title: Madison Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Illegal Gun Possession

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Zendel Rolack, 26, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 72 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. This prison term will be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Rolack pleaded guilty to this offense on March 1, 2023. The Fitchburg Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in Oregon, Wisconsin on October 5, 2021, as part of an investigation of a shooting that occurred in Fitchburg on September 29, 2021. At the residence, officers arrested Rolack and the shooting suspect, Alexander Jefferson-Cooper. During a search of a room being used by Rolack as a bedroom, officers located multiple firearms, extra ammunition, firearm magazines, and controlled substances. DNA testing confirmed the presence of Rolack’s DNA on three of the recovered firearms and the packaging material of some of the controlled substances. A search of Rolack’s phone revealed photos of him with additional firearms, and text messages consistent with drug distribution. One of the other firearms recovered was found to be the firearm used in the September 29, 2021 shooting. At the time of the offense in this case, Rolack was prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of multiple felony convictions, including a 2016 conviction for armed robbery and a 2019 conviction for strangulation and battery. At sentencing, Judge Conley stated a substantial sentence of imprisonment was warranted in light of the Rolack’s history of committing gun offenses and crimes of violence. Judge Conley also noted that Rolack had not responded well to prior sentences of probation. Jefferson-Cooper was charged in connection with the September 29, 2021 shooting in Dane County Case 2022CF811 and was sentenced to 6 months in jail on November 29, 2022. He was also charged in federal court with being a felon in possession of a firearm, and on January 19, 2023, Judge Conley sentenced Jefferson-Cooper to 60 months in prison. The charges against Rolack and Jefferson-Cooper were the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus prosecuted this case. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.


title: Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Firearm Laws

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. Isaac Duku, Jr., 22, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on May 28, 2022, Duku Jr. unlawfully possessed ammunition as a convicted felon. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing ammunition. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pittsburgh Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Isaac Duku, Jr.


title: Kenner Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – DUANE DUFRENE , age 55, a resident of Kenner, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering before U.S. District Court Judge Jane Triche-Milazzo, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans of the Eastern District of Louisiana. According to court documents, DUFRENE conspired with RYAN MULLEN , DILLON ARCENEAUX , LANCE VALLO , GRANT MENARD, and ZEB SARTIN to use several shell Louisiana corporations, that were devoid of assets, to defraud a Georgia based merchant cash company. MULLEN and DUFRENE helped establish ARCENEAUX , VALLO , MENARD , and SARTIN as the owners of the existing shell corporations. MULLEN and DUFRENE then created fake vendor accounts for the corporations, and MULLEN , along with another person, created falsified bank records for the companies. MULLEN then used an alias and represented himself to be a broker for the shell companies he helped create. Through the aid of another broker, MULLEN supplied the victim merchant cash advance company with the fake vendor accounts and false bank records in order to obtain funding. The victim cash advance company approved the advances and began to electronically wire ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , a nd SARTIN millions of dollars in advances. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN laundered a portion of the funds by paying MULLEN and DUFRENE a portion of the funds. ARCENEAUX, VALLO, MENARD , and SARTIN then closed their non-existent businesses before fully repaying the victim merchant cash advance company, resulting in overall losses to the victim of approximately $6.4 million. DUFRENE is to be sentenced on November 29, 2023, and faces a maximum sentence of five years on the wire fraud conspiracy, and up to twenty years on the money laundering conspiracy. After imprisonment, the defendant faces up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine on the wire fraud count, and up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $500,000 fine on the money laundering count. Each count also requires DUFRENE to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count. U.S. Attorney Evans commended the special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation for their handling of the matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit and Andre Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.


title: Readout of Department of Justice Federal/Tribal Regional Summit in Spokane, Washington

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref for the Eastern District of Washington hosted a Federal/Tribal Regional Summit in Spokane, Washington, July 25-26, alongside co-hosts from the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), the Office of Environmental Justice and the Office of Tribal Justice. The Federal/Tribal Regional Summit built on a November 2022 Tribal Listening Session in Washington, DC and a national Federal/Tribal Summit in Columbia, South Carolina in early 2023. The Summits are intended to deliver on the promise in the Department’s Comprehensive Environmental Justice Enforcement Strategy to work with Tribal governments and other federal agencies to find “ways to address and incorporate Tribal concerns into the Department’s enforcement work.” This meeting was the first of three Regional Summits planned for this calendar year. At the Spokane meeting, U.S. Attorney Waldref welcomed representatives of Tribal nations from Idaho, Washington, and Montana. U.S. Attorney Waldref acknowledged that the gathering was taking place on the ancestral lands of the Spokane Tribe. The meeting was held in the Spokane Public Library overlooking Spokane Falls and artwork by Virgil “Smoker” Marchand, a member of the Lakes Band of the Colville Confederated Tribe, who passed away earlier this year. Monica Tonasket, a member of the Spokane Tribal Council also gave a land acknowledgement and blessing to the group to start off the Summit. In his remarks to the group, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim for ENRD challenged the group to identify new ways to work together to address the substantial challenges that Tribes face in establishing and preserving sustainable homelands. AAG Kim noted the unique government-to-government relationship that the United States has with Tribes, and the Justice Department’s role in upholding and asserting federal reserved water rights claims and other tribal and treaty rights. He then linked Summit goals to three key Administration priorities: respecting Tribal sovereignty and self-governance, furthering environmental justice and combating the climate crisis. In her remarks, U.S. Attorney Waldref noted the criminal prosecutions that her office has pursued in Indian Country and announced that the Justice Department has selected the Eastern District of Washington to house a federal prosecutor focused on addressing the crisis of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People for the Western Region of the United States. She also conveyed her commitment to environmental justice, reflected in her position as Chair of the Environmental Justice & Environmental Issues Subcommittee that advises Attorney General Merrick Garland. U.S. Attorney Waldref also emphasized that environmental protection is a critical component of public health and safety. The Summit then progressed into short presentations followed by in-depth discussions around three issues: tribal water rights, challenges Tribes are facing with a rapidly changing climate and treaty rights related to hunting and gathering of natural resources. The second day began with remarks by Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 10. The Federal Bureau of Investigation then presented on its work in Indian County, including emerging trends related to pollution crime, theft of natural resources and illicit activity tied to extractive industries. Additional presentations provided information on federal grant opportunities, the National Ocean Justice Strategy and grant and investigatory resources at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “It was an honor for the Eastern District of Washington to host the Justice Department’s first regional summit focused on defending and strengthening Tribal homelands, climate adaptation, resilience and environmental justice,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref after the event. “It was humbling to gather together with several Tribal nations at the base of Spokane Falls, where Tribes from across the Columbia Plateau have historically gathered to fish for the Chinook Salmon that once spawned beneath these sacred waterfalls. The Justice Department and our District are fully committed to enforcing laws to achieve environmental justice, working together to combat the climate crisis, and protecting civil rights, all while continuing to recognize and respect Tribal sovereignty.” Future Regional Tribal Summits are scheduled for Sept. 26-27, in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Oct. 16-17, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.


