title: Kern County Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Production, Distribution, and Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Andrew James Sarnowski, 25, of Rosamond, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison, for production, distribution, and receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Sarnowski produced multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of a minor less than a year of age and shared them online through an encrypted social media application. Pursuant to a search of his residence, additional electronic devices belonging to Sarnowski were identified and found to contain hundreds of additional child pornography files, including those depicting prepubescent children, including infants and toddlers, being sexually abused. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Nevada U.S. Attorney's Office Collects Nearly $7.5 Million In Civil And Criminal Actions In Fiscal Year 2023

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson announced today that the District of Nevada collected $7,488,459.50 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2023. Of this amount, $6,794,786.25 was collected in criminal actions and $693,673.25 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the District of Nevada worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $196,131.99 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $56,131.99 was collected in criminal actions and $140,000 was collected in civil actions. “This significant collection amount is a result of the diligent work by Assistant United States Attorneys and personnel in our Financial Litigation Program and Asset Forfeiture Unit,” said United States Attorney Frierson. “Throughout Fiscal Year 2023, we worked with partners to recover full amounts due to the United States and victims of crimes. These recovered funds will be used for direct victim compensation, victim assistance and state victim compensation grants. I thank our Civil Division team for their dedication and hard work in enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed.” Highlights of the District of Nevada’s Fiscal Year 2023 collection efforts include: United States v. Michael Jones – Working jointly, several Assistant U.S. Attorneys of the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured the partial pre-payment of restitution from Michael Jones in the amount of $3,000,000. This combined effort ensured that payments would be made to the victims of Jones’ white collar fraud scheme which promised to secure small business grants from the government or other charitable organizations. United States v. Lance Kellow – Our office collected $273,375.40 from Lance Kellow as a result of targeted collection litigation. Kellow was convicted by a jury of mail, wire and bank fraud, and was ordered to pay over $800,000 to three financial institutions. The United States has collected and paid over $310,000 to the victims of Kellow’s crimes. United States v. Melissa Landgraf – Following the Landgraf’s conviction for wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office was advised that Landgraf and her husband were in the process of selling their home in a non-public sale. After advising the escrow company of the restitution lien in favor of Landgraf’s victims, the U.S. Attorney’s Office received the net proceeds of sale in the amount of $134,385.84 and was able to distribute it to Landgraf’s embezzlement victim, who was her prior employer. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $2,313,323 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2023. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. ###


title: Del Rio Drug Traffickers Sentenced for Year-Long Conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – Two defendants convicted of drug trafficking were sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to a combined 25 years in prison for participating in a year-long conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, a coconspirator identified Roberto Tovar, 47, as one of several individuals to whom she provided methamphetamine for the purpose of distribution within the Del Rio area. Between June 2019 and June 2020, Tovar was involved in two transactions with undercover law enforcement agents. Melissa Villarreal, 36, was also named by another codefendant. Between June 2019 and June 2020, indicted co-conspirator Melissa Villarreal was involved in six undercover transactions. On five occasions, Villarreal sold a total of 253.7 grams of a substance which tested positive for methamphetamine. On the sixth transaction, she sold another 259.1 grams of methamphetamine. Tovar pleaded guilty on June 24, 2021. He was sentenced to 168 months in prison. Villarreal pleaded guilty March 28, 2022. She was sentenced to 135 months. Codefendants Rose Vasquez Baker, Ray Nathan Garcia, Bryan Alexander Gomez, and Ruben Reyes remain in federal custody as they await their sentence hearings. “In addition to the destruction that narcotics trafficking brings to our communities, the human cost on families, their children, and all individuals struggling from addiction to illegal drugs is immeasurable,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “By proactively investigating this prolific narcotic trafficking organization operating in and around Del Rio, our partners with Homeland Security Investigations has helped to disrupt and dismantle their dangerous drug trafficking activities.” HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case. ###


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Firing 14 Rounds at MPD Officer

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Saeve Edward Evans, 37, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today to firing 14 rounds at a Metropolitan Police Department officer. The shooting, in the early morning of August 1, 2023, occurred on the 1700 block of Benning Road, Northeast. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The officer was not injured. Evans pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to assault on a police officer while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term of over one year. U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton set a sentencing date for May 22, 2024. “Every day, our officers risk their own well-being to fight crime in our city,” said Chief Smith. “In firing those 14 rounds, Mr. Evans displayed a reprehensible disregard for the safety of both our officer and our community. I’m relieved that no one was hurt, and I’m pleased that Mr. Evans has taken some accountability for his actions by pleading guilty.” According to court documents, on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, at about 5:25 a.m., Evans was walking a dog outside on the 1700 block of Benning Road, Northeast. When an unknown individual walked in front of the building, Evans pulled out a gun, pointed the gun towards the sky, and fired three times in the air. The unknown individual ran away. At 5:28 a.m., an MPD officer was dispatched to the location to investigate the gunfire. The officer, who was wearing a full police uniform and driving a marked MPD cruiser, spotted Evans on the sidewalk adjacent to a three-story apartment building. Evans aimed at the officer, fired the gun three times, then moved towards the apartment entrance. Moving up a ramp, Evans pointed his gun at the officer again and fired nine more live rounds. The officer returned fire before taking cover behind his police cruiser. Inside the building, Evans climbed the stairs to the third-floor landing and fired two more shots at the officer through large windows. In total, Evans fired 14 rounds at the officer. Additional MPD officers from the Fifth District responded to assist and entered the building on Benning Road. Officers located Evans on the third-floor landing of the apartment building. Before officers placed Evans under arrest, Evans said, “Ain’t no gun, I took it off me.” Officers recovered the firearm on the third floor landing. DNA evidence further linked the firearm -- a black Springfield XD 9x19 pistol with an empty 16 round magazine -- to Evans. DNA evidence linked Evans to the gun, which was stolen on March 9, 2023, from the state of Texas. Evans faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison on the charge of assault on a police officer while armed. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was investigated by detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Cloherty and Justin Song, the Records Department of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and MPD Detectives. ### 24-69


title: Egyptian Citizen Extradited to United States on Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Charges

