of this state. We appreciate the collaboration of our investigative partners in combatting fraud in our healthcare system,” said Anthony M. DiPaolo, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Insurance Fraud Bureau. Kinrys was a licensed psychiatrist who owned and operated Advanced TMS Associates, located in Natick, Mass. Among other services, Kinrys offered transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy and psychotherapy to patients suffering from depression. TMS therapy is a noninvasive method of brain stimulation that uses rapidly alternating or pulsed magnetic fields to induce electrical currents directed at a patient’s cerebral cortex. Between January 2015 and December 2018, Kinrys engaged in a variety of fraudulent billing schemes in which he sought and received reimbursement for $19 million in services he did not render. For example, Kinrys billed Medicare and private insurers $10.6 million for thousands of TMS sessions he never provided, including over 8,000 sessions he claimed were provided to 74 patients who, in fact, never received a single session of the therapy. Kinrys also billed Medicare and private insurers for millions of dollars’ worth of psychotherapy sessions he never provided, including over 900 face-to-face sessions he falsely claimed he provided while he was on vacation in locations like the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, and the Czech Republic. On 382 days, Kinrys billed Medicare and private insurers for having provided more than 24 hours’ worth of psychotherapy services in a single day, including one day in July 2017 when he claimed he had provided hour-long psychotherapy sessions to 70 different patients – all while outside the United States on vacation. With the proceeds of his fraud, Kinrys paid off a $1.8 million home in Wellesley, purchased over $600,000 in jewelry from Cartier, Van Cleef, and Tiffany’s and purchased a $2.1 million vacation home in Nantucket. To further his fraudulent billing scheme, Kinrys made numerous false statements to his patients, the billing company he worked with, and the insurers to whom he submitted claims seeking reimbursement. When Medicare and private insurers sought records from Kinrys to justify his exorbitant claims, he took steps to conceal his fraud by creating, and forcing his employee to create, fake patient records to send to Medicare and private insurers. Kinrys continued his obstructive behavior when, in response to a July 2018 subpoena from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, he created and produced additional fake patient records purporting to show patients had received dozens of treatments that never happened and which falsely represented that the condition of those patients was improving. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HHS-OIG SAC Coviello, FBI Boston SAC Cohen and MA IFB Director DiPaolo made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Callahan and Christopher R. Looney of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Two Sentenced in Scheme to Steal More than $850,000  in COVID-19 Housing Assistance Funds

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Two members of a New Bern family were sentenced for their role in a scheme to defraud a program designed to help struggling North Carolina residents stay in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Takeeia Hawkins, age 43, and her daughter, Shanasia Hawkins, age 22, both pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud earlier this year. Takeeia Hawkins was sentenced to 36 months in prison for her role in the scheme, while Shanasia Hawkins was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Both women claimed to be landlords of properties in Eastern North Carolina, with tenants who were unable to pay rent due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They submitted fraudulent applications to the NC HOPE Program (North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions Program), which was established during Covid to provide emergency rental assistance to tenants who struggled to pay rent and therefore faced eviction due to financial difficulties caused by the pandemic. The two women received nearly $150,000 in federal funds, which was largely spent on gifts and gambling. “This case represents yet another example of the greedy taking from the needy,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “COVID-19 monies were set aside to help struggling families pay their rent, and these defendants stole it. This office will continue its vigorous pursuit of those who used the pandemic to turn a fraudulent profit.” “The fraud committed by the defendants diverted critical taxpayer money that was intended to help families during an unprecedented pandemic,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge George Richardson with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “HUD OIG remains steadfast in its commitment to working with our prosecutorial and law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.” “As many families continue to struggle with the aftermath of COVID-19, today's sentencing offers a renewed hope in our criminal justice system. There are consequences for those who seek to exploit and harm others during vulnerable times. This is a testament to justice prevailing and individuals being held accountable. We are grateful for our partners and the investigators, agents, and prosecutors who saw this case through,” said SBI Director Robert Schurmeier. Rich Delmar, the Treasury Acting Inspector General, stated, “Treasury OIG’s oversight is a key factor in assuring the integrity and effectiveness of this and many other pandemic recovery programs on which millions of Americans rely.” Several other family members and acquaintances of the Hawkins are also implicated in the scheme to defraud the NC HOPE Program. Takeeia Hawkins’ son, Jmari Hawkins, age 24, and two other conspirators, Jonell Ojeda, age 23, and Tevin Evans, age 26, have also pled guilty in the scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $850,000 in emergency rental assistance from the NC HOPE Program. All three are set to be sentenced later this summer. The NC HOPE Program administered federal COVID-19 relief funds and provided emergency rental assistance to North Carolina renters who faced eviction and homelessness during the pandemic. The Program allowed renters to submit an online application to apply for rental assistance. If approved, the Program paid the tenant’s rent, in checks sent directly to the landlord, for up to 15 months of overdue or future rent payments. Takeeia, Shanasia, and Jmari Hawkins, along with Jonell Ojeda and Tevin Evans all admitted to falsely claiming to be landlords of multiple properties in North Carolina. In total, the group attempted to defraud the NC HOPE Program out of more than $870,000 and were ultimately successful in obtaining more than $250,000 in stolen COVID-19 relief funds. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Treasury, Office of Inspector General; and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for United States v. Takeeia Hawkins , Case No. 5:23-00380; United States v. Shanasia Hawkins , Case No. 5:23-CR-00379; Unites States v. Jmari Hawkins et al , Case No. 5:23-cr-00300; United States v. Tevin Evans, Case No 5:24-CR-00054 . ###


