title: Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and Stealing Covid Relief Program Funds

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man was sentenced to federal prison today for distributing counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl in and around Portland and stealing federal funds intended to help small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yuriy Viktorovich Vasilchuk, 33, a Portland resident, was sentenced to 49 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $32,855 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). According to court documents, in early 2021, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) identified Vasilchuk as a Portland area source of supply for counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. In December 2021, Vasilchuk was located in a stolen vehicle. He was arrested with 88 counterfeit Oxycodone pills and later released. On May 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Vasilchuk with one count of possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. Following his indictment, HSI special agents and probation officers from the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice (DCJ) attempted to arrest Vasilchuk who was again located in a stolen vehicle. As the probation officers approached Vasilchuk’s stolen vehicle, Vasilchuk sped off, nearly striking a nearby probation officer. After fleeing for several miles and causing multiple accidents, Vasilchuk’s vehicle became inoperable and he fled on foot. Soon after, investigators located Vasilchuk hiding in an abandoned RV and placed him under arrest. Following his arrest, investigators obtained evidence that, between March and November of 2021, while he was actively distributing fentanyl, Vasilchuk applied to receive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the SBA. In his applications, Vasilchuk falsely stated that he had not, within the past five years, been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a felony involving fraud, bribery, embezzlement, or making a false statement on a loan application. Based on the false information provided, the SBA disbursed more than $32,000 to Vasilchuk, which he in turn spent on various personal expenses. On August 22, 2023, Vasilchuk was charged by criminal information with wire fraud. On March 11, 2024, he pleaded to one count each of wire fraud and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, resolving both of his criminal cases. These cases were investigated by HSI, the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN), and the SBA Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau and DCJ. They were prosecuted by Cassady A. Adams and Rachel K. Sowray, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon. WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.


title: Former Maryland Police Officer Found Guilty of Federal Civil Rights Violation

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal jury in the District of Columbia today convicted former Officer Philip Dupree, 38, of the Fairmount Heights Police Department in Maryland, for using excessive force. “Police brutality and violent misconduct against defenseless people are disgraceful acts that have no place in our society today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When law enforcement officers abuse their power, it erodes trust with the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. The victim was handcuffed and already restrained in the back of the defendant’s squad car at the time of the assault. The Justice Department is committed to holding accountable law enforcement officers who violate the civil and constitutional rights of those in their custody.” “We depend on law enforcement officers to protect our communities from crimes and to protect our civil rights while doing so,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “An officer who abuses his authority breaks the community’s trust and unfairly tarnishes the reputation of the vast majority of officers who do their jobs the right way. The jury found that the defendant broke that trust when he unjustly and unreasonably used force and violence against a fellow citizen.” “Law enforcement officers swear to protect the people they serve, including those in their custody,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Dupree defiled that responsibility and violated a man’s civil rights. As this case demonstrates, the FBI will not hesitate to investigate officers of the law who engage in misconduct, including those who use excessive force.” During a weeklong jury trial, the evidence showed that, during the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2019, Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer when he conducted a traffic stop in the District of Columbia. Dupree detained a man identified as T.S. and then deployed pepper spray as T.S. was handcuffed and seated in the back of Dupree’s police car. The government argued, and the jury found, that Dupree’s use of force was a violation of T.S.’ right to be free from excessive force by a law enforcement officer. A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. Dupree faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for his alleged use of unreasonable force. The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Rakoczy and Christopher Howland for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.


title: Madera Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Hundreds of Thousands of Opiate Pills

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno residents Ifeanyi Vincent Ntukogu, 49, and Kelo White, 43, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and distributing oxycodone and hydrocodone, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court records, from December 2014 through November 2018, in Madera and Fresno, Ntukogu, a pharmacist, dispensed over 200,000 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills based on prescriptions delivered to him by White and co-defendant Donald Ray Pierre, 55, of Fresno, that they knew were forged and fraudulent. Ntukogu reviewed each prescription and rejected the ones that he believed regulators may deem suspicious. For example, Ntukogu rejected prescriptions that were written by certain doctors or that were written for individuals who were having prescriptions filled at other pharmacies. He also alerted White and Pierre when the required language on the prescription pads changed. Ntukogu dispensed the pills through his New Life Pharmacy in Madera. Upon doing so, he required cash payments from White and Pierre and increased the price that he charged over time. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the California Department of Health Care Services. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antonio Pataca and Joseph Barton are prosecuting the case. Ntukogu and White are scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 23, 2024. They face statutory maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the conspiracy to distribute and distribution convictions. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Pierre, the other defendant in the case, was previously convicted and sentenced to nine years and four months in prison.


title: Amarillo City Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $465,000 From Homeless Program

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: An Amarillo city employee pleaded guilty today to embezzling more than $465,000 in funds meant to provide shelter for homeless people, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Amy Dixon, 44, the City of Amarillo’s former Homeless Management Information Specialist, pleaded guilty Monday to a criminal information charging conspiracy to embezzle from a federally funded program. In her role, Ms. Dixon was responsible for distributing funds to local landlords through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program . She communicated with Amarillo property owners who were willing to lease their properties through the program, assisted in completing lease agreements, coordinated physical inspections of their properties, and assembled payment voucher packages. (The program paid market-rate rents to landlords willing to house those who needed assistance.) According to plea papers, in September 2020, Ms. Dixon used a relative's personally identifiable information to create a fictitious landlord, for whom she created fraudulent payment voucher packages. She instructed Amarillo’s Finance Department to call her when the payment vouchers were ready, then signed the relative’s name on the checks and deposited the funds into her personal bank account. In April 2021, when HUD announced that it would accept inspections completed by outside companies, she began to process payments for fictitious properties. In total, Ms. Dixon created 223 fraudulent payment vouchers resulting in 66 checks written to fictitious landlords, with a total loss amount of $465,511.65. Ms. Dixon now faces up to five years in federal prison. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Amarillo Resident Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition Of Indian National Charged In Connection With Foiled Plot To Assassinate U.S. Citizen In New York City