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A citizen of Egypt who was extradited to the United States on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges had his initial appearance in New Jersey federal court today, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Hatem Ghouneim, 35, is charged by indictment with three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Ghouneim was arrested in Spain on July 16, 2023, and extradited on Jan. 25, 2024, at the request of the United States. He had his initial appearance today, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court, pleaded not guilty, and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From January through December 2019, Ghouneim engaged in a scheme to defraud a technology company that operates a rideshare service. By creating fraudulent accounts and using stolen identities, Ghouneim induced the company to pay him referral fees for each new fraudulently created account. Ghouneim defrauded the company of hundreds of thousands of dollars in referral fees. The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and the aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison. Any term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft charge must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed on the other counts. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the indictment. He also thanked the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Attaché’s Office in Spain for their assistance, as well as the government of Spain for their substantial assistance arresting and extraditing Ghouneim to the United States. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ghouneim.indictment.pdf


title: Mexican Man Sentenced for Document Fraud

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who used a false identification document bearing someone else’s social security number was sentenced today to more than three months in federal prison. Diego Nava-Barrios, age 37, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the United States and residing in Cascade, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 1, 2023, guilty plea to one count of unlawful use of an identification document. In a plea agreement, Nava-Barrios admitted he knowingly used a fraudulent Social Security card to prove his authorization to work in the United States when he completed employment and tax forms in March 2016 at a business in Anamosa, Iowa, in September 2016 at a business in Cascade, Iowa, and in December 2016 at a business in Farley, Iowa. Illegal aliens are not authorized to work in the United States. The number on the Social Security card was a real Social Security number assigned to a United States citizen. Nava-Barrios was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Nava-Barrios was sentenced to 99 days’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Sosa-Jimenez is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be turned over to immigration officials. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 18-CR-03. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Tama Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison for Stabbing His Brother

body_text: A Tama man who stabbed his brother 10 times was sentenced today to nearly four years in federal prison. Victor Arquis Garcia, age 26, from Tama, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 9, 2023, guilty plea to assault causing serious bodily injury. Evidence at the plea hearing and sentencing showed that in November 2022, Garcia and his brother were drinking at their residence in Tama, Iowa, when the two became intoxicated. A fight broke out between the two and Garcia retrieved a knife from the kitchen. As the two continued to fight, Garcia stabbed his brother ten times resulting in injuries to the brother’s leg, armpit, and stomach. The victim’s injuries required surgery to repair. Garcia has a long criminal history including 14 prior criminal convictions. Garcia was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Garcia was sentenced to 45 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and investigated by the Meskwaki Nation Police Department and the FBI. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-11. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Meth Conspiracy

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine pled guilty January 26, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Kenneth Dawdy, 39, from Sioux City, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. At the plea hearing, Dawdy admitted his participation in a conspiracy from January 2021 through June 2023 that distributed at least 3500 grams of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. Dawdy also admitted to being a “middle-man,” assisting others in the conspiracy by acquiring and delivering money and methamphetamine to others. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Dawdy was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Dawdy faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4055. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Doctor Agrees to Pay $95,000 to Settle Allegations of Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, WA – Physician Daniel Case has agreed to pay $95,000 to resolve allegations that he participated in a kick-back scheme and ordered medically unnecessary durable medical equipment that Case caused to be billed to Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs, announced Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. Between October 2018 and April 2019, Case worked with RediDoc LLC (Redidoc). RediDoc employed telemarketing companies to call federal health care program beneficiaries, including Medicare beneficiaries, and speak with them about obtaining durable medical equipment at no cost. Portions of these calls were recorded and provided to physicians, like Dr. Case, along with pre-filled prescriptions for durable medical equipment. The physicians would review the recordings and sign orders for durable medical equipment, which were then billed to federal health care programs, including Medicare. The physicians, including Dr. Case, were paid for each order they signed prescribing durable medical equipment. The owners of RediDoc were charged with various federal offenses in September 2020, including conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, based upon the fact that the payments to physicians were remuneration intended to induce the physician to sign durable medical equipment orders, including orders that were not medically necessary. The owners of RediDoc both pled guilty to this conspiracy, admitting that RediDoc provided kickbacks to physicians, such as Dr. Case, to induce them to sign durable medical equipment orders. While employed with RediDoc, Dr. Case expressed in a November 14, 2018, email his “concern” regarding the “legitimacy of what I am doing.” Nevertheless Dr. Case continued to work with RediDoc and signed durable medical equipment orders for patients until April 2019. During his time working with RediDoc, Dr. Case signed numerous orders that were not medically necessary. For example, Dr. Case signed an order on January 18, 2019, prescribing right and left knee braces to a woman who had and above-the-knee amputation of her right leg. As another example, Dr. Case signed three durable medical equipment orders on January 9, 2019, for a patient who had died on January 7, 2019. While working with RediDoc, Case signed orders that resulted in Medicare payments of $3,358,221.57. During the same time, RediDoc paid Case approximately $66,727.00 for orders he signed. “Kickback schemes incentivize physicians to place financial gain over patient care,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “RediDoc relied upon the willing participation of doctors around the country to sign orders prescribing equipment or medication for payment. These schemes compromise the medical decision making of physicians, resulting in the payment of public money for services that are not medically necessary for the patients, such as the braces Dr. Case ordered for patients here. This settlement is a signal to physicians that they will be held accountable for engaging in kickback schemes, and that they stand to lose more in the long run than will be gained in the short term by participating in an unlawful practice.” “Doctors that participate in telemedicine kickback schemes for personal financial gain corrupt the provider-patient relationship and undermine the integrity of taxpayer-funded health care programs” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This settlement demonstrates HHS-OIG’s ongoing commitment to protecting federal health care programs and ensuring that providers focus on providing medically necessary care." The settlement can be found at the link below. Case Settlement The settlement was the result of a investigation conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Seattle Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Kelley of the Eastern District of Washington handled this matter on behalf of the United States.


title: Sex Offender Previously Convicted of Child Rape Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A lifetime Level 2 sex offender, pleaded guilty today to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Eric Robert Johnson, 50, of Billerica, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for May 2, 2024. Johnson was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in February 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2022. He has remained in federal custody since his arrest. “Possession of child pornography is not a victimless crime because it further victimizes the innocent children who were abused to create these horrific images and drives demand for the creation of more abusive material,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Mr. Johnson, a lifetime sex offender previously convicted of child rape, possessed over 5,000 files showing the sexual abuse of children, including infants. He is clearly a danger to our communities, and now faces significant time in federal prison. Our office will continue to relentlessly pursue individuals who harm children.” “Images of children being sexually abused aren’t just documenting a moment in time. They’re a window into the horrific, ongoing reality for many of these kids. Sex offenders like Eric Robert Johnson who collect this material perpetuate the demand for it, which means more children will be exploited,” said Jodi Cohen Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “It’s imperative for the FBI and our law enforcement partners to intercept such predators when we find them, and we’re grateful Mr. Johnson accepted responsibility today for his criminal conduct.” Searches of Johnson’s person and residence in February and March of 2022 resulted in the recovery of 25 electronic devices including a laptop, hard drives and other electronic devices. Multiple hard drives were found hidden next to Johnson’s bed as well as in Johnson’s basement ceiling, shelves, cabinets and in an ammunition can located in a crawl space at the residence. At the time of the search, the laptop was running a program to wipe, delete or remove files from an attached hard drive and was approximately 56% complete before being disabled by an on-scene forensic examiner. A subsequent forensic examination revealed over 5,000 files depicting CSAM on seven of the seized devices, including images and video files depicting the sexual abuse of minor victims as young as infants and toddlers. Further forensic examination determined that 15 of the seized devices were encrypted or had hardware and could not be searched. Additionally, during the search of Johnson’s residence, at least three mutilated dolls with the vaginal region sliced to make a hole were seized. Two children’s backpacks containing various children’s clothing including bathing suits and a nightgown, were found under his bed, along with a bag of children’s costumes. Additionally, children’s diapers were also observed throughout the residence. Johnson was previously convicted in 1992 on state charges in New Hampshire of two counts of Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault of a Child Under 13 Years of Age. At the time of the searches, Johnson was a Level 1 registered sex offender in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Per the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board, Johnson is currently a Level 2 registered sex offender. The charge of possession of child pornography after a prior conviction for a sex offense provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and Billerica Police Chief Roy Frost made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus, Luke A. Goldworm and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Canadian National Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison for Trafficking Hundreds of Pounds of Cocaine Out of Alhambra Stash Houses