title: CEO Of Paycheck Protection Program Lender MBE Capital Sentenced To 54 Months In Prison In Connection With Fraudulent Loan And Lender Applications

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that RAFAEL MARTINEZ was sentenced to 54 months in prison for his role in a scheme to submit fraudulent loan and lender applications related to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). MARTINEZ previously pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today’s sentence. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Martinez lied to get money that was supposed to help people through the challenges of COVID-19. He lied so that he could fund a lavish lifestyle of cars, jets, and fancy homes. Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who would abuse the system to serve their own selfish ends: such conduct will be brought to light and to justice. No one’s greed is above the law.” According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment, the Complaint, court filings, and statements made during plea and sentencing proceedings: MARTINEZ used false representations and documents to fraudulently obtain the approval of the SBA for his company, MBE Capital Partners, LLC (“MBE”), to be a non-bank lender through the PPP in an effort to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in capital for PPP loans and, ultimately, to collect more than approximately $71 million in lender fees. In addition, MARTINEZ engaged in a scheme to obtain a PPP loan for MBE in the amount of approximately $283,764 through false statements regarding the number of employees of MBE and the wages paid to MBE employees and using the forged signature of MBE’s tax preparer. At all relevant times, MARTINEZ has been the CEO and primary owner of MBE, a New York limited liability company formed in or about March 2015. Republic Group, LLC, a/k/a “Republic Group Parts, LLC,” which is owned and controlled by MARTINEZ, serves as the holding company for MBE and conducts business as MBE. According to MBE’s website, “For over 20 years, MBE Capital Partners has been a leading provider of financing solutions for small and diverse businesses. . . In 2019, we financed over $1.7 billion in public and private debt and we funded over 35,000 PPP loans worth $800M.” On or about April 5, 2020, MARTINEZ applied to a financial institution for a government-guaranteed loan for Republic Group, d/b/a MBE, through the SBA’s PPP. In connection with the loan application, MARTINEZ represented that MBE had as many as 15 employees and an average monthly payroll of approximately $119,390 in 2019. In fact, however, from in or about April 2018 through in or about April 2020, MBE had at most four employees who had a total average monthly payroll of no more $25,000. In order to support the false representations made by MARTINEZ in the loan application about the number of employees at and the wages paid by MBE, MARTINEZ submitted fraudulent and doctored tax records that contained the forged signature of a tax preparer located in New York, New York (the “Tax Preparer”). Based on the false documentation provided by MARTINEZ, MBE was approved for a PPP loan in the amount of approximately $283,764, which was disbursed to a bank account controlled by MARTINEZ. A majority of the loan proceeds do not appear to have been used for payroll for employees of MBE or other business expenses. On or about April 9, 2020, within five days of applying for the PPP loan referenced above, MARTINEZ submitted an application to the SBA for MBE to become a non-bank PPP lender. As part of the PPP lender application process, MARTINEZ represented that MBE had originated and serviced over $3.8 billion in business loans or other commercial financial receivables for the three-year period from in or about 2017 through in or about 2019 and submitted fraudulent financial statements that purported to be audited by the Tax Preparer’s firm for the years 2018 and 2019. Based on the false information provided by MARTINEZ to the SBA, MBE was approved as a non-bank lender for PPP loans. On or about April 27, 2020, MARTINEZ submitted various documents, including the same fraudulent audited financial statements for 2019 provided to the SBA, to a life insurance company (the “Company”) as part of a proposed partnership to fund PPP loans for minority and women-owned small businesses. On or about May 13, 2020, the Company provided MBE with $100 million to fund PPP loans, which MBE in turn used as collateral to borrow additional capital of approximately $832 million through the Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (“PPPLF”) with the Federal Reserve. As a result of the above fraudulent misrepresentations, MARTINEZ, through his company MBE, became an approved PPP lender and issued approximately $823 million in PPP loans to approximately 36,600 businesses. These loans earned MARTINEZ a total of approximately $71.3 million in fees. MARTINEZ spent the proceeds from his criminal conduct on, among other things, the purchase of a villa in the Dominican Republic for over $10 million, a $3.5 million mansion located in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, a chartered jet service, and several luxury vehicles, including a 2018 Porsche 911 Turbo, a 2017 Ferrari 488 Spider, a 2017 Bentley Continental GT, a BMW 750, and a 1962 Mercedes Benz 190. * * * In addition to his prison term, MARTINEZ, 57, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and further ordered to forfeit $44,546,712.94, as well as multiple properties and luxury vehicles, including a Ferrari Model 488 Spider, pay restitution in the amount of $71,711,893.07, and pay a $100 special assessment fee. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General; and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, Eastern Region. This case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah Fergenson, Katherine Reilly, and Steven Kochevar are in charge of the prosecution.


title: St. Louis County Man Who Scammed Home Store for the Second Time Sentenced to 175 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a man from St. Louis County, Missouri who committed a $1.6 million credit card fraud scheme to 14 years and seven months in prison. Michael W. Burrus, 50, was also ordered to repay the money. Burrus and others obtained stolen information for business customers of Lowe’s, including names, telephone numbers, addresses and credit card account numbers. Burrus used the information to gain access to the credit card accounts of the businesses, applied for additional credit cards and changed the mailing address on the accounts. Burrus then made purchases with the credit cards, all without the knowledge and consent of the 40 business victims. Burrus and others caused a total loss of more than $1.6 million. Burrus pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of bank fraud. It was the second time that Burrus committed the same type of fraud. Burrus is still paying off a total of $335,152 in restitution ordered in a 2017 fraud case involving two other men. Burrus pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud and was sentenced in 2018 to two years in prison. He was on supervised release at the time of his new crime. “The United States Secret Service will continue to work with our private sector partners to aggressively target individuals and groups who attempt to take advantage of retail business financial systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Gibson of the U.S. Secret Service St. Louis Field Office. “I commend the exceptional work of our partners with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and emphasize our agency’s ongoing commitment to combatting fraud at every level.” “The defendant in this case operated a bank fraud conspiracy for 17 months, bilking 40 businesses out of $1.6 million,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonca who heads the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. “Today’s sentencing sends a message that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate such financial crimes in pursuit of justice for victims.” The U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gwen Carroll, Kyle Bateman and Edward Dowd III prosecuted the case.