title: ‘Chesapeake Bandits’ Member Sentenced to Nearly 14 Years in Prison for Robbing Armored Truck and Stealing More Than $160,000 in Cash

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A member of a group law enforcement officials dubbed the “Chesapeake Bandits” was sentenced today to 166 months in federal prison for acting as a lookout in an armed robbery of an armored truck that netted the group more than $160,000 in cash and during which a handgun was fired. James Russell Davis, 35, of the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, who also ordered Davis to pay $166,640 in restitution. Davis pleaded guilty on February 16 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He has been in federal custody since March 2023. “When people commit crimes with guns, tragedies happen,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “This is why it is so important that we bring the weight of federal prosecution against the perpetrators of violent gun crime. My office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to make our cities safer.” “Imagine the terror of being pulled to the ground with a gun pointed at your head. Davis and his accomplices violently ambushed an individual just doing his job so they could make off with other people’s money,” said Krysti Hawkins, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “This significant sentence cannot undo the emotional and psychological damage inflicted on the victim, but we hope it sends a clear message that we will continue to pursue the most violent and persistent offenders and hold them accountable for their blatant disregard for human life and the safety of our communities.” “I am proud of the work and dedication of our investigators and the unwavering support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office as we work together to stop criminals who take away the feeling of safety in our communities,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic H. Choi. In February 2022, Davis and a co-conspirator scoped out a credit union in Hawthorne, and planned to ambush the truck driver after he finished servicing an ATM. Several weeks later, Davis and his accomplices returned to the site, executing their planned armed robbery of the same armored truck driver refilling ATMs. Davis maintained a lookout position, conducting counter-surveillance nearby, while his partners, armed with an AR-style rifle and a semi-automatic handgun, emerged from their vehicle. During the robbery, one of the conspirators forced the victim to the ground by pressing a firearm to his head while a co-conspirator took the victim’s service pistol from his waistband, and kept a gun pointed at the victim to restrain him during the robbery. Davis’ co-conspirators then took cash and customer checks from the ATMs and bags nearby. During the robbery, Davis’ co-conspirator discharged one of the handguns he was carrying. Davis’ co-conspirators stole bags filled with a total of approximately $166,640 in cash belonging to the armored car company. Deneyvous Jayan Hobson, 38, also of the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, this case’s lead defendant, has pleaded not guilty to charges in this case. His trial is scheduled for September 3. Hobson is charged with one count of Hobbs Act conspiracy, one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments. The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Hawthorne Police Department investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Butler and Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Jason C. Pang of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.