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Canadian man was sentenced today to 72 months in federal prison for distributing hundreds of pounds of cocaine out of stash houses in the San Gabriel Valley community of Alhambra. Sam Nang Bou, 41, of Edmonton, Canada, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson. Bou pleaded guilty in December 2022 to one count of distribution of cocaine. In June 2022, Bou operated two stash houses in Alhambra in which he used to store and prepare bulk quantities of narcotics for distribution and eventual importation into Canada. On June 28, 2022, Bou knowingly and intentionally transported approximately 104.6 kilograms (230.6 pounds) of cocaine from one of the Alhambra stash houses to a location in Hesperia. While in Hesperia, Bou handed over four boxes containing the cocaine to a truck driver for exportation into Canada. Bou engaged in eight other similar distributions of cocaine and methamphetamine from September 2021 to September 2022. In total, for these eight additional distributions, Bou distributed approximately 341 kilograms (752 pounds) of cocaine and approximately 729.7 kilograms (1,608.7 pounds) of methamphetamine. In September 2022, Bou operated and controlled a Dodge Caravan with two hidden trap compartments that he used to store bulk quantities of drugs. He also controlled a storage unit in Alhambra, which he rented using an alias. On September 1, 2022, Bou drove the vehicle into the storage unit and locked the unit with the vehicle inside of it. Inside of the Dodge Caravan’s two hidden trap compartments, Bou possessed approximately 47.3 kilograms (104.3 pounds) of cocaine and 325 grams of methamphetamine. At one of the Alhambra stash houses, Bou possessed storage tubs, dozens of rolls of tape, numerous duffle bags and boxes, vacuum sealed bags, heat sealers, boxes of dryer sheets, scales, and a money counter. He also had industrial-size containers of various chemicals used to clean the drugs, coveralls, various sets of gloves, numerous bowls and containers, several masks, and a respirator. The FBI and the Los Angeles HIDTA Task Force investigated this case. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Los Angeles Violent Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Barstow Police Department, the Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team, and the Kern County Sheriff's Office provided substantial assistance in this matter. The case against Bou is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Assistant United States Attorney Brittney M. Harris of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.


title: Three Individuals Charged In $1.89 Billion Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Three individuals are charged in U.S. District Court in Maryland for orchestrating a $1.89 billion cryptocurrency fraud scheme. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Sam Lee, age 35, an Australian citizen residing in the United Arab Emirates for allegedly co-founding HyperFund, also known as HyperTech, HyperCapital, HyperVerse, and HyperNation. The indictment was returned on January 25, 2024, and unsealed today. Co-conspirator Rodney Burton, a/k/a “Bitcoin Rodney,” 54, of Miami, Florida, is charged by criminal complaint for his role as an alleged promoter of HyperFund. Co-conspirator Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to her role in the fraud scheme. The federal charges were announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) New York; and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Meisenheimer of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Washington, D.C. Field Office. “The level of alleged fraud here is staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Whether it’s cryptocurrency fraud, or any other financial frauds, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This office and our law enforcement partners will hold perpetrators accountable for these and other fraud schemes.” “The defendants are charged with defrauding investors to the tune of $1.89 billion. As alleged in court documents, the defendants falsely represented that investors would receive substantial returns paid from cryptocurrency mining operations, which did not in fact exist,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation, we are committed to uncovering sophisticated frauds involving cryptocurrency and digital assets and bringing those who perpetrate them to justice.” “Today’s charges are a testament to the incredible work of HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “I commend our law enforcement partners, including those at HSI Baltimore, for their outstanding collaboration. HSI will continue to protect American investors from financial predators.” “The illegal activity alleged in this case is precisely the type of conduct IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to deterring,” said David Meisenheimer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Field Office. “These charges send a clear message that we have the tools and internal fortitude, to protect our financial systems by diligently investigating, prosecuting, and holding accountable, those who seek to defraud the American public.” According to court documents, from June 2020 to November 2022, Lee and his co-conspirators allegedly offered and sold investment contracts to the public through HyperFund’s online investment platform. HyperFund’s promotional materials allegedly made various false claims, including that investors who purchased HyperFund “memberships” would receive between 0.5% to 1% daily in passive rewards until the company either doubled or tripled the investor’s initial investment. To convince investors that HyperFund could make such payments, HyperFund allegedly claimed that its payments would be disbursed in part from its revenues from large-scale crypto mining operations, when in truth, HyperFund did not have such operations. Beginning in at least July 2021, HyperFund allegedly began to block investor withdrawals. If convicted, Lee faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. Burton has been arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. At a detention hearing today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland, Burton was ordered to be detained. If convicted, he also faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of those counts. Brenda Chunga, a/k/a “Bitcoin Beautee,”pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, for her role as a promoter of HyperFund. According to her plea agreement and other court documents, Chunga conducted online investor meetings, including in Maryland, to promote HyperFund’s investment programs and which detailed the purported returns that prospective investors could earn from investing in HyperFund. Chunga admitted that she personally received at least $3 million in fraud proceeds from her participation in the conspiracy. As detailed in her plea agreement, Chunga will be required to pay restitution in the full amount of the victims’ losses, which the parties agree is at least $3 million, but could be significantly higher. Chunga faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has not yet scheduled a sentencing date. Neither an indictment nor a criminal complaint is a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment or criminal complaint is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings. If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov . To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas . United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Spencer Todd, and Trial Attorney Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section who are prosecuting the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Three Individuals Charged for Roles in $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Justice Department today announced charges against two individuals and the guilty plea of a third individual for orchestrating a $1.89 billion cryptocurrency fraud scheme. Sam Lee, 35, an Australian citizen residing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was charged in an indictment unsealed today for allegedly co-founding HyperFund, also known as HyperTech, HyperCapital, HyperVerse, and HyperNation. Rodney Burton, 54, of Miami, and Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, Maryland, were promotors of HyperFund. “The defendants are charged with defrauding investors to the tune of $1.89 billion. As alleged in court documents, the defendants falsely represented that investors would receive substantial returns paid from cryptocurrency mining operations, which did not in fact exist,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “With our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation, we are committed to uncovering sophisticated frauds involving cryptocurrency and digital assets and bringing those who perpetrate them to justice.” “The level of alleged fraud here is staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Whether it’s cryptocurrency fraud, or any other financial frauds, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This office and our law enforcement partners will hold perpetrators accountable for these and other fraud schemes.” According to court documents, from June 2020 to November 2022, Lee and his co-conspirators allegedly offered and sold investment contracts to the public through HyperFund’s online investment platform. HyperFund’s promotional materials allegedly made various false claims, including that investors who purchased HyperFund “memberships” would receive between 0.5% to 1% daily in passive rewards until the company either doubled or tripled the investor’s initial investment. To convince investors that HyperFund could make such payments, HyperFund allegedly claimed that its payments would be disbursed in part from its revenues from large-scale crypto mining operations, when in truth, HyperFund did not have such operations. Beginning in at least July 2021, HyperFund allegedly began to block investor withdrawals. “Today’s charges are a testament to the incredible work of HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “I commend our law enforcement partners, including those at HSI Baltimore, for their outstanding collaboration. HSI will continue to protect American investors from financial predators.” “The illegal activity alleged in this case is precisely the type of conduct IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to deterring,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Meisenheimer of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office. “These charges send a clear message that we have the tools and internal fortitude to protect our financial systems by diligently investigating, prosecuting, and holding accountable those who seek to defraud the American public.” Lee is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Burton is charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. He also faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count. Chunga pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HSI New York’s El Dorado Task Force and IRS:CI are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Spencer Todd for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case. If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov . To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Maryland Resident Indicted for Multiple Robberies of Georgetown Business