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States; Anne Milgram, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”); and Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the extradition of NIKHIL GUPTA, a/k/a “Nick,” from the Czech Republic on the murder-for-hire charges contained in a Superseding Indictment. GUPTA was arrested and detained in the Czech Republic on June 30, 2023, and extradited pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the U.S. and the Czech Republic. GUPTA arrived in the Southern District of New York on June 14, 2024, and was arraigned on the charges in the Superseding Indictment before U.S. Magistrate Judge James L. Cott today. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the defendant conspired from India with an Indian government employee in an unsuccessful assassination plot to assassinate, right here in New York City, a U.S. citizen of Indian origin who has publicly advocated for the establishment of a sovereign state for Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. Today’s extradition makes clear our unwavering resolve to investigate, thwart, and prosecute those who seek to harm and silence U.S. citizens here and elsewhere. We thank our Czech government counterparts for their close cooperation in this extradition.” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland: “This extradition makes clear that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts to silence or harm American citizens. Nikhil Gupta will now face justice in an American courtroom for his involvement in an alleged plot, directed by an employee of the Indian government, to target and assassinate a U.S. citizen for his support of the Sikh separatist movement in India. I am grateful to the Department’s agents who foiled this assassination plot and to our Czech partners for their assistance in this arrest and extradition.” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said: “This murder-for-hire plot — allegedly orchestrated by an Indian government employee to kill a U.S. citizen in New York City — was a brazen attempt to silence a political activist for exercising a quintessential American right: his freedom of speech. The extradition of the defendant is a vital step toward justice, and I am grateful to our Czech partners for their assistance in this matter. We will continue working relentlessly to identify, disrupt, and hold accountable those who seek to harm American citizens here or abroad.” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said: “Last year, the DEA uncovered an alleged assassination plot orchestrated by an Indian government employee and Nikhil Gupta, an international narcotics trafficker. Gupta is alleged to have orchestrated a dangerous plot to murder a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil. DEA’s number one priority is always the health and safety of the American people. This extradition is the result of the hard work and commitment of the DEA New York Division’s Drug Enforcement Task Force, which is comprised of DEA, the New York State Police, and the New York City Police Department. This case is also a testament to the partnerships DEA has built with our law enforcement partners around the globe, like the Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters, as well as our federal law enforcement partners here at home.” FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “This defendant has been extradited for his alleged role in a plot to assassinate a U.S. citizen on American soil. The FBI will not tolerate attempts by foreign nationals, or anyone else for that matter, to repress constitutionally-protected freedoms in the U.S. We will continue to work with our partners at home and abroad to protect our citizens and these sacred rights.” As alleged in the Superseding Indictment and other public court documents: [1] Last year, an Indian government employee (“CC-1”), working together with others in India and elsewhere, including GUPTA, directed a plot to assassinate, on U.S. soil, an attorney and political activist, who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin (the “Victim”). GUPTA is an Indian national who resides in India, is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1 and others. CC-1 is an Indian government agency employee who has variously described himself as a “Senior Field Officer” with responsibilities in “Security Management” and “Intelligence” and has referenced previously serving in India’s Central Reserve Police Force and receiving “officer [] training” in “battle craft” and “weapons.” CC-1 directed the assassination plot from India. In or about May 2023, CC-1 recruited GUPTA to orchestrate the assassination of the Victim in the U.S. The Victim is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The Victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the Victim and his separatist organization from India. At CC-1’s direction, GUPTA contacted an individual whom GUPTA believed to be a criminal associate but was in fact a confidential source working with the DEA (the “CS”) for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the Victim in New York City. The CS introduced GUPTA to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the “UC”). CC-1 subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by GUPTA, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the Victim. On or about June 9, 2023, CC-1 and GUPTA arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder. CC-1’s associate then delivered the $15,000 to the UC in Manhattan. In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, CC-1 provided GUPTA with personal information about the Victim, including the Victim’s home address, phone numbers associated with the Victim, and details about the Victim’s day-to-day conduct, which GUPTA then passed to the UC. CC-1 directed GUPTA to provide regular updates on the progress of the assassination plot, which GUPTA accomplished by forwarding to CC-1, among other things, surveillance photographs of the Victim. GUPTA directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but GUPTA also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of anticipated engagements scheduled to occur in the ensuing weeks between high-level U.S. and Indian government officials. On or about June 18, 2023, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the Victim, and like the Victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, GUPTA told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” GUPTA added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim. On or about June 20, 2023, CC-1 sent GUPTA a news article about the Victim and messaged GUPTA, “[i]t’s [a] priority now.” * * * GUPTA, 52, an Indian national, has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office. Mr. Williams also thanked the DEA’s Special Operations Division, the DEA’s Vienna Country Office, the FBI’s Prague Country Office, the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters for their assistance. The DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force comprises agents and task force officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Czech authorities to secure the arrest and extradition of Gupta. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit, Violent and Organized Crime Unit, and Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christopher Cook and Robert McCullers of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, as well as Trial Attorney A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Former Maryland Police Officer Found Guilty of Excessive Force

body_text: WASHINGTON – Philip Dupree, 40, a former officer with the Fairmount Heights, MD Police Department, was found guilty today in U.S. District Court of violating a man’s civil rights. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves of the District of Columbia, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office. A federal jury found Dupree guilty of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly will schedule sentencing at a later date. Dupree faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for his use of unreasonable force. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “We depend on law enforcement officers to protect our communities from crimes and to protect our civil rights while doing so,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “An officer who abuses his authority breaks the community’s trust and unfairly tarnishes the reputation of the vast majority of officers who do their jobs the right way. The jury found that the defendant broke that trust when he unjustly and unreasonably used force and violence against a fellow citizen.” “Police brutality and violent misconduct against defenseless people are disgraceful acts that have no place in our society today,” said Assistant Attorney General Clarke. “When law enforcement officers abuse their power, it erodes trust with the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. The victim was handcuffed and already restrained in the back of the defendant’s squad car at the time of the assault. The Justice Department is committed to holding accountable law enforcement officers who violate the civil and constitutional rights of those in their custody.” "Law enforcement officers swear to protect the people they serve, including those in their custody,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Sundberg. “Dupree defiled that responsibility and violated a man's civil rights. As this case demonstrates, the FBI will not hesitate to investigate officers of the law who engage in misconduct, including those who use excessive force." According to court documents, Dupree was on duty as a Fairmont Heights Police Officer during the early morning hours of Aug. 4, 2019. Dupree spotted a speeding vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on Eastern Avenue NE, in the District of Columbia, just across the Maryland-District of Columbia border. The driver and his sister were returning home to the District of Columbia from a family cookout in Maryland. Based on a 911 recording placed by the driver’s sister, Dupree told the driver to put his hands behind his back or he would pepper spray him and Dupree would activate his body-worn camera (BWC) to make the stop “official.” The driver questioned the stop because he had not committed any traffic violations and because the stop occurred in the District of Columbia. Dupree asked the driver to exit his vehicle, handcuffed the driver behind his back, and placed the driver in the front passenger seat of Dupree’s personal vehicle. After Dupree radioed for back-up, an officer from the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGCPD) responded. Around that same time, an MPD officer arrived at the scene in response to a 911 call the driver’s sister had placed. The MPD officer activated his BWC. Dupree did not activate his BWC at any point during the traffic stop. While the handcuffed driver was seated in Dupree’s vehicle, the driver’s sister sat in the driver’s car, ostensibly to prevent Dupree from towing the vehicle. After Dupree told the sister that he “was going to ask [her] one more time to get out of the car,” the sister responded that the car belonged to her brother and that she had a driver’s license. When the sister still refused to exit the vehicle, Dupree threatened to pepper spray her by aggressively shaking his canister of pepper spray. While the defendant was engaged with the sister, the handcuffed driver was seated in the front passenger seat of Dupree’s car yelling obscenities and insults and activating the vehicle’s sirens. The PFCPD officer asked the handcuffed driver to step out of the vehicle. Dupree asked the other officers for help in taking the handcuffed driver back to Maryland. The PGCPD officer declined to assist. As it became clear that Dupree would have to transport the driver himself, Dupree then placed the handcuffed driver back in the front passenger seat. The handcuffed driver started to scream, pleading to have another officer transport him. Dupree grabbed his pepper spray, took a step back away from handcuffed driver, shook the canister, and then stepped forward, at which point Dupree pepper-sprayed the handcuffed driver in the face and chest. Instead of transporting the handcuffed driver to the county lock-up as required by FHPD policy, Dupree transported the driver to the FHPD station and detained him there for several hours before turning him over to the county jail. While the driver was detained at FHPD, Dupree drafted a falsified statement of Probable Cause in which he claimed, among other things, that the driver had attacked him. In addition to body-worn camera footage, an eyewitness captured cell phone video of the traffic stop and Dupree’s excessive use of force. FBI agents arrested Dupree on August 24, 2022, in Washington D.C. The case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Howland of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 22-cr-0275