title: Heron man sentenced to three years in prison for kidnapping son, fleeing to Costa Rica

body_text: MISSOULA — A Heron man convicted at trial of kidnapping his son in violation of a parenting plan and taking him to Costa Rica was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. At a two-day trial in March, a jury found Jacob Israel Strong, aka Jacob Israel Guill, 37, guilty of international parental kidnapping. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court also ordered $6,948 restitution. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in January 2020, Strong and his ex-wife entered into a parenting plan for their then two-year-old son as part of a divorce proceeding. Prior to a court date in August 2021, Strong failed to return their son to his mother as scheduled. The mother was unable to locate Strong and contacted the Sanders County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement also was unable to contact Strong. The Sanders County Attorney’s Office subsequently charged Strong with felony parental interference and a state arrest warrant was issued for Strong. In September 2021, the FBI opened an investigation to assist Sanders County in the search for Strong and his son. In January 2022, the FBI discovered Strong and the child were living in Costa Rica and learned that Strong and his son left the United States in approximately October 2021, near Midland, Texas. Strong paid a man to transport them to Costa Rica, and Strong and the child lived with the man for about six weeks. In May 2022, the FBI received specific information about Strong’s whereabouts, and Costa Rica officials arrested and deported him back to the United States. The child’s mother traveled to Costa Rica to take custody of her son and returned with him to the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Racicot and Brian C. Lowney prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: U.S. Settles Lawsuit Alleging Medical Staffing And Services Companies Defrauded Medicare By Submitting Claims Under The Names Of Doctors Who Did Not Perform The Services

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today that the United States has filed and settled a civil fraud lawsuit against ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS, INC., f/k/a “Medicom Management Services, Inc.”; MEDEXCEL USA, INC.; MEDEXCEL EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN SERVICES OF YONKERS, PLLC (“MEPSY”); and TRI-STATE EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS, PLLC (collectively the “Defendants”). This settlement resolves a lawsuit under the False Claims Act alleging that the Defendants submitted or caused the submission of false claims to Medicare using the names and identifying information of physicians who did not perform or supervise the medical services claimed and, in many cases, were no longer employed by the Defendants. Under the terms of the settlement approved today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, the Defendants admitted and accepted responsibility for their conduct and agreed to pay $475,000 in damages to the United States. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Advanced Health Partners, working with Medexcel, fraudulently billed Medicare on behalf of MEPSY and Tri-State at significant cost to taxpayers. This settlement holds these entities accountable both through the monetary payment and the detailed admissions they have made.” HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz said: “Providers that conceal or fail to submit accurate billing information can affect individuals who depend on Medicare funding for access to safe and effective health care services. The laws are meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients. Our agency collaborates frequently with our law enforcement partners to investigate providers alleged to undermine our federal health care programs by submitting fraudulent claims, thus violating the False Claims Act.” As part of the settlement, the Defendants admit, acknowledge, and accept responsibility for the following conduct: Between 2007 and 2017 (the “Covered Period”), MEPSY and TRI-STATE provided clinical staff to operate emergency departments at various hospitals in or around the Southern District of New York (the “Emergency Departments”). During the Covered Period, ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS submitted claims to the Medicare program (the “Subject Claims”) for professional services rendered at the Emergency Departments by physicians or other clinical staff employed by MEPSY and TRI-STATE. MEDEXCEL provided management services to MEPSY and TRI-STATE. Additionally, MEDEXCEL provided back-office support and guidance to ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS concerning its billing practices, including, in some instances, by directing which physician’s National Provider Identification number (“NPI”) to use to bill for specific services. During the Covered Period, several thousand of the Subject Claims used the NPIs of physicians who did not render or supervise the services in question, rather than the NPIs of the physicians who had actually rendered or supervised the services. Specifically, ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS, who received billing guidance from MEDEXCEL, used the NPIs of physicians who previously had been, but were no longer, employed by MEPSY or TRI-STATE. Defendants MEPSY and TRI-STATE received substantial reimbursement from Medicare to which they were not entitled as a result of these claims, and ADVANCED HEALTH PARTNERS and MEDEXCEL caused Medicare to make these unwarranted payments. In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act. * * * Mr. Williams thanked HHS-OIG for its assistance. The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter M. Aronoff and Jacob M. Bergman are in charge of the case. U.S. v. Advanced Health Partners et al Complaint U.S. v. Advanced Health Partners et al Settlement


title: Ringleader in Major Drug Trafficking and Money-Laundering Conspiracy Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: St. George , Utah – A foreign national was sentenced today to 10 years’ imprisonment after he admitted to distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana in St. George. According to court documents, Angel Rubio-Quintana, 42, of St. George, Utah, was first discovered by agents in March 2020, after learning that an individual in St. George was receiving large amounts of methamphetamine from a Mexican cartel. During an extensive investigation dubbed “Operation Sour Cream,” agents learned that Mr. Rubio-Quintana led the organization’s efforts to import and distribute drugs from Mexico. Between October 2021 and February 2022, agents intercepted over 200 phone calls in which Mr. Rubio-Quintana negotiated drug prices and quantities with his Mexican drug suppliers. Agents conducted at least 13 controlled buys in which they purchased methamphetamine and fentanyl from conspiracy members. In the first controlled buy, the drugs were delivered in a large sour cream bucket that contained methamphetamine. This case involves thousands of fentanyl pills, 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 45 pounds of marijuana. Between June 2021 and January 2022, Rubio-Quintana’s organization sent over 60 wire transfers to Mexican drug suppliers, totaling over $58,000. As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Rubio-Quintana has agreed to forfeit $23,666. He faces deportation following his 121 months prison sentence. “Mr. Rubio-Quintana’s actions jeopardized the safety of the St. George community,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “Not only did he distribute dangerous narcotics, but he also took advantage of naïve young people convincing them to join in his conspiracy. We appreciate the efforts of all law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation and in removing this harm from our communities.” "The community in Southern Utah can now feel safer knowing Mr. Rubio-Quintana was sentenced to a long time in prison," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Salt Lake City FBI. "As the head of a drug trafficking organization, Rubio-Quintana was responsible for importing deadly drugs into St. George and other areas in the Western United States. He even recruited young members of the community, including his own teenage son, to participate in the local drug trade. It is the FBI's mission, along with our law enforcement partners, to ensure our communities remain safe. This sentencing serves as a warning to others that drug trafficking will result in serious consequences." “Mr. Rubio-Quintana was the leader of one of the most prolific and sophisticated drug trafficking organizations in Southern Utah. His sentencing, along with the dismantlement of his distribution network, signifies the Drug Enforcement Administration’s relentless pursuit of individuals distributing poison throughout our communities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie. “Today’s sentencing is the result of a strong collaborative effort with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in Utah.” The case was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Washington County Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen P. Dent and Angela M. Reddish-Day of the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Dallas County Man Sentenced to 25 years in Federal Prison in Connection with Donut Shop Robberies