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Roberto McBean, 30, a Maryland resident, has been arrested on felony charges after robbing the same business in Georgetown multiple times while using a firearm. McBean is charged in an indictment, filed in the District of Columbia, with four felony counts of violating the Hobbs Act, which prohibits individuals from actual or attempted robbery which affects interstate commerce. As detailed in the indictment, from November 23, 2023 to January 8, 2024, McBean robbed the Glover Park Market located at 2411 37 th Street NW. During this timeframe, McBean robbed the market of over $1000, often using a handgun and ordering the store employee to give him the money from the register. Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean on Friday, January 26, 2024, following his indictment. He made his initial appearance in the District of Columbia on Monday, January 29, 2024, before the Honorable Judge G. Michael Harvey. A detention hearing is currently set for Thursday, February 1, 2024. This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Lipes and Assistant United States Attorney Omeed A. Assefi of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI.


title: Corona Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison in Case Concerning 10 Armed Robberies in Orange County Over Two Days

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 144 months in federal prison for the armed robbery of a convenience store in Orange County – his tenth such robbery committed during a two-day crime spree in late 2022. George Arizon, 28, of Corona, was sentenced by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who also ordered him to pay $3,658 in restitution. Arizon pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On November 8, 2022, Arizon robbed a 7-Eleven store in Westminster. During the robbery, he brandished a semi-automatic handgun and used it to threaten a store employee. In fear for his safety, the employee handed Arizon $80 in cash and two packs of cigarettes. This was the tenth robbery Arizon committed during a two-day spree. In his plea agreement, Arizon admitted to committing nine other armed robberies of businesses – eight restaurants and one hair salon – in Santa Ana, Garden Grove, and Westminster over a span of two days. In each of those robberies, Arizon brandished a firearm to threaten and intimidate the businesses’ employees. Police officers responding to calls about the Westminster robberies later recovered and retained a black sweatshirt, black hat, and mask that Arizon wore during the crimes, according to court documents. Officers also recovered the black semi-automatic handgun, with a gold-colored barrel, which had been discarded nearby. Security camera footage showed Arizon wearing this apparel, court documents state. Arizon stole a total of $3,658 during his crime spree. “[Arizon] repeatedly pointed a ghost gun at victims to force them to hand over the stores’ money,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “When investigators arrested him and searched his house, they found another firearm, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, spent shell casings, and drugs.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ Orange County Violent Crime Task Force investigated this matter, and received assistance from the Santa Ana Police Department, the Garden Grove Police Department, and the Westminster Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jena A. MacCabe of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.


title: Charlotte Business Owner And Disaster Relief Loan “Consultant ” Pleads Guilty To Federal Charges For $1.2 Million COVID-19  Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Glynn Paul Hubbard, Jr., 46, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering charges for obtaining more than $1.2 million in fraudulent COVID-19 relief funds for himself and his customers, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement. According to filed plea documents, from March 31, 2020, to August 1, 2020, Hubbard, Jr. submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Relief Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and SBA-approved lenders, seeking to obtain relief funds for himself and for other businesses, which Hubbard, Jr. referred to as “customers.” To obtain the relief funds for himself and his customers, Hubbard, Jr. falsified the loan applications and supporting documentation by including false financial information, fake employment data, and fraudulent tax returns. Of the $1.2 million in relief funds disbursed as a result of the scheme, Hubbard, Jr. received more than $570,000 for himself, and over $660,000 was disbursed to his customers. According to court records, Hubbard, Jr. promoted the fraudulent scheme through personal referrals and in social media posts where he advertised that he was a PPP loan/EIDL consultant. Hubbard, Jr. received improper loan preparer fees for his consulting services totaling more than $150,000. To avoid detection, Hubbard, Jr. required customers to pay his fees in cash, via cashier’s checks, or wire transfers. Following the plea hearing, Hubbard, Jr. was released on bond. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. The maximum statutory penalty for the money laundering offense is 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked IRS-CI for their investigative work in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Cassye Cole with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are in charge of the prosecution. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Federal Charges Filed After International Parcel Leads to the Seizure of 16 Different Drugs and 42 Firearms from a Gresham Residence