title: Armed Waterbury Drug Dealer Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KEVIN RIVERA, 29, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 24, 2021, the Waterbury Police Department (WPD) established surveillance at Rivera’s residence in preparation for the execution of multiple state search warrants. Investigators observed Rivera exit his residence and then open doors to multiple vehicles in the parking lot in front of the building. Rivera removed a plastic bag from one of the vehicles, conduct what appeared to be drug transaction with an individual, and then drive away. When Rivera returned a short time later and investigators approached him, Rivera dropped a clear plastic bag containing approximately 46 bags of heroin/fentanyl. Rivera was arrested at that time. Searches of Rivera’s residence and vehicles parked in front of his residence revealed more than 3,000 bags of heroin/fentanyl, a small quantity of cocaine, items used to process and package narcotics, a loaded Kel Tec Sub-2000 9mm caliber semiautomatic rifle with an obliterated serial number, an armor-plated bulletproof vest, and other items. Rivera has been detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024. This matter was investigated by the Waterbury Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN


title: Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Major Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Antonio Lamar Jeffries, 35, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Jeffries admitted to a key role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area. According to court documents and statements made in court, between November 2022 and March 22, 2023, Jeffries conspired with others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine. Jeffries admitted that he arranged for a co-conspirator to drive to Bluefield, West Virginia, on February 4, 2023, to obtain methamphetamine from his supplier. Jeffries used a cell phone to arrange the meeting, provided the co-conspirator with money to deliver as payment for the methamphetamine, and instructed her to meet his supplier at the Mercer Mall in Bluefield. The co-conspirator exchanged the money for the methamphetamine as instructed. Law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of her vehicle as she drove back to Charleston and seized approximately 3.1 kilograms of methamphetamine from her vehicle. Jeffries admitted that he intended to distribute some of the seized methamphetamine to others and allow the co-conspirator to keep the rest. Jeffries is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison, at least 10 years of supervised release, and a $20 million fine. Jeffries is among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash. Jeffries is also among 28 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-33. ###


title: Florida Tax Preparer Sentenced for False Return Conspiracy

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Florida tax return preparer was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, two years of supervised release and to pay $970,970 in restitution for conspiring to defraud the United States by preparing and filing false tax returns for clients. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2017 through 2020, John Borgela ran Empire Tax Services (Empire) with his co-conspirator Phedson Dore and filed hundreds of false returns each year. Borgela typically inflated tax withholdings and reported fictitious itemized deductions to generate refunds for clients to which they were not entitled. To conceal his participation in the fraud, Borgela did not list on the returns his name as the person who prepared them or include Empire’s electronic filing number (EFIN). Instead, he used his employees’ names and the EFINs of other return preparation businesses. Borgela and his co-conspirator caused a loss to the IRS of approximately $970,000. Dore was sentenced in February to 24 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Brian Flanagan and Marissa Brodney of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Laurie for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreements with Texas Counties to Ensure Election Website Accessibility for People with Disabilities

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Districts of Texas secured settlement agreements with Runnels County , Colorado County , Smith County and Upton County to resolve the department’s findings that the counties violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by maintaining election websites that discriminate against individuals with vision or manual disabilities. “Voting in the 21st century requires that officials make their websites accessible to people with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Discriminatory barriers on election websites can prevent people with disabilities from exercising their right to vote. These agreements should send a message to state and local officials across the country about the importance of ensuring that their election websites are accessible for voters with disabilities so that they can participate equally in our democratic process.” The election websites for these four Texas counties provide essential information about how to vote, such as registration requirements, identification requirements and voting information for people with disabilities. The websites also link to other critical information, including details about early voting and voting on election day. Under the settlement agreements, the counties agreed to make all future and existing online election content accessible to people with disabilities. The counties also agreed to hire an independent auditor to evaluate the accessibility of their election websites’ content, adopt new policies and training for relevant personnel, provide notice to visitors and users of the websites to solicit comments and requests about any accessibility barriers and designate an employee to coordinate its efforts. These four investigations are part of the department’s ADA Voting Initiative, which safeguards the voting rights of individuals with disabilities. To read more about the ADA and how it applies to voting, please visit www.ada.gov/topics/voting/ . These settlement agreements also are part of the Civil Rights Division’s Tech Equity Initiative to combat disability discrimination that occurs through technology such as websites and mobile apps.