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Mesquite man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for violent criminal activity in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Tony Sullivan, 28, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery; aiding and abetting; conspiracy to kidnap; using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Sullivan was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison on July 26, 2023, by U.S. District Judge Amos Mazzant. “Sullivan has been justly punished for subjecting innocent victims to his spree of violence between April 2019 and August 2019,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Today’s sentence sends a powerful message to those who use violence and fear to carry out their crimes.” “The defendant targeted a close-knit community of successful business owners, inciting fear throughout the metroplex. His victims were stalked and terrorized, some for hours and some to the brink of death, and all have a long road of recovery ahead,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “Law enforcement utilized proactive investigative techniques that thwarted future attacks and led to the dismantlement of a criminal enterprise that had no intention of stopping. We cannot allow violent crimes to erode the value of community in our hometowns; law enforcement will continue to work together to bring violent offenders to justice and protect our residents.” According to information presented in court, the FBI began an investigation into a series of home invasion type robbery incidents between April 2019 and December 2019 that targeted owners and operators of donut stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area. The robberies occurred late in the evening or very early in the morning before the shopkeepers departed for work. The assailants would force their way into the home and assault the home’s occupants. Victims were often beat with baseball bats and bound with duct tape while being held at gunpoint. At least nine robberies have been attributed to this crime spree. Due to the times of the robberies coinciding with the times the victims would have been leaving their residences to open their businesses, agents concluded the suspects had to have conducted physical surveillance to determine where the victims lived and when the victims would have been leaving their residences. On the evening of July 8, 2019, officers in Euless, Texas, received a call from a witness reporting an individual stumbling down his street with his hands bound by tape. The victim had a bleeding head wound and was transported to a hospital. The victim advised he returned home from his donut shop in Dallas to find two suspects in his residence. He was bound and beat with a baseball bat and ordered to open a safe. The assailants left with the victim’s car keys, cellular phone, approximately $9,500 from the safe, and approximately $900 from his wallet. Law enforcement agents utilized footage from surveillance videos, cell phone site data, and data extracted from cellular phones to determine Sullivan participated in the attack. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes the Dallas Police Department, the Garland Police Department, the Grand Prairie Police Department, the Richardson Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Other investigating agencies who assisted in the investigation are the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Carrollton Police Department, the Coppell Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Dalworthington Gardens Police Department, the Euless Police Department, and the Flower Mound Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ernest Gonzalez. ###


title: Holyoke Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Holyoke man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Springfield in connection with drug and firearm offenses. Jonathan Mercedes, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams of more of fentanyl; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking felonies. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled for Nov. 16, 2023. Mercedes was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022. On April 7, 2022, Mercedes possessed with intent to distribute 60 grams of fentanyl laced heroin and 59 grams of cocaine. Mercedes also possessed a Ruger .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with nine rounds of .22 caliber ammunition and a Smith and Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 11 rounds of 9mm ammunition. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $2 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.


title: Southbridge Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine

body_text: BOSTON – A Southbridge man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to traffic multiple kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine in Central and Eastern Massachusetts. Edgardo Ramirez, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release. On April 26, 2023, Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl; and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of p-Fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. Ramirez was indicted in September 2022 along with 21 other co-defendants for their alleged roles in drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that distributed cocaine and fentanyl throughout the North Shore and Central Massachusetts. It is alleged that the DTO regularly used the United States mail to conduct drug trafficking activities. Specifically, the DTO allegedly obtained large quantities of cocaine through packages mailed from Puerto Rico to addresses used by the DTO and mailed packages containing fentanyl to recipients in Florida and elsewhere. From April to July 2022, Ramirez was responsible for mixing, packaging and transporting fentanyl and cocaine in furtherance of this criminal conspiracy. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, Southbridge Police Department, Lawrence Police Department, Essex County Sherriff’s Department and Worcester County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Missoula man sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for sexually exploiting child

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA — A Missoula man who admitted to producing sexually explicit images of a child and downloading sexually explicit images of children from the internet was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Anthony Riley Smith, 29, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. U.C. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court also ordered $133,560 restitution to the victim. “Smith committed unspeakable crimes against a vulnerable child. His heinous conduct merits the lengthy sentence that the judge imposed today,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “I want to thank the Missoula Police Department for being part of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task and for its hard work rendering justice in this case. We will continue to work with the ICAC Task Force to investigate and prosecute such egregious crimes committed against children. Our office remains committed to prosecuting offenders like Smith and to seeking sentences like today’s, which ensures that he will never harm another child again.” “Crimes against children are a priority for the Missoula Police Department,” Missoula Police Chief Michael J. Colyer said. “Thorough investigations are an invaluable part of seeking justice for victims, and we hope our role will somehow help victims along the path to recovery. Bringing these complex cases to a successful resolution is the result of tireless work by committed members of the Missoula Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will continue to invest in protecting children in the future.” In court documents, the government alleged that in August 2021, a Missoula Police Department detective, who is a member of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, investigated multiple CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tips related to sexually explicit images of children being uploaded online. The investigation led to Smith. Law enforcement searched his residence pursuant to a warrant and seized electronic devices. Investigators determined that Smith had produced child pornography of a prepubescent boy with a cellular phone, and that his desktop computer contained images of the boy engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Smith admitted he had been collecting child pornography for more than a year. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee L. Peterson prosecuted the case. The Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Missoula Police Department and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Because there is no parole in the federal system, a defendant will likely serve all of a sentence imposed by the court. A defendant may be eligible for a sentence reduction for “good behavior,” however, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . XXX


title: Third Defendant Sentenced for His Role in Scheme to Commit Postal Money Order and Bank Fraud

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Sandra J. Stewart announced the sentencing of a third defendant involved in a money order and bank fraud scheme. On July 25, 2023, a judge sentenced Damion Lavar Stowes, Jr., 25, from Montgomery, Alabama, to 60 months in prison. Previously, two other co-defendants were sentenced for their parts in the conspiracy. On April 10, 2023, Calvin Darius Franklin, Jr., 29, a resident of Blue Island, Illinois, received a sentence of 45 months. Then, on May 1, 2023, a judge imposed a 24-month sentence for Jyria Ye’Vae Barnes, 23, also from Montgomery. Before their sentencing hearings, Stowes, Franklin, and Barnes each pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit U.S. Postal money order and bank fraud. According to their plea agreements and other court records, Stowes, Franklin, Barnes, and others, bought U.S. Postal Service money orders for around $1 in states throughout the southeast, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee. They then altered the money orders to reflect higher amounts, most often $1,000. The three recruited people via social media applications to provide bank account information and used the recruits’ accounts to cash the altered money orders. Stowes, Franklin, and Barnes then split the profits amongst themselves. In addition, Stowes, Franklin, and Barnes also cashed and caused to be cashed multiple forged checks in the Montgomery area, again recruiting people via social media to cash the forged checks and splitting the profits. When sentencing all three defendants, the judge determined that the amount of actual loss from their scheme was approximately $94,574 and ordered restitution in that amount. However, based on money orders and checks recovered during the investigation before they were cashed, the potential loss amount was more than $500,000. “The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to identifying and prosecuting individuals who exploit our financial system for their own profit,” stated United States Attorney Stewart. “I applaud the Postal Inspection Service for preventing a greater loss to the American taxpayers and holding the defendants accountable.” “Postal Inspectors will never tolerate anyone defrauding the Postal Service or its customers," said Inspector-in-Charge Scott Fix with the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Houston Division. “The sentences handed down to Franklin, Barnes and Stowes should serve as a reminder to other perpetrators engaged in this type of criminal behavior that we will work diligently to bring them to justice.” A fourth defendant, also from Montgomery, Milon Jaclarius Moss, 26, pleaded guilty to bank fraud earlier this year and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 23, 2023. The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Joel Feil is prosecuting.