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A local man is facing federal charges today after authorities intercepted an international parcel he had ordered containing MDMA and quantities of at least 16 different drugs and 42 firearms were found in and seized from his Gresham, Oregon home. Riley James Hinds, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on January 9, 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at Los Angeles International Airport seized an inbound package from the Netherlands containing approximately 2.5 pounds of MDMA. The package, addressed to “James Settler,” an alias used by Hinds to open a mailing box at a UPS Store in Gresham, was handed over to special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Portland for further investigation. On January 26, 2024, investigators arrested Hinds and executed a federal search warrant on his residence. Investigators located and seized quantities of at least 16 different narcotics in Hinds’ residence including MDMA, Adderall, counterfeit Oxycodone, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana, psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, opium, morphine, DMT, mescaline, peyote, GHB, 5-MeO-DMT, and a mixture of unidentified pills. They also located and seized various drug processing tools and packaging materials, 42 firearms, four firearm suppressors, two unfinished ghost guns, and six sets of body armor. Hinds made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. This case was investigated by HSI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Portland Police Bureau Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit (PPB-NOC), and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT) with assistance from CBP. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Mississippi Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Sex and Firearm Case

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mississippi man was sentenced today to 51 month years in prison for traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, in October 2023, Dennis Scott, Jr. pled guilty to traveling from Mississippi to Alabama to engage in commercial sex with a minor and to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. In October 2022, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Task Force, the Demopolis Police Department, and the Department of Homeland Security were conducting an operation. Scott responded to an online advertisement and began communicating with an undercover agent that Scott believed to be a 14 year old female. When Scott arrived at the meeting location, he was met by local and federal law enforcement. Scott, who was previously convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm, possessed a firearm at the time of his arrest. Today United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Scott to 51 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 10-year term of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Department of Homeland Security, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Task Force, and the Demopolis Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kacey Chappelear and Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Mobile Man Sentenced to 57 Months for Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile, Alabama man was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Raheem Morrissette was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Morrissette has four prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm. In March 2023, members of the Mobile Police Department encountered Morrissette in the Third Precinct during a traffic stop and he had a firearm in his possession. Today United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Morrissette to 57 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. The term of imprisonment will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sean Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Beth Stepan prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Ada Residents Sentenced For Robbery In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Bronson Kent Dalton Gore, age 34, and Richard Dakota Gore, age 29, both of Ada, Oklahoma, were sentenced to 72 months and 77 months imprisonment, respectively, for committing Robbery in Indian country. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ada Police Department, and the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office. In November 2021, Bronson Gore and Richard Gore each pleaded guilty to one count of Robbery in Indian Country. According to investigators, on January 2, 2021, the Gores accosted the victim in the Love’s parking lot in Ada, Oklahoma, restraining the victim and threatening him with a firearm in order to rob the victim of his wallet and cash. The crime occurred in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, within the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Judge Charles B. Goodwin, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearings in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The defendants will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals pending transportation to designated United States Bureau of Prisons facilities where they will serve their non-paroleable sentences of incarceration. Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: U.S. Citizen arrested for traveling to Haiti with intent to sexually abuse minors

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A U.S. citizen made his initial appearance in Colorado last week to face a charge for traveling to Haiti with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under the age of 18. According to court documents and information disclosed in open court, between 2006 and 2010, Michael Geilenfeld, 71, originally of Iowa, is alleged to have traveled from Miami International Airport to Haiti multiple times to engage in sexual acts with minors. While in Haiti, Geilenfeld operated the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys, a residence which served economically disadvantaged children in and around the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Multiple individuals who lived at the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys reported that Geilenfeld sexually abused them when they were under the age of 18. Geilenfeld was arrested on Jan. 20 in Colorado. He is charged with one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Geilenfeld’s detention hearing is scheduled to resume on Feb. 1. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement. HSI Miami and the FBI Miami are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lacee Monk and Trial Attorneys Jessica Urban and Eduardo Palomo of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Anyone with related information or who may have been a victim or witness should contact HSI at 877-4-HSI TIP (877-447-4847). Photo of Geilenfeld in 2024. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-20008. ###


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 46 Months’ Imprisonment for Possessing Multiple Firearms as a Felon and Over a Pound of Marijuana

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Robert Peck Jr., 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on Thursday, January 25, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for felon in possession of a firearm and possession of less than 50 kilograms of marijuana. Senior United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Peck to 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Peck’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. In July 2020, the Omaha Police Department received multiple Crime Stoppers tips regarding Peck selling narcotics and possessing firearms despite his felon status. While executing a search warrant of Peck’s apartment in Omaha, law enforcement seized over a pound of marijuana and four firearms. Peck had previously been convicted of a felony for possession of more than a pound of marijuana and was prohibited from possessing firearms. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.


title: Luzerne County Man Sentenced To Three Years’ Imprisonment For Covid-Relief And Credit Card Fraud, And Identity Theft Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Robert Brownstein, age 52, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani to 36 months of imprisonment, for wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft offenses. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brownstein and his coconspirators used stolen identities to create forged identification documents and credit and debit cards. The conspirators used those forged items and stolen identities to open bank accounts, apply for lines of credit, and obtain retail merchandise. The conspirators also used the stolen identities to apply for multiple COVID-19 pandemic relief loans issued under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including by submitted false federal tax documentation. The conspirators fraudulently obtained over $100,000 in pandemic stimulus funds. The PPP was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria were met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses. Brownstein’s coconspirator, Reynard Lewis, age 30, formerly of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, previously was convicted of wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft offenses, and sentenced to serve 42 months of imprisonment. The coconspirators were ordered to pay $111,579.92 in restitution to the victims of their crimes. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Pottsville Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . # # #


title: Two Floyd County Men Indicted for Illegally Selling Firearms

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky.- Two local men, Wayne Tackett, 64, of Harold, Ky., and Carlos Hall, 72, of Prestonsburg, Ky., were indicted on Thursday, by a federal grand jury sitting in London, for illegally selling firearms. Specifically, the indictment alleges that Tackett and Hall, who were not licensed firearms dealers, aided and abetted each another to engage in the business of dealing firearms. Separately, the indictment charges Tackett with six counts of knowingly selling firearms to a convicted felon and one count of trafficking in firearms. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of more than 80 firearms. Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division, jointly announced the indictment. The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by ATF. The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble. A date for Tackett and Hall to appear in court has not yet been determined. They each face a maximum of five years in prison for the engaging in the business with firearms without a license. Tackett also faces a maximum of 15 years for each additional charge. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes. This case is being prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. — END —


title: Inmate At USP Canaan Sentenced To 27 Months In Prison For Assaulting Another Inmate With A Dangerous Weapon

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Isiah Robinson, age 37, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary at Canaan, formerly of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on January 23, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Malachy E. Mannion, to serve 27 months’ imprisonment for assaulting another inmate with a dangerous weapon. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Robinson previously pleaded guilty to assaulting another inmate at USP Canaan with a sharpened piece of metal commonly known as a “shank.” The charge stems from an incident which occurred in October 2020. The injuries received by the victim inmate were not life-threatening. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case. At the time of the incident, Robinson was serving a sentence of 120 months from the District of Maryland for heroin trafficking. That sentence has since expired. # # #


title: Justice Department Announces Surge of Resources to Fight Violent Crime in Washington, D.C.