title: North Carolina Man Sentenced to 240 months for Possessing with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Illegally Possessing Firearm

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Preston Buie was sentenced by a federal judge to a total of 240 months incarceration after a January 2024 jury conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Illegally Possessing a Firearm. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in January 2023, a deputy with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office stopped Preston Buie on Interstate 10 around the Grand Bay exit in Mobile County. Following an alert by a drug detection dog, law enforcement searched Buie’s vehicle and located 12 kilograms of cocaine and a 9mm pistol in Buie’s possession. Buie was previously convicted of several federal offenses including bank robbery and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tandice Blackwood, Kacey Chappelear, and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Guatemalan National Sentenced to Prison and Deportation for Fraudulent Use of Social Security Number and Improper Entry into U.S.

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Guatemala has been sentenced in federal court to three months of incarceration to be followed by immediate deportation after pleading guilty to fraudulently using a social security number and improper entry into the United States by an alien, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Abel Castillo-Monrroy, 36. According to the information presented to the Court, on or about June 23, 2021, Castillo-Monrroy used the date of birth and social security number of a Texas resident to unlawfully obtain a Pennsylvania identification card. Further, on or about August 1, 2023, while incarcerated on other charges, Castillo-Monrroy was found to be unlawfully present in the United States. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Border Patrol for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Castillo-Monrroy.


title: Brownsville Man Pleads Guilty to Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Brownsville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Shawn Workman, 45, pleaded guilty to Count Two of the Superseding Indictment before Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around March 2020 to in and around June 2020, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Workman conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Workman was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of methamphetamine that he distributed to others. Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Workman. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Millcreek Police Department, Erie Bureau of Police, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Ghanian Citizen Sentenced to 6 Years for Money Laundering

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Paul Williams Anti, 61, a citizen of Ghana, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 6 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder proceeds of wire fraud. Williams Anti pleaded guilty to the charge on March 14, 2024. Money laundering involves using financial transactions to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of illegally obtained funds. Between September 15, 2020, and March 13, 2023, Williams Anti controlled 14 separate bank accounts under 9 false identities and fraudulent business names. He used those bank accounts to collect and launder more than $3.8 million in proceeds from wire fraud schemes perpetrated on business and organization victims throughout the United States. In addition to using false identities and fake business names for bank accounts, Williams Anti further concealed his identify from law enforcement by directing mail associated with the scheme to the mailbox of an elderly patient at an assisted living facility in Connecticut. Williams Anti was hired to care for the patient using yet another false identity. At sentencing, Judge Conley noted that the Williams Anti’s conduct was sophisticated and calculated. He said he knowingly choose to participate in a massive scheme and set up a web of subterfuge to conceal his criminal conduct. “We are grateful for the work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the money laundering that happens after business email compromise schemes or when other cyber-enabled fraud occurs,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy M. O’Shea. “Often, the individuals who end up with the funds are not the ones conducting the online fraud, but they are critical components to the success of these schemes. I am grateful for the work of the agents in this case and my office remains committed to prosecuting those who launder proceeds of illegal activity.” “Actions such as those taken by Williams Anti to enrich himself by laundering ill-gotten funds are reprehensible and will not be tolerated,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. “HSI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to disrupt this type of conspiracy and to protect organizations and individuals from being victimized.” Law enforcement began investigating Williams Anti in October 2020, after an organization with its headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin, fell victim to a wire fraud scheme commonly referred to as a “business email compromise scheme.” The $2.4 million in losses stemmed from the organization paying invoices between October 13, 2020 and October 20, 2020, which were later determined to be altered. The fraudulent invoices appeared to be from legitimate vendors with whom the organization regularly conducted business, but the payee bank account and sometimes the account payable information had been altered by an unknown party prior to being sent to the organization’s employee for payment. This resulted in the organization’s funds being transferred to fraudulent bank accounts. Approximately $1 million of $2.4 million stolen from the organization was directed to two bank accounts, one in the name of G.P., dba Electronics General Goods and one in the name G.P., dba Gary Ventures. Following a lengthy investigation, law enforcement identified Williams Anti as the individual controlling the G.P. bank accounts. Law enforcement was then able to locate additional bank accounts and false identities being used by Williams Anti. From there, law enforcement was able to trace proceeds from these bank accounts to 29 other wire fraud victims around the U.S. These victims had been defrauded by similar business email compromise schemes and in total, lost approximately $7.7 million, of which approximately $3.8 million was directed to accounts controlled by Williams Anti. Williams Anti was arrested on March 14, 2023, in an apartment in the Bronx, New York. A business email compromise (BEC) scheme is a sophisticated fraud scheme targeting businesses that use wire transfers as a form of payment. Criminals compromise legitimate business email accounts through various hacking schemes, including social engineering and the use of malware. Once a business email account is compromised, a fraudulent email is sent directing the email recipient to unwittingly transfer funds to an illicit account. Alternatively, criminals create “spoofed” email domain names to trick people into thinking they know or do business with the sender. An email domain name is the part of an email address that comes after the “@” symbol. In email spoofing, one character in an email address is often changed or missing, thereby tricking the recipient. Criminals obtain and use privileged information to convince BEC email recipients that the transfer instructions are legitimate. To avoid becoming the victim of a BEC scheme, verify that sender email addresses are accurate when checking mail on a cellphone or other mobile device before opening any attachments or following any instructions, and never make any payment changes without verifying with the intended recipient by phone or in person. If you think you have been a victim of a BEC scheme, 1) immediately contact your bank to request a recall or reversal as well as a Hold Harmless Letter or Letter of Indemnity; and 2) file a detailed complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. The Internet Crime Complaint Center is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime. Visit www.ic3.gov for updated information regarding BEC trends as well as other cyber fraud schemes. For additional information on how to protect your business or organization from a business email compromise scheme, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/business-email-compromise or https://www.secretservice.gov/investigation/Preparing-for-a-Cyber-Incident/ The charge against Williams Anti was the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin.