title: Kentucky Woman Sentenced for Mailing Threatening Communications to Neighbors Because of Their Race

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Kentucky woman was sentenced to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for mailing communications to her neighbors in 2020 threatening to injure them because of their race. According to court documents, Suzanne Craft, 55, of Louisville, sent multiple threatening communications via the U.S. Postal Service to an interracial couple and their children, who lived in the same neighborhood as Craft. Many of these communications contained threats of violence and racial slurs. Following the jury trial in March, Craft was convicted of five counts of mailing threatening communications. The jury further found that, for each of these five counts, Craft sent the threatening communications to her neighbors because of their actual or perceived race or color. “This sentence sends a clear message regarding our commitment to ending hate-motivated violence and threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no room in civilized society for violent threats based on race. We hope that this result brings some measure of peace to victims who had to suffer through the defendant’s terrifying threats of racial violence.” “I commend the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the trial team for their outstanding work during the investigation and prosecution of this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “The citizens of the Western District who live in communities throughout our 53 counties have the right to live and raise their families free from threats of violence made on the basis of race. The nine-year sentence imposed by the court in this case sends a strong message that this type of activity is criminal, will not be tolerated and that this office will take action to protect our citizens from racial hatred.” “Today’s sentencing is indicative of the egregious behavior Craft levied on her neighbors,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Racially-charged threats will not be tolerated in our communities, and if discovered, will be fully investigated and the perpetrators will be held accountable.” Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Bennett, Special Agent in Charge Cohen and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division made the announcement. The FBI Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Stephanie Zimdahl for the Western District of Kentucky prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal Carissa Moss.


title: Readout of Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer’s Visit to Federal Correctional Institution Aliceville

component: Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

body_text: On July 26, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer and members of her team visited Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Aliceville, a low-security Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility for women, in Aliceville, Alabama. The Pardon Attorney and her team provided a series of educational sessions about the federal clemency process and answered questions from inmates and staff. The Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 500 inmates and staff during their visit. The visit to FCI Aliceville was the third in a series of quarterly educational events that the Pardon Attorney is conducting for inmates and staff at different Bureau of Prisons locations. The first took place at FCI Fort. Dix, a low-security institution in New Jersey in January 2023. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 700 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. The second took place at USP Lewisburg, a medium-security institution in Pennsylvania in April 2023. During that visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team met with over 300 inmates and staff in a day-long series of trainings throughout the facility. These educational sessions within the BOP are part of a year-round initiative by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to increase the accessibility and transparency of the clemency process through education and community engagement.


title: Tucson Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Eric David Marrufo, 43, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to life in prison. Marrufo was convicted of five counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact With a Child. A jury convicted Marrufo on August 19, 2022, of sexually abusing the victims at his home on the Pascua Yaqui Indian Reservation between August 1, 2006, and August 1, 2008. Marrufo is a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew C. Cassell and Rui Wang, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-17-0976-TUC-CKJ-EJM RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-113_Marrufo # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Arizona man who extorted Georgia Tech sentenced to prison

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Ronald Bell has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for extorting Georgia Tech. Bell recruited a security guard to falsely claim that the guard witnessed an assault by its basketball coach in exchange for part of the extortion payout he expected to receive from the university. “Ronald Bell tried to extort Georgia Tech and ruin the reputation of its basketball coach,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “As federal prosecutors, we have a responsibility to the citizens of this district to pursue accountability and justice for crimes of sexual violence. But in this case Bell attempted to exploit the mission of our office, and law enforcement partners, to combat sexual assault through a brazen effort to enrich himself at the expense of Georgia Tech and a member of its staff. Bell has now been held accountable for his crime.” “Bell sought to severely damage the reputation of the institution and their coach solely for his own financial gain,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentence proves that the FBI will not tolerate false allegations and will do everything in our power to seek the truth and hold individuals who commit these type of crimes accountable for their selfish actions.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Ronald Bell pleaded guilty to conspiring with his co-defendant, Jennifer Pendley, and a security guard at Georgia Tech, to extort the university by falsely accusing the coach of the men’s basketball team of sexual assault. Bell recruited the security guard to falsely claim that the guard witnessed an assault by the coach. Bell told the security guard that the false accusation of sexual assault could be worth $20 million to Bell and Pendley and promised the guard a share of the money and a new Jeep. Bell also communicated with representatives of Georgia Tech and demanded money in exchange for not reporting the fictitious sexual assault. For example, he texted a representative of Georgia Tech that: “This is going to get very ugly. GT has made no effort . . . to amicably resolve this . . . I guess this has to get ugly. I tried to resolve this without damaging GT’s reputation . . . .” After Georgia Tech refused to pay Bell, Pendley filed a lawsuit claiming sexual battery, sexual assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. These claims falsely alleged that the guard witnessed the coach sexually assault Pendley. Ultimately, the security guard admitted that his statements were false and that Bell asked him to lie to support the false sexual assault claim. Ronald Bell, 57, of Oro Valley, Ariz., was sentenced to two years, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Bell was convicted of the charge of conspiracy on March 1, 2023, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber prosecuted the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Defendants in Tyngsborough Daycare Investigation Indicted