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it will surge additional law enforcement tools and resources to target those most responsible for violent crime and carjackings in Washington, D.C. “Last year, we saw an encouraging decline in violent crime in many parts of the country, but there is much more work to do — including here in the District of Columbia,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This surge in law enforcement resources will build on the Department’s efforts to target the individuals and organizations that are driving violent crime in the nation’s capital. The Justice Department will not rest until every community in our country is safe from the scourge of violent crime.” “We have been surgically targeting and prosecuting those driving violence within our community,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia. “The surge of resources to these efforts will allow us to continue to expand on these efforts and to take even more drivers of violence off our streets.” The additional resources include a multi-component Gun Violence Analytic Cell (GVAC), which is led by the FBI with partners from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Using data analytics, GVAC will identify additional federal investigations that should be opened to combat violent crime and carjackings. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has already charged hundreds of such cases in recent years, including a case announced this week against five alleged fentanyl traffickers, three of whom were charged with firearms violations in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The case was a result of a year-long multiagency investigation into narcotics distribution points in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C. To increase the capacity to prosecute the additional investigations generated from GVAC and other efforts, the initiative will also detail federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division to work violent crime cases in D.C., and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia is moving additional prosecutors within the Superior Court docket to focus on carjacking and both lethal and non-lethal firearms cases. This announcement builds on similar prosecutorial and investigative resource surges throughout the country as part of the Department’s strategy to combat violent crime in targeted communities. In November 2023 , the Justice Department announced a significant increase in prosecutorial resources in Memphis, Tennessee, and in September 2022 , the Justice Department similarly announced additional prosecutors detailed to fight target gangs in Houston. These efforts are all part of a Department-wide Violent Crime Reduction Strategy announced by Attorney General Garland in May 2021, aimed at addressing the spike in violent crime during the pandemic. Since then, every U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country has worked alongside its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to implement district-specific violent crime reduction strategies. In addition, the Department has also focused on strengthening its national Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, as well as the National Public Safety Partnership, which makes Department tools and expertise available to more than 50 specific local law enforcement agencies. All of these efforts are emblematic of the Department’s recognition that the best anti-violent crime strategies are tailored to the needs of, and are developed with, individual communities.


title: U.S. Attorney Karam Holds United Against Hate Program At Central York High School

body_text: SCRANTON - United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office held an event at the Central York High School to promote the Department of Justice’s United Against Hate initiative. The event, which included federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, focused on educating students on how to identify, report, and prevent hate crimes. In its auditorium and broadcasted to all of their classrooms, the Central York High School hosted subject matter experts from the United States Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the City of York, York City Human Relations, the York County District Attorney’s Office, and other local law enforcement. Presenters highlighted differences between hate crimes versus hate incidents and provided options for responding to hate incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime. Presenters also distinguished unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including identifying protected speech versus speech that advocates violence or encourages people to commit hate crimes. U.S. Attorney Karam previously hosted meetings in November 2022, in the Harrisburg area with an audience of various law enforcement agencies and community leaders from across the mid-state, March 2023, at Scranton High School for students and community leaders, and December 2023 in Harrisburg and Scranton with Jewish leaders. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to strengthen collaborative relationships of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. “As our country has seen increased incidents of hate since October 7, 2023, the importance of identifying, reporting, and preventing hate crimes continues to be a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Karam. “As we strengthen our partnerships with state and local law enforcement and community partners, we also include our district’s high school students, our future leaders in that partnership. By reaching out to students, we provide them the tools to prevent further hate incidents that violate the fundamental principal of democracy.” As part of its United Against Hate programming, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to partner with communities across the Middle District of Pennsylvania to expand connections with those communities, further hate crimes prevention efforts, and encourage more people to report hate crimes and hate incidents. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is currently scheduling events at other district high schools and will soon meet with Islamic leaders. Those who believe they are subject to hate crimes or incidents should contact local law enforcement and the FBI. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Anyone in the Middle District of Pennsylvania may also report civil rights violations to the Civil Rights coordinator of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania by calling 717-614-4911 or emailing usapam.civil.rights@usdoj.gov . # # #


title: Former Soldier Receives 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Ketamine and Laundering More than $700,000

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Gordon Ray Custis 26, of Fayetteville, was sentenced to 180 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute ketamine, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute ketamine; and money laundering. He pled guilty to the charges on September 14, 2023. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that has some hallucinogenic effects. Common street names for ketamine include Cat Tranquilizer, Cat Valium, Jet K, Kit Kat, Purple, Special K, Special La Coke, Super Acid, Super K, and Vitamin K. “We are partnering with the Army to crack down on drug-trafficking soldiers like Custis, who was caught with over sixty pounds of illicit African-sourced ketamine,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “This fifteen-year sentence is a warning to any member of our armed services who thinks they can engage in drug-trafficking and money-laundering while wearing the uniform. American troops are the greatest fighting force in the world’s history, and we are proud to partner with the Army to ensure integrity in the ranks.” “This case is a great example of strong partnerships across the spectrum of law enforcement,” said Shane Watts, Special Agent in Charge of the Carolinas Field Office. “Army CID will continue to target those responsible for degrading the Army mission through criminal acts by conducting professional and comprehensive investigations.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, on May 7, 2021, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations was notified by the French Customs Service stationed at Charles De Gaulle International airport that a package from Cameroon had been intercepted containing approximately three kilograms of ketamine. The package was delivered to Gordon Ray Custis, then a soldier at Fort Liberty, at his home in Fayetteville, by Federal Task Force Officers with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Custis pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute ketamine and he was released pending sentencing. While awaiting sentencing, the Army Criminal Investigative Division and Defense Criminal Investigative Service received information that Custis was laundering money. The subsequent investigation revealed that Custis, acting in a leadership role involving co-defendant and others, laundered over $700,000. On February 1, 2023, a second search warrant was executed at Custis’s home and investigators recovered 28.5 kilograms of ketamine, $164,200 in cash, digital scales and vacuums sealing materials. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Division, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabe Diaz prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-0058-D-1.