title: Readout of Director Rachel Rossi’s Trip to Los Angeles

component: Office for Access to Justice

body_text: Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) traveled to Los Angeles last week to engage access to justice stakeholders and deliver the commencement address at Le Lycée Franҫais de Los Angeles. To further inform the office’s broad-ranging efforts to support reentry and reduce recidivism, Director Rossi and ATJ staff conducted visits with leading criminal justice reentry organizations. Director Rossi first met with Executive Director Sam Lewis of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Deputy Director Dana Jackson, where they discussed strategies to eliminate barriers faced by formerly incarcerated people when reentering society, and how these efforts must begin during incarceration. She then visited Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and reentry program in the world. At Homeboy Industries, she toured the main facility and met with staff and the founder, Father Gregory Boyle, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in May. Next, Director Rossi and ATJ staff met with representatives of the Inter-Agency Los Angeles Federal Pro Bono Committee. Agencies represented included leadership from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and officials from the Department of Labor, Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review. The meeting highlighted the importance of regional pro bono committees to encourage and promote federal employee engagement in pro bono opportunities, as one strategy the office deploys through the Federal Government Pro Bono Program. She then met with Black faith leaders representing various churches from across Los Angeles County, convened by Elder Joe Paul at the Peoples’ Independent Church of Christ. The meeting focused on the front-line justice needs impacting local communities, including housing, access to public benefits, safety, civil rights, public school collaboration to address the barriers faced by children in underserved communities and the urgent need to address issues within the child welfare system for Black families. The next day, Director Rossi and ATJ staff convened local stakeholders to discuss the significant challenges they face in providing for basic legal aid and language access needs in Los Angeles. They met with stakeholders from 23 legal services and community-based language justice organizations, as well as representatives from the City and County of Los Angeles. Director Rossi discussed ATJ initiatives to expand support for legal services providers and language access. She heard from stakeholders on a wide range of topics including, eviction, homelessness, federal funding for legal aid, translation and interpretation resource needs and advocacy surrounding language justice policies. The convening included leaders and staff from the Los Angeles Civil Rights Department, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Office of Immigration Inclusion and Language Access in the City of LA, Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Public Counsel, Asian-Americans Advancing Justice, Inner City Law Center, Mental Health Advocacy Services and Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers, among others. Following the convening, Director Rossi met the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California, Cuauhtemoc Ortega, to discuss support for access to counsel, public defense and access to justice. She also met with Ricardo Garcia, Los Angeles County Public Defender, who oversees the nation’s first and largest public defender office. In this meeting they discussed public defense workload standards, federal resources like ATJ’s Public Defense Resource Hub for state and local public defenders and recruitment and retention trends in public defense that are impacting access to justice for vulnerable, marginalized and underserved communities. Director Rossi and ATJ staff then met with the Presiding Judge Samantha Jessner of the Los Angeles Superior Court (LASC) and the Executive Officer and Clerk of Court for LASC, David Slayton. Director Rossi discussed the launch of Access DOJ, the first localized human-centered design hub at the Justice Department, led by ATJ, working to make Justice Department programs and services more accessible, effective and efficient. The meeting focused on shared experiences, given a new human-centered design partnership between LASC, the largest trial court in the nation, and the Deborah L. Rhode Center for the Legal Profession at Stanford Law School. That effort will research, design and implement innovative, evidence-based approaches to reduce barriers to participation in the judicial process and to improve access to justice for all court users in Los Angeles. To conclude the trip, Director Rossi gave the commencement address at Le Lycée Franҫais de Los Angeles, an international school with students representing over 62 nationalities, and specializing in bilingual French/American education. In her remarks, Director Rossi described ATJ’s mission, highlighted several ATJ initiatives, including language access, related experiences from her legal career and encouraged the students to pursue justice in through all career paths. Director Rossi met with representatives and toured the headquarters of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Director Rossi met with Father Greg Boyle, founder and director of Homeboy Industries, and toured the campus. Director Rossi and representatives from the Inter-Agency LA Federal Government Pro Bono Committee. Director Rossi met with Black faith leaders representing various churches from across Los Angeles County. Director Rossi met with stakeholders from legal services and community-based language justice organizations, as well as representatives from the City and County of Los Angeles. Director Rossi and ATJ staff with the Presiding Judges of the Los Angeles Superior Court and the Executive Officer.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Stephen Dwayne Jackson, also known as “Stacks,” 39, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 18, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Donald Avenue residence in Huntington. Officers encountered Jackson and seized a loaded Kel-Tech P-11 9mm pistol inside the residence. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jackson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 22, 2011. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Joseph F. Adams 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. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-178. ###


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Staffing Agency to Resolve Claims of Employment Discrimination

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it secured a settlement agreement with California staffing agency Selective Personnel Inc. (SPI). The agreement resolves the department’s determination that SPI’s predecessor business entity, South Bay Safety (SBS), violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by regularly discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States. “Employers cannot demand specific documents from workers because of their citizenship status when checking their permission to work,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division is committed to protecting workers from discriminatory practices that create unnecessary barriers to employment.” After conducting an investigation, the Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) concluded that, between at least September 2020 and at least October 2022, SBS required that non-U.S. citizens present specific types of documentation reflecting their immigration status to prove their permission to work. In contrast, U.S. citizens could present any acceptable document of their choosing. Based on its investigation, IER concluded that SPI was a successor in interest to SBS, and liable for the violations that IER found. Under the settlement, SPI will pay civil penalties to the United States, train its employees on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring. U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, those granted asylum, refugees and other non-U.S. citizens with permission to work may legally work in the United States if they can prove their identity and permission to work. Federal law allows all workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to prove their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship status, immigration status or national origin. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine and to relate to the worker. IER is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. The statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices and retaliation and intimidation . Find more information on how employers can avoid discrimination when verifying someone’s permission to work on IER’s website . Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email IER@usdoj.gov or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con una agencia de dotación de personal para resolver acusaciones de discriminación en el empleo

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con Selective Personnel Inc. (SPI), una agencia de dotación de personal de California. El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento de que la entidad comercial antecesor de SPI, South Bay Safety (SBS), vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA) cuando discriminó a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. al verificar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. «A la hora de verificar su permiso para trabajar, los empleadores no deben exigir documentos específicos a los trabajadores por motivos de su estatus de ciudadanía», declaró Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «La División de Derechos Civiles se compromete a proteger a los trabajadores de prácticas discriminatorias que creen barreras innecesarias al empleo». Después de llevar a cabo una investigación, la Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados (IER, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, concluyó que entre al menos septiembre del 2020 y al menos octubre del 2022, SBS exigía que, para demostrar su permiso para trabajar, los no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. presentasen tipos específicos de documentación que reflejasen su estatus migratorio. Por el contrario, a los ciudadanos de los EE. UU. se les permitía presentar cualquier documento aceptable de su elección. Basándose en su investigación, la IER concluyó que SPI era un sucesor en interés de SBS y, por lo tanto, responsable de las infracciones que la IER descubrió. En virtud del acuerdo, SPI pagará sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos, capacitará a sus empleados en cuanto a los requisitos de la INA, revisará sus políticas de empleo y se someterá a la supervisión del Departamento. Los ciudadanos de los EE. UU., los nacionales de los EE. UU., los residentes permanentes legales, los que reciben asilo o estatus de refugiado y otros no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. con permiso para trabajar pueden trabajar legalmente en los Estados Unidos si pueden demostrar su identidad y su permiso para trabajar. Las leyes federales permiten a todos los trabajadores elegir la documentación válida y legalmente aceptable que desean presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar, independientemente de su estatus de ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. La disposición antidiscriminación de la INA prohíbe a los empleadores solicitar documentos específicos o innecesarios por motivos de la ciudadanía, el estatus migratorio o la nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que los trabajadores mismos elijan y no pueden rechazar documentación válida que parezca razonablemente genuina y relacionada con el trabajador. La IER es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. La ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Puede obtener más información sobre cómo los empleadores pueden evitar la discriminación al verificar el permiso para trabajar de alguien en el sitio web de la IER . Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1‑800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea en vivo o visualizar una presentación a la carta; enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico desde la IER.