body_text: BOSTON – Two New Hampshire women have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with the sexual exploitation of children at a daycare in Tyngsborough, Mass. Lindsay Groves, 38, of Hudson, N.H. and Stacie Marie Laughton, 39, of Nashua, N.H., were indicted on three counts each of sexual exploitation of children. Groves is also charged with one count of distribution of child pornography. Laughton will appear in federal court in Boston tomorrow, July 28, 2023 at 10:15 a.m. Groves will appear at a later date. The defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint with sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography on June 22, 2023 and July 18, 2023. Both defendants remain in custody. “Ensuring the safety of our children is one of the highest priorities for this office. The conduct alleged today is horrific and inexplicable. This case is a reminder of how critical it is that we continue to focus on people who prey on our most vulnerable population, children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will never let up in our efforts to investigate and prosecute child exploitation. Perpetrators will be rooted out and aggressively pursued by this office,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “These allegations are every parent’s worst nightmare. The individuals in today’s indictments are alleged to have collaborated to take advantage of trusted access to children to create exploitative material,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Homeland Security Investigations and our partners will never cease in our pursuit of those who prey upon children.” According to the charging documents, Groves worked at Creative Minds located in Tyngsborough, Mass. It is alleged that, between May 2022 and June 2023, Groves took nude images of children at the day care and sent the photos to Laughton. Specifically, Groves allegedly used natural bathroom breaks for the children (routine diaper/pull-up changes prior to “naptime”) to take multiple photos of the prepubescent children in a private bathroom and then send the photos to the individual via text message. According to the charging documents, a preliminary forensic review of Groves’ cellphone allegedly revealed over 10,000 text messages between Laughton and Groves that included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken of children while employed at Creative Minds daycare – including at least four sexually explicit images of three three-year-old children who were students at the daycare, as well as explicit descriptions of sex with each other and others, including children. The investigation remains ongoing. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274. Case information, including links to charging documents and victim resources, can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/united-states-v-lindsay-groves The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, and distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five year and up to 20 years in prison. Both offenses provide for at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; HSI Acting SAC Krol; and Nashua (N.H.) Police Chief Kevin Rourke made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hudson, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne Paruti and Jessica L. Soto of the Major Crimes Unit 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. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The referenced media source is missing and needs to be re-embedded.


title: Pharmaceutical President and Company Sentenced in Counterfeit  Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Florida-based pharmaceutical president has been sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today. Adam P. Runsdorf, 58, of Boca Raton, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit drugs, and money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone. Runsdorf was also ordered to forfeit $5 million and a McLaren sportscar. According to the indictment, from April 2014 until August 2021, Runsdorf, the owner and president of Woodfield Pharmaceutical LLC based in Boca Raton, Florida, conspired with drug traffickers in Houston, Texas, to distribute misbranded and counterfeit cough syrup. Runsdorf’s company pleaded guilty to the same charges and was ordered to forfeit $1 million and fined $50,000. According to information presented in court, Byron A. Marshall, 43, of Houston, utilized Woodfield Pharmaceutical’s manufacturing facility and employees in Houston to produce more than 500,000 pints of counterfeit cough syrup. Marshall’s drug trafficking organization sold the counterfeit drugs across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, California, Florida, Arkansas, and Ohio. Prices generally ranged from $100 to more than $1,000 per one-pint bottle. Depending on the market and brand of cough syrup, prices went as high as $3,800 to $4,000 per pint. During the conspiracy, Marshall communicated directly with Runsdorf regarding production of the counterfeit cough syrup. At Runsdorf’s request, Marshall paid Woodfield Pharmaceutical in cash only, and Woodfield employees mailed the cash directly to Runsdorf in Boca Raton. All eleven defendants charged in the indictment, including Runsdorf and Marshall, pleaded guilty. Six have been sentenced in addition to Runsdorf. Tunji Campbell pleaded guilty to conspiracy, trafficking in counterfeit drugs, and money laundering conspiracy and was sentenced to 135 months imprisonment. Chauntell D. Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy and trafficking in counterfeit drugs and was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment. Cheryl A. Anderson, Ashley A. Rhea, and Maria Anzures-Camarena, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy and were sentenced to 60 months imprisonment. Five others, including Marshall, are awaiting sentencing. “In his role as owner and president of Woodfield Pharmaceutical LLC, Adam Runsdorf knew his company was producing thousands of gallons of counterfeit cough syrup—labeled to be nearly identical to a discontinued product—to be distributed to drug traffickers in Texas and other states,” said U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs. “Runsdorf knew that drug traffickers were selling the counterfeit cough syrup to street-level users and he profited greatly from the sale of the counterfeit cough syrup. Runsdorf’s greed earned him a significant prison sentence. Food and drug products, particularly pharmaceuticals such as cough syrups, undergo rigorous testing and inspection by federal authorities to ensure their safety. When companies evade inspection and certification requirements, innocent consumers are put at risk. EDTX is committed to ensuring public safety and upholding public trust through the vigorous prosecution of those that skirt these safety requirements.” “This sentence sends a strong message to anyone misusing their trusted role and privilege granted by DEA to handle controlled substance,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Division Daniel C. Comeaux.” “This case shows how collaborative efforts between state, local and federal partners on multiple fronts are capable of holding large pharmaceutical distribution companies like Woodfield Distribution accountable by immediately suspending its dangerous operations and bringing its CEO behind bars.” “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the laws of the land apply to everyone, regardless of position or power,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Dallas Field Office. “Adam Runsdorf abused his role as CEO of Woodfield Distributors to participate in the laundering of hundreds of thousands of dollars derived from illegally manufactured and distributed controlled substances. Mr. Runsdorf’s sentence is a direct result of the excellent partnership between law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office in combating drug trafficking and money laundering. I am extremely proud of the CI special agents who used their unique financial expertise to help unravel this complex fraud and money laundering scheme. IRS-CI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop criminals like Mr. Runsdorf from endangering the American public.” This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Marshals Service; Houston Police Department; Galveston Police Department; Galveston County Sheriff’s Office; Dickinson Police Department; League City Police Department; Pearland Police Department; Pasadena Police Department; Texas City Police Department; Harris County Precent #2; Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office; Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office; Liberty County Sheriff’s Office; and the Texas National Guard. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John B. Ross and Jonathan C. Lee. ###


title: Florida Man Found Guilty of Federal Hate Crimes for Racially Motivated Attack Against Six Black Men Near 1923 Rosewood Massacre Site

body_text: After two hours of deliberation, a jury in Gainesville, Florida, convicted David Emanuel, 62, on all counts for committing hate crimes for his racially motivated attack on a group of Black men who were surveying land along a public road in Rosewood, Florida. On March 15, Emanuel was charged with willfully intimidated of the victims, F.D.D., and attempted to injure and intimidate F.D.D. through the use Emanuel’s vehicle, because of F.D.D.’s race and color and because F.D.D. was using a public facility. Emanuel was also charged for willfully intimidating and attempting to intimidate five additional victims, through the use of Emanuel’s vehicle because of the victims’ race and color and because the victims were using a public facility. According to the indictment, all six victims were Black males who were surveying land owned by one of the victims at the time of the offenses. Evidence at trial proved that on Sept. 6, 2022, Emanuel found the victims surveying land adjacent to a public roadway near the location of the 1923 Rosewood Massacre. When the defendant came upon the victims, who were on the public roadway, he shouted racial slurs and expletives at them, including “[racial slur] get out of these woods” before driving a pickup truck directly at the group, nearly striking one of them. At trial, one witness testified that Emanuel admitted that he “came at those [expletives],” and that he “would have [expletive]d up all those Black [expletive]. Video evidence showed that after he was arrested, Emanuel complained that he was “getting treated like this [expletive] over a [expletive] [racial slur].” One witness testified that the defendant came “within inches” of striking one of the victims and that one victim, “nearly lost his life that day.” No victims suffered physical injury as a result of the defendant’s racially motivated attack. “This defendant is being held accountable for intimidating a group of men and weaponizing his vehicle to attack them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As we marked 100 years since the horrific 1923 Rosewood Massacre, this verdict should send a strong message that violent, racially motivated conduct will not be tolerated in our society. The Justice Department is committed to aggressively enforcing our federal civil rights laws.” “Despicable, hate-fueled crimes such as these have no place in our state or country,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “The violence directed toward these victims, based solely on their race, is abhorrent and will not be tolerated. With the dedicated assistance of our law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute civil rights violations to ensure justice for those victimized by hate.” “Horrific acts of hate-motivated violence like this are devastating to families and communities,” said Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI is fiercely committed to investigating civil rights violations and holding perpetrators accountable.” The FBI Jacksonville Field Office and Gainesville Resident Agency investigated the case, with assistance from the Levy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin Weiss and Frank Williams for the Northern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Three Fresno County Residents Indicted for Conspiracy to Sell 6.5 Pounds of Fentanyl Pills and 30 Pounds of Methamphetamine