title: Nearly 200 Defendants Charged in Series of Arrests Targeting Drug-Trafficking Organizations Nationwide

body_text: Nearly 200 people have been charged as part of a series of arrests targeting large-scale drug-trafficking organizations operating throughout the United States. “Over just three days and across 10 states, the Justice Department has charged nearly 200 individuals for their alleged roles in major drug trafficking operations,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These cases represent just a fraction of the work our agents and prosecutors are doing every day to target, disrupt, and dismantle the cartels and drug trafficking organizations that are poisoning the American people.” “Every year, tens of thousands of Americans die from illicit drugs trafficked into our communities, including fentanyl and other synthetic opioids,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “This wave of indictments and arrests — stretching from Alaska to Mississippi and from Nebraska to West Virginia — shows the reach of the Justice Department and our partners across the country and around the world when it comes to disrupting narcotics trafficking.” The cases announced this week were brought by federal law enforcement in four districts leading to the arrest of defendants from 10 states that cover crime rings operating in the Eastern, Southern, and Midwest regions of the U.S. and throughout Alaska. These efforts are all part of a Department-wide Violent Crime Reduction Strategy implemented under Attorney General Garland to leverage the resources of the Department’s federal prosecutors, agents, investigators, criminal justice experts and grant programs to combat violent crime. Every U.S. Attorney’s Office across the country has worked alongside state and local partners to implement district-specific violent crime reduction strategies. These cases represent the ongoing, targeted efforts by U.S. Attorney’s Offices to seize deadly drugs and to prosecute those whose actions bring violence in communities. On Jan. 25, the District of Alaska announced charges against 54 defendants in connections with a large-scale organized crime ring operating within the state of Alaska, allegedly run by an inmate from a California prison. Heraclio Sanchez-Rodriguez, 57, is accused of using contraband cell phones to communicate with his suppliers in Mexico and their brokers, leaders in California and Oregon, and distributors of the drug trafficking enterprise in Alaska. From February 2022 to July 2023, law enforcement intercepted over 36 kilograms of fentanyl, 27.3 kilograms of meth, 11.3 kilograms of heroin, and 118 grams of cocaine connected to the enterprise The indictments allege the enterprise mainly used high-level suppliers to send drug packages through the U.S. Postal Service from Oregon and California to Alaska. Distributors located in Alaska would allegedly receive the packages and traffic the drugs to Alaskan communities, from the most populous cities to some of Alaska’s smallest villages. On Jan. 24, the Northern District of West Virginia announced charges against 82 defendants for a drug trafficking ring operating in the Eastern Panhandle. According to court documents, Gary Bernard Brown Jr., 38, of Baltimore, supplied others with large quantities of fentanyl capsules and powder for redistribution in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. The investigation yielded 10 kilograms of fentanyl with a street value of $1.2 million. The fentanyl being trafficked was blue and packaged in colorful capsules, potentially attractive to children. It was enough fentanyl to create more than 33,000 of the capsules for sale. Officers also found cocaine, methamphetamine, firearms, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets during the investigation. On Jan. 23, the District of Nebraska announced charges against 19 defendants for their roles as part of a meth distribution ring operating throughout Nebraska with ties to Kentucky and California. Alejandro Ruiz, 41, allegedly ran the crime syndicate out of California and trafficked meth and other narcotics from Mexico into California and then into the Midwest, including central Nebraska. In addition to meth seized through controlled buys, law enforcement also seized three firearms. On Jan. 23, the Southern District of Mississippi arrested 40 individuals stemming from a four-year federal investigation of multiple drug-trafficking organizations distributing meth, cocaine, and other illegal narcotics. The case included defendants throughout Mississippi with connections to Mexico, California, Texas, Alabama, and elsewhere. Some defendants are charged with committing a meth drug offense while minors, including a young toddler, were at the location. Investigators seized 36 firearms, five kilograms of crystal meth, and one kilogram of cocaine. The investigation and prosecution of these cases are part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operations, which aim to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Justice Department and the FTC Update Guidance that Reinforces Parties’ Preservation Obligations for Collaboration Tools and Ephemeral Messaging

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced that both agencies are updating language in their standard preservation letters and specifications for all second requests, voluntary access letters and compulsory legal process, including grand jury subpoenas, to address the increased use of collaboration tools and ephemeral messaging platforms in the modern workplace. These updates reinforce longstanding obligations requiring companies to preserve materials during the pendency of government investigations and litigation. “These updates to our legal process will ensure that neither opposing counsel nor their clients can feign ignorance when their clients or companies choose to conduct business through ephemeral messages,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Manish Kumar of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission expect that opposing counsel will preserve and produce any and all responsive documents, including data from ephemeral messaging applications designed to hide evidence. Failure to produce such documents may result in obstruction of justice charges.” “Companies and individuals have a legal responsibility to preserve documents when involved in government investigations or litigation in order to promote efficient and effective enforcement that protects the American public,” said Director Henry Liu of the FTC Bureau of Competition. “Today’s update reinforces that this preservation responsibility applies to new methods of collaboration and information sharing tools, even including tools that allow for messages to disappear via ephemeral messaging capabilities.” Companies continue to adopt new technologies to do their work, and in recent years there has been an increase in use of collaboration tools and ephemeral messaging applications, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams and Signal. Some of these technologies allow, or even automatically enable, immediate and irretrievable destruction of communications and documents. Documents created through use of these technologies have long been covered by Justice Department and the FTC document requests. However, companies have not always properly retained these types of documents during government investigations and litigation. Today’s announcement underscores the continued cooperation between the Antitrust Division and FTC’s Bureau of Competition on criminal enforcement of antitrust laws and related issues that arise in antitrust actions.