title: Former CEO Of Medical Device Company Sentenced To Six Years In Prison For Creating And Selling A Fake Component That Was Implanted Into Patients

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that LAURA PERRYMAN was sentenced today to six years in prison in connection with a health care fraud scheme whereby PERRYMAN created and sold a fake medical device component and told doctors that they could claim approximately $18,000 for implanting the fake component into patients. The device was sold by Stimwave, a medical device company of which the defendant was the founder, and, at the time of the offense, Chief Executive Officer. Stimwave previously entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. PERRYMAN was found guilty of heath care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, who imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Laura Perryman callously created a dummy medical device component and told doctors to implant it into patients. She did this out of greed, so doctors could bill Medicare and private insurance companies approximately $18,000 for each implantation of that dummy component and so she could entice doctors to buy her device for many thousands of dollars. Perryman breached the trust of the doctors who bought her medical device, and more importantly, the patients who were implanted with that piece of plastic. This prosecution and today’s sentence are part of this Office’s ongoing work in combating fraud in the health care system and protecting patients from being exploited for money.” According to the allegations in the Indictment and the evidence at trial: Stimwave was a medical device company that manufactured and distributed implantable neurostimulation devices. As the founder and CEO of Stimwave, PERRYMAN oversaw the design of the StimQ PNS System (the “Device”), a neurostimulator system designed to treat chronic pain by providing electrical currents to peripheral nerves. The Device included a component containing electrodes (the “Lead”) and a receiver component that acted as an antenna, transmitting energy from an external power source to the Lead (the “Pink Stylet”). From at least in or about 2017 up to and including 2020, PERRYMAN, as Stimwave’s CEO, engaged in a multi-year scheme (the “Scheme”) to design, create, manufacture, and market an inert, non-functioning component of the Device — called the “White Stylet.” The White Stylet was marketed as a receiver of radiofrequency energy, but it was made of plastic and could not function as a receiver. Stimwave sold the Device to doctors and medical providers for approximately $16,000. PERRYMAN instructed health care providers to bill medical insurance providers, including Medicare, for implanting the Device into patients through two separate reimbursement codes. One code was for implantation of the stimulator portion of the Lead, and a second was for implantation of a receiver. The billing code for implanting the Lead provided for reimbursement at a rate of between approximately $4,000 and $6,000, while the billing code for implanting a receiver provided for reimbursement at a rate of between approximately $16,000 and $18,000. Soon after the Device was released, physicians informed Stimwave that they were having trouble implanting the Pink Stylet in certain patients because the Pink Stylet was too long. PERRYMAN knew that the Pink Stylet could not be cut or trimmed to shorten it without interfering with the functionality of the Pink Stylet as a receiver. And, without a receiver component for doctors to implant and seek reimbursement for, doctors would incur a substantial financial loss with every purchase of the Device, thereby making it more difficult for PERRYMAN to sell the Device to doctors and medical providers at the approximately $16,000 price. However, Stimwave — at the direction of PERRYMAN — did not lower the price of the Device so that its cost to doctors and medical providers could be covered by reimbursement for the implantation of only the Lead. Nor did PERRYMAN recommend that doctors not implant the Device or its receiver component in cases where the Pink Stylet could not fit comfortably. Instead, PERRYMAN directed that Stimwave create the White Stylet — a dummy component made entirely of plastic, but which PERRYMAN misrepresented to doctors as a receiver alternative to the Pink Stylet. The White Stylet could be cut to size by the doctor for use in smaller anatomical spaces and was created solely so that doctors and medical providers would continue to purchase the Device for use in those scenarios and continue to bill for the implantation of a receiver component. To perpetuate the lie that the White Stylet was functional, PERRYMAN oversaw trainings for doctors that indicated the White Stylet was a “receiver,” when in fact it was made entirely of plastic, contained no copper, and therefore had no conductivity. In addition, PERRYMAN directed other Stimwave employees to vouch for the efficacy of the White Stylet as a receiver, when she knew that the White Stylet could not function as a receiver. As a result of these misrepresentations regarding the functionality of the White Stylet, PERRYMAN caused doctors and medical providers to implant the White Stylet into patients and submit reimbursement claims for implantation of the White Stylet to health insurance providers, including Medicare. * * * In addition to the prison term, PERRYMAN, 55, of Delray Beach, Florida, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance in this matter. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Bergman, Mónica Folch, Steven Kochevar, and Kimberly Ravener, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Joseph Carbone and Julia Gutierrez, are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Southern California Man Pleads Guilty to Preparing False Tax Returns

body_text: A Southern California man pleaded guilty yesterday to preparing and filing false tax returns for his clients. According to court documents and statements made in court, starting in 2013, Salvador Gonzalez, of Corona, operated Grace’s Lighthouse Resource Center Inc., a return-preparation business. Since then, Gonzalez has prepared or assisted in the preparation of more than 11,000 tax returns that requested refunds from the IRS totaling more than $38 million. Consistently, Gonzalez directed his clients to create a phony corporation and to title their homes, cars and other assets in the name of the corporation. Gonzalez then referred those clients to an associate to prepare these sham corporation’s tax returns. The associate would provide the clients with a blank spreadsheet and request that they input their business expenses into that spreadsheet. At Gonzalez’s direction, the clients would include personal expenses, such as their mortgage payments, car payments and utility bills, and then provide the spreadsheet to the associate. The associate would, in turn, use the spreadsheet to prepare the business tax returns, which inevitably would show a loss. Gonzalez then prepared the clients’ individual income tax returns, which incorporated the fraudulent business losses and offset their income. To further reduce the clients’ taxes owed to the IRS, Gonzalez also fabricated deductions on the personal returns such as unreimbursed employee expenses, cash contributions to charity and medical and dental expenses. As a result of Gonzalez’s fraudulent return-preparation practices, his clients paid less taxes than they owed. Gonzalez profited from his return-preparation business. Before 2019, he typically charged clients a flat fee of $500 per tax return. In 2019, he started charging clients 1% of their gross income as a fee for his services. Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 7 and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns to which he has pleaded guilty. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and any other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Lauren K. Pope of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli A. Alcaraz for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.