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Gilberto Arteaga, 41, of Fresno; Juan Castro, 48, of Sanger; and Shannon Calhoun, 53, of Sanger, charging them with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, in the spring of 2023, law enforcement began investigating Arteaga for suspicion of trafficking fentanyl. The investigation revealed a connection between Arteaga and a car owned by Calhoun that had made several, same day, quick trips into Mexico and back to California. On July 15, 2023, Calhoun’s car crossed into Mexico and then hours later back into California. The next day, agents observed Calhoun’s car next to Arteaga’s car in Fresno. Both cars were stopped and searched. Inside Calhoun’s car, officers found a bag with about 30,000 fentanyl pills and 30 pounds of methamphetamine. Arteaga, Castro, and Calhoun were all arrested. This case is the product of an investigation by FORT (a multi-agency team composed of Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno Police Department, and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin J. Gilio is prosecuting the case. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (S.O.S.) a program designed to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas as well as identifying wholesale distribution networks and international and domestic suppliers. In July 2018, the Justice Department announced the creation of S.O.S., which is being implemented in the Eastern District of California and nine other federal districts.


title: South Louisiana Man Sentenced for Counterfeiting

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: LAFAYETTE, La. – Gabriel Bates , 33, of Opelousas, Louisiana, was sentenced today for counterfeiting, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge Robert R. Summerhays sentenced Bates to 26 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Bates pleaded guilty to the charge on April 12, 2023. According to evidence presented to the court, on or about August 24, 2022, officers with the Opelousas Police Department responded to a local donut shop to investigate the reported passing of a suspected counterfeit $20 bill. Through their investigation, law enforcement officers determined that Bates was the individual who passed the counterfeit bill. The United States Secret Service had conducted a separate counterfeit investigation prior to this incident in which Bates was developed as a suspect. Agents were able to secure a search warrant for his residence in Opelousas. On August 29, 2022, officers searched the residence and located and seized numerous counterfeit United States Federal Reserve Notes in denominations of $20 and $100. Bates was subsequently arrested and found to have an additional counterfeit $20 bill and handwritten instructions for manufacturing counterfeit currency in his pocket. The Federal Reserve Notes recovered from Bates’ residence were analyzed and determined to be in fact not genuine. Bates was interviewed by law enforcement agents after waiving his Miranda rights and admitted that he did manufacture counterfeit United States money and passed those counterfeit notes that he had made in several locations throughout the Opelousas area in an attempt to defraud. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Opelousas Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon. # # #


title: Ohio Man Indicted for Threatening a Reproductive Health Services Facility

body_text: An Ohio man was indicted by a federal grand jury for threatening a reproductive health services facility. According to court documents, Mohamed Farah Waes, of Columbus, made telephonic threats to a health services clinic operated by Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. The first count charges Waes with a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which makes it a federal crime to threaten the use of force to intimidate anyone receiving or providing reproductive health services. The second count charges Waes with making threatening statements through interstate communications and the third count charges Waes with threatening to unlawfully damage and destroy a building by means of fire and explosive. The charges stem from a phone call that Waes made to the health services facility on July 5, 2022, in which Waes threatened to burn down the facility and everyone inside of it. If convicted of the felony offenses, Waes faces up to a maximum of 10 years in prison on each felony count, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Cincinnati Field Office, Columbus Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rausch for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Theft of Federal Grant Funds

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Aleksey Krylov, 42, of South Orange, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting theft from programs receiving federal funds. Krylov admitted to diverting $94,197.93 in federal abandoned mine land (AML) remediation sub-grant funds to Jerry D. Elkins, 54, of Danville, West Virginia, while Elkins was an employee of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about April 2017 until on or about August 7, 2019, Elkins assisted Krylov and one of his companies with their application for a DEP AML pilot program sub-grant. The DEP receives grant funding from the United States Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) for, among other purposes, accelerating the remediation of eligible sites for economic revitalization and community development purposes under the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program. Since 2016, West Virginia has received $181 million in AMLER block grant funds. Numerous private entities apply to receive AML sub-grants, and the process for selecting projects to receive sub-grant awards is competitive. Elkins was initially a regional planner and later an inspector for the DEP during the time period, and had become acquainted with Krylov prior to joining the DEP. Krylov and his company proposed to construct and operate an aquaponics facility that would produce commercial quantities of vegetables and fruits at a project site near Madison, West Virginia. To assist Krylov and his company, Elkins collected water samples, provided contacts for public support, boosted Krylov’s project internally at DEP, provided his opinion and suggestions for improving the sub-grant application, and continuously monitored the application’s status. Krylov admitted to paying Elkins for his services with checks and electronic fund transfers drawn from federal sub-grant disbursements totaling $94,197.93. Krylov further admitted that Elkins had no right to receive these funds and that he aided and abetted Elkins’ actions in fraudulently obtaining the $94,197.93. Krylov is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Krylov also owes $94,197.93 in restitution. Elkins pleaded guilty to theft from programs receiving federal funds on My 31, 2023, and is awaiting sentencing. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General- Office of Investigations, and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson is prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kathleen Robeson made significant contributions to the prosecution. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-99. ###


title: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Sex Offense Against A Minor

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kyle Andrew Umstead, 35, of Douglasville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2023, Umstead traveled from Douglasville, Pennsylvania, to Kanawha County, West Virginia, for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Umstead was arrested by law enforcement officers in Kanawha County. Following his arrest, officers found videos and images of child pornography on Umstead’s cell phone. Umstead is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Umstead must also register as a sex offender. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald is prosecuting the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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 sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-47. ###


title: Connecticut Man Sentenced to 121 Months for Alien Smuggling and Child Pornography Possession