title: Readout of the Reproductive Rights Task Force Meeting

body_text: On Thursday, June 6, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer convened the Justice Department’s Reproductive Rights Task Force (RRTF) to discuss the Department’s ongoing work to protect reproductive freedoms under federal law. The RRTF, which is chaired by Acting Associate Attorney General Mizer, was created in July 2022, following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization . “Protecting access to lawful reproductive care is central to the Justice Department’s responsibility to defend the civil rights of everyone in our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “I am grateful to the members of the Justice Department’s Reproductive Rights Task Force for their tireless efforts to ensure those protections. We will continue to vigorously defend the reproductive rights guaranteed to all Americans under federal law.” “ Dobbs dealt a devastating blow to reproductive freedom, and every day we continue to see that decision’s terrible consequences unfold,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Mizer. “We established the Reproductive Rights Task Force to bring a whole-of-department approach to protecting access to reproductive health care following Dobbs . I am deeply proud of the work of the task force, which works tirelessly every day to protect and advance reproductive rights for women in this country.” During the meeting, the Attorney General and the Acting Associate Attorney General discussed the RRTF’s recent work to protect access to reproductive health care. RRTF members briefed the Attorney General and the Acting Associate Attorney General on litigation by the Civil Division and the Office of the Solicitor General to protect lawful access to reproductive services, including cases defending the Food and Drug Administration’s expert decisions regarding the safety and efficacy of the abortion drug mifepristone, ensuring that women receive the emergency care to which they are entitled under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, and protecting the constitutional right to travel. The RRTF also discussed the work of the Office of Legislative Affairs to assist Congress in drafting legislation to codify reproductive rights, and the Civil Rights Division’s ongoing enforcement of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE, Act. Of particular note, since January 2021, the Department has brought 25 cases involving a total of 57 defendants accused of criminal FACE Act-related violations. The Attorney General and the Acting Associate Attorney General thanked RRTF Executive Director Jodie Morse for her day-to-day leadership of the task force, thanked all RRTF members for their continued hard work, and reaffirmed the Department’s ongoing commitment to defending reproductive freedoms.