title: Three Hells Angels Sentenced To Life In Prison For Racketeering Conspiracy And Related Crimes

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Nelson, a/k/a Jon Jon; Brian Wayne Wendt; and Russell Taylor Ott, a/k/a Rusty, were all sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in prison. The sentences were handed down by the Honorable Edward M. Chen, United States District Judge after a jury concluded in June of 2022 that the defendants were guilty of murder in aid of racketeering as part of their participation in a criminal enterprise involving their membership in and association with the Sonoma County charter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HASC). “The record in this case describes a brutal brotherhood whose deeds should shock the conscience of us all,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. “While the life sentences cannot reverse the harm done to the defendants’ victims, it should bring some comfort to our communities to know these three defendants will never again have the ability to continue their destructive activities on our streets.” “These three Hells Angels members were the most violent of the dozens convicted in this investigation. They used violence and fear to intimidate our community, but their brutality and disregard for human life have now earned them life in prison,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Today’s announcement is the direct result of years of persistence, dedication, and collaboration with our partners at the California Highway Patrol and Santa Rosa Police Department. Today, these individuals have faced the consequences of their actions, and today, we are a step closer in fulfilling our mission of eradicating organized criminal activity and keeping our neighborhoods safe.” Nelson, 46, of Santa Rosa; Wendt, 45, of Tulare; and Ott, 70, of Santa Rosa were all members or associates of HASC. As set out in the indictment, the Hells Angels is a transnational violent outlaw motorcycle gang and the HASC is a subset of the gang whose members primarily operate in Sonoma County, Calif. On October 10, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted eleven members and associates of the HASC, charging the defendants with being part of a conspiracy whose members furthered the aims of the enterprise by engaging in a broad swath of criminal activity. The indictment described murder, narcotics distribution, assaults, robberies, extortion, illegal firearms possession, and obstruction of justice as being some of the activities in which the enterprise engaged to further its aims. The indictment also described how HASC members worked cooperatively with other Hells Angels chapters to engage in criminal activity. On September 11, 2018, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment adding a charge of murder related to the killing of HASC member Joel Silva. The charges against Nelson, Wendt, and Ott were the subject of a nine-week trial that culminated in guilty verdicts against all three defendants. In finding all three defendants guilty, the jury concluded that each conspired to further the aims of the criminal conspiracy and that each played a role in carrying out the July 15, 2014 murder of HASC member Joel Silva. At trial, the government submitted evidence describing the role of each defendant in the murder. All three defendants concluded for various reasons that Silva should be killed. Nelson, who was then the president of HASC, arranged for Ott to take Silva to Fresno, and Silva agreed to travel there with Ott. After the two arrived at the Hell’s Angels Fresno clubhouse, Wendt, then president of the Fresno Hells Angels charter, shot Silva in the back of the head. On the morning of July 16, 2014, Silva’s body was delivered to a local crematory and was incinerated. In addition to the Silva murder, the evidence at trial included proof that HASC engaged in assaults, witness intimidation, extortion, drug trafficking, and robbery. For example, witnesses testified that HASC created a reputation for threatening anyone who goes to the police about HASC activity. In addition, testimony demonstrated that Nelson, Wendt, and other HASC members and associates threatened the lives of witnesses and their families to make clear that harm will come to anyone who cooperates with law enforcement. In sum, the jury convicted all three defendants of participating in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d); murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(1); and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5). In addition, Nelson also was convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(3), and use or possession of a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A). Five other defendants pleaded guilty to charges of RICO conspiracy and have been sentenced to terms in prison of up to 84 months. Two defendants were convicted after trial of participating in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d); conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5), assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(3), and witness intimidation 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b). This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ajay K. Krishnamurthy and Kevin Barry are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the Santa Rosa Police Department, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol.


title: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Michael Dayshawn Harris, also known as “Polo,” 30, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of quantities of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 6, 2022, Harris sold approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington. Harris admitted to the transaction and further admitted to arranging it beforehand when the confidential informant called him earlier that day. Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Co-defendant Desmond Devon Magee, also known as “Rich,” 27, of Detroit, was sentenced on May 22, 2023, to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Finney are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia . Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-210. ###


title: United States Files Complaint Against Adobe and Two Adobe Executives for Alleged Violations of Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – The Justice Department, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), today announced a civil enforcement action against Adobe Inc. and two Adobe executives, Maninder Sawhney and David Wadhwani, for alleged violations of the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA). The lawsuit alleges that the defendants imposed a hidden “Early Termination Fee” on millions of online subscribers and that Adobe forced subscribers to navigate a complex and challenging cancellation process designed to deter them from cancelling subscriptions they no longer wanted. Adobe Inc. is a software company that offers online subscriptions to design and productivity software applications via its website, Adobe.com. David Wadhwani is Adobe’s President of Digital Media Business, and Maninder Sawhney is Adobe’s Vice President of Digital Go to Market & Sales. According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the defendants have systematically violated ROSCA by using fine print and inconspicuous hyperlinks to hide important information about Adobe’s subscription plans, including about a hefty Early Termination Fee that customers may be charged when they cancel their subscriptions. The complaint alleges that for years, Adobe has profited from this hidden fee, misleading consumers about the true costs of a subscription and ambushing them with the fee when they try to cancel, wielding the fee as a powerful retention tool. The complaint alleges that Adobe has further violated ROSCA by failing to provide consumers with a simple mechanism to cancel their recurring, online subscriptions. Instead, Adobe allegedly protects its subscription revenues by thwarting subscribers’ attempts to cancel, subjecting them to a convoluted and inefficient cancellation process filled with unnecessary steps, delays, unsolicited offers and warnings. The lawsuit seeks unspecified amounts of consumer redress and monetary civil penalties from the defendants, as well as a permanent injunction to prohibit them from engaging in future violations. “Companies that sell goods and services on the internet have a responsibility to clearly and prominently disclose material information to consumers,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “It is essential that companies meet that responsibility to ensure a healthy and fair marketplace for all participants. Those that fail to do so, and instead take advantage of consumers’ confusion and vulnerability for their own profit, will be held accountable.” “The Justice Department is committed to stopping companies and their executives from preying on consumers who sign up for online subscriptions by hiding key terms and making cancellation an obstacle course,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to enforce ROSCA against those who engage in such misconduct. No company, whether it is a small business or a member of the Fortune 500 like Adobe, is above the law.” “Adobe trapped customers into year-long subscriptions through hidden early termination fees and numerous cancellation hurdles,” said Director Samuel Levine of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Americans are tired of companies hiding the ball during subscription signup and then putting up roadblocks when they try to cancel. The FTC will continue working to protect Americans from these illegal business practices.” Trial Attorneys Francisco L. Unger, Amber M. Charles, Zachary L. Cowan and Wesline N. Manuelpillai of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert are handling the case, with assistance by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. DeVito for the Northern District of California, in coordination with staff at the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer 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 . A complaint is merely a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence. The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.