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – Jose Angel Portillo-Lopez, age 72, of Norwalk, Connecticut, was sentenced yesterday to serve 121 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, and possession of child pornography. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). In pleading guilty, Portillo-Lopez admitted that in April of 2021, he traveled to the northern border in Burke, New York, where he assisted in the smuggling of four Vietnamese nationals from Canada into the United States for profit. Further, the investigation revealed, and Portillo-Lopez admitted, that he possessed videos of child pornography on his cellphone. United States District Judge David N. Hurd also ordered that Portillo-Lopez serve a 10-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol, Burke & Champlain Stations, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Stitt.


title: Meth, fentanyl trafficking sends Kalispell man to prison for more than 11 years

body_text: MISSOULA — A Kalispell man convicted of trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl was sentenced today to 11 years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Andrew Joseph Shields, 40, pleaded guilty in March to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. In court documents, the government alleged that in June 2022 in Lake County, Montana Highway Patrol troopers made a traffic stop of a vehicle Shields was driving. During the stop, the trooper saw a firearm in the vehicle. In a later search of the vehicle, law enforcement found 478 grams, or a little more than one pound, of meth, fentanyl, additional firearms and more than $8,000 in cash. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara J. Elliott prosecuted the case. The Northwest Drug Task Force and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Kentucky woman was sentenced to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for mailing communications to her neighbors in 2020 threatening to injure them because of their race. According to court documents, Suzanne Craft, 55, of Louisville, sent multiple threatening communications via the U.S. Postal Service to an interracial couple and their children, who lived in the same Lake Forest neighborhood as Craft. Many of these communications contained threats of violence and racial slurs. Following a jury trial in March, Craft was convicted of five counts of mailing threatening communications. The jury further found that, for each of these five counts, Craft sent the threatening communications to her neighbors because of their actual or perceived race or color. “This sentence sends a clear message regarding our commitment to ending hate-motivated violence and threats of violence,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no room in civilized society for violent threats based on race. We hope that this result brings some measure of peace to victims who had to suffer through the defendant’s terrifying threats of racial violence.” “I commend the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the trial team for their outstanding work during the investigation and prosecution of this case,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky. “The citizens of the Western District who live in communities throughout our 53 counties have the right to live and raise their families free from threats of violence made on the basis of race. The nine-year sentence imposed by the court in this case sends a strong message that this type of activity is criminal, will not be tolerated and that this office will take action to protect our citizens from racial hatred.” “Today’s sentencing is indicative of the egregious behavior Craft levied on her neighbors,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “Racially-charged threats will not be tolerated in our communities, and if discovered, will be fully investigated and the perpetrators will be held accountable.” Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Bennett, Special Agent in Charge Cohen and U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division made the announcement. The FBI Louisville Public Corruption Civil Rights Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tieke and Stephanie Zimdahl for the Western District of Kentucky prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal Carissa Moss. ###


title: Former Part-Time Worker with Children’s Movement of Florida Indicted on Federal Child Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Miami federal grand jury has charged Rafael Antonio Saldana, 37, of Miami-Dade County, with coercion and enticement of a minor, production of child pornography and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. According to the indictment and underlying criminal complaint, law enforcement’s review of a 15-year-old boy’s phone revealed multiple sexually explicit images of the minor victim solicited by Saldana. In the days leading up to July 13, Saldana sent messages to the minor victim’s phone coordinating a time and location for the two to meet. It is alleged that Saldana planned over text to pick up the minor victim at a McDonald’s in Miami, then drive him to Saldana’s home to engage in sexual activity with Saldana and a third, unidentified individual. On July 13, Saldana arrived across the street from the McDonald’s in Miami to meet the minor victim. Law enforcement ultimately placed Saldana under arrest outside of his home. Prior to his arrest, Saldana worked part-time at the Children’s Movement of Florida, an organization that advocates for early childhood learning opportunities and access to children’s health care. If convicted, Saldana faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years in prison on the production of child pornography charge. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to a lifetime in prison on the coercion and enticement of a minor and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor charges. If convicted of any of the charges, Saldana faces up to a lifetime of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Interim Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD), announced the charges. HSI Miami and MDPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey Pence Tomanelli is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 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 individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 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 23-mj-03384. ###


title: Louisville Man Sentenced to 20 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Machine Gun

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Louisville, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 20 months in prison for illegal possession a machine gun. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division made the announcement. According to court documents, Cameron Jaimes, 19, was sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a machine gun, a Glock switch. Jaimes admitted to possessing a Glock switch which is a device which allows a semi-automatic handgun to function as an automatic. A Glock switch is defined as a machine gun under federal law. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the ATF with the assistance from the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Porter prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. ###


title: Glendive woman sentenced to more than three years in prison for stealing more than $119,000 from elderly man whose finances she managed

body_text: MISSOULA — A Glendive woman convicted of stealing more than $119,000 from an elderly man whose finances she managed was sentenced today to three years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Gina Larae Mann, aka Gina Larae Neva, 54, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen. The court also ordered $119,269 restitution. “Mann preyed upon a recently widowed victim instead of helping him. Even worse, she helped herself by spending his money for her own benefit. Mann’s conduct destroyed the financial security, good credit, and peace of mind of an elderly man who trusted her. Our office will continue to hold accountable those who exploit the most vulnerable among us and I applaud Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter and the IRS Criminal Investigation for investigating and prosecuting this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said. “Ms. Mann abused the trust of a vulnerable man for her financial gain. Now she will pay for her crimes by serving a federal prison sentence where she will not be able to take advantage of anyone else,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “As a community, it is our responsibility to care for our elders. As a law enforcement community, it is our duty to hold individuals accountable who abuse their position of trust and steal from the people that are under their care.” The government alleged in court documents that Mann offered to help the victim, a recently widowed elderly man who was familiar with Mann and trusted her with his taxes and bookkeeping. After gaining control of the victim’s bank account, Mann stole more than $119,000 through various methods, including taking money directly from the victim and opening several lines of credit in his name without his knowledge. The scheme caused the victim financial ruin and destroyed his credit. In a statement provided to the court, the victim said of Mann’s conduct, “She ruined my life and I will live with it for the rest of my life, trying to fix the mess she has created.” Mann’s scheme began in early 2018 and continued until late 2019 when the victim discovered the fraud after receiving overdraft notices from a credit union. When interviewed, Mann told federal agents that the victim wanted to be a partner in her business and claimed she used ATM cash advances from a credit card to pay for her business location, car payments and insurance. Neither statement was true. The victim was not aware of and did not authorize any of Mann’s withdrawals or credit card transactions. The government further alleged that Mann transferred funds directly to her business and her own account, sent thousands of dollars to her husband and withdrew more than $1,000 at a casino and liquor store in Billings. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter prosecuted the case. The IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. XXX