title: U.S. Attorney Charges NYPD Officer With Sexual Exploitation Of A Minor And Possession Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Erin Keegan, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); and Edward A. Caban, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced that ANGAD BEHARRY, an NYPD officer, and GISAINET CRISTINA CHIRINOS VILORIA were arrested yesterday and each charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child. BEHARRY was also charged with an additional count of possession of child pornography. The Complaint charges that from at least on or about August 31, 2022, through at least on or about September 3, 2022, the defendants conspired to induce a female minor (the “Victim”) to engage in sexually explicit conduct, to take sexually explicit photographs and videos of the Victim, and to transmit them over the Internet to BEHARRY. In addition, the Complaint charges that from at least in or about April 23, 2022, to June 20, 2023, BEHARRY knowingly possessed sexually explicit video and images of minors, including prepubescent minors and minors under the age of 12. BEHARRY was presented yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy and detained without bail. VILORIA was also presented yesterday in the Southern District of Indiana, where she was arrested, and detained without bail. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The alleged actions of Angad Beharry and Gisainet Cristina Chirinos Viloria are unconscionable and despicable. Moreover, Beharry, as New York City Police officer, is trusted in this community to protect us and stand up for what is right, but he now stands accused of victimizing a child to satisfy his own alleged repulsive desires. We encourage anyone with additional information pertaining to this case to contact HSI at 1-866-DHS-2423.” HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said: “Angad Beharry took an oath to protect the people of this great city. As alleged, he betrayed his duty, chose to serve his vile desires, and, in turn, is accused of the same heinous crimes he once swore to combat. Whether here or elsewhere around the world, HSI New York and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety of all individuals, especially those victims who are too young or vulnerable to do so themselves.” As alleged in the Criminal Complaint: [1] Between on or about August 31, 2022, and September 3, 2022, BEHARRY — using the alias “Gad” — asked VILORIA to take sexually explicit photographs of a nine-year-old child with whom VILORIA appeared to be acquainted, which VILORIA did and then transmitted the photographs to BEHARRY via WhatsApp. BEHARRY asked VILORIA the price “for everything” — and stated that he transmitted money to her. In or about October 2022, members of the Colombian National Police rescued a one-year-old female from Medellin, Colombia, whose mother took sexually explicit photographs of her and distributed them via social media. The mother was arrested and reported to Colombian law enforcement that she had communicated with BEHARRY via Facebook, and that BEHARRY had asked her for sexually explicit material depicting sexual acts between the mother’s infant and the mother, among other requests. The mother also told law enforcement that she had a friend in Venezuela — i.e. , VILORIA — who she believed was also in communication with BEHARRY. In addition, between on or about April 23, 2022, and June 20, 2023, BEHARRY possessed multiple photographs and videos containing child sexual abuse imagery, including material depicting males engaged in sexual acts with young female children. * * * ANGAD BEHARRY, 46, of, Yonkers, New York, and GISAINET CRISTINA CHIRINOS VILORIA, 23, a citizen of Venezuela residing in Goshen, Indiana, are each charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. BEHARRY is additionally charged with one count of possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors or minors under the age of 12, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI’s New York Child Exploitation Investigations Team, HSI’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit, the Colombian National Police, and the NYPD Internal Affairs Bureau. Mr. Williams stated that the investigation is ongoing and requests that any individuals with information concerning ANGAD BEHARRY and GISAINET CRISTINA CHIRINOS VILORIA and any individuals who may have encountered someone using the WhatsApp name “Gad,” please contact HSI through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2423 or sextrafficking_outreach@hsi.dhs.gov and reference this case. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing-impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Ly and Kathryn Wheelock are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein are only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Harrisburg Man Sentenced To 70 Months’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

body_text: HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Denzel Moore, age 30, formerly of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by the Honorable Jennifer P. Wilson to serve 70 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised released based upon his previously entered guilty plea to distributing cocaine and possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on September 25, 2019, Moore was observed by Harrisburg police officers selling cocaine on Swatara Street, in Harrisburg. Moore fled the scene on a bicycle and when police apprehended him, they recovered a loaded .9mm semi-automatic pistol, two cellular phones, 24 oxycodone pills, and $585 in cash. Moore had two prior convictions for distributing cocaine and was designated a career offender by the Court. 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. The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler and Assistant United States Attorney Johnny Baer prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Justice Department Secures Settlement Agreement with State of New York Executive Chamber to Resolve Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Claims Under Title VII

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has signed an agreement with the State of New York Executive Chamber (Executive Chamber) to resolve the department’s claims that the Executive Chamber under former Governor Andrew Cuomo engaged in a pattern or practice of sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The agreement memorializes the reforms already carried out by current Governor Kathy Hochul as well as additional reforms aimed at preventing sexual harassment and retaliation in the Executive Chamber. Title VII is a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Title VII also forbids employers from retaliating against current and former employees for complaining about workplace discrimination or otherwise asserting their Title VII rights. The department’s investigation, conducted jointly by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, found that the Executive Chamber under former Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (1) subjected female employees to a sexually hostile work environment; (2) tolerated that environment and failed to correct the problem on an agency-wide basis and (3) retaliated against employees who spoke out about the harassment. Former Governor Cuomo and many complicit senior staff left the Executive Chamber in 2021. Since the department’s investigation began in August 2021, the Executive Chamber has implemented changes to its policies and practices intended to prevent and address the alleged misconduct. The agreement announced today memorializes these efforts and calls for additional reforms, including: Expanding the Executive Chamber’s Human Resources Department; Creating new policies and procedures for the external reporting, investigation and resolution of complaints involving high-level Executive Chamber employees, including the Governor; Developing and implementing robust training and anti-retaliation programs and Creating mechanisms to assess the reforms’ effectiveness on a systemic basis. “Executive Chamber employees deserve to work without fear of sexual harassment and harsh reprisal when they oppose that harassment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The conduct in the Executive Chamber under the former governor, the state’s most powerful elected official, was especially egregious because of the stark power differential involved and the victims’ lack of avenues to report and redress harassment. With this settlement agreement, the Executive Chamber under Governor Hochul is undertaking additional actions that will address system failures of the past while helping prevent the recurrence of systemic sexual harassment and retaliation in the future.” “We appreciate the Governor’s stated determination to make sure that sexual harassment does not recur at the highest level of New York State government,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “We share that goal and enter into this agreement to advance our common goal of creating clear, comprehensive and, most importantly, enduring policies preventing sexual harassment in the Executive Chamber.” The enforcement of Title VII and other federal laws against employment discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. This agreement is part of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative, which seeks to eradicate sexual harassment in state and local government workplaces. It focuses on litigation, outreach and developing effective remedial measures to address and prevent sex discrimination and harassment. More information about the work of the Civil Rights Division, the division’s Employment Litigation Section and civil rights enforcement at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York is available at www.justice.gov/crt , www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section and www.justice.gov/usao-edny/civil-rights .


title: Inmate At FCI Schuylkill Sentenced To An Additional 12 Months In Prison For Possession Of Contraband

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Daquon Brooks, age 25, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 25, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to serve an additional 12 months in prison on the charge of possession of contraband in prison. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Brooks, formerly of Washington D.C., previously pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing a dangerous prison-made weapon, commonly known as a “shank.” The charge stems from an incident in April 2023, in which staff at FCI Schuylkill found Brooks in possession of the weapon. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara is prosecuting the case. At the time of the incident at FCI Schuylkill, Brooks was serving a sentence from Washington D.C. for assault with a dangerous weapon and stalking. That sentence does not expire until 2033. The sentence imposed by Judge Munley for the charge of possession of contraband in prison will run consecutive to the Washington D.C. sentence. # # #


title: Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery and Firearms Charges

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on January 25, 2024, to charges of robbery and firearms violations, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Richard James, 33, pleaded guilty to six counts before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in April and May of 2021, James committed a series of armed robberies of cellular telephone stores in the Pittsburgh area. The Court was also informed that the defendant was found in illegal possession of a firearm in August 2021. As a convicted felon, under federal law, James is not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition. Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2024. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to life prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that the defendant remain detained. Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of James, in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Wilkinsburg Police Department, and Swissvale Police Department.