title: Bogalusa Man Sentenced to  144 Months in Prison for Federal  Drug and Firearm Violations

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JEROME WILSON (“WILSON”) , age 29, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 11, 2024 to 144 months in prison for drug and firearm violations, followed by five years of supervised release, and a mandatory $400 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion, to a four-count superseding indictment. Count 1 charged WILSON with conspiring to distribute Fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(b)(1)(C) and 846. Count 2 charged WILSON with conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o). Count 3 charged WILSON with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Finally, Count 4 charged WILSON with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, on December 6, 2022, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”) agents surveilling the 1900 block of Frenchmen Street in New Orleans saw WILSON driving a white Dodge Challenger with one passenger. Agents then saw WILSON, his passenger, and a third co-defendant apparently engaged in illegal narcotics transactions, all while possessing firearms. Soon after, WILSON took a firearm from the car and put it atop the right rear tire to allow easy access while selling drugs. WILSON was later arrested after a brief pursuit. Subsequently, officers obtained a state search warrant for the white Dodge Challenger and recovered a Sarsilmaz, Model Sar9, 9-millimeter pistol, from the center console. A criminal history check revealed that WILSON had two prior felony convictions and was not legally allowed to possess a firearm. 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, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit.


title: Two Men Plead Guilty to Computer Intrusion and Aggravated Identity Theft for Hacking into Federal Law Enforcement Web Portal

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Sagar Steven Singh pled guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Marcia M. Henry to conspiring to commit computer intrusion and aggravated identify theft. On May 30, 2024, Nicholas Ceraolo pled guilty before Judge Henry to the same offenses. Singh and Ceraolo were charged in March 2023. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York, announced the charges. “The defendants called themselves ‘ViLe,’ and their actions were exactly that,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “They hacked into a law enforcement database and had access to sensitive personal information, then threatened to harm a victim’s family and publicly release that information unless the defendants were ultimately paid money. Our Office is relentless in protecting victims from having their sensitive information stolen and used to extort them by cybercriminals.” Mr. Peace thanked HSI's El Dorado Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Police Department for their assistance on the case. “The defendants, along with their co-conspirators, exploited vulnerabilities within government databases for their own personal gain. These guilty pleas send a strong message to those that would seek illicit access to protected computer systems," said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. "HSI New York's El Dorado Task Force will continue to work with law enforcement partners to uncover evidence until every member of the ViLe group and similar criminal organizations are brought to justice.” ViLE Overview Singh and Ceraolo belonged to a group called “ViLE,” the logo of which includes the body of a hanging girl, as depicted below in the group’s official roster: Members of ViLE sought to collect victims’ personal information, including social security numbers. ViLE then posted that information (or threatened to post it) on a public website administered by a ViLE member – an action known as “doxxing.” Victims could pay to have their information removed from or kept off the website. Conduct Singh and Ceraolo unlawfully used a law enforcement officer’s stolen password to access a nonpublic, password-protected online portal (the “Portal”) maintained by a U.S. federal law enforcement agency. The purpose of the Portal was to share intelligence from government databases with state and local law enforcement agencies, and the Portal provided access to detailed, nonpublic records of narcotics and currency seizures, as well as law enforcement intelligence reports. Singh wrote to a victim (Victim-1) that he would “harm” Victim-1’s family unless Victim-1 gave Singh the credentials for Victim-1’s Instagram accounts. In order to drive home the threat, Singh appended Victim-1’s social security number, driver’s license number, home address and other personal details. Singh told Victim-1 that he had “access to [] databases, which are federal, through [the] portal, i can request information on anyone in the US doesn’t matter who, nobody is safe.” He added: “you’re gonna comply to me if you don’t want anything negative to happen to your parents.” Singh ultimately directed Victim-1 to sell Victim-1’s accounts and give the proceeds to Singh. After Singh and Ceraolo accessed the Portal, they both acknowledged knowing that their conduct was criminal. Ceraolo wrote to Singh: “were [sic] all gonna get raided one of these days i swear.” Later that day, Singh wrote to a contact that the “portal [] i accessed i was not supposed to be there not one bit.” Singh said he had “jacked into a police officer’s account” and “that portal had some f***ing potent tools.” Singh continued: “it gave me access to gov databases,” followed by the names of five search tools accessible through the Portal. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Mindlin, Ellen H. Sise and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution. When sentenced, the defendants each face a minimum sentence of two years in prison, and a maximum of seven years. The Defendants : Nicholas Ceraolo (also known as “Convict,” “Anon” and “Ominous”) Age: 26 Queens, New York Sagar Steven Singh (also known as “Weep”) Age: 20 Pawtucket, Rhode Island E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-cr-236


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Drug and Firearm Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – COREY BESSIE (“BESSIE”) , age 31, a resident of Orleans Parish, was sentenced on June 11, 2024 to 90 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. BESSIE had previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), and possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and (D). According to court documents, on December 24,2021, BESSIE , and two passengers, were driving in a Silver Honda Accord on the Westbank Expressway when another car pulled along-side them and opened fire. One of the passengers and BESSIE were hit several times. All three individuals wound up at the hospital and the two were treated for their injuries. Law enforcement from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office located and impounded the bullet-riddled Honda Accord from the hospital parking lot. They obtained a search warrant for the Honda Accord and located and seized 5.81 grams of marijuana from the center console, a Arex Delta 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun from the glove box (loaded with 14 rounds), one spare Arex magazine loaded with 14 rounds from the front passenger door, one Glock Model l9X 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun (loaded with 31 rounds ), one Glock 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun (loaded with 23 rounds ), one plastic baggy containing 21.92 grams of Fentanyl, one baggy with 13 aluminum foils of Fentanyl, one digital scale that was located in the trunk, and documents showing that one of the passengers was the owner of the Honda and that BESSIE was a frequent user of that vehicle. Deputies also recovered approximately $1,300 in cash. At the time of this incident, BESSIE was a convicted felon, and thus, prohibited from possessing a firearm. 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, the New Orleans Police Department, the Louisiana State Police, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr. of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Dominican National Faces 10+ Years in Prison After East Millinocket Traffic Stop Reveals 113 Grams of Methamphetamine, Other Drugs