title: Informational: Federal Court arraignments

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared recently before U.S. District or Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt: Appearing in Great Falls before Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris and pleading not guilty on June 6 was: Melody Rose Bernard, 49, of Box Elder, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bernard faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charges and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearms charge. Bernard was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Rocky Boy’s Police Department, Hill County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office and Havre Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-46. Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on June 5 was: Lori Pauline Whiteshield, 44, of Lame Deer, on charges of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a person under 16. If convicted of the most serious crime, Whiteshield faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Whiteshield was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-62. Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on May 30 was: Todd Schannen Pearson, 54, of Indianapolis, Indiana, on charges of transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography. If convicted of the most serious crime, Pearson faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release. Pearson was detained pending further proceedings. The Bozeman Police Department and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-09. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl . XXX


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud Kickback Conspiracy and Tax Evasion

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Juller Perez Salcedo, age 45, of Garfield, New Jersey, was sentenced today to three years of probation, including 6 months of home detention, for conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud, and for tax evasion. 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 Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), made the announcement. As part of his prior guilty plea, Perez Salcedo admitted that from at least 2015 to 2019, he co-owned a trucking company in New Jersey that transported products as a third-party contractor for a bedding company with a distribution facility in West Coxsackie, New York. As part of the fraudulent scheme, Perez paid kickbacks to the transportation manager of the bedding company, Leonard Hummel, in exchange for the use of the bedding company’s trucks and drivers to transport merchandise from West Coxsackie to Perez’s truck yard in Clifton, New Jersey, which allowed Perez to avoid certain transportation costs. Perez then fraudulently invoiced and received payment from the bedding company as if his trucking company had transported and delivered the merchandise from West Coxsackie when Perez and his trucking company did not in fact transport the merchandise from West Coxsackie. As a result of the scheme, Perez caused $422,170.86 in losses to the bedding company. Perez also evaded taxes between January 2014 and April 2018 by cashing gross receipts checks on behalf of his trucking business, providing false and incomplete information to tax preparers and omitting the cashed checks, and filing false federal income tax returns. Perez Salcedo evaded a total of $477,090 in taxes. United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered Perez to pay $422,170.86 in restitution to the bedding company, and $477,090.00 to the IRS, and separately ordered forfeiture of a money judgment totaling $422,170.86 in proceeds derived from the fraud. Hummel previously pled guilty and was sentenced on May 17, 2024, to two years of probation for conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud. Judge D’Agostino also ordered Hummel to pay $161,784 in restitution to the bedding company and ordered forfeiture of a money judgment totaling $17,000. The FBI and IRS-CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.


title: Saratoga County Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Bruce Bochette, age 67, of Charlton, New York, pled guilty today to evading taxes on about $825,000 in business income. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Division, made the announcement. Bochette operates a commercial painting business. In pleading guilty, he admitted that for tax years 2017 through 2021, he evaded income taxes by depositing checks, and portions of checks, into his personal account that were payments from his company’s commercial painting clients. Bochette did not report this income to the IRS, on either his company’s tax returns or his personal tax returns, and did not pay taxes on this income. Bochette admitted to not reporting $825,719.56 in business income, and to evading the assessment and payment of $219,706 in taxes. Sentencing is scheduled for October 4, 2024, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Bochette faces up to 5 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum $100,000 fine. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. IRS-CI investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case.


title: Brooklyn Felon Sentenced to 65 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearms

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Burlington E. Nieuenkirk, age 47, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for illegally possessing three loaded firearms as a felon. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Albany County Sheriff Craig D. Apple Sr. made the announcement. When he pled guilty in this case, Nieuenkirk admitted that on April 30, 2020, he possessed three loaded pistols, one of which had been reported stolen, at a residence in Green Island, New York. A prior felony conviction for robbery prevented Nieuenkirk from legally possessing the firearms in New York. Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. also ordered that Nieuenkirk serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. The ATF and the Albany County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case with assistance provided by the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.