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A man from the Dominican Republic pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute. According to court records, in November 2023, Lenin Nova-Nova , 42, was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by the East Millinocket Police Department due to an issue with the headlights. An officer observed an unnatural bulge under Nova-Nova’s clothing. Nova-Nova identified himself using a false name, and a warrant check of that alias revealed an outstanding warrant for arrest. A search of Nova-Nova’s person revealed $1,305 in cash, four cell phones, and suspected controlled substances wrapped in cellophane. Analysis identified the substances as approximately 113 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine, approximately 19 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, and 57.8 grams of a substance containing cocaine base. Homeland Security Investigations was able to determine Nova-Nova’s identity. Nova-Nova faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million to be followed by supervised release for up to life. Nova-Nova will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The East Millinocket Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. ###


title: Jersey City Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 192 months in prison for drug distribution and weapons offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Jabar Evans, 45, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was convicted on Oct. 20, 2023, of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: In June 2021, Evans controlled a fentanyl manufacturing facility in a Jersey City hotel room. In the early morning hours of June 22, 2021, Evans moved his drug manufacturing facility from one hotel room into a new, larger room within the hotel. Surveillance video showed Evans’s belongings being moved from his old room to his new room in the middle of the night. After several hours of moving the drug operation, Evans inadvertently left two firearms in the safe of the old room, which hotel staff thereafter discovered and turned over to law enforcement. Law enforcement officers arrested Evans in his new room, where they also found – both in plain view and hidden in duffel bags in the ceiling – over 12,000 glassines of fentanyl, bags containing hundreds of grams of uncut fentanyl and methamphetamine, and narcotics packaging and manufacturing equipment. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also thanked special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark. This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Goldberg of the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.


title: Justice Department Secures Agreements with Smith County to Ensure Election Website Accessibility for People with Disabilities

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: TYLER, Texas – Smith County has entered into a settlement agreement which resolves findings it violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by maintaining an election website that discriminates against individuals with vision or manual disabilities, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “The Eastern District of Texas is committed to ensuring that all eligible voters, including those with disabilities, can access critical election information,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “By entering into this settlement agreement, Smith County has taken a significant step towards removing barriers and promoting inclusivity on their election websites. This ensures that voters in the Eastern District of Texas with impairments are not disenfranchised and can fully participate in the democratic process." The county’s election website provides essential information about how to vote, such as registration requirements, identification requirements and voting information for people with disabilities. The website also links to other critical information, including details about early voting and voting on election day. Under the settlement agreement, Smith County agreed to make all future and existing online election content accessible to people with disabilities. The county also agreed to hire an independent auditor to evaluate the accessibility of their election website’s content, provide notice to visitors and users of the website to solicit comments and requests about any accessibility barriers, designate an employee to coordinate its efforts, revise its procedures and train relevant personnel. This investigation is part of the Department of Justice’s ADA Voting Initiative, which safeguards the voting rights of individuals with disabilities. To read more about the ADA and how it applies to voting, please visit Voting and Polling Places . This settlement agreement is also part of the Department of Justice’s Tech Equity Initiative to combat disability discrimination that occurs through technology such as websites and mobile apps. The Eastern District of Texas is committed to vigorously enforcing the ADA. Additional information is available at Civil Rights Division for the Eastern District of Texas . This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee Cooper. ###


title: Man Indicted on Fentanyl and Firearm Charges Committed While on Release for Attempting to Smuggle Firearm Magazines Into Mexico

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Edwin Alexey Gamboa, 20, of Phoenix, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Phoenix for: Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. As alleged in the complaint and indictment, on the morning of June 2, 2024, officers from the Phoenix Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle partially blocking a city street. The officers observed a sleeping Gamboa and two firearms in the center console, and subsequently found approximately 409 counterfeit oxycodone tablets, which the Phoenix Crime Lab positively identified as fentanyl. Officers also found almost $2,000 in cash in Gamboa’s pocket. One of the firearms found in the vehicle, a Glock, 19X, 9mm pistol, had a machine gun conversion device affixed to it which, when test-fired, operated as a machinegun. The indictment further alleges that Gamboa was on pretrial release for an earlier indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Tucson, in which Gamboa was charged with Smuggling Goods from the United States. As alleged in the complaint and indictment in that case, on February 4, 2024, Gamboa attempted to smuggle one empty Glock handgun magazine and 10 empty AK-47 style rifle magazines out of the United States and into Mexico via the Lukeville Port of Entry. Convictions for the offenses alleged in the indictments carry the following penalties and fines: Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl carries a punishment of between five to 40 years in prison, a fine of $5,000,000, or both. Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense carries a punishment of between five years to life in prison, to be served consecutively to any other sentence, a fine of $250,000, or both. Smuggling Goods from the United States carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. An indictment and complaint are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In the Phoenix matter, the Phoenix Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Addison Owen is handling the prosecution. In the Tucson matter, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Houston is handling the prosecution. gamboa-_indictment.pdf CASE NUMBERS: CR-24-0999-PHX-DWL CR-24-0922-TUC-RCC RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-076_Gamboa # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: New York Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Conspiracy Extending From Maine to New York

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Syracuse, New York man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiring to violate federal firearms laws. According to court records, beginning in May 2022, Tyquinn Montell Cannon (aka “Q”) , 30, knowingly conspired with others in Maine and New York to illegally obtain firearms at federally licensed firearms dealers (FFLs) in central and southern Maine using straw purchasers. Two of the coconspirators located in Maine would arrange for the straw purchase of firearms, and Cannon would deliver, or arrange the delivery of, the illegally obtained firearms to coconspirators located in New York. Cannon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a March 2018 conviction in Illinois for the illegal possession of cocaine. Cannon faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release on the possession of a firearms charge. He faces up to five years imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release on the conspiracy charge. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. STRAW PURCHASING: A straw purchase is an illegal firearm purchase where the actual buyer of the gun, being unable to pass the required federal background check or desiring to not have his or her name associated with the transaction, uses a proxy buyer who can pass the required background check to purchase the firearm for him/her. ###


title: Oklahoma City Father and Son Convicted of Illegal Firearms Possession

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted NICOIS MEGALE SMITH , 40, of Oklahoma City, with illegally possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On August 16, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Indictment, charging Nicois with two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and his father, ALBERT SMITH, JR., 62, with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. On June 12, 2024, a federal jury found Nicois guilty on one of his two counts following a two-day trial. Evidenced at trial established that on May 21, 2023, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department were investigating an unrelated crime, which happened near Nicois’s home. In the course of their investigation, officers searched Nicois’s home pursuant to a court approved search warrant and found a loaded pistol in a bedroom. Evidence presented at trial connected Nicois to that pistol. On June 10, 2024, Albert pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in early May 2023, and he admitted to possessing a pistol that he had reason to believe had been stolen. At sentencing, Nicois and Albert each face up to 15 years in federal prison and up to three years of supervised release. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley, Elizabeth M. Bagwell, and Travis Leverett are prosecuting the case